Witton 3-0 & relegation confirmed

[Ben]

To be fair, I thought the crowd of 902 on Monday was decent. The game didn’t have the same level of promotion as ours on Boxing Day and we didn’t take as many there as what Witton did to us. The attendance was higher than both Derby Day gates last season.

Atmosphere wise, it’s a lot better than Townfield and I far prefer it to watch football in. I definitely notified a feel good factor around Witton and there are a lot more younger fans than we have. I think there’s a lot we can do to improve around some of the issues I’ve mentioned as I don’t believe we can say the same. Let’s face it, Witton are definitely in the strongest position of the three clubs, soon to be in the highest league with comfortably the largest crowds and an asset in their ground.

Attendances wise, our crowds seem to have largely been flat over the last few seasons which is okay, but there’s work to do especially around attracting younger fans who after all are our future. League website has us in 14th in the league averaging 306 and Witton in 10th with 489, so they’re quite a bit ahead of us. Next season we won’t be able to rely on many teams taking any away followings and we will miss out on derby games against Witton and Linnets. I can’t see Vics attracting anywhere near as many.

A lot to think about there and around what gate admission prices will be in a lower league. Important we start well next season as I would worry about attendances dropping if we don’t. Let’s not sugar coat it, the Midlands League isn’t going to be an easy ride and certainly won’t always be much fun. We just have to make the most of things and get on with it and hopefully we can turn things round and get back to where we want to be as a club and the successes we enjoyed before Covid.

 

[Charliebel]

To be fair, I thought the crowd of 902 on Monday was decent. The game didn’t have the same level of promotion as ours on Boxing Day and we didn’t take as many there as what Witton did to us. The attendance was higher than both Derby Day gates last season.

Atmosphere wise, it’s a lot better than Townfield and I far prefer it to watch football in. I definitely notified a feel good factor around Witton and there are a lot more younger fans than we have. I think there’s a lot we can do to improve around some of the issues I’ve mentioned as I don’t believe we can say the same. Let’s face it, Witton are definitely in the strongest position of the three clubs, soon to be in the highest league with comfortably the largest crowds and an asset in their ground.

Attendances wise, our crowds seem to have largely been flat over the last few seasons which is okay, but there’s work to do especially around attracting younger fans who after all are our future. League website has us in 14th in the league averaging 306 and Witton in 10th with 489, so they’re quite a bit ahead of us. Next season we won’t be able to rely on many teams taking any away followings and we will miss out on derby games against Witton and Linnets. I can’t see Vics attracting anywhere near as many.

A lot to think about there and around what gate admission prices will be in a lower league. Important we start well next season as I would worry about attendances dropping if we don’t. Let’s not sugar coat it, the Midlands League isn’t going to be an easy ride and certainly won’t always be much fun. We just have to make the most of things and get on with it and hopefully we can turn things round and get back to where we want to be as a club and the successes we enjoyed before Covid.

Well said

 

[Andy]

Edit: either way, whether it’s 900 or 1,000, it’s piss poor for a town with our non-league heritage!

Ultimately this is the fact both teams face.

Just 15/20 years ago in the national league, Vics would get 900/1000 everyweek, 2000/3000 on big games. Where are they now? They’re not watching any team in town anymore.

Take a look at Rylands. 10 year ago they were nothing more than a pub team, and now they’re attracting bigger crowds than both 74 and Witton. That’s all been achieved in a few years and a town with no football heritage and very little interest in football.

Plenty of clubs growing, whist the clubs in northwich seem to be stagnating

 

[Tez]

Take your point Andy but I’m not so sure Vics crowds were as high as 900 post 2003* Though I accept that depending on the opposition might have boosted certain gates.

* I stand to be corrected of course

 

[James Wood]

Oh some of us remember those days only too well !! If you cut through the banter and look beyond what has been achieved in the past couple of seasons, its not been lost on the WAFC Chairman that there is still an awful lot to do - and be paid for. Looking inwardly might bring short term solace, but it won't fix the problems

Can we please stop agreeing with one another? I’m
not used to it!

But as you say and as I’ve been saying, Albion’s chairman has gone on record twice recently to state that if Albion were to gain promotion they would need to double the current attendances in order for the club to compete at that level.

I really don’t see where the extra 400-500 fans are in to come from

 

[James Wood]

An alternative view would be that, in relative terms, it’s not a bad effort given there was very little promotion of the game (this is one of very few areas you’re ahead in!) and there wasn’t exactly a legion of 1874 fans to bolster the gate.

The Boxing Day gate was a brilliant achievement for you guys, so full credit for the work you put in advertising the game, but bear in mind more than half of it was Wittoners/neutrals and Boxing Day will always attract the bigger crowd of the two bank holidays - unless there’s something huge at stake for both teams.

Edit: either way, whether it’s 900 or 1,000, it’s piss poor for a town with our non-league heritage!

And that Witton Man, is the exact point that Knutsfordian and I are trying to make.

902 for a local Derby on a Bank Holiday Monday is frankly awful. And how many of those paid the full admission price I wonder?

 

[Witton man]

And that Witton Man, is the exact point that Knutsfordian and I are trying to make.

902 for a local Derby on a Bank Holiday Monday is frankly awful. And how many of those paid the full admission price I wonder?

I don’t necessarily disagree with you. In theory, of course it makes sense to have one club, but I can’t see it happening. And if it did, it’d be in desperation rather than anything else. Put it this way, I think we’re more likely to see a derby at step 5 than we are at step 3. A sad state of affairs.

But that said, as somebody in their early 30s, I’ve never experienced the rivalry at its fiercest (but it sounds like it was quite something), so maybe I’m a little softer to the thought. Not that I’d ever feel comfortable surrendering the Witton name in favour of being called Northwich - which it obviously would have to be.

 

[josh89]

On attendances: I’m surprised how they’ve held up this season with what’s been on offer on the pitch.

Boxing Day shows the potential when things pick up on the pitch again.

Get the right manager, and have a competitive season next year and look to fight back up to the NPL, no doubt they’ll be back up at the 300+ mark.

We need attendances to be at that level otherwise there is no club to support it's as simple as that

 

[Wittoner]

Take your point Andy but I’m not so sure Vics crowds were as high as 900 post 2003* Though I accept that depending on the opposition might have boosted certain gates.

* I stand to be corrected of course

Agree with that, Tez. I know of Vics fans and Wittoners that stopped going simply because of the Stadiums moving out of town ie from the DF and the CG. It was amazing to have had them in town when you look back now.

 

[Wittoner]

To be fair, I thought the crowd of 902 on Monday was decent. The game didn’t have the same level of promotion as ours on Boxing Day and we didn’t take as many there as what Witton did to us. The attendance was higher than both Derby Day gates last season.

Atmosphere wise, it’s a lot better than Townfield and I far prefer it to watch football in. I definitely notified a feel good factor around Witton and there are a lot more younger fans than we have. I think there’s a lot we can do to improve around some of the issues I’ve mentioned as I don’t believe we can say the same. Let’s face it, Witton are definitely in the strongest position of the three clubs, soon to be in the highest league with comfortably the largest crowds and an asset in their ground.

Attendances wise, our crowds seem to have largely been flat over the last few seasons which is okay, but there’s work to do especially around attracting younger fans who after all are our future. League website has us in 14th in the league averaging 306 and Witton in 10th with 489, so they’re quite a bit ahead of us. Next season we won’t be able to rely on many teams taking any away followings and we will miss out on derby games against Witton and Linnets. I can’t see Vics attracting anywhere near as many.

A lot to think about there and around what gate admission prices will be in a lower league. Important we start well next season as I would worry about attendances dropping if we don’t. Let’s not sugar coat it, the Midlands League isn’t going to be an easy ride and certainly won’t always be much fun. We just have to make the most of things and get on with it and hopefully we can turn things round and get back to where we want to be as a club and the successes we enjoyed before Covid.

Great post. Very honest / realistic

 

[Witton man]

I really don’t see where the extra 400-500 fans are in to come from

Truth is - they won’t! As far as I’m aware, we averaged 900 or so for a few years in the 90s, but 20 years either side of that it was the standard 400/450 (quite often a few less).

However, there’s only four clubs who average 1,000+ in the NPL Premier… which makes you wonder just how many are living waaaaaaaay beyond their means!

 

[James Wood]

Truth is - they won’t! As far as I’m aware, we averaged 900 or so for a few years in the 90s, but 20 years either side of that it was the standard 400/450 (quite often a few less).

However, there’s only four clubs who average 1,000+ in the NPL Premier… which makes you wonder just how many are living waaaaaaaay beyond their means!

Correct.

The majority of teams in the NPL Premier are watched by sub 1000 crowds (Rylands, Lancaster, Stafford, Ashton United, Workington, Matlock et al)

And yes, apart from
Those few years in early to mid 1990’s Witton’s bedrock support was always 400-450