Does our away following hurt us?

[BoroAbroad]

As a matter of curiosity. Does anyone know what our average away following was last season?

The reason I am asking is that a lot of us tend to be disappointed with the home attendances and perhaps compare it with that of other clubs. However, if we look at it in more detail surely the size of the away following contributes a great deal.
For example. I read that Burnley only brought a following of 500 on Tuesday, where as Boro took a following of almost 4000 to Barnsley?
OK, it could be said that Tuesday's game was a night match, but didn't we take something like 2000+ to Blackpool on a cold, wet night last season?

It is great to have such a fantastic away support, and for sure, the team will appreciate it immensely. BUT. Do we as a club get a % of the away gate? (Almost 1/3 of Oakwell gate receipts.) Or are we just bolstering the coffers of our rivals?

[arabs]

Other clubs seem more interested in our home attendance.
Which is still pretty good by any standards.
If it is the only negative comment against us, it shows how well run our club is.

Considering the poor economy, falling attendances have effected every team in UK.

The increasing cost of watching football do not help, again this is true for majority of UK football clubs.

Away form is better, because when playing away the opposition is more attacking and allows us to take advantage, when playing at home the opposition plays more defensive, which works against us and is not helped due to lack of creativity and width.

I think we get nothing money wise from away attendances, unless it is a cup game.

[Downsouth]

One thing I know for certain is that more seem to be following Boro away than of previous years and for me it is far easier to get to away games due to location and i would not have it any other way because the buzz you get with our away supporters is brilliant. I know we have Crystal Palace coming up this weekend but the atmosphere will not be as good as last year away at Palace!

[misterweed]

I think you are corrct in saying that the away club get nothing of the home teams gate irrespective of if you take 5 or 5000 of your own fans
As someone who gets to a good few away games i tend to enjoy them more as its a good day out and the atmosphere is superior than the home games

[Air Resistance]

I don't think we can do anything but praise our away support. Immense.

As for the home support, I really think if we sort out the home form this season and have games as exciting as Tuesday, we'll be back up to 20k a game soon.

[boksicdink]

We aren't the only team with poor attendances especially on a Tuesday, only 13,500 at Ewood Park last night for example

[BoroDownSouth]

(23-08-2012 07:02 AM)Downsouth Wrote:  One thing I know for certain is that more seem to be following Boro away than of previous years and for me it is far easier to get to away games due to location and i would not have it any other way because the buzz you get with our away supporters is brilliant. I know we have Crystal Palace coming up this weekend but the atmosphere will not be as good as last year away at Palace!

Last year at Palace was amazing! My buddy went flying three rows forward when Marv scored.

You cannot beat an away day. They are amazing.
Brighton last year was a good one too, all the build up, the buzz!
Absolutely loved going to Fratton and St Marys too, the atmosphere is always amazing.

[Armster]

I've never been to an away game, though I'll defaintely be try the Leeds game

[Brunners]

Fratton was a good one last year.

I hate Portsmouth fans with every fiber of my being (or most of them anyway) but I've got to hand it to them, Fratton is one of the most/best Atmospheric grounds I've ever been in.

[FoggansFlyingPig]

We always have had outstanding support on trips to the deep south - principally becuase the sad truth is our main export from the area is our people.

I recall years ago at Fulham (when i lived in London) being approached by a young lad who had hitched down if there was any chance of a lift home. "No" i said as i live in London". He replied "f***ing h*** does anyone in here actually live in the Boro. I have asked 30 people and you all live in f****** London".

Thats not to say we don't have a healthy support from the local area who travel but lets face it as a day out if you can only afford one match a fortnight the away match is always the better day out.