where do racecourses publish their attendance figures ?

https://www.hblb.org.uk/attendance

excellent...

cheers for that Anorak.

Great link Anorak

I'd much rather see kids trying to get their leg over than silly old C's smuggling in their own cucumber sarnies betting 50p each way and trying to patronise you with absolute pony.

Attendance = Paying Public, Members and Complimentary Badges.

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mmm...

'comps' included in attendance figures...

interesting.

Thanks for posting.

Comps basically means owners and their guests. And I assume it also means people like me, who get free admission to most everyday meetings through being an owner and an ROA member.

At quite a few courses, the average 'attendance' figure has fallen on quiet days, as they now actually count the annual members that attend (using barcode readers), whereas before it was just assumed that a certain percentage (e.g 80%) would be there.

the 'attendance' should only be folk who have actually paid to get in imv Anorak...

and that would include members obviously...

'comps' shouldn't be included in the attendance figures imv...

or at least they should give the figures in isolation...

who paid at the gate...

how many members turned up...

how many comps were dished out...

that's how i'd do it.

No difference if their going, to get their leg over or if they are smuggling sarnies in, as
long as they are paying an entrance fee Its the attendance  figure the OP is after.

Look at the flat AW meetings. Basically nobody is going.

Is it time to restrict paying customers at AW tracks? Surely cant be profitable in the long term?

Why? Do you mean go behind closed doors?
They get their profit from TV pics

Trident...why would anyone want to restrict customers? Think about it.

To start with, the real profist for tracks are in the media rights (Worldwide TV pictures and replication of the actual runners and riders, etc).

Provision has to be made for owners and trainers whatever happens (as Covid demonstrated, owners did not like it without a race-day crowd, however small). Hence, race-day staff are still required and the small amount of extra people to cope with the public at a midweek card is tiny. Believe me, I go all the time and the crowd at the tracks are not beer-swilling loons out for trouble!

Hence, anything the public spend at the track on even the quietest day is bonus income. Of course, without TV and media rights, it would all be different but there is zero chance of any track going behind closed doors until the media rights gravy train dries up.

(Yes, Chelmsford did it once last year when asked to put on a card at very short notice. But that was because the inside of the grandstand was already booked for an event and their customer objected to sharing the day with racegoers).

Arena considered doing it for Jan/Feb mid week fixtures but thankfully the BHA did not grant permission

Trident

I’m an annual member at Wolverhampton would you recommend restrictions on those as well baring in mind the idea is the encourage racegoers.

Feb 2, 2023 -- 11:31AM, jimnast wrote:

TridentI’m an annual member at Wolverhampton would you recommend restrictions on those as well baring in mind the idea is the encourage racegoers.

No I wouldn't. I was just wondering from a commercial profitable point of view.

Thanks for the reply trident yes I can see where your coming from however it would be a very slippery route to go down and who knows the tv rights may not be around for ever.

tv rights may not be around for ever.

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correct jimnast...

and once in running reaches the 'what's the point' stage they will be getting no 'tv rights' money from me.

and i suspect i won't be the only person going down that road.