Attendance records

jetsetwilly · by **jetsetwilly** » 12 Sep 2006 13:46

Always been a bit confused by this.

Our record attendance is 24,107 against Chelsea in 2003.

Last night was a new league record of 24,092.

The capacity of the ground as listed on the official website is 24,045. (It was originally listed as 24,200)

Yet you look around and there are always a smattering of empty seats where people are I assume either on holiday/Sick/Absent for whatever reason. Those will easily number 100+ people if you look all around the stands. If those people have a season ticket do they still count against the attendance, and if not how did we manage to exceed our capacity, especially given it looked like 50-100 seats had been converted into a very cardboard and rickety looking sky studio ?

Do they count every person piling into every press box etc. and do they bolster the attendance or do you need to have purchased a ticket and entered through a turnstile to be counted ?

jetsetwilly · by **jetsetwilly** » 12 Sep 2006 16:20

Alas I guess I must ponder such things alone

Royalshow · by **Royalshow** » 12 Sep 2006 16:22

i was thinking that to.i reckon they lie

Only one Trevor Morley · by **Only one Trevor Morley** » 12 Sep 2006 16:27

I was thinking the same thing - can anyone be absolutely clear what our capacity is - I thought it was actually 24,200?

Stooper · by **Stooper** » 12 Sep 2006 16:32

As far as I'm aware, the capacity of the stadium WAS 24,200 when it was originally opened, but with the scoreboard expansion and fences in the south stand it has now reduced it to around 24,115.

jetsetwilly · by **jetsetwilly** » 12 Sep 2006 16:32

Wasn't it tweaked from the original 24,200 because we lost some seats to the scoreboard, and others in the rows in front of the disabled seats ? (although they seem to be back in use now)

cheeryoleary · by **cheeryoleary** » 12 Sep 2006 16:37

I had a Great idea last night (BTW.... what a night!)...

To increase our capacity and gain extra financial revenue..... sell the seats behind the scoreboard!

Target audience would be blind people and Evening Post reporters!

I don't have a coat.... it's too hot

Tony Le Mesmer · by **Tony Le Mesmer** » 12 Sep 2006 18:17

cheeryoleary wrote:I had a Great idea last night (BTW.... what a night!)...

To increase our capacity and gain extra financial revenue..... sell the seats behind the scoreboard!

Target audience would be blind people and Evening Post reporters!

I don't have a coat.... it's too hot

At Burnley a few years back the announcer said something like "Tonights attendance is 11,452, but the actual amount of people in the ground are 9,871."

I presume the club have to declare the attendance as the number of tickets sold for tax purposes, so thats not always the same amount that went through the turnstiles. I am guessing that the total announced last night was the total in the ground, hence why we never seem to get a true full house.

jetsetwilly · by **jetsetwilly** » 12 Sep 2006 19:20

But the figure last night was higher than a supposed full house !

Rhys The Royal · by **Rhys The Royal** » 12 Sep 2006 19:25

Only one Trevor Morley wrote:I was thinking the same thing - can anyone be absolutely clear what our capacity is - I thought it was actually 24,200?

The only way we are ever going to be clear on it is have one of those sit-in-every-seat-in-a-stadium-for-charity things held at the Madejski.

Tony Le Mesmer · by **Tony Le Mesmer** » 12 Sep 2006 19:27

jetsetwilly wrote:But the figure last night was higher than a supposed full house !

But what is a full house, apart from 3 of a kind and a pair? Still not really clear is it.

oldebiscuit · by **oldebiscuit** » 12 Sep 2006 21:45

Do you remember that pricke on the PA at Elm Park who during the Tranmere play-off semi-final, announced, in 'School Fete Style' , (something along the lines of) 'Tonight, we have a record bumper attendance of 11,506' or something like that. That was the same bloke that use to announce the opposition scorer in 'and the scorer for QPR....GAVIIINNN PEAEEECOCK!' style. I do hope he has passed away.

Reading Abbey · by **Reading Abbey** » 13 Sep 2006 02:39

jetsetwilly wrote:Always been a bit confused by this.

Our record attendance is 24,107 against Chelsea in 2003.

The capacity of the ground as listed on the official website is 24,045.

Last night was a new league record of 24,092.

Maybe the BBCRB boys can get us an offical answer on this.

Joel?

Tony Le Mesmer · by **Tony Le Mesmer** » 13 Sep 2006 11:21

oldebiscuit wrote:Do you remember that pricke on the PA at Elm Park who during the Tranmere play-off semi-final, announced, in 'School Fete Style' , (something along the lines of) 'Tonight, we have a record bumper attendance of 11,506' or something like that. That was the same bloke that use to announce the opposition scorer in 'and the scorer for QPR....GAVIIINNN PEAEEECOCK!' style. I do hope he has passed away.

I remember that announcer. what a total cock.

Only one Trevor Morley · by **Only one Trevor Morley** » 13 Sep 2006 12:50

I reckon we've got it up to about 24,200 again - the official site says that Sky took about 100 seats for their portable studio and as the attednance was 24091 then we must have approx 24,200

I assume the studio will not be taken down until we next have a game that isnt on sky - meaning Charlton! as charlton are likely to sell all of their ticket allocation then I think that Charlton will become our record attedance ever at the Madjeski.......

Deadlock · by **Deadlock** » 13 Sep 2006 14:46

Only one Trevor Morley wrote:I was thinking the same thing - can anyone be absolutely clear what our capacity is - I thought it was actually 24,200?

I don't think anyone can. The letter I got with my season ticket renewal form said it was 24,054. The club website said 24,225, and now says 24,045. If even the club itself can't be consistent, what hope does anyone else have?

playoffs or layoffs · by **playoffs or layoffs** » 13 Sep 2006 17:27

Maybe it's because they were keeping a close eye on concession ticket abuse on Monday night.

Say a hundred or so adults swiped their concession card, but were hauled out when the concession light came on.

It might explain the discrepancy between empty seats and the attendance figure.

Rhys The Royal · by **Rhys The Royal** » 11 Oct 2006 19:30

Madejski Stadium Expansion Leaflet wrote:'The Royals, Reading FC are planning to increase spectator capacity from 24,500 to about 38,000.

Further down the leaflet you get....

Madejski Stadium Expansion Leaflet wrote:'The seating capacity will be increased from 24,250 to about 38,000.

Well at least they know that we will be building to around 38,000.

SWLR · by **SWLR** » 11 Oct 2006 20:18

We will exceed our club record vrs Brentford in the Cup.

Statos, how many other teams have a record attendance at their current ground, even Man U are just short of their record.? Wigan?

STAR Liaison · by **STAR Liaison** » 12 Oct 2006 08:54

Deadlock wrote:I don't think anyone can. The letter I got with my season ticket renewal form said it was 24,054. The club website said 24,225, and now says 24,045. If even the club itself can't be consistent, what hope does anyone else have?

I can be definite about the numbers when it opened but when you see the breakdown, it probably depends on the seats we don't consider to be part of the capacity. This is taken from the stadium plan prepared by Birse and so before the segregation moving of seats and Sky studio etc.

North Stand 4833
East Stand 7126
South Stand 4833
West:
Lower 2994
Boxes 280
Lounges 340
Restaurant 48
Upper 3289
VP + clubs 248
Directors 61
Press 60
Wheelchair 132

Total 24244

Trainers 20
Press Gallery seats 60

HTH