Feedback from MOTD2 about their crowd size obsession vs Fulh

I sent MOTD2 an email on Sun night after they wasted much of our highlights time going on about the crowd. I got a reply. Thought people might be interested:

My comment:

There seemed a strange obsession with the size of the crowd in the coverage of the Wigan Fulham game – it was mentioned over and over during the match and afterwards. Strange editting to waste that much time on a peripheral issue when there was loads of action that was cut out. I’m sure you employ researchers. Here’s some facts for them. Wigan, being a Rugby League dominated town had only around 2,000 football fans only 10 years ago. Getting 16,000 home fans for the least attractive game of the season (more home fans than went to the Man Utd game) is pretty good going. Wigan RL also gets around 15K at home, and
there is virtually no crossover between the fanbases, so 30K people watching sport every week isn’t bad for a small town….

Couldn’t you spend more time on the footie, or at least do some research if you’re going to go on about incidental stuff like this. Still at least you give our fanzines some good material to go on. Small team does well in Premiership shock!!

Their reply

Apologies if we came across as ‘obsessed’ about the size of the crowd at the DW Stadium on Sunday – it was not our intention.
Usually we would not mention the size of a crowd as a talking point, but on this occasion it was worth noting as it was the lowest of the season in the Premier League.
Of course we are aware of the external factors surrounding this – only 300 or so Fulham fans travelling north after their midweek trip to Rome, and the fact that it was up against Chelsea-Man U on the telly. We also appreciate the efforts Wigan went to to get the crowd they did on Sunday, as well as the greater history you mention in your e-mail of Wigan’s enormous rise in attendances in the last decade. It’s a heck of an achievement.

Once again apologies for any negativity you may have felt on Sunday, we were merely intending to place on record what may or may not become a noteworthy statistic in this Premier League season.

All the best for the rest of the campaign

I have replied again, but have had no response as yet to this:

Hi – thanks for taking the time and trouble to reply. I really appreciate it.

I understand the need to document these issues, but the extended sections on the perceived lack of crowds, with no mention of mitigation e.g the split support in the town, where Wigan have come from (non league 30 yrs ago), and the lack of attraction in the opposition just came across to me as unduly negative (but I am biased!!). In all the games I’ve seen on MOTD, only John Motson has given a balanced view on the crowds issue at Wigan in last years live FA Cup game vs Chelsea.

The match was very attractive. Schwarzer made many more good saves that were cut out of the coverage. Supporters of little clubs like Wigan get used to being squeezed in time terms anyway on MOTD so it becomes annoying when what little time we get gets spent on peripheral issues.

Anyway, thanks again for taking the time to reply