The Pitching In Isthmian Football League

That was the season that…wasn’t: Attendances.

31 Mar 2020 By Ian Townsend

We’re going to round up the unfinished 2019-20 season in numbers over the next few days. We’re starting off by looking at attendances.

With so many postponements and so much terrible weather impacting on our abandoned 2019-20 season it’s no surprise that attendances were down a little on the previous campaign. But we still had much to sing about! So, with thanks to Football Webpages and Non League Matters, here are the numbers that matter- remembering that some clubs didn’t get to play some of the matches which would have been expected to pull in the biggest crowds.

Worthing have the largest average attendance, and the Mackerel Men also feature in eleven of the top twenty best attended matches across the league. Guernsey are in second place, and perhaps had they got to play more home matches- they only played thirteen- could have challenged Worthing for top spot. The Green Lions take six of the top twenty spots.

The increased average attendance table shows that the following factors lead to greater attraction- a new ground, promotion, or- to put it simply- winning lots of matches! Horsham managed all three of these, for example, and their attendances increased by an incredible two hundred and thirty one percent. Winning the FA Vase and getting promotion boosted Chertsey Town by one hundred and thirty seven percent, whilst Chichester City grew their home support by eighty two percent after promotion.

Anyway, for those of you who like figures, here you go. Eyes down, look in, and try not to get number blindness!

Largest average attendance- whole league:

1. Worthing- 892
2. Guernsey- 810
3. Hastings United- 607
4. Horsham- 596
5. Bognor Regis Town- 540
6. Folkestone Invicta- 514
7. Lewes- 476
8. Carshalton Athletic- 423
9. Haringey Borough- 388
10. Bury Town- 375
11. Enfield Town- 364
12. Leatherhead- 357
13. Herne Bay- 351
14. Margate- 316
15. Felixstowe and Walton United- 312
16. Chertsey Town- 308
17. Hornchurch- 303
18. Burgess Hill Town- 302
19. Kingstonian-295
20. AFC Sudbury-291

Best attended matches- whole league:

1. Worthing 3 Bognor Regis Town 0, 26th August 2019: Attendance 1684
2. Worthing 0 Folkestone Invicta 1, 15th February 2020. Attendance 1410
3. Bognor Regis Town 0 Worthing 3, 1st January 2020: Attendance 1236
4. Hastings United 0 Ashford United 3, 8th February 2020: Attendance 1189
5. Worthing 3 Lewes 1, 13th August 2019: Attendance 1150
6. Worthing 2 Cheshunt 0, 25th January 2020: Attendance 1128
7. Guernsey 0 Whyteleafe 0, 28th December 2019: Attendance 1106
8. Guernsey 1 Whitehawk 2, 12th January 2020: Attendance 1104
9. Worthing 4 Wingate & Finchley 2, 7th March 2020, Attendance 951
10. Worthing 3 Horsham 0, 26th December 2019: Attendance 937
11. Worthing 1 Cray Wanderers 2, 8th February 2020: Attendance 932
12. Guernsey 0 Chichester City 3, 8th February 2020: Attendance 916
13. Horsham 3 Lewes 0, 1st January 2020: Attendance 913
14. Worthing 6 Merstham 1, 11th January 2020: Attendance 905
15. Worthing 3 Brightlingsea Regent 0, 19th October 2019: Attendance 867
16. Worthing 1 Potters Bar Town 1, 29th February 2020: Attendance 854
17. Herne Bay 3 Whitstable Town 0, 1st January 2020: Attendance 831
18. Guernsey 3 VCD Athletic 1, 6th October 2019: Attendance 812
19. Guernsey 0 Hythe Town 0, 7th December 2019: Attendance 811
20. Guernsey 2 Herne Bay 3, 18th January 2020: Attendance 809

Biggest attendance increase (percentage)- whole league:

1. Horsham- up by 231%
2. Chertsey Town- up by 137%
3. Chichester City- up by 82%
4. Cray Valley PM- up by 45%
5. Whitstable Town- up by 38%
6. Maldon & Tiptree- up by 38%
7. Hastings United- up by 36%
8. Ware- up by 35%
9. Hornchurch- up by 33%
10. Herne Bay- up by 32%
11. Romford- up by 32%
12. Cheshunt- up by 30%
13. Haywards Heath Town- up by 30%
14. Guernsey- up by 28%
15. Tooting & Mitcham United- up by 26%
16. Hanwell Town- up by 22%
17. Chalfont St Peter- up by 21%
18. Grays Athletic- up by 18.5%
19. Westfield- up by 18%
20. Tilbury- up by 15%

Best attended matches: Premier Division:

Best Average Attendance: Premier Division:

1. Worthing 892
2. Horsham 596
3. Bognor Regis Town 540
4. Folkestone Invicta 514
5. Lewes 476
6. Carshalton Athletic 423
7. Haringey Borough 388
8. Enfield Town 364
9. Leatherhead 357
10. Margate 316

Best Attended Matches: South East Division:

1. Hastings United 0 Ashford United 3, 8th February 2020, 1189
2. Guernsey 0 Whyteleafe 0, 28th December 2019: Attendance 1106
3. Guernsey 1 Whitehawk 2, 12th January 2020: Attendance 1104
4. Guernsey 0 Chichester City 3, 8th February 2020: Attendance 916
5. Herne Bay 3 Whitstable Town 0, 1st January 2020: Attendance 831
6. Guernsey 3 VCD Athletic 1, 6th October 2019: Attendance 812
7. Guernsey 0 Hythe Town 0, 7th December 2019: Attendance 811
8. Guernsey 2 Herne Bay 3, 18th January 2020: Attendance 809
9. Guernsey 2 Hastings United 2, 30th November 2019: Attendance 808
10. Guernsey 1 Phoenix Sports 2, 5th January 2020: Attendance 795

Best Average attendance: South East Division:

1. Guernsey 810
2. Hastings United 607
3. Herne Bay 351
4. Burgess Hill Town 302
5. Whitstable Town 289
6. Whitehawk 249
7. Ashford United 242
8. Hythe Town 226
9. Ramsgate 204
10. Faversham Town 203

Best attended matches: North Division:

1. Histon 1 Cambridge City 0, 1st January 2020: Attendance 530
2. Romford 2 Coggeshall Town 3, 16th November 2019: Attendance 524
3. AFC Sudbury 3 Bury Town 0, 4th February 2020: Attendance 518
4. Bury Town 0 Canvey Island 1, 4th January 2020: Attendance 482
5. Bury Town 2 Soham Town Rangers 1, 26th December 2019: Attendance 466
6. Bury Town 2 Histon 1, 8th February 2020: Attendance 452
7. Bury Town 4 Felixstowe and Walton United 1, 18th January 2020: Attendance 448
8. Bury Town 3 AFC Sudbury 0, 17th September 2019: Attendance 443
9. Maldon & Tiptree 3 Aveley 1, 4th January 2020: Attendance 438
10. Bury Town 1 Coggeshall Town 1, 30th November 2019: Attendance 435

Best Average attendance: North Division:

1. Bury Town 375
2. Felixstowe & Walton United 312
3. AFC Sudbury 291
4. Grays Athletic 269
5. Aveley 255
6. Maldon & Tiptree 229
7. Heybridge Swifts 222
8. Canvey Island 219
9. Histon 211
10. Dereham Town 192

Best attended matches: South Central Division:

1. Hertford Town 1 Ware 3, 7th March 2020: Attendance 608
2. Chertsey Town 2 Westfield 2, 16th November 2019: Attendance 414
3. Ware 3 Hertford Town 3, 16th November 2019: Attendance 402
4. Chertsey Town 7 FC Romania 0, 2nd November 2019: Attendance 398
5. Chertsey Town 1 Hanwell Town 1, 30th November 2019: Attendance 392
6. Chertsey Town 6 Staines Town 3, 15th February 2020: Attendance 384
7. Tooting & Mitcham United 2 Ware 1, 14th December 2019: Attendance 378
8. Bracknell Town 0 Chertsey Town 0, 18th January 2020: Attendance 366
9. Tooting and Mitcham United 1 Chipstead 4, 28th December 2019: Attendance 357
10. Chertsey Town 3 Bedfont Sports 3, 28th December 2019: Attendance 357

Best Average attendance: South Central Division:

1. Chertsey Town 308
2. Tooting & Mitcham United 267
3. Bracknell Town 260
4. Harlow Town 172
5. Hertford Town 169
6. Hanwell Town 162
7. Ware 144
8. Staines Town 141
9. Marlow 124
10. Northwood 122

We'll be back tomorrow, when we look at goals!

Where next?

That was the season that…wasn’t: Goals. We’re continuing our round up of the unfinished 2019-20 season in numbers, by looking at goals. Who scored the most? And who didn’t!