What is the lowest ever attendance for a competitive Southampton F.C. match?

[Matthew Le God]

Does anyone know what it would be, the gate, opponent, the date of game, score and can they provide the source they used (book, website etc)?

 

Figure to beat...

 

March 30th, 1936, Division Two game vs Port Vale at the Dell attendance = 1,875

Edited 4 October, 2010 by Matthew Le God

[Viking Warrior]

I think we had less than 10k at the Port vale Fa cup game at the Dell, One of Branfoots last matches. i was there in the Milton and next to nobody were there , You could even count the red card protesters on one hand

[Matthew Le God]

I don't think the Branfoot protest games ever got lower than the Swindon JPT game at 8,333.

[Viking Warrior]

When I get home I will check an old programme to see what the crowd was for the port vale .

but Mathew you may well be right re the swindon game

[Joensuu]

Post war, I'd guess the 1956 season might hold the record low. I only say this because we only averaged 11,612 for the season, suggesting that some games are likely to have been below 8,333... Of course, we might have been highly consistant (attendence-wise) and not dropped below 10k all season, but it's worth a punt.

 

Edit: re-read OP, and see you've said all that... whoops...

[teamsaint]

Lowest for a league match that I can remember was the Ipswich league game that we lost 1-0, Kiwomya got the goal and it rained like the monsoon season. Late 1993 . Official crowd 9000 but the Milton was deserted apart from the bits under cover.I thought there were only about 7500 there, as no doubt a lot of ST holders stayed at home.

 

not our best night.

[Sheff Saint]

I'm sure when we lost at home to Oldham in about the 93/94 season there was less than 10k. We played Wimbledon in that period as well and it was a pretty low attendance.

 

I can't remember but i'd imagine the Port Vale game was ok attendance-wise as it was the first game after Branfoot had got the sack wasn't it?

[Liquidshokk]

I'd guess it may well be back in the late 1800's when the team was new though records of attendances are hard to find. Post war, maybe in the 1955/56 season (when they had lowest ever post war average of 11k in the 3rd Division South) or in the full members cup (which ran from 1985 to 1992).

 

Does anyone know what it would be, the gate, opponent, the date of game, score and can they provide the source they used (book, website etc)?

 

Figure to beat is the 8,333 that went to the Swindon JPT game at St Mary's 31st August 2010

 

I NEVER want to experience being at a game with such a low attendance again... was a very very depressing game and ended my "I'll go to every game I can" attitude.

 

For the game itself to actually be cr@p too just made it all the more depressing... Boooooooo.

[Matthew Le God]

I NEVER want to experience being at a game with such a low attendance again... was a very very depressing game and ended my "I'll go to every game I can" attitude.

 

tbf there aren't many teams in the country that would get 8k for a 1st round game in the JPT

[Liquidshokk]

tbf there aren't many teams in the country that would get 8k for a 1st round game in the JPT

 

True... My God I'm a football snob.

[moonraker]

If you go right back through the 125 years, whilst accuracymay be hard to establish, I am sure you will find gates as low as 1500 reported .

[Fitzhugh Fella]

March 30th 1936 v Port Vale at the Dell att 1875

Source - Saints A Complete Record, Chalk and Holley, Published by Breedon Books 1987

HTH

I wasn't there!

[Matthew Le God]

March 30th 1936 v Port Vale at the Dell att 1875

Source - Saints A Complete Record, Chalk and Holley, Published by Breedon Books 1987

HTH

I wasn't there!

 

Cheers, that is great and very much appreciated.

 

What competition was that in? Division Three South I'd guess?

[Matthew Le God]

And do you have the score aswell?

[Nexstar]

And do you have the score aswell?

 

We lost 1-0

[Matthew Le God]

We lost 1-0

 

Which competition was it in?

[JRM]

March 30th 1936 v Port Vale at the Dell att 1875

Source - Saints A Complete Record, Chalk and Holley, Published by Breedon Books 1987

HTH

I wasn't there!

 

was there a boycott against the chairman?

[Matthew Le God]

Guess it must have been a Division Two match looking at the League record.

[Nexstar]

Guess it must have been a Division Two match looking at the League record.

 

Yeah it was

[Viking Warrior]

Thanks Duncan

 

strange it was against Port Vale. I didnt attend that game if I did would that make me the oldest fan on this forum?

 

Sheff Saint I think Branfoot got sacked after the replay at their place and not the home game. He certainly was in charge at the home game/ I think there were about 1000 fans max in the Milton that day . And archers was far less

[Lets B Avenue]

March 30th 1936 v Port Vale at the Dell att 1875

Source - Saints A Complete Record, Chalk and Holley, Published by Breedon Books 1987

HTH

I wasn't there!

 

Why not? Fishing or standing in the rain at Fratton station instead?

[IronCitySaint]

IIRC, there was actually just over 5,000 for that Port Vale game towards the end of the Branfoot era. There was also at least one league game that season that had less than 10,000. Then again, I remember a wet mid-week game at Chelsea in the same era that had only just over 6000 in attendence. Our attendences have always held up pretty well considering all that us fans have had to put up with over the years.

[Lets B Avenue]

Port Vale 11,086.

Ipswich 9,028.

 

Source: an over-inflated tome that I use as a door-stopper.

 

I wasn't at the Ipswich match. HTH

[JRM]

I have tried finding the stats on the internet, but Chelsea away in 1992 is worth a mention, they were rubbish at the time and we played 2 mid-week games at stamford bridge close together, think the league game had a crowd of 9k and the ZDS area cup final had about 7k , figures worth knowing if you work with any chelsea fans who like to go on about what a big club they are.

[CLOTH EARS]

The lowest attendances that i remember for Saints 1st team home games that i attended was 4000 v Scarborough in the Rumbelows Cup 1991 ish and again 4000 ish v QPR in the Zenith Data Systems Cup around 1990 or 1991. I remember standing on the old East terrace for both games but at the Scarborough game i stood just under the upper tier of the East stand and there was NOBODY stood in front of me!!! I remember that there was about 4 ( YES FOUR ) Scarbrough fans at the Dell that night, that is without doubt the fewest away fans i have seen at a Saints game.

[Dellman]

Thanks Duncan

 

strange it was against Port Vale. I didnt attend that game if I did would that make me the oldest fan on this forum?

 

No, you would be 74 if you attended that match (as a babe) there must be older guys on this forum, I'm 75 for one - tho' my first match was not until 1943

[aintforever]

I expect some of he lowest crowds were in the 1890's.

[Fitzhugh Fella]

There were some reasons for the low attendance. Two days before we had been beaten 8-0 by Spurs, the game took place on a weekday so in the afternoon when many were at work and it rained heavily throughout the match.

The 30s were a depressing time for Saints fans - just one win in the FA Cup throughout the whole decade.

[SFC Forever]

That's why you weren't there. I see it all clearly now.

Edited 4 October, 2010 by SFC Forever

[rpb]

During the days of the 'three day week' when floodlit games were banned, we played Norwich at home on a Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon and there wasn't a very big crowd for that - I expect that season ticket holders were counted in the gate whether they were there or not. We lost 0 - 2.

[saintquin]

During the days of the 'three day week' when floodlit games were banned, we played Norwich at home on a Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon and there wasn't a very big crowd for that - I expect that season ticket holders were counted in the gate whether they were there or not. We lost 0 - 2.

 

I'm thought this was a League Cup match. If it was then season ticket holders won't have counted anyway.

[Lets B Avenue]

I'm thought this was a League Cup match. If it was then season ticket holders won't have counted anyway.

 

Correct. 14,415 plus me in the 2nd half after I managed to escape school.

[Nordic Saint]

Does anyone know what it would be, the gate, opponent, the date of game, score and can they provide the source they used (book, website etc)?

 

Figure to beat...

 

March 30th, 1936, Division Two game vs Port Vale at the Dell attendance = 1,875

 

That match was played on a Monday afternoon and the crowd was still bigger than the 1,355 at Fratton Park last night, which apparently isn't Pompey's all-time lowest home gate, which must have been in the pre-war years. Does anybody know what it was?

 

Incidentally, although Saints' smallest home gate in the top flight was 9,028 v Ipswich, Pompey's was only 4,031 v Liverpool in Divison One on Sat, 25 Feb, 1933, which is always worth knowing when they harp on about the Ipswich gate;)

 

http://pompeyrama.com/pompey-fc-match-3682-25-Feb-1933-Pompey-2-Liverpool-1.html

[oldsarum]

I have tried finding the stats on the internet, but Chelsea away in 1992 is worth a mention, they were rubbish at the time and we played 2 mid-week games at stamford bridge close together, think the league game had a crowd of 9k and the ZDS area cup final had about 7k , figures worth knowing if you work with any chelsea fans who like to go on about what a big club they are.

 

I'll think you'll find the ZDS was the 9K and league game 7K was at both, won 3-1 in ZDS and drew 1-1 with Barry Horne goal in league, I have on a number of occasions asked the loyal Chelsea fans on trains home if they attended either of these games

[holepuncture]

That match was played on a Monday afternoon and the crowd was still bigger than the 1,355 at Fratton Park last night, which apparently isn't Pompey's all-time lowest home gate, which must have been in the pre-war years. Does anybody know what it was?

 

I think MLG was alluding to the shambles at fratton last night, or at least building up to it!

[Matthew Le God]

I think MLG was alluding to the shambles at fratton last night, or at least building up to it!

 

I wasn't, this thread is 6 years old!

[VectisSaint]

Correct. 14,415 plus me in the 2nd half after I managed to escape school.

 

Remember it well, skipped lectures.at Solent (College of Technology as it was) along with several others who didn't normally go to games.

[Hatch]

We lost 1-0

 

George Kay OUT!!!

[AllSorts]

I suspect the gate at the U23s home game v Crawley FC will be the lowest but does it count?

[Saint_lambden]

I suspect the gate at the U23s home game v Crawley FC will be the lowest but does it count?

 

Nothing that happens in the new format of that cup should count towards anything.

[Pugwash]

That match was played on a Monday afternoon and the crowd was still bigger than the 1,355 at Fratton Park last night, which apparently isn't Pompey's all-time lowest home gate, which must have been in the pre-war years. Does anybody know what it was?

 

Incidentally, although Saints' smallest home gate in the top flight was 9,028 v Ipswich, Pompey's was only 4,031 v Liverpool in Divison One on Sat, 25 Feb, 1933, which is always worth knowing when they harp on about the Ipswich gate;)

 

http://pompeyrama.com/pompey-fc-match-3682-25-Feb-1933-Pompey-2-Liverpool-1.html

 

I suspect navy leave was cancelled, international tensions over Hitler seizing power and Japan's invasion of Manchuria.

 

Or they just couldn't be ar5ed.

[Turkish]

The lowest attendances that i remember for Saints 1st team home games that i attended was 4000 v Scarborough in the Rumbelows Cup 1991 ish and again 4000 ish v QPR in the Zenith Data Systems Cup around 1990 or 1991. I remember standing on the old East terrace for both games but at the Scarborough game i stood just under the upper tier of the East stand and there was NOBODY stood in front of me!!! I remember that there was about 4 ( YES FOUR ) Scarbrough fans at the Dell that night, that is without doubt the fewest away fans i have seen at a Saints game.

 

I was trying to remember what game I was at when there was a really low crowd against a northern team in a night game and it was that Scarborough one, didn't we beat them 1-0 with MLT scoring the winner? I thought the crowd was about 6-7,000 though?

[Turkish]

I'm sure when we lost at home to Oldham in about the 93/94 season there was less than 10k. We played Wimbledon in that period as well and it was a pretty low attendance.

 

I can't remember but i'd imagine the Port Vale game was ok attendance-wise as it was the first game after Branfoot had got the sack wasn't it?

 

Was the Oldham game the one where there was a sit in after the match on the Milton? I remember it starting well with about 1,000 or so there, after about 2 minutes the stewards saying for everyone to get out and duly everyone obliged and cleared off, one of the worst protests I've ever seen

[hutch]

I suspect the gate at the U23s home game v Crawley FC will be the lowest but does it count?

Will it be played at Staplewood or St. Mary's?

[Matthew Le God]

That match was played on a Monday afternoon and the crowd was still bigger than the 1,355 at Fratton Park last night, which apparently isn't Pompey's all-time lowest home gate, which must have been in the pre-war years. Does anybody know what it was?

 

Incidentally, although Saints' smallest home gate in the top flight was 9,028 v Ipswich, Pompey's was only 4,031 v Liverpool in Divison One on Sat, 25 Feb, 1933, which is always worth knowing when they harp on about the Ipswich gate;)

 

 

 

This thread was created 5 years before you became a member on this site, the last post before you bumped it was 6 years ago!

 

How did you know it existed to bump it today?

[Nordic Saint]

This thread was created 5 years before you became a member on this site, the last post before you bumped it was 6 years ago!

 

How did you know it existed to bump it today?

 

It came up on a Google search when I was looking for Saints and Pompey's lowest gates. Theirs is definiteley smaller But I still wonder what that mysterious pre-war gate of theirs, smaller than the 1,355 they had last night, was. Presumably it was a league game, as the FA Cup attracted big gates back then and there were no other cup competitions. Google brings up nada.

[teamsaint]

just to go back to the Ipswich game for a moment, the goal is on a review of the Ipswich season on Youtube.

 

Their next game was away at Chelsea a few days later. 13208 at stamford bridge for that one, or possibly 12508 if you believe wikipedia.

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

I think we had less than 10k at the Port vale Fa cup game at the Dell, One of Branfoots last matches. i was there in the Milton and next to nobody were there , You could even count the red card protesters on one hand

 

I was there and reckon it was 11K but that is at the top of my head

[The Cat]

I went to Wimbledon away in about 93 and there was barely anyone there. We won 2-1. Matty scored and possibly Kevin Moore. We were quite high in the table for us (top half) but had a terrible run of form shortly after until the end of the season.

 

Just checked, this website has the attendance at 4534 and it was Kevin Moore.

 

http://www.11v11.com/matches/wimbledon-v-southampton-06-march-1993-21124/

['dover Saint]

just to go back to the Ipswich game for a moment, the goal is on a review of the Ipswich season on Youtube.

 

Their next game was away at Chelsea a few days later. 13208 at stamford bridge for that one, or possibly 12508 if you believe wikipedia.

 

Can't even imagine how Saints set up for the Ipswich game (& I was there!): Dave Beasant, Jason Dodd, Micky Adams, Francis Benali, Jeff Kenna, Steve Wood, Simon Charlton, Paul Allen, Terry Hurlock, Neil Maddison, Matt Le Tissier.

 

In todays money: Forster, Cedric, Targett, Bertrand, Martina, Yoshida, Valery, Clasie, Romeu, Davis, Redmond (I ran out of left backs!)