Pitching In Isthmian Attendance Review: August 2022

We are lucky enough to have Neil Pilcher looking after our stats, and he has been crunching the attendance numbers for August. Here's a quick round up of the best crowds, starting with the Premier Division and ending with a League overview.

Pitching In Isthmian Premier

Hastings United have brought very large numbers to the Premier party since their promotion, and were involved in our top three Premier attendances- and number six. The best attended match in the Premier Division was on August Bank Holiday Monday, when one thousand, six hundred and thirty nine arrived at the Dripping Pan and were delivered a goalless draw so as not to get them too excited. Another Sussex derby, Horsham v Bognor Regis Town, is fourth in the list, with the Kent seaside derby between Folkestone Invicta and Herne Bay (2-1 Invicta) coming in fifth. The top ten attendances for August look like this:

• 1,639 Lewes vs Hastings United Mon 29-08-22
• 1,176 Hastings United vs Brightlingsea Regent Sat 27-08-22
• 1,146 Hastings United vs Aveley Sat 13-08-22
• 1,058 Horsham vs Bognor Regis Town Mon 29-08-22
• 926 Folkestone Invicta vs Herne Bay Mon 29-08-22
• 883 Folkestone Invicta vs Hastings United Tue 16-08-22
• 822 Horsham vs Carshalton Athletic Sat 20-08-22
• 803 Lewes vs Carshalton Athletic Tue 16-08-22
• 746 Aveley vs Billericay Town Mon 15-08-22
• 741 Lewes vs Bishop's Stortford Sat 20-08-22

Pitching In Isthmian North

Bury Town are our top attraction in the Pitching In Isthmian North Division, with their derby against AFC Sudbury on August Bank Holiday Monday taking top spot. Nine hundred and thirty nine watched the hosts squander a two goal lead to end up with a draw, as the Yellows hit back. Another derby, Heybridge Swifts win at Maldon & Tiptree, came in second. Bury appear twice in the top ten list, as do the Jammers, Lowestoft Town, East Thurrock United and Hashtag United.

• 939 Bury Town vs AFC Sudbury Mon 29-08-22
• 611 Maldon & Tiptree vs Heybridge Swifts Mon 29-08-22
• 598 Bury Town vs Hashtag United Sat 13-08-22
• 530 Lowestoft Town vs Maldon & Tiptree Sat 27-08-22
• 423 Hashtag United vs East Thurrock United Mon 15-08-22
• 420 Lowestoft Town vs Stowmarket Town Tue 16-08-22
• 399 Stowmarket Town vs Wroxham Mon 29-08-22
• 349 East Thurrock United vs Tilbury Mon 29-08-22
• 332 Felixstowe & Walton Utd vs Gorleston Tue 16-08-22
• 288 Grays Athletic vs Brentwood Town Sat 27-08-22

Pitching In Isthmian South Central

Guernsey tend to usually head the South Central chart, and they do so again, their match against Tooting & Mitcham United the highest attended South Central match of the month- although most of the six hundred and twenty five will have left unhappy as the Terrors took the points. Chertsey Town had the biggest mainland attendance for their draw with Hanworth Villa, and the Curfews appear twice in the top ten, as do Walton & Hersham and Basingstoke Town. Three appearances in the top ten are shared by Leatherhead and South Park Reigate- the Sparks always away from home.

• 625 Guernsey vs Tooting & Mitcham United Sat 29-08-22
• 587 Chertsey Town vs Hanworth Villa Mon 29-08-22
• 560 Basingstoke Town vs Binfield Mon 29-08-22
• 505 Leatherhead vs Walton & Hersham Mon 29-08-22
• 372 Chertsey Town vs South Park (Reigate) Sat 13-08-22
• 334 Basingstoke Town vs Bedfont Sports Sat 13-08-22
• 334 Walton & Hersham vs Chipstead Tue 16-08-22
• 333 Leatherhead vs Westfield Sat 13-08-22
• 318 Leatherhead vs South Park (Reigate) Tue 16-08-22
• 269 Merstham vs South Park (Reigate) Mon 29-08-22

Pitching In Isthmian South East

Sheppey United's match with Sittingbourne, won by the Brickies, was the only match to break the one thousand barrier- but it was also the only time the two clubs appear in our top ten. Ramsgate make the most appearances- three times- whilst Burgess Hill Town, Chatham Town, Faversham Town, Littlehampton Town and Whitehawk make two appearances each.

• 1,004 Sheppey United vs Sittingbourne Mon 29-08-22
• 816 Chatham Town vs Burgess Hill Town Sat 27-08-22
• 675 Ramsgate vs Hythe Town Mon 29-08-22
• 621 Chatham Town vs Faversham Town Tue 16-08-22
• 539 Littlehampton Town vs Whitehawk Tue 16-08-22
• 535 Burgess Hill Town vs Littlehampton Town Mon 29-08-22
• 485 Ramsgate vs Cray Valley PM Sat 13-08-22
• 422 Whitehawk vs Three Bridges Mon 29-08-22
• 346 Haywards Heath Town vs Ramsgate Sat 27-08-22
• 338 Faversham Town vs Ashford United Mon 29-08-22

Top attendances- entire Pitching In Isthmian League

So, let's look at the top thirty for the entire league. As might be expected, the Pitching In Isthmian Premier takes up nineteen of the thirty places, with five spots going to the Pitching In Isthmian South East, three to the North Division, and three to the South Central. Sheppey United, Bury Town and Chatham Town each take a place in the top ten.

1. 1,639 Lewes vs Hastings United Mon 29-08-22 P
2. 1,176 Hastings United vs Brightlingsea Regent Sat 27-08-22 P
3. 1,146 Hastings United vs Aveley Sat 13-08-22 P
4. 1,058 Horsham vs Bognor Regis Town Mon 29-08-22 P
5. 1,004 Sheppey United vs Sittingbourne Mon 29-08-22 SE
6. 939 Bury Town vs AFC Sudbury Mon 29-08-22 N
7. 926 Folkestone Invicta vs Herne Bay Mon 29-08-22 P
8. 883 Folkestone Invicta vs Hastings United Tue 16-08-22 P
9. 822 Horsham vs Carshalton Athletic Sat 20-08-22 P
10. 816 Chatham Town vs Burgess Hill Town Sat 27-08-22 SE
11. 803 Lewes vs Carshalton Athletic Tue 16-08-22 P
12. 746 Aveley vs Billericay Town Mon 15-08-22 P
13. 741 Lewes vs Bishop's Stortford Sat 20-08-22 P
14. 723 Hornchurch vs Bishop's Stortford Mon 29-08-22 P
15. 712 Folkestone Invicta vs Wingate & Finchley Sat 20-08-22 P
16. 701 Horsham vs Corinthian-Casuals Tue 16-08-22 P
17. 697 Bognor Regis Town vs Potters Bar Town Sat 27-08-22 P
18. 675 Ramsgate vs Hythe Town Mon 29-08-22 SE
19. 662 Billericay Town vs Folkestone Invicta Sat 27-08-22 P
20. 648 Billericay Town vs Cray Wanderers Sat 13-08-22 P
21. 637 Bognor Regis Town vs Hornchurch Sat 13-08-22 P
22. 625 Guernsey vs Tooting & Mitcham United Mon 29-08-22 SC
23. 621 Chatham Town vs Faversham Town Tue 16-08-22 SE
24. 611 Maldon & Tiptree vs Heybridge Swifts Mon 29-08-22 N
25. 598 Bury Town vs Hashtag United Sat 13-08-22 N
26. 587 Chertsey Town vs Hanworth Villa Mon 29-08-22 SC
27. 575 Margate vs Horsham Fri 26-08-22 P
28. 562 Hornchurch vs Hastings United Sat 20-08-22 P
29. 560 Basingstoke Town vs Binfield Mon 29-08-22 SC
30. 539 Littlehampton Town vs Whitehawk Tue 16-08-22 SE

Pitching In Isthmian League- Average attendances

Finally, let's look at average attendances. Remember, these are based on a very small number of league matches so may change dramatically as the season progresses.

1. Hastings United 1,161 P
2. Lewes 1,061 P
3. Horsham 860 P
4. Folkestone Invicta 840 P
5. Bury Town 769 N
6. Chatham Town 719 SE
7. Bognor Regis Town 667 P
8. Billericay Town 655 P
9. Sheppey United 650 SE
10. Guernsey 625 SC
11. Hornchurch 592 P
12. Ramsgate 580 SE
13. Margate 539 P
14. Littlehampton Town 539 SE
15. Aveley 490 P
16. Chertsey Town 480 SC
17. Lowestoft Town 475 N
18. Basingstoke Town 447 SC
19. Maldon & Tiptree 433 N
20. Burgess Hill Town 429 SE

Thanks to Neil for all his fabulous maths! We'll be back next month with more numbers.

Image from Lewes v Hastings United by James Boyes.

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