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DTG wrote:I don't see why you'd presume that a side with a home attendance of, say, 4000 would fail to raise a single away supporter. Hyde FC, who get about 400 at home were still taking a minibus full to away games last year and that's to watch a side which managed 10 points all year.

I think a number of people would see it as a cheap way to follow their team without having to stump up for an expensive first team ticket. Once teams are established, the away following would follow pretty naturally. Ok, Stoke B might not bring many, but then, I doubt that we'll be seeing the away end opened for Halifax or Dover FC next season either.

For some sort of evidence of success of brand new teams with an attachment to an existing PL giant (I know the circumstances are somewhat different), have a look at FCUM, FC United of Manchester. Alright, they started off as a protest vote, but the initial excitement of it being something new has long since passed (remember the Ebbsfeet thing, 25,000 supporters in year one, about 600 in year two once the initial gloss of "owning shares in a football club" wore off) and they still get anywhere between 3 and 6 times the gates of everyone else. I can't find their away figures, but there's talk on the website of offering coach travel, except where demand fails to suffice (so the presumption is that a coach will run. That's the same situation as at Torquay). This is in the Evo-Stik, which is so far down the pyramid that I'm not even sure how far down they really are.

I think there are still, just, enough genuine football fans left at the top of the pyramid that away attendances would be comparable with the Conference. On that score, the argument against looks extremely weak. Elsewhere, it's stronger, and it's in those areas that any sensible objection to the proposals should be concentrated.

Matt.