NOT BILL GATES
Since we won the FA Cup in 1995 our average gates and final league position have been:
2010-11. 36, 039. 7th.
2009-10. 36,725. 8th.
2008-09. 35,667. 5th.
2007-08. 36,955. 5th.
2006-07. 36,739. 6th.
2005-06. 36,827. 11th.
2004-05. 36,834. 4th.
2003-04. 38,837. 17th.
2002-03. 38,481. 7th.
2001-02. 34,004. 15th. David Moyes appointed in March 2002.
2001-01. 34,131. 16th.
1999-00. 34,880. 13th.
1998-99. 36,202. 14th.
1997-98. 35,355. 17th.
1996-97. 36,188. 15th.
1995-96. 35,439. 6th.
So David Moyes's arrival added over 4,000 to the average league gate for his first two seasons. That dropped by 1,000 after seventeenth in his second season but has consistently stayed well above previous figures ever since.
What it shows is that Evertonians will turn up when they feel there are playing improvements and there is some hope of winning a trophy. It gives the lie to the garbage that we could never increase gates in a new stadium with better facilities and without obstructed views. With a winning team in a new stadium there's no question we could get averages well over 40,000. There's no question either of the positive David Moyes Affect on playing fortunes and club finances. Since Moyesy arrived our gates have only been badly affected after the disappointment of finishing seventeenth in 2004. Last season gates fell due to big disappointment after pre-season high expectations. This season like everyone else we'll have to deal with the fact that there's less money to spend because of the depression. If we don't get off to a good start this time our average league gate will drop below 36,000 for only the second time since Moyesy arrived.
It's up to the players to make up for last season's bad start to make sure that doesn't happen. They owe it to the fans who show up in such numbers every season.
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