How ambitious Chesterfield are trying to increase attendances even more as they reveal latest target

Chesterfield’s fanbase has grown significantly in recent years, with average home crowds around the 8,500 mark, which is much higher than when they were successful in League One 11 years ago. There have been a number of attendances which have been in and around 10,000 and their away followings are quite often near 1,000.

It has been noticeable that a lot more younger fans and women are coming to matches compared to the Saltergate days and you don’t often see any other team colours in and around the town unlike previous years The success on the field and the excellent hard work of the community trust in promoting the club in schools has helped massively.

But ambitious club chiefs don’t want to rest on their laurels and they have launched ‘Project 9,000’ as they aim to get 9,000 home fans through the turnstiles at the SMH Group Stadium on a regular basis. They want a home matchday to be the main attraction in the town and they are looking at all different ways that they can encourage more people to come and they are open to ideas.

Unsurprisingly, club research has shown that midweek attendances are lower, as are matches selected by Sky Sports because of the kick-off times. Such is their motivation and commitment in trying to achieve their goal, the club has even been researching bus routes for people who live in certain areas where it might be difficult to get to night matches.

The club say they need about an extra 1,400 supporters to turn up and they been brainstorming all sorts of ideas such as a six-match season ticket for people who work weekends or can’t make all the games, a ‘bring a friend’ initiative where they will be able to sit together and other flexible ticketing options. In return, the club explore how they can improve the matchday experience such as the concourses and make things more entertaining and exciting outside the ground.

Speaking at a fans’ forum on Wednesday night, chairman Ashley Kirk, said: “We need the fans to be on side and tell everyone what a great experience it is. Can you bring a friend? Can you get someone else to become a Chesterfield fan? And we will be working on trying to make sure you are enjoying your experience while you are here.”