Fascinating Facts: Changing pattern of attendances and fixtures

Royce Franklin takes a nostalgic look back at how football has changed in the 67 years since he watched his first live match.

THE HIERARCHY at Oldham Athletic may feel aggrieved about attendances, but how would they feel if they had to cope with Accrington Stanley’s gates?

Admittedly that club is in a lower league but the number through the turnstiles at Accrington’s Crown Ground on Friday, February 20 was 1,216 for the game against Cheltenham. This was followed four days later with a mere 919 against table topping Burton.

Accrington’s ground capacity is the lowest in the league at 5,070, but surely their manager John Coleman, on his second stint at the club, should be a candidate for manager of the season if his club’s present mid-table position is maintained.

On the weekend of February 7/8 this year, there was a full list of fixtures in the Premier League. After the results only four teams moved positions in the league table. Southampton, who won 1-0 at QPR, went from fourth to third in a swop with Manchester United who had drawn 1-1 at West Ham. Spurs went up one to fifth in changing places with Arsenal after their 2-1 victory against their north London rivals.

At the beginning of the season, Latics had the distinction of being the victim of MK Dons’ biggest league victory. On March 14, 2009 they had beaten Latics 6-2. Chesterfield had suffered an identical fate in 2011. Remember MK Dons are considered to be a new club, formed in 2004, so there is little history.

Latics’ entry in the record books went firstly with Crewe’s 6-1 defeat in September, 2014 and even further away with Colchester’s 6-0 loss in November, 2014. Alas, not wishing to be outdone Latics conspired to lose 7-0 at Stadiummk in December, 2014, thus returning to MK Dons’ record books.

The recent discovery of a 550lb war-time bomb near to Borussia Dortmund’s ground reminds me of Sheffield United’s game scheduled for February 9, 1985. It was against Latics and was postponed after the discovery of a bomb near the ground. Over 300 people had to be evacuated from their homes. The game was played three days later and Latics lost 2-0.