This map begins my 2009-2010 English Football category. I started with League One, which is the 3rd Level in England, because a viewer posted a comment in which he asked me for the map (he’s a Norwich City supporter). Plus I am fascinated by League One…the way-station between the upper leagues and the lower leagues, and the league that these days usually features the biggest disparity in clubs’ average attendances [but not this season, thanks to Newcastle' United's relegation to the 2nd Level].
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I have kept the same framework for this map as last season {you can see my League One 08/09 map, w/ attendances from 07/08, here}. But with this map, I have added information on… A). each club’s past two seasons (ie, where they finished in the table); B). each club’s highest-ever finish; C). each club’s Major Titles (if any) / or significant Titles [well, I wanted to list FA Trophy Titles- three clubs here (Colchester United, Wycombe Wanderers, and Yeovil Town) have won it- and I didn't want to call the cup competition of Non-League Football a major Title]; and D. the total seasons each club has spent in the 1st Level (if appilcable).
One interesting aspect of the 2009-2010 League One season is that all 7 of the newly arrived clubs are from the south of England…the three clubs relegated from the 2nd Level (the League Championship): Charlton Athletic, Norwich City, and Southampton; and the four clubs promoted from the 4th Level (League Two): Brentford, Exeter City, Gillingham, and Wycombe Wanderers.
As has been the case for the last decade, again League One will feature some pretty big clubs that have spent significant time in the top flight, but have currently fallen on hard times. In addition to Leeds United beginning their third season in the third tier, there are 3 more clubs which traditionally draw more than 20,000 per game…the aforementioned three clubs that were relegated from the League Championship. Incidently, while on the subject of the higher-drawing clubs here, Huddersfield Town had a 37 percent increase in their average attendance last year primarily because they slashed season ticket prices. Another West Yorkshire club, the League Two side Bradford, has had success with this policy for the last two seasons, and Huddersfield followed suit. Maybe other lower division clubs will take notice.
Here are the oddsmakers’ picks for the best promotion candidates in League One this season {click here (Statto.com)}. Not surprisingly, Leeds United tops the list. Other clubs highly rated for promotion are Norwich City, Charlton Athletic, last season’s 3rd-place finisher MK Dons, Huddersfield Town, Brighton & Hove Albion, and last season’s Playoff finalist Millwall.
I have included this link to the web version of the weekly Norwich newspaper called the Pink’Un {click here}. Here is their away grounds [ie, League One 09/10] guide {click here}.
Here is the Historical Football Kits site’s page on the kits in League One for the 2009-2010 season {click here}.
Thanks to the Footy-Mad sites, for their indispensible League History lists for all the football clubs {click here (set at Footy-Mad / League One main page)}. Thanks to E-F-S site, for attendance figures {click here}. Thanks to Huddersfield Town FC official site {click here}. Thanks to the contributors to the pages at Wikipedia {click here}.
Wow! Great stuff!!
I’ll spend way to much time studying this map…instead of doing my yard work.
Do you plan on doing the same analysis of the Scottish leagues?
Thanks a bunch!
Answer: Thanks, Dale. Just remember, yard work is counter-productive if you want to attract songbirds. They like it messy and full of nice cover and nest material.
I will do a map like this of the 09/10 Scottish Premier League…but it won’t be until a little while into the season. My tentative schedule is…Premier League map (like this one) next Tuesday the 21st; then a League Championship map like the map I just made of Brazil’s-cities-with-top-flight representation, for the week after that; then an attendance map of France’s Ligue 1 around 3-4 days before their season starts (on 8th August). And I also want to do cities-in-top-flight maps of Spain’s La Liga, and the Turkish Super Lig. Plus more after that…you know, the usual Western Europen leagues, inc. Scotland.
Comment by Dale — July 15, 2009 @ 1:05 pm
<p><p><p>As a closet Millwall fan, I think this map a really interesting and a great way to see the difference in attendance and subsequently revenue in league 1 football. However I would love to see the same map but for English Rugby leagues. These figures are less easy to come across. Please can you let me know if you have done one or have any plans to do one. Thanks</p></p><br />
<p>Commenter’s site: http://rugby7s.wordpress.com/</p><br />
<p>Answer: Thanks very much for the comment and the praise. I am currently in the busuiest time of the year at my job and on this site, but when I get caught up on my maps for 2009-2010 W. European football leagues, I will start in on a rugby map. I don’t even know enough about it to decide whether to focus on rugby league or rugby union. I also have no idea about attendance figures. This weekend I will look into gate figures, and rugby in England in general.
<p>Answer two days later: I found this post on the Football Round Guide.com’s message board: [halfway down the page...the list that leads off with Munster, and Leicester Tigers]<br />
http://footballgroundguide.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=19512<br />
The great thing about using this as the basis for the map is that I can incorporate teams from not just Rugby League and Rugby Uniopn, but also the Magner’s League, which has Welsh, Irish, and Scottish teams.<br />
I will try to see if I can squeeze in making this map in the next 3 weeks.</p>
Rugby map to be posted 3rd September.
Comment by Barney — July 16, 2009 @ 8:08 am
<p>Cheers for posting this – I originally requested it and I am very impressed at the result. – Have passed it round to all my canary work collegues.</p>
Answer: My pleasure, Steve, and thanks.
Comment by Steve Cockburn — July 17, 2009 @ 8:24 am
<p>Hey </p>
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Answer: Thanks. I really appreciate that.
Comment by Josh Patel — July 17, 2009 @ 8:25 am
thats a very well put together article.
Commenter’s site: http://www.gatorsportsnation.com/
Answer: Thanks.
Comment by florida gators — July 18, 2009 @ 9:01 am
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Pingback by England: 2009-2010 League One, with attendance figures from 08/09 season. — July 18, 2009 @ 11:10 pm
Hello Bill, another Norwich City fan here! How are you? Hope you’re well! Love the maps!
I work with the Norwich City Fan(Steve) who requested the map. I have to say that I am a bit more devoted than he is having lived in Norwich all my life. Steve is actually from Newcastle (Geordie Land) and does actually support them as well but because he’s lived here for 20 years so we’ve taken him into the family!
Anyway, my point is your stats on Norwich are incorrect, our highest finish was 3rd in 1993 in the 1st Level(Premiership). I feel that it is vitally important that this is factually correct as it’s seems your site is viewed by many people from around the world. You’ve got to be proud of where your from!!
Many Thanks
Answer: Thanks for pointing that out…sorry about that. I fixed that and I also added a small description of all Titles listed up at the top of the attendance list.
John
Comment by John King — July 20, 2009 @ 2:00 pm
<strong>norwich uk newspaper</strong>
Who says the internet is full of garbage?? Great post, I was searching for norwich uk newspaper and came across it. Glad I did.
Response: Thank you.
Trackback by norwich uk newspaper — October 30, 2009 @ 12:10 pm
Time flys when you have good reading material. Glad i found your site. I have learned a lot.
Comment by gator college — January 9, 2010 @ 8:11 pm
England: 2009-2010 League One, with attendance figures from 08/09 season.
I came across this in doing some research for a job interview marketing a football club and found it really useful. Do you have a more up-to-date version for attendance figures for 09/10? I’m sure you could sell this to promotion and marketing departments as it is an extremely good statistical tool for plannning.
Comment by Kevin — June 29, 2010 @ 3:25 pm