"West Ham's official attendance of 62,429 for their 2-1 defeat by Nottingham Forest was almost twice as high as the number of fans who went through the turnstiles at the London Stadium on Tuesday night. The club have an increasingly apathetic fanbase and were unable to convince a big crowd to turn out for a crucial clash in the battle against relegation from the Premier League."
"It is understood the real attendance was closer to 34,000 than the figure given by West Ham on their website. A marketing push was not enough to convince supporters to fill the ground. West Ham sent out notifications on matchday about tickets being available, mostly via their ticket exchange, and held a limited-time sale over Christmas. Prices for seats in bands one to six in upper tiers were reduced by 30% until 11.59pm on Boxing Day."
"It is not uncommon for clubs to use the number of tickets sold as a way to report attendances. It can give the impression that a full house was in place, even when empty seats are visible and people with tickets have stayed away. For instance, West Ham said the attendance for their game against Brentford in October was 62,452, even though fans staged a mass boycott as part of protests against the club's board."
West Ham declared an attendance of 62,429 for the 2-1 loss to Nottingham Forest, but turnstile counts were closer to 34,000. A marketing push, matchday ticket notifications, a ticket-exchange offering, and a limited-time 30% discount on upper-tier seats failed to fill the London Stadium. Clubs commonly report tickets sold rather than turnstile entries, which can mask large numbers of empty seats. West Ham previously listed 62,452 for a Brentford match despite a mass boycott. The London Stadium holds 62,500 for football, and lingering discontent since leaving Upton Park, plus complaints about pitch distance and atmosphere, have reduced supporter turnout.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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