So close and yet so far away....it almost brings me to tears!

http://www.ananova.com/sport/story/sm_74721.html

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2000

Answers

More worryingly is this...dare it suggest the Makems are better in any way, shape or form???!?!?!?!?!?

from ananova.com

Boro top the charts

Middlesbrough have been declared the best supported football club in the country.

Boro have come out top in a poll which represents the largest percentage of the local population turning out to support their home team.

Twenty-three per cent of Middlesbrough's population turn out for matches at the Riverside Stadium on a regular basis.

The poll, by FourFourTwo magazine, places Watford second and Chelsea third using the same criteria.

Manchester United, who attract the highest average of 58,017, could only place 10th in the rankings.

The lowest Premiership club is Aston Villa who lie in 50th position and bottom of the pile is Third Division side Barnet.

The top 25 clubs are listed below with the percentage of the local population who attend matches:

1 Middlesbrough 23.05
2 Watford 22.75
3 Chelsea 21.26
4 Arsenal 21.20
5 Ipswich 16.26
6 Tottenham 15.60
7 Burnley 14.39
8 Sunderland 13.93
9 Blackburn 13.91
10 Man United 13.46
11 Newcastle 13.30
12 Norwich 12.88
13 Derby 12.42
14 West Ham 10.60
15 Liverpool 9.62
16 Preston 9.47
17 Wimbledon 9.17
18 Charlton 9.08
19 Wolves 8.91
20 Fulham 8.05
21 QPR 7.74
22 Everton 7.62
23 Man City 7.44
24 Portsmouth 7.37
25 Southampton 7.09

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2000

?????????????????

I must be missing something with this best supported thing. % of local people who attend the matches? Surely it depends on the size of the population of catchment area relative to the ground capacity? ie if there were 2 million in the catchment area and of those 50,000 managed to see their team regularly - that's 2.5%. But if the catchment area held only 500,000 and, say, only 20,000 managed to get to games despite a 30,000 capacity, that would 4%.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2000

Well then....I guess we'll all have to kill ourselves since this particular statistic is so awe inspiring and important....or then again maybe not...

Sorry for the sarcasm bobster....wasn't directed at you, just that pathetic stat....I wonder what percentage of Boro's fan base turned out for "that" Worthington cup game then? ;))

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2000

10 Man United 13.46 eh?

Wait until LR discovers that only 86.54 of NH supporters are cockneees.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2000

10 Man United 13.46 eh?

Wait until LR discovers that only 86.54% of NH supporters are cockneees.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2000

Lies, damn lies and statistics. Betcha some makem will crow about this stat, mind.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2000

It could also be heavily squewed if tickets are passed around. ie if the count attendance as seeing, say, 10 games (I suspect it's lower) then there'll be a greater percentage of 'support' if people only saw around ten games each. So a loyal season ticket holder who sees every home game will only count as one 'head' whereas a 'season ticket holder' who regularly lends/sells his seat to others may create 2 or more 'loyal supporters'. As we all know, up until now, tickets for St James' have been extremely difficult to get hold of and remain in the hands of the few.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2000

LR will enjoy that stat cos they're above us and Man City.....

What a load of old bollox eh......

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2000

Hey lads - the stat doesn't say what proportion of the attendance is local (although I'm sure people will misread it as this). It says what proportion of local people actually manage to get to a game regularly. ie a bullshit stat for the reasons I've stated.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2000