Are Stay-Away Fans Helping The Team?

I know that question seems to have an obvious answer – of course they’re not. By not going to games City are being starved of much needed revenue which they could use to improve the squad.

Of course that’s true, but just because you’ve got money to spend doesn’t mean you’ll spend it wisely. Look at Craig Bellamy and Lee Hughes. In recent times the purse strings have been much tighter at the Ricoh, and the Sky Blues have only reportedly spent £1m + on three occasions since the move – for Elliott Ward, Leon McKenzie and Freddy Eastwood – and though it’d be slightly harsh to classify them as absolute failures you can hardly say they’ve justified the outlay either. 

Ultimately what matters are results, and those are achieved by teams, not individuals. Blackpool showed last year what can be done with shrewd investment of limited funds and a lot of hard work and spirit. 

Ah, you say, but not only do more people in the ground give the club more funds, it improves the atmosphere so the opposition get intimidated and the team play better, leading to those all-important results. 

Again, the logic behind this seems flawless, and something I’ve longed believed in. But the evidence just doesn’t support it. 

Every season City tend to have one or two games where they get a reasonably big attendance, either because of cheaper tickets or the team going on a decent run. Yet it also seems that these coincide with a poor result and/or performance. The common complaint after every one of these games on the radio is that the stay-aways won’t be convinced to come back on that showing. It seems that we’ve got a team which freezes under pressure and expectation. 

Take this season for example. Coventry have had two attendances over 20k – Leicester and Leeds. The Leicester game ended in a draw, but it was one of the most inept displays put on by the team this season. Leeds ended in defeat, and although the Sky Blues had more chances than their opponents it highlighted the fragility of the team - that had won their two previous games without conceding -when put into the spotlight. 

Last season the highest home attendances saw uninspiring draws with Leicester and WBA and a lacklustre 2-0 reverse to Newcastle. Even a cup game against the mighty Chelsea, with a crowd of over 30,000, couldn’t spur the team on. Pretty much everyone was expecting City to be beaten and outplayed, but all that was asked was that the team went out there and had a go at their illustrious opponents. But they didn’t – they just rolled over and let Chelsea canter to victory in first or second gear. 

In contrast the recent cup game against Palace attracted a measly 8,000 supporters, and those dedicated souls saw probably the best football we’ve played all season in the first half. 

So those of you who don’t go to games – don’t feel guilty. Plonk yourself in that armchair and put your feet up, smug in the knowledge you’re doing your bit to help the team win…