Town boss Mick McCarthy says he can do nothing to affect the size of Portman Road crowds other than to get results. Saturday’s 2-0 victory over bottom-of-the-table Bolton Wanderers was watched by only 14,164 fans, the lowest home crowd for a league game since 13,212 attended the 1-0 victory over Swindon in October 1998.

Following last season’s disappointing 16th-place finish and a 1.5 per cent price rise, season ticket sales dropped by nearly 2,000 to the high 10,000s, while struggling Wanderers brought only 337 fans to Suffolk for Saturday's match.

"In terms of the crowd, I can't make people come in, I can only try to affect results," McCarthy told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"We're in the top six with 15 points from seven games, which is way beyond any of our expectations when we started, mine included.

"I said I don't think we're one of the best teams in the league and we're going to have to be tough and belligerent and organised - and all those horrible things people don't particularly like - but we have got a bit of something.

"I try my best to create a winning team and a good atmosphere amongst everybody, and I think we've got that. It's the club that gets more concerned about the crowd.”

In order to try to address the drop in season ticket numbers Town reduced their matchday prices and introduced a new ticket bundle scheme ahead of the start of the campaign.

The Blues, who take on leaders Leeds United, who they trail by two points with a game in hand at Elland Road on Saturday, are next in action at home to Sunderland a week tomorrow with another Portman Road fixture, against Bristol City, the following Saturday.

Photo: TWTD

martin587 added 12:59 - Sep 20 Corfu72, Thanks for you thought.The trouble is some supporters are never happy even when we win.Dont let it bother you,it doesn't me.!
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blue75 added 13:09 - Sep 20 martin587 you're right town away support great always has been. I've a lot of respect for you going away to watch the pony we dish up!! Do chant to McCarthy away? I pay my season ticket so it's my right to moan if I don't like the style of play yes we're 5th in the league and have a game in hand, I'm sure we'll be greatful of those points come the end of the season. Can you imagine how much of a hiding we'd get week in week out if we manage to go up. My first full season was 1994/1995 I don't want to experience that again!! At by the end of that season we had hope that our young forward thinking manager would be alright come august 95. So you keep praising sh1t and I'll keep moaning about as will a lot of people.

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jjhbruno added 13:09 - Sep 20 Pretty sure it does
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martin587 added 13:19 - Sep 20 Blue75. You obviously don't remember the 60's then.As you rightly say everyone to there own opinion.What you have to remember,nothing will ever change under the structure or management we have so it's best to get used to it and enjoy the position we are in at present with what we have.Knocking it in my opinion is the wrong way to support the club. Perhaps if we were to get promotion some of the prize money would be invested in the team. Almost every club that gets promotion struggles so nothing different there then.Best to be positive then negative Blue75.!

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blue75 added 13:26 - Sep 20 martin587 I'm not that old!! If you make enough noise things change in McCarthy wouldn't put up with us calling for his head every game. You should never accept 2nd best when it comes to your club otherwise what's the point?
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martin587 added 13:29 - Sep 20 Yes I agree,but it won't change under this regime so just accept it until the enevitable happens that's all I'm saying.Best to be in 5th than 24th at the moment.
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blue75 added 13:40 - Sep 20 martin587 I'll never accept not in my nature to accept 2nd best.
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Theipswich added 22:10 - Sep 20 A boring, tactically limited manager well past his sell by date...should have gone 2 years ago after Portsmouth cup debacle...now running down his contract..and running down the patience of real knowledgeable Town fans and destroying a new generation of young supporters who wouldn't be seen dead watching the tripe he offers up......time for him to go and for us to get a real manager in now

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Theipswich added 22:26 - Sep 20 Essex chief executive Derek Bowden, waiting for the players and coaching staff to arrive in Chelmsford, spoke of his admiration for what they have achieved. "It's fantastic - a great result for the team, a great result for the club," he told Sky Sports News. "It's absolutely wonderful. It's been a great team effort, great leadership from Chris Silverwood and his team and great captaincy this year. "The team spirit has been fantastic, home-grown talent and the whole club working together as one team."

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shakytown added 06:19 - Sep 21 The only thing harder to get than a new customer is one you have lost. People leave for a reason and it will take a lot for them to come back.
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Swn98 added 10:34 - Sep 21 I would think most of the missing fans were the ones affected by the mugging off of the over 60s.
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