billsportsmaps.com

January 7, 2008

Football Clubs of Northern and Northeastern England, including Cumbria, Tyne-and-Wear, Durham, Humberside, and Lincolnshire.

Filed under: England's Regions — admin @ 6:47 am

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[Listed numerically in order of highest average attendance, within the context of the entire 92-club English Football League.]

3. Newcastle United: 50,686 avg. attendance, in ’06-’07; up 0.4%, this season.  Newcastle sit 11th, in the Premiere League.  Alex Ferguson took 3 and a half years to finally win a trophy with Manchester United (hired in Nov., 1986/ FA Cup, in May, 1990).  Many Newcastle fans aren’t even giving Sam Allardyce 6 months to show results. 

11. Sunderland: 31,887, avg. attendance, in ’06-’07; up 36%, this season.  Sunderland are in the relegation zone, at 18th place, in the Premier League.   The Black Cats might be doomed to be the biggest yo-yo club in the world.  When you have the country’s 11th-biggest average gate, while not even in the top flight, you are a relatively big club.  When you are relegated, then promoted 4 times in 12 seasons, then you are a yo-yo club.  And when you are back in the Premier League’s relegation zone this late into the season, nothing has changed. 

13. Middlesbrough: 27,730 avg. attendance, in ’06-’07; down 5%, this season.  Middlesbrough sit 15th, in the Premier League.   Middlesbrough finds a way to get a good result, every few games (like beating league-leaders Arsenal).  But then they look uninspired, for games at a time.  One wonders when owner Steve Gibson’s patience with Gareth Southgate will end. 

32. Hull City: 18,758 avg. attendance, in ’06-’07; down 9%, this season.  Hull sit 9th, in the League Championship (the 2nd Level).   The Tigers continue their gradual climb.  Hull City was a 4th Level club as recently as 2004.    Hull is the 10th largest city in Great Britain [and until 2008 promotion, was the largest city to have never had a football club in the English first division]. 

50. Carlisle United: 7,907 avg. attendance, in ’06-’07; down 5%, this season.  Carlisle sit in the promotion places, at 2nd, in League One (the 3rd Level).   Carlisle is hampered by being the most isolated club in the League.  The Cumbrians have had 2 promotions in 3 years; they could go up again, but the presence of 2 big clubs in this league this season (Leeds and Nottingham Forest) will make it difficult.

62. Scunthorpe United: 5,669 avg. attendance, in ’06-’07; up 19%, this season. Scunthorpe sit in the relegation zone, at 22nd, in the League Championship.   The Iron might be a victim of the highly competitive caliber of the current League Championship.  Anyone can literally beat anyone, but someone has to be relegated, and it will probably be at least 2 of the 3 minnows (Scunthorpe, Colchester, and Blackpool) punching above their weight in the second tier, this season.

69. Lincoln City: 5,176 avg. attendance, in ’06-’07; down 28%, this season.  Lincoln City sit 21st, in League two (the 4th Level).   The Imps have lost in the playoffs for an astounding 5 straight seasons.  This season, they started out so poorly, they were in the relegation zone.  But new manager Peter Jackson (ex-Huddersfield Town boss) has righted the ship.

70. Hartlepool United: 5,087 avg. attendance, in ’06-’07; down 3%, this season.  Hartlepool sit 15th, in League One (the 3rd Level).  Relegated in ’06, ”Pools” bounced right back to the third tier last spring. 

79. Grimsby Town: 4,379 avg. attendance; down 0.3%, this season.  Grimsby sit 15th, in League Two (the 4th Level).  Talk about keeping the status quo: The Mariners are at the same spot they finished last season, 15th; and their attendance is almost exactly the same. 

82. Darlington: 3,814 avg. attendance, in ’06-’07; up 8%, this season.  Darlington are in the playoff places, at 6th, in League Two (the 4th Level).  The Quakers ownership might have over-estimated their potential fan base.  The club currently plays to a creepy 16% capacity in their new white elephant, The Balfour Webnet Stadium.  Crowds are up from last year, though, and will likely increase further, if they gain promotion.  Last year they faltered down the stretch, finishing 11th.

92. Boston United: 2,152 avg. attendance, in ’06-’07; down 32%, this season.  Boston United are now out of the League, after double-relegation (one relegation for finishing second-to-last place in League Two; one more relegation for financial irregularities).  They sit 10th, in the Blue Square North Division (6th Level). 

**List of all 92 Clubs from the 2006-’07 English Football League  [with Average Attendance/ Titles/ FA Cups/ Seasons in First Level.**

List, Clubs #1 to #46  (Manchester United, to Southened United), click here.attendancemaplegendcombinedleagues.gif

List, Clubs #47 to #92  (Milwall to Boston United), clickattendancemaplegendcombinedleagues2.gif here. 

!!!Note: To best read the lists, left-click on thumbnail (duh), then left-click to enlarge the list; then diminish screen twice [via pressing "SHIFT," and "-"  keys simultaneously.] 

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