I’ve not done one of these for a while but I know they always prompt a bit of debate, so here goes… a feature on Manchester City FC attendances. It is a fact that the Blues have, generation after generation, been one of the English game’s top attractions. Like all – and I do mean all – English clubs there have been some average attendance lows over the years, but when the entire history of Manchester City is reviewed and the club’s average figures are compared with the national average it is clear that the Blues have consistently been one of football’s most attractive draws. Take a look at the following:
- Since the beginning of the Football League in 1888 only nine sides have topped the table for average attendances. In chronological order of their first appearance at the top of the average table they are: Everton (1888-9), Villa (1898-99), Newcastle (1904-05), Chelsea (1907-08), Tottenham (1909-10), City (1910-11), Liverpool (1922-23), Arsenal (1929-30), & Manchester United (1956-57)
- As early as 1895-96 City were the third best supported side in the entire League despite being a Second Division side. Only First Division sides Everton & Aston Villa could better the Blues. Modern day giants Arsenal were 10th; Liverpool were 19th; United were 21st and Chelsea had yet to exist.
- In 1900-01 City were the 2nd best supported side in the entire League with only 400 people separating Villa (1st) and City
- The 1910-11 season saw Manchester’s Blues top the attendance charts for the first time. City’s average was 26,000 and was the 8th highest average of all time at that point (all clubs, all seasons).
- Regularly amongst the best supported sides throughout the inter war period, City’s average exceeded 37,000 for the first time in 1927-28 when the Blues established a record average crowd for the Second Division. This was also the entire League’s highest.
- In 1947-48 City’s average crowd exceeded 42,000 for the first time. Prior to that season only Chelsea (1919-20 & 1946-7), Arsenal (1934-5, 1936-7, 1937-8, & 1946-7) , Newcastle (1946-7), Liverpool (1946-7), United (1946-7), and Wolves (1946-7) had exceeded that figure.
- From 1975 to relegation in 1983 City were always one of the top 4 best supported sides, usually third behind United and Liverpool.
- Since the 1980s whenever City have played outside of the top division, they have tended to be the best supported side in that division.
- Since moving to their current home in 2003, the increased capacity has allowed City to re-establish itself as one of best supported clubs again. Maine Road’s capacity from 1994 onwards was extremely low compared to the club’s entire history and prevented the Blues from staging games in front of attendances of approximateley 35,000 upwards.
In general many people believe success increases support, and while that is undoubtedly true to some extent, for City it is often periods of adversity that prove the loyalty of the Club’s fans. It is highly significant, for example, that the first time City were the best supported side in the entire League (1910-11) Manchester United (6th best supported side) won the League title for the second time in 3 seasons.
Similarly, in 1925-26 when City were the best supported side in Division One and had established a new record average, the Blues were actually relegated. This coupled with significant poverty and hardship in Manchester at the time should have reduced support but loyalty increased! In my book “Manchester A Football History” I explore the relationship between attendances and Manchester’s major sides and it is fair to say that City fans can feel immensely proud of their loyalty throughout the history of the game. Something that cannot be said by all of the League’s biggest names.
In fact, it is worth highlighting that City have never been the worst supported side in their division but, of today’s so-called giants, Arsenal (1912-13 – average = 9,100) and Manchester United (1930-31 – average = 11,685) have. City’s worst average of the Twentieth Century came in the desperate 1964-65 season and was 14,753 (half the average of 1960-61 and a 3rd of the 1957-8 figure). However it is significant that for every League season City’s average has always been above the divisional average and, apart from 17 seasons, has always been in the top 11 nationally. Again, few of today’s giants can’t say that – United’s 20th Century low stands at 4,650 and Chelsea averaged 15,731 as recently as 1988-89. In fact City’s lowest League attendance is more than double United’s lowest League attendance at Old Trafford (United have several crowds of less than 4,000 at Old Trafford, including top flight games; City’s lowest in the League was a little over 8000 in the second tier).
For fans average attendances are often used as an indicator of size of club and so a number of people over the years have tried to produce a definitive ‘all-time’ attendance table. Several years ago analysis by a member of the Association of Football Statisticians claimed that if stadium capacity was not an issue for any club City would be the fourth biggest side in terms of attendance. That analysis compared postwar attendance detail with performance on the pitch.
In 2002 writer Brian Tabner calculated an all-time attendance table based on each club’s average attendance position during seasons 1925-2002. His top ten were: Arsenal, Liverpool, United, Everton, Tottenham, Newcastle, City, Chelsea, Villa and Sunderland. Since 2002 several clubs have increased their capacities of course and this will have a positive impact on each club’s standing in a more up to date analysis.
Figures can be manipulated in many different ways, but City should feel proud that they have many attendance firsts that can never be matched by today’s perceived biggest clubs.
The Seasons City Have Topped the Divisional Charts
The following figures show the seasons when City were the best supported side in their division and the Club’s highest individual crowd that season. Those crowds marked in italics were also the highest individual crowds for the entire division that season (crowds pre-1925 are inconsistently recorded and so have not been highlighted). It is fair to say that when an average crowd is within 4,000 of the highest then the stadium is likely to have been full for the majority of games with the size of away support varying.
Average Season Highest Crowd
10,000 1895-96 30,000 (Liverpool)
10,000 1898-99 25,000 (N. Heath)
16,000 1902-03 30,000 (United)
18,275 1909-10 40,000 (Oldham)
26,000 1910-11 40,000 (Liverpool)
21,000 1914-15 40,000 (Oldham)
32,000 1925-26 62,994 (United)
30,848 1926-27 49,384 (Bradford C)
37,468 1927-28 59,500 (Preston)
31,715 1928-29 61,007 (United)
35,016 1950-51 45,842 (Hull)
27,739 1965-66 47,171 (Huddersfield)
24,220 1984-85 47,285 (Charlton)
23,500 1988-89 40,070 (Chelsea)
26,753 1996-97 30,729 (Oldham)
28,273 1998-99 32,471 (York)
32,001 1999-00 33,027 (Blackburn)
33,059 2001-02 34,657 (Portsmouth)
With the increase in capacity at the Etihad coming this year it will be interesting to see how attendances develop. No doubt I’ll post more on this as the season progresses. Undoubtedly City will establish a new record average attendance in 2026-27.
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