REDHILL
EOF...I hope to  have a more intelligent conversation with you on the subject of attendances . The Newspaper clipping you show on your posting  refers to  a Athenian  League match during the  52/53 season. Redhill  finished bottom of the league, Tooting were 4th, and Hendon were champions!
Perhaps the fact Redhill were a poor team is the reason many fans did not travel  to  Redhill? Although I  suspect there were many more who used the train to  get to  Redhill, as the Ground was located very close the Station.

THE TOWN AND WANDERERS
In the early days  of formation,  both  Tooting Town and Mitcham Wanderers  both had healthy home gates, and far larger than the few fans that attend home games today. Both clubs had significant away support as well. In the 1920's both the Town and the Wanderers had some home matches played before Thousands of spectators. Even the reserve team were watched  by crowds far in excess of the attendances seen at  home matches now.
The takeover of Mitcham Wanderers by the Town 1932 to merge the name we see today, continued the success of drawing large crowds.  Crowds started to  decline in the late 70's but were still well above the gates today, including reserve team games. 

IMPERAIL FIELDS
The move to  Imperial Fields frequently  witnessed regular crowds of 300 to 400 despite huge administration and managerial problems. During the 2010/11 season the club started to  sink to  new low  levels of attendances after what was to  be the most horrific years  in club's history dating back to 1887.  Crowds drifted down to the 200 mark,  and are now verging  near 100 for some games in the current season.  Many hardcore supporters have left the club , and will never return (The reasons are obvious), and only the hardcore of the hardcore are left.

THREATS
With the return of AFC Norbiton to the Borough, there is even a bigger threat in the future.  The standard of Football the club now compete in is 4th rate, and only one step away from Park Football.  The Structure of Football has changed dramatically over the last few years, and the distractions  for the lay supporters or even the local community not to  visit Imperial Fields are well known.

THE POTENTIAL
The undoubted success of increased local neighbours Bromley, Dulwich and  Sutton in attracting large crowds has been built on the playing success of each club over the last few years, together  with an imaginative Ownership support and commitment, working with the many supporters who  Voluntary work for the club.  Tooting have it all as far as facilities goes! Bromley copied the Imperial Fields Model, but  plough everything back into  the Football Club. The facilities they have built over the last fewr years are a credit to  the club both on and off the field.  Dulwich are seeking a new ground, Sutton have invested in the Gander Green Lane Ground, and although Dulwich are currently experiencing a hiccup all clubs continue to  be successful and are drawing in large crowds.

THE FANS
The Past History of the Terrors is  totally irrelevant in today's Football World. Without the Fans there is not a true  Football club,  as I have already stated, it will take at least two years of stability and success both on and off the field, which may turn things around. Only then will crowds start to  increase again.
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Last edited by Mikem (16/2/2016 12:58 pm)

Could not agree more with your comment

Last edited by Mikem (16/2/2016 2:59 pm)

Not helped at all by our position in the league... We win the next two games 10 - 0 and we are still 15th... Too many points to hopefully be in a relegation fight and too many points away from the play offs... Even with a good run to the end of the season I can't see us finishing in the top ten.
OK I'd take that seeing as we have a new team and also seeing as how bad we were at the start of the season, but they way things have gone we are stuck on our own in the middle of the league table with little chance of going up or down....

Our best hope was good runs in the cup and we've managed somehow to go out at the quarter final stage in two competitions with out a ball being kicked....

Very little to bring floating fans into home games seeing as what's happened this year.... Very little to bring old Terrors back into the fold on a freezing cold and wet afternoon or Tuesday night.

But saying that... I'll still be there and so will "The Little Man" and most of the others off here.... Just a shame that this season has worked out so badly despite the fact we are playing such good football.

Attendances are not of course a problem unique to Tooting and Mitcham. As some of you know since moving 3 years ago I have been a Harrogate Town supporter. We are currently enjoying success (second in National North)  which T and M supporters can only dream of but this has had little obvious impact on the core attendance of around 400. Harrogate is a large town with nothing like the competition for support at non league or league level that T and M have to contend with. We get extensive coverage in the local paper and are well regarded as a community club but it seems that the community in this affluent area don't want to pay £13 to come to our matches. It is interesting that the bogend website attracts far more contributors and contributions than the equivalent Town chat forum so while enough of you care there is hope for the future.

HI DeePee have responded to your messagei

BEU l never did Latin or English at my school, please enlighten me to why l should be using the plural?

Many thank's for pointing out my typo error.I
Infact it represents my love of real ale or in crickets terms a lack of wickets.