Lowest attendances at the Turf post war?

[Madpete]

Seen a few low attendances in my time but what is the lowest post war?

[groove]

Colchester in the 86/87, Orient game season. Under 2 thousand on.

[Rosehill Claret]

What is the lowest attendance at Turf Moor for a Premier League game?

[sjb]

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.

[Flixtonclaret1]

Hereford 0-6
Must be down there….

[billyhamilton82]

Hereford 0-6
Must be down there….

By the end of the game it was

[jrgbfc]

There was an FA cup game against Rotherham about 97/98 that got moved to Monday night i think. About 3 thousand on.

[gawthorpe_view]

Hereford 0-6
Must be down there….

1,961.

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

[Tufty]

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.

[RammyClaret61]

Colchester. 86/87.
1,696.

[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.

[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

[Dressinggown]

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.

[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.

[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.

[morpheus2]

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 ****.

[Herts Clarets]

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.

[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!

[sjb]

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.

[Rowls]

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.

[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

[Rowls]

How much did it cost, Tony?

[Rowls]

How much did it cost, Tony?

The sponsorhip, I mean.

Obviously the programme cost 50p.

[sjb]

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.

[Papabendi]

Andy Farrell on the Colchester team

[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

[Targetman]

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.

[Enola Gay]

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.

[Enola Gay]

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

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...

[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.

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

[Petersa]

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

[hoskinsgoalatswansea]

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

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.

[Herts Clarets]

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......

[sjb]

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.

[ClaretTony]

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.

[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.

[sjb]

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.

[Herts Clarets]

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?

[expatclar3t]

Burnley 0 Hereford 6 … att 1995. Surely there’s nothing lower !!!

[ClaretTony]

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.

[ClaretTony]

Burnley 0 Hereford 6 … att 1995. Surely there’s nothing lower !!!

Colchester as shown above is the lowest.

[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

[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.

[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.

[ClaretTony]

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

[Culmclaret]

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

[sjb]

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.

[ClaretTony]

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 (45.11 KiB) Viewed 1512 times

[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.

[Culmclaret]

Am pretty sure that home attendances were understated that season, some by quite a margin