AWAY DAYS

[Admin]

I'm sorry if this has been done already, but I wanted to bring this up in a thread of its own just to get the reaction and thoughts of others.

Why is it that we can sell out 25k+ at the Cottage, but only take less than 1k with us to away games?

I know people say, well if our performances were better etc. maybe we'd take more but if you look at clubs like Newcastle, Sunderland, Birmingham or the likes, they always travel in big numbers, regardless.

Is there something that these clubs do like put on free coaches, reduced ticket prices or even have an away day club that their fans have established.

Back in the late 80's, early 90's I used to go to a lot of away games with my Dad and we'd meet in a group at one of the mainline train stations. We'd go up as a group and all have a laugh. Even then, I think we took over 250+ fans to places like Burnley.

Is there something that can be done about this or is this really something the club has to address to get more fans going?

[mangoputney]

Form & cost the issues for me

[SP]

If you remove away fans & tourists from the 25K at the Cottage the percentages aren't nearly so bad. The clubs you quoted have many fans in London in particular, I doubt we have many outside the Capital.

The only things that would get me back on away days are divorce or a return to the decent grounds found mainly in the lower leagues.

[Fulham76]

I'm sorry if this has been done already, but I wanted to bring this up in a thread of its own just to get the reaction and thoughts of others.

Why is it that we can sell out 25k+ at the Cottage, but only take less than 1k with us to away games?

I know people say, well if our performances were better etc. maybe we'd take more but if you look at clubs like Newcastle, Sunderland, Birmingham or the likes, they always travel in big numbers, regardless.

Is there something that these clubs do like put on free coaches, reduced ticket prices or even have an away day club that their fans have established.

Back in the late 80's, early 90's I used to go to a lot of away games with my Dad and we'd meet in a group at one of the mainline train stations. We'd go up as a group and all have a laugh. Even then, I think we took over 250+ fans to places like Burnley.

Is there something that can be done about this or is this really something the club has to address to get more fans going?

I think it's purely down to results. The likes of Sunderland & Newcastle have a much bigger fan base than us anyway but our away stats have been shocking for years. We've not won more than 4 away games in a season since being in the premier league, (that was last season & 2 of those came in our last 3 or 4 away games). The poor form has gone on too long.
Having said that, we took thousands to Chelsea, rangers, Arsenal. A good turnout at Southampton, Reading & plenty of other grounds this year. People pick & choose these days & I'm not surprised by yesterdays turnout noting 19 consecutive defeats at Goodison, (20 now!). We have the fan base but the team need to turn up as well. 15 years ago I went to Cambridge on the final day of the season & we took over 5,000 - attendance that day was about 7,500. Our promotion year we took loads to most away games. Palace was a good one, Millwall as well. The Gillingham game where one of our fans was killed was the 1st game I couldn't get a ticket due to demand!! I personally would go to more away games if results improved.

[cusackdribble]

Lifestyle change for me - can no longer justify travelling halfway round the country and spending best part of £100 for a game of football. Don't miss it either to be honest

[Jack Fulham]

I guess its a mixture of form, people having better things to do, away days being very expensive and now you can watch 3pm football on a internet stream so you can watch the game without having to do the travelling.

What was the last away game far away that we had a good turnout? Norwich?

[Fulham76]

I guess its a mixture of form, people having better things to do, away days being very expensive and now you can watch 3pm football on a internet stream so you can watch the game without having to do the travelling.

What was the last away game far away that we had a good turnout? Norwich?

We had a decent turnout at Southampton. Not a million miles away, I know but must have been 2,500.

[Travers Barney]

Still loving the away days after all these years.

Coyw

[Berserker]

I like way matches but I can't go to all of them because of cost and time.

[Jimpav]

Outside of the capital our away support is poor but we normally take a lot of fans to Chelski, Spurs, Arsenal, West Ham, QPR etc.

This suggests that cost and time involved is an issue.

We also take decent numbers to Newcastle but not normally Sunderland. This suggests that our  are supporers are more selective - choosing away matches on the stature of the ground/team visited or the attractions that the host city offers. Brighton will no doubt be a bigger draw than Reading for example. In the same way that Blackpool drew a bigger away attendance than Blackburn.

If you are travelling regularly to away matches then you are likely to have a season ticket also. Not only is that a very expensive pastime it is frankly a boring one also! Impossible if you work weekends and a guaranteed passion killer unless you are married/dating a die hard Fulham fan. That's essentially the reason why we find ourselves with around 60 fans at Sunderland on a Tuesday night in January!

London will always be a big draw to away fans and there will always be fans from every club inthe league studying or working in London. Not forgetting a ground as nice as ours we have to be in the top 3 away grounds for a day out.

We need to make away travel as easy and appealing as possible to the younger fans - they are our best hope. Teens and twenties that have the time but not necessarily the money to spare. Free coach travel would be a good start- particularly if it was to the less fashionable ties.

The club don't market away games though. Wether this is because they fear it will detract from home support or simply because there is no money in it. The Fulham flyer to boro was a sell out in 2007 and was a good day out. I didn't think twice about the prospect of paying £100 for the flight - it was a novelty (pre-Europa!). I'm sure if the club did something similar for Sunderland we would get 500-600 fans to an unfashionable tie.

[Berserker]

I actually liked my trips to Bolton and Wigan, although Mr B moaned as he didn't like the driving, also he is not that keen on football tbh!

[Baider]

Currently at uni so money is obviously the biggest issue, trying to budget on about £60 a week is hard enough!! However, managed to do Stoke, Villa and Norwich away, and QPR but suppose that doesn't really count. Numbers were good at norwich and fairly ok at villa, poor at stoke though. not surprising it was an awful game, freezing cold, dark and rained the whole game. finish this year so im deffo planning to get to as many away games next season as possible

[HatterDon]

Because we almost always play good football and attempt to gain points when playing at home. On the road we are negative, cautious, timid, and weak.

Instead of wondering why there are so few travelers, we need to salute those who bother to go up to places like Wigan, Sunderland, and Newcastle to watch the tripe we put out on the pitch at away matches.

[The Bronsons]

I don't think there is one big answer, but lots of factors. The main one for me is that we have a small and localised fan base. As I said on the other thread on this topic, you won't find Fulham shirts on sale in sports shops even as close to London as Slough, Reading and Oxford. We don't have casual fans in other cities who are waiting for their chance to see Fulham.

Then there's the cost.

The fact we play poorly away and have done for years.

The fact we have the best ground in the country - if I were a Spurs fan I'd love coming to the Cottage, but do many Fulham fans feel inspired at the idea of going to White Hart Lane?

Ditto the area. A day out in London is great - loads to do and see before and after the game, and it's easy to get in and out. And we're in the city itself, next to the Thames, a bus-ride from the West End. How many Fulham fans look forward to a day out in a car park next to a ring road?

I wonder too what the demographic is nowadays for the club. How many fans of a certain age are like me - moved out of Fulham years ago and could never afford to move back there? Maybe a lot, given that Fulham is such an expensive area to live? If that's the case then we might have more season ticket holders than average who have local roots but travel distances to the Cottage that make every home game an away game.

[Berserker]

Yes I travel about 140 miles or so for a home game, as you say there are quite a few like me, and Scalleysdad deserves a medal coming from Exeter

[RaySmith]

I think cost is the major factor - and that wasn't such an issue in the lower divisions.

I used to go to a lot of Prem away games, and used to look forward to them, despite  the fact of  generally terrible results, because it's all about  being there to support the team, and being part of  it all - though, for Fulham supporters if we actually win an away game, it's an exhilirating experience ( I was at Man City when we  came  back to win in the 'great escape' year).

We are actually  a lot better, and more successful, away now than when i used to go ,but I just can't afford it, and I'm sure this is true for many others.

Yes, top teams, often from areas with a lot of economic deprivation, seem to have no problem with getting  fans to travel away , but one thing is they have a lot more home support, plus a lot of support that lives in the 'away' places; and also, yes, if the team has a chance  to win a trophy, then more  people of an already vast support, will be motivated to follow them.

But I still think Fulham would take a lot more away if it wasn't for the cost - like they did in the lower divisions, even when we were crap. If you think we're crap now - at least we are Prem crap! But fans used to travel to support the team, as they still do, because.....We Are Fulham, Super Fulham , FFC! COYW!

[Burt]

As per my response on the similar Everton related thread, cost is a factor along with other priorities (young family). It was easier to go to more away matches when I was younger. It was much cheaper, and I had no mortgage or family to support.

[BedsFFC]

Is there any area that you go to, be it in London or Surrey etc, or even a pub that you can say..."This is FFC country" or "this is a FFC pub" (non matchday)

I think in that question comes the answer to your question. There is no way that you can compare Fulham of today with say, Newcastle. In Newcastle, there are over a quarter of a million people, the majority of whom follow the geordies. They drink in the pubs, clubs and bars where evreyone follows newcastle.
I know 1 Fulham fan who lives in Fulham. Had we been promoted to the top tier twenty five years ago, we would have had a larger following then who lived in the manor and now their sons and daughters would be going away.

When I grew up in Westminster, Fulham was a working class area and was a rough place to go. Not know.

Our support is spread far and wide. I would go away more but in truth, don't have the FFC social network that adds a bit extra to a trip. I live 80 miles out of london.

Our local neighbours, Chelsea got succesfull at the right time and now have lots of little pockets of areas all over surrey & kent etc

[NorfolkJim]

I've always loved the away days, and planning the away days almost as much. I've followed Fulham away from Bucks where I started, from Harrogate where I moved to and now from Norfolk. For me, its not about the winning, its the travel itself and getting all over the country. Some people go fishing, I like to go see Fulham on a train, or better still a plane.
But now that I have a wife, 1 income and 2 teens to support it gets harder and harder, financially.
There is still some joy in working out how to get to ANY away or even HOME game for as little dosh as I can but even my best efforts result in a large bill that honestly I can't really afford.
When I was young and had no responsibilities I would hitch hike, walk, cycle, motorcycle or whatever it took to get to the games. I once spent 3 days getting to and from a FA cup third replay against Bury at the Hawthorns mid week on a 50cc honda express. I once went over the moors on a mates motorbike to a game at Blackburn and had my clothes freeze solid on the way back in freezing fog arriving at his house in the early hours and having to fall off the bike in order to get off, then as no one would get up walked the 9 miles back from his place. I did crazy things like that back then.
Times have changed and I don't think many people are like that any more, hell they cant even stay till the end of the game.
The peeps above are right - you just cant compare our away support with places like Newcastle or Stoke or even Bristol or Plymouth. Maybe it does take success to get fans travelling away nowadays but for a lot of us older fans its cost that really holds us back.