Strange Friendly Attendances (Blue Square)

Ok, I havent seen this issue anywhere else so was wondering if this was a bug or if it was just one of those things (more of a talking point I guess),

I am Bath in the Blue Square South & am just holding some pre-season home friendlies:

My Parent Club Reading (Championship) play & my attendance is 4,500 - Great! £££

My next game is against Sunderland Reserves and the attendance is 150 -???

I know its Sunderlands reserve team but they stem from a Premiership side and surely the likes of Chopra, Cisse, etc would demand more of a crowd than 150????

Was hoping to get some serious revenue for games like that otherwise its not worth taking a heavy defeat just for playing against a team who's attendances would bring no more fans than another lower league team.:confused:

I've noticed this too, when playing premiership "reserves" teams nobody is interested.

I've noticed this too, when playing premiership "reserves" teams nobody is interested.

Tbh, this is normal. I would not be interested to see the Ajax (my home team) reserves and pay for it without knowing if any of the big shots would play.

I would pay for seeing Reading fielding a good team, even if they play in the championship but would not be interested to see a reserve team from the premier league.

Well I live quite close to and occasionly go to a BSN team and cant imagine there supporters getting excited about there team playing say Blackburn reserves. Having said that the best crowd ive been in there was when to rival premier league reserve teams played at the ground!!!

Ask your self this question would you go and watch a BSP/N/S team play premiership reserves?

Tbh, this is normal. I would not be interested to see the Ajax (my home team) reserves and pay for it without knowing if any of the big shots would play.

I would pay for seeing Reading fielding a good team, even if they play in the championship but would not be interested to see a reserve team from the premier league.

But the reality is that a game like this IRL would be advertised as a 'Sunderland XI' and attract a better crowd than that - not huge, but better - probably including a reasonable contingent of mackems too far from home to see their club often.

Think that it's not just the home fans as part of the attendance though, you've got the travelling fans as well. Most premiership reserve sides even in pre-season will have a couple of hundred followers.

Ask your self this question would you go and watch a BSP/N/S team play premiership reserves?

Exactly, I would not go

But the reality is that a game like this IRL would be advertised as a 'Sunderland XI' and attract a better crowd than that - not huge, but better - probably including a reasonable contingent of mackems too far from home to see their club often.

You have a point here, on FM it is displayed as Prem team reserves vs Lower team but irl it would announced like Lower team plays against big team from Prem.

Then I would pay a visit.

Good debate guys, I just wanted to see some discussion on this topic as I have no idea if im right or wrong on this one!

I would say though that the quality of the Sunderland Reserves were far greater than that of Readings first team (lost 4-2 to Reading & 7-0 to Sunderland Reserves)- my heaviest ever defeat!

Whatever the outcome though im positive that the attendances would be closer between the 150 to 4,500 for those games. I get more than 150 in the league & got a bigger attendance than 150 in my next friendly against a Blue Square Prem team..... Now surely a Prem Reserves league team would demand more of an attendance than a BSP team????

I would say though that the quality of the Sunderland Reserves were far greater than that of Readings first team (lost 4-2 to Reading & 7-0 to Sunderland Reserves)- my heaviest ever defeat!

How come you are so sure that the reserves are much better then a full strength championship side? I wouldn't be so sure on that. Mostly the reserves are full with youth players and some over the top oldies.

Whatever the outcome though im positive that the attendances would be closer between the 150 to 4,500 for those games. I get more than 150 in the league & got a bigger attendance than 150 in my next friendly against a Blue Square Prem team..... Now surely a Prem Reserves league team would demand more of an attendance than a BSP team????

What was the actual time for that match, maybe the game takes in account when the game is being played during the day.

How come you are so sure that the reserves are much better then a full strength championship side? I wouldn't be so sure on that. Mostly the reserves are full with youth players and some over the top oldies.

Purely the result- they were a different class to anyone iv ever played against.

What was the actual time for that match, maybe the game takes in account when the game is being played during the day.

Unfortunately, this adds to the argument of it being strange attendances: please see match days & times:

All home games:

Reading: Attendance: 4168, Wednesday 7.45pm Kick Off

Sunderland Reserves: Attendance: 166 Saturday 3pm

AFC Telford: Attendance: 192 Tuesday 7.45pm

Now, at any level weekend matches would always have a higher attendance than midweek, thats a given.

But add that with the circumstances above: AFC telford on a tuesday night having a HIGHER ATTENDANCE than Sunderland Reserves on a saturday my point is quite simple, this has to be a bug. Its not realistic and plus not fair getting hammered by a class team for the sake of recieving less in gate reciepts than I would if I were playing a Blue Square team. These sort of games should give me some serious wonga!