19 Mar 2009Scottish chairmen express attendance fears

Football Finance News | Football Referees, Players, Managers and Media

An overwhelming majority of Scottish club chairmen believe that the economic downturn will have a severe impact on attendances, the BBC reports today (March 19th).

In a study conducted by the news provider, 79 per cent of the 42 chairman of professional clubs in Scotland said that they expect gates to fall as a result of the credit crunch.

With official statistics showing that attendances have already slumped by five per cent since 2005, one First Division chairman has suggested that the situation is bound to get much worse.

He told the BBC: "Anyone who thinks that clubs won't be affected by this is kidding themselves.

"Fans are going to be faced with some hard choices in the next few years - we have to convince them that they will continue to get value for money."

However, there is a silver lining for clubs and fans alike, with sponsors and commercial departments looking at innovative ways in which to get fans through the turnstiles.

According to the news provider, one club has already offered supporters the chance to trade in their old mobile phones as part of their season ticket renewals for next year.

Celtic Park is the largest football stadium in Scotland, capable of seating 60,832 spectators.

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