Hitchin Town Football Club
Founded 1865, Reformed 1928
Canaries suffer at the gate
Wednesday, November 17 2004
Hitchin Town's attendances this season have dropped by 12% and have reached their lowest point in 15 years.
The Canaries are averaging less than 300 this season, and you have to go back to 1988-89 for the last time the average crowd dropped below that figure. This season's average is 297, 21% lower than the average for the Southern League Premier Division.
There are a number of reasons why Hitchin fans are voting with their feet, say club officials. Last season's dramatic decline in fortunes, including a 13-game run without a win, is partly the cause, but public perception that the club was relegated at the end of the campaign is also playing its part.
But Treasurer Roy Izzard believes that this season has been highly entertaining at Top Field. "We've scarcely seen a poor game and there have been plenty of goals," he says. "But we are infuriatingly inconsistent, as are most teams in this league, but the ultimate deciding factor is success on the pitch."
On the positive side, however, has been the increase in away support at Top Field. Most sides have brought a healthy contingent of supporters and this has helped to counter the loss in home fans. And this season has also seen a strong away following backing the Canaries. "Our supporters are fiercely loyal and follow the club everywhere," says Izzard. "This season, despite some very contrasting performances, they have been patient and nothing but encouraging."
