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Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2025 4:20 pm
by Madpete
Seen a few low attendances in my time but what is the lowest post war?

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2025 4:26 pm
by groove
Colchester in the 86/87, Orient game season. Under 2 thousand on.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2025 5:19 pm
by Rosehill Claret
What is the lowest attendance at Turf Moor for a Premier League game?

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2025 6:08 pm
by sjb
Rosehill Claret wrote:
Sun Jan 19, 2025 5:19 pm
What is the lowest attendance at Turf Moor for a Premier League game?
Leaving aside the obvious 'nil' attendances during the Covid restrictions I think it may be 16904 against West Brom in the 2014/15 season.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2025 6:58 pm
by Flixtonclaret1
Hereford 0-6
Must be down there….

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2025 7:05 pm
by billyhamilton82
Flixtonclaret1 wrote:
Sun Jan 19, 2025 6:58 pm
Hereford 0-6
Must be down there….
By the end of the game it was :(

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2025 7:16 pm
by jrgbfc
There was an FA cup game against Rotherham about 97/98 that got moved to Monday night i think. About 3 thousand on.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2025 8:56 pm
by gawthorpe_view
Flixtonclaret1 wrote:
Sun Jan 19, 2025 6:58 pm
Hereford 0-6
Must be down there….
1,961.

Exeter at home 1,792 is the lowest I can see.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2025 9:45 pm
by Tufty
Flixtonclaret1 wrote:
Sun Jan 19, 2025 6:58 pm
Hereford 0-6
Must be down there….
I deliberately stayed until the final whistle for this one....I think it's the most masochistic, wierdly amusing, thing I've ever done.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2025 9:49 pm
by RammyClaret61
Colchester. 86/87.
1,696.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2025 9:55 pm
by gawthorpe_view
https://www.uptheclarets.com/fixtures-r ... 87-results

Some 1,400 attendances the Freight Rover Trophy.
1,717 in the league, Friday night 19th December 1986, at home to Cardiff.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2025 9:57 pm
by nil_desperandum
Depends if you include the Freight Rover Trophy competition.
There were only 1432 for a Freight Rover game v Stockport in January 1985 (we won 5-1), and 1,138 attended our March 1986 Freight Rover Trophy home game against Darlington.
Otherwise it seems to be Colchester

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2025 10:10 pm
by Dressinggown
Madpete wrote:
Sun Jan 19, 2025 4:20 pm
Seen a few low attendances in my time but what is the lowest post war?
I always thought that the match against Colchester on 04/11/96 had the lowest gate of 1,696.

I think it was on a Tuesday night. Perhaps, it was not helped by the low away following who had over 500 miles for a return trip.

For away supporters Burnley away in those days was not on everyone's 'bucket list' for visit.

That evening we had a rare victory with goals from Grewcock and Hoskin.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2025 10:17 pm
by billyhamilton82
It was Colchester, the night before Guy Fawkes,

Obviously it was much more exciting going to watch some fireworks, if you think I'm joking, sadly I'm not.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2025 10:52 pm
by Dressinggown
I could be wrong but I can recall during that nightmare season was a home match which we played against York, the smallest away support ever recorded.

All 3 of them were interviewed by the Burnley Express and the Lancashire Evening Telegraph. It transpired that 2 of them lived in Colne and the other bloke was on some sort of prisoner release program.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2025 11:38 pm
by morpheus2
Flixtonclaret1 wrote:
Sun Jan 19, 2025 6:58 pm
Hereford 0-6
Must be down there….
There were at least 50.000 on that game ... every time someone goes on about how **** we are playing now 50,000 uber fans tell us how they were at that game when we were really ****.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2025 8:29 am
by Herts Clarets
Dressinggown wrote:
Sun Jan 19, 2025 10:52 pm
I could be wrong but I can recall during that nightmare season was a home match which we played against York, the smallest away support ever recorded.

All 3 of them were interviewed by the Burnley Express and the Lancashire Evening Telegraph. It transpired that 2 of them lived in Colne and the other bloke was on some sort of prisoner release program.
Was that not a midweek game against Torquay? More police in the away end than fans and I am sure one was from London, one possibly from the wrong side of Acrcrington and the third one was Gary Heaton from Nelson who was a year or two above me at Walton High. There were no fans that had travelled from Torquay.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2025 4:17 pm
by Petersa
A week before Christmas 1996 vs Cardiff . I was back from working overseas a Joe Neenan howler condemned Burnley to a home defeat. A man stood next to me who I recognized from being in my usual spot on the old Longside was genuinely in tears it was so bad. I dont think there was 2000 on.........it was truly awful.....anyone else remember it.......there cant be many!

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2025 4:38 pm
by sjb
Petersa wrote:
Mon Jan 20, 2025 4:17 pm
A week before Christmas 1996 vs Cardiff . I was back from working overseas a Joe Neenan howler condemned Burnley to a home defeat. A man stood next to me who I recognized from being in my usual spot on the old Longside was genuinely in tears it was so bad. I dont think there was 2000 on.........it was truly awful.....anyone else remember it.......there cant be many!
I remember it well unfortunately. Lost 1-3 in front of 1717 which is the 2nd lowest post war home attendance for a League game, just 21 more than the Colchester match.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2025 4:40 pm
by Rowls
Petersa wrote:
Mon Jan 20, 2025 4:17 pm
A week before Christmas 1996 vs Cardiff . I was back from working overseas a Joe Neenan howler condemned Burnley to a home defeat. A man stood next to me who I recognized from being in my usual spot on the old Longside was genuinely in tears it was so bad. I dont think there was 2000 on.........it was truly awful.....anyone else remember it.......there cant be many!
Must be 1986.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2025 4:42 pm
by ClaretTony
For a league game it is 1,696 v Colchester

https://www.uptheclarets.com/fixtures-r ... 87-results

One of the sponsors that night still goes to the games

Image

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2025 4:43 pm
by Rowls
How much did it cost, Tony?

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2025 4:43 pm
by Rowls
Rowls wrote:
Mon Jan 20, 2025 4:43 pm
How much did it cost, Tony?
The sponsorhip, I mean.

Obviously the programme cost 50p.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2025 4:44 pm
by sjb
Rowls wrote:
Mon Jan 20, 2025 4:40 pm
Must be 1986.
Yes 1986. Interestingly the official attendance was originally given as 1702 but later 'upgraded' to 1717...

The Neenan error petersa refers to was Cardiff's 3rd goal when he raced out almost to the half way line & completely missed his clearance allowing the striker to run through & score.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2025 4:58 pm
by Papabendi
Andy Farrell on the Colchester team

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2025 5:18 pm
by Woodleyclaret
I saw the game v Colchester travelling up from our then home in Colchester with 56 Colchester fans
A rare win in that awful season

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2025 5:22 pm
by Targetman
Herts Clarets wrote:
Mon Jan 20, 2025 8:29 am
Was that not a midweek game against Torquay? More police in the away end than fans and I am sure one was from London, one possibly from the wrong side of Acrcrington and the third one was Gary Heaton from Nelson who was a year or two above me at Walton High. There were no fans that had travelled from Torquay.
Spot on lad, the game was definitely against Torquay.
Local media did a story about it, think they had a photo of the 3 'away' fans.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2025 6:10 pm
by Enola Gay
Petersa wrote:
Mon Jan 20, 2025 4:17 pm
A week before Christmas 1996 vs Cardiff . I was back from working overseas a Joe Neenan howler condemned Burnley to a home defeat. A man stood next to me who I recognized from being in my usual spot on the old Longside was genuinely in tears it was so bad. I dont think there was 2000 on.........it was truly awful.....anyone else remember it.......there cant be many!
My first Burnley game, fact fans.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2025 6:14 pm
by Enola Gay
ClaretTony wrote:
Mon Jan 20, 2025 4:42 pm
For a league game it is 1,696 v Colchester

https://www.uptheclarets.com/fixtures-r ... 87-results

One of the sponsors that night still goes to the games

Image
1,696 actual attendance, but if you gathered all the people who claim they were there onto today's Turf it'd probably be our highest gate of this season...

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 12:31 am
by Dressinggown
Dressinggown wrote:
Sun Jan 19, 2025 10:52 pm
I could be wrong but I can recall during that nightmare season was a home match which we played against York, the smallest away support ever recorded.

All 3 of them were interviewed by the Burnley Express and the Lancashire Evening Telegraph. It transpired that 2 of them lived in Colne and the other bloke was on some sort of prisoner release program.
I stand corrected., it was against Torquay. Attendance was 2,718 and James netted from a penalty to equalise.late on.

I've narrowed the field of away supporters to the following:

One was a genuine Torquay fan from nearby.

The second bloke continues to follow the Clarets and might have been 'scouting' at the time.

The 3rd had been released on licence that day and was supposed to be going back to his home town, Barnsley

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 2:30 am
by Petersa
Rowls wrote:
Mon Jan 20, 2025 4:40 pm
Must be 1986.
Many thanks for putting me right there....a bit of finger trouble!

I had been overseas for a few years and hadn't realised how bad things were, I suppose things came right in the end but what a mess Burnley FC had become

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:55 am
by hoskinsgoalatswansea
ClaretTony wrote:
Mon Jan 20, 2025 4:42 pm
For a league game it is 1,696 v Colchester

https://www.uptheclarets.com/fixtures-r ... 87-results

One of the sponsors that night still goes to the games

Image
I was one of the 1,696. If memory serves me it was bonfire night, or at least the night the big bonfire was on at Fulledge. I’ve got the programme still.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 8:21 am
by Herts Clarets
Dressinggown wrote:
Tue Jan 21, 2025 12:31 am
I stand corrected., it was against Torquay. Attendance was 2,718 and James netted from a penalty to equalise.late on.

I've narrowed the field of away supporters to the following:

One was a genuine Torquay fan from nearby.

The second bloke continues to follow the Clarets and might have been 'scouting' at the time.

The 3rd had been released on licence that day and was supposed to be going back to his home town, Barnsley
The genuine Torquay fan from nearby was Gary Heaton. Was it not the season before, a 3-0 win for Burnley in our first season in Div 4? I am fairly sure that for the game with 3 fans I was on the Longside, the game where Taffy scored a last minute penalty I was definitely in the Cricket Field with my Dad......

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 10:40 am
by sjb
Herts Clarets wrote:
Tue Jan 21, 2025 8:21 am
The genuine Torquay fan from nearby was Gary Heaton. Was it not the season before, a 3-0 win for Burnley in our first season in Div 4? I am fairly sure that for the game with 3 fans I was on the Longside, the game where Taffy scored a last minute penalty I was definitely in the Cricket Field with my Dad......
Yes the game with the 3 Torquay fans was 85/6 when we won 3-0. The return game that season at Plainmoor was played on a Tuesday night and we lost 0-2. The attendance of 1335 was the lowest league gate Burnley have played in front of (home or away) since proper records began. I was there that night and also on the Colchester game the following season.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 10:45 am
by ClaretTony
sjb wrote:
Tue Jan 21, 2025 10:40 am
Yes the game with the 3 Torquay fans was 85/6 when we won 3-0. The return game that season at Plainmoor was played on a Tuesday night and we lost 0-2. The attendance of 1335 was the lowest league gate Burnley have played in front of (home or away) since proper records began. I was there that night and also on the Colchester game the following season.
That trip to Torquay in 1985/86 was the night I completed the 92 grounds (91 of them for Burnley games). That's all I remember about it other than it being a crap game on a bitterly cold night.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 10:54 am
by NottsClaret
I know it's a bit of a cliche, saying you were on those games. I started in 86/87 and from the Peterbrough game - 0-0 - in early November I've nearly all the programmes (apart from Orient, sold out).

As dire as it must have been for older fans, at 9 or 10 years old I loved it, you don't know any different.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 11:09 am
by sjb
NottsClaret wrote:
Tue Jan 21, 2025 10:54 am
I know it's a bit of a cliche, saying you were on those games. I started in 86/87 and from the Peterbrough game - 0-0 - in early November I've nearly all the programmes (apart from Orient, sold out).

As dire as it must have been for older fans, at 9 or 10 years old I loved it, you don't know any different.
The Orient programme crops up fairly regularly on eBay. Burnley did a reprint in the weeks after the game.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 1:01 pm
by Herts Clarets
ClaretTony wrote:
Tue Jan 21, 2025 10:45 am
That trip to Torquay in 1985/86 was the night I completed the 92 grounds (91 of them for Burnley games). That's all I remember about it other than it being a crap game on a bitterly cold night.
Which ground had you done that wasn't for a Burnley game?

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 1:05 pm
by expatclar3t
Burnley 0 Hereford 6 … att 1995. Surely there’s nothing lower !!!

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 1:25 pm
by ClaretTony
NottsClaret wrote:
Tue Jan 21, 2025 10:54 am
I know it's a bit of a cliche, saying you were on those games. I started in 86/87 and from the Peterbrough game - 0-0 - in early November I've nearly all the programmes (apart from Orient, sold out).

As dire as it must have been for older fans, at 9 or 10 years old I loved it, you don't know any different.
The Orient programme didn’t come close to selling out but the Southend programme from a week earlier did.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 1:25 pm
by ClaretTony
expatclar3t wrote:
Tue Jan 21, 2025 1:05 pm
Burnley 0 Hereford 6 … att 1995. Surely there’s nothing lower !!!
Colchester as shown above is the lowest.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 2:26 pm
by Herts Clarets
Though not a league game, the lowest attendance i have seen for a Burnley game was 1053 at Chesterfield for a Freight Rover tie in January 1986. I went with stevie2112 and got there just for the kick off courtesy of some outrageous driving from Kitch1966

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 3:00 pm
by elwaclaret
I was in the Bob Lord with my dad for that Colchester game. I have a pretty solid witness too… I was still playing centre half in the team managed by one of the programme sponsors at the time.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 3:26 pm
by houseboy
Speaking of low attendances I went on the Turf in the eighties for a game v Preston. I took a Scottish friend of mine who had never been on the Turf. It was mid eighties. We stood in my usual spot in the Longside and I remember him saying ‘I bet there’s a great atmosphere under here when it’s full’. Unfortunately that day, despite it being a derby, you needed to book a flight to speak to the next person standing to you. 4k ish comes to mind but I could be completely wrong. Either way it was a poor attendance for a derby. If anyone remembers let me know.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 4:03 pm
by ClaretTony
elwaclaret wrote:
Tue Jan 21, 2025 3:00 pm
I was in the Bob Lord with my dad for that Colchester game. I have a pretty solid witness too… I was still playing centre half in the team managed by one of the programme sponsors at the time.
The Match Ball Sponsor can confirm

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 4:07 pm
by Culmclaret
ClaretTony wrote:
Tue Jan 21, 2025 10:45 am
That trip to Torquay in 1985/86 was the night I completed the 92 grounds (91 of them for Burnley games). That's all I remember about it other than it being a crap game on a bitterly cold night.
Bitterly cold and foggy too. Terrible game and we were lucky to get nil

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 4:29 pm
by sjb
houseboy wrote:
Tue Jan 21, 2025 3:26 pm
Speaking of low attendances I went on the Turf in the eighties for a game v Preston. I took a Scottish friend of mine who had never been on the Turf. It was mid eighties. We stood in my usual spot in the Longside and I remember him saying ‘I bet there’s a great atmosphere under here when it’s full’. Unfortunately that day, despite it being a derby, you needed to book a flight to speak to the next person standing to you. 4k ish comes to mind but I could be completely wrong. Either way it was a poor attendance for a derby. If anyone remembers let me know.
Either 84/5 - a 2-0 win in front of 4768 , or 85/6 - a 1-1 draw watched by just 3835.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 4:34 pm
by ClaretTony
Culmclaret wrote:
Tue Jan 21, 2025 4:07 pm
Bitterly cold and foggy too. Terrible game and we were lucky to get nil
Two of us completed the 92 that night although the other Claret passed away back in 2000. I don't know who on earth chose the clothes back then or where the hair came from.

Torquay 1986.jpg
Torquay 1986.jpg (45.11 KiB) Viewed 1702 times

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:50 pm
by dougcollins
I was on the Longside for the Colchester game. It seemed to be business as usual on there but parts of the ground were very sparse.

It's really not a season to be dwelled upon.

Re: Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 7:22 pm
by Culmclaret
Am pretty sure that home attendances were understated that season, some by quite a margin