Empty seats

[w12dave]

Hard to believe Loftus Road highest recorded attendance of 35,353 was in a game against Leeds United on 27 April 1974.

Did anyone go to that game?

[larkspur_hoop]

I sat at the PU in the Upper Loft and noticed a lot of empty seat around. I am surprised at that depite reaching the Premier League which raises the question of whether we really need a new ground with higher capacity or is it because of the prices. 16,000 is not a Premier LEague Attendance is it? Below is a list of Championship matches with higher attendance.

Brighton v Leeds attendabce 20,000
Derby v Millwall 24,000
Middlesbrough v Ipswich 17,000
West Ham V Peterbrough 29,000

As well as the prices (which are still expensive) I think the stadium itself has a lot to do with the empty seats, there are so many restricted view seats, most of PU is people do not want to pay good money for a cramped poor view, especially when the game is on TV. In addition to the general facilities are terrible, trying to get food or a drink at HT is impossible unless you go down 5 mins before HT!!

[80sCasual]

They need to release Members Only seats to non members the week before.

And move the family stand to a section of ellerslie or give them 1 of the paddocks (nearest the loft). Because of the stupid rule where no adult can buy a ticket for the lower loft unless they have a chid with them, which has meant empty seats there whilst other people can't get a ticket elsewhere.
Also open up the tarpaulin covered seats in the school end, we'd sell them, other clubs with stands that hang over the home supporters don't restrict the seats. (It's the main reason they have given the **** the whole end as it makes the club more money).

[Kimimar0]

QPR fans are poor it seems.

[2touch]

I think our support in terms of numbers is just poor. There are a lot of reasons for that, but I did find it a bit strange that Fernandes was talking about a 40k-45k stadium for us. We wouldn't sell that out even if we were playing in the Champions league v Real Madrid!

[robith]

So what? We are a relatively small side. you say 16k isnt a PL attendance.... well it quite clearly is as we are a PL side and got 16k

The fact we dont get the crowds the size of sides like Brighton is partly to do with our location; we have Chelski Fulham & Brentford very close to us and so dnot have a huge catchment area for fans.

So long as the fans we do have make LR an intimidating place and get behind the side, i, for 1, couldnt care what the figures say. Id rather 16k passionate fans than 25k filled with tourists and rich snobs on corporate outings.

Speaking of which, I actually saw a tourist at the game yesterday. He turned up ten minutes late with a tube map sticking out of his top pocket

[wicksta]

Hard to believe Loftus Road highest recorded attendance of 35,353 was in a game against Leeds United on 27 April 1974.

Did anyone go to that game?

Yes, 35,353 people did.

[wicksta]

Speaking of which, I actually saw a tourist at the game yesterday. He turned up ten minutes late with a tube map sticking out of his top pocket

At the SAR entrance I saw a stereotypical Japanese tourist with a camera going in and a steward made him put it in his bag!

[stanistheman]

Small club with a small fan base, always has been really, if you look in the past we have always struggled to average 20k, i know in the seventies the crowds were higher but we are talking a whole new ball game now. Check out the home attendances in the Gerry Francis era when we were one of the top teams in the prem, still only getting around 17k average. As has been said, very expensive to watch football now, and we have 3 established football clubs all within 3 miles of our stadium.

QPR averaged more than 22,000 in the 70s when football was blighted by hooliganism.

It's true that QPR struggled in the early 90s to attarct more than 17,000, but many other clubs at the time also got fairly low crowds i.e Southampton, Luton, Oldham, Middlebro Blackburn etc. Even clubs like Chelsea Villa Man City Everton etc, only averaged around 25-30,000 back then.

You are right, we are talking a whole new ball game now. Better players, playing in better stadiums has helped to boost attendances (although the current state of finances is going to bring these down).

I agree, a bigger and more comfortable stadium (I am below average height but my knees still touch the back of the seat in front of me) with price reductions will see more money per game than at present.

A 30,000 seater stadium wont sell out every game, but I am confident that a game like yesterday priced at £20-25 would have attracted a gate of more than 22,000 and games against the big London and North West sides will sell upwards of 27,000.

QPR will not progress much as a club if they stay at Loftus Road and thankfully Tony Fernandes is fully aware of this.

[stanistheman]

Yes, 35,353 people did.

QPR's record home gate is 41,000+, also against Leeds. It was a game played at the old White City stadium.

[Shrine]

When the weather's nice i walk to the match and the only scarves i see in windows are chelsea or sometimes arsenal, never do you see a qpr one.

even outside the tube yesterday i saw 3 kids with arsenal shirts.

because of the fact that QPR have been shite for a while and it coincided with Sky taking over and TV coverage going mental, none of the kids in the area support QPR unless their family already did.

Maybe after 5 years of succesive premiership campaigns could a 30k seater be sold out but for now, i've only seen it sold out on the last day of last season.

Then again if it was sold out i'd be complaining about the lack of legroom.

And yes it's still louder at LR than the emirates


anyway i still think its a disgrace that we cant sell out LR when in the premiership, are midtable, the weathers nice and there are more people in Westfield doing shopping down the road.

[robbomk]

What happened to the scaffolding/ barrier at the school end for the Leeds game which meant we could fill the lower tier? Was told on a tour at the end of last season that a more permanent looking structure was being built for this season.

As others have said move the family stand and sell Loft Upper to those with a booking history.

[brightonr]

Hard to believe Loftus Road highest recorded attendance of 35,353 was in a game against Leeds United on 27 April 1974.

Did anyone go to that game?

Yes mate, I did. Albeit watching from the little PA box that was in the corner of the Loft. Fantastic atmosphere, but always was a lot better in those days it seemed. Maybe it's just a case of remembering good times as a youngster, although pretty sure the terraces were the major factor.

Seems like this is becoming one of those divisive subjects, with many thinking we need a much bigger stadium whilst others justifiably point to the fact that we can't even sell out what we have.

[Olly]

Was told on a tour at the end of last season that a more permanent looking structure was being built for this season.

Lakshmi's out of steel at the moment, he used it at the west ham stadium. I hope he takes it down after the olympics.

[PedalR]

Filling 90% of the seats is probably all we can expect given the configuration of our stadium. There are probably only half-a-dozen or more clubs that routinely fill much over 90% of their seats.