Royce Franklin, a life member of the Association of Football Statisticians, digs up yet more fascinating facts about football
IF WE take the ground capacity of all the 92 Premier and Football League teams and expect teams to finish in the position their ground capacity would suggest there are some fascinating results.
Not surprisingly Manchester United would be at the top and Accrington would be bottom.
Ground-capacity figures have been taken from the Sky Yearbook for 2013/14 which was published in late July, before the current season started.
Not all subsequent increases in ground capacity have been included such as Milton Keynes (from October 30,500). Bournemouth’s increase to 12,000 has been included. Coventry’s home ground has been taken as Sixfields, Northampton’s ground where they ‘lodge’.
Manchester United has the biggest capacity at 75,765 followed by Arsenal with 60,362 and Newcastle 52,405. No other club is able to accommodate more than 50,000.
Accrington has the lowest capacity with 5,057 closely followed by Fleetwood with 5,092.
To meet the publication deadline, the position of teams in the leagues after the games during the weekend 14/15th December, 2013 has been taken. After this weekend no team was performing exactly in the position their ground capacity would suggest.
Teams that should be in the top tier but are not – Sheffield Wednesday (capacity 39.732); Leeds (37,914); Middlesbrough (34,998); Derby (33,502); Sheffield United (32,609); Leicester (32,312); Blackburn (31,154) and Wolves 30,852. Of these Sheffield United and Wolves are both in the third tier.
From the Sky Yearbook figures, teams that should be in the bottom tier but are not Shrewsbury (9,875); Yeovil (9,565); Leyton Orient (9,311); Bournemouth (9,287); Stevenage (6,772) and Crawley (5,973). Of these Bournemouth and Yeovil are in the second tier.
Sheffield United are the worst performing team. They should be 17th out of 92 but are 63rd. A close second are Portsmouth who should be 42nd but are 86th. Remember Portsmouth won the FA Cup as recently as 2008.
Bournemouth’s capacity increased at the beginning of the season to 12,000 and they have therefore been discounted as the best out-performing team. Otherwise they would have been best performing with plus 37. From current figures Crawley is best with plus 30 and Yeovil are in second place with plus 29.
Locally Latics are in 60th position (plus 5); Rochdale are 76th (minus 7) whilst Bury are minus 24.
Of the current non-league sides Conference-based Wrexham has the highest capacity at 15,500. Stockport’s Edgeley Park (Conference North) can accommodate 10,852.
Last season Coventry’s average attendance was 10.864 at the Ricoh Stadium with a 32,.604 capacity. On Saturday, December 14, 2013 their ‘home’ game against Crewe attracted 1.618 at Northampton’s ground.
