Apparently only season ticket renewals can save Leeds United
Our 'unconditional support' is assumed, and promoted, and allows the club to feel very happy about its work without thinking too much about the reality.
Ten days ago, in between the home thrashings by Crystal Palace and Liverpool, Leeds United proudly reported a 98 per cent renewal rate on season tickets. Given the 10 per cent price increase and a grand total of eleven goals conceded in two horrible home games it's fair for those people to look at the big negative number showing in their bank statement and wonder just what they were thinking.
The backing, Leeds said on their official website, has 'been phenomenal, and this will be needed in our remaining four home matches. Win, lose or draw the Leeds United faithful have been there to encourage the team through it all, as always.'
Well. This was contradicting the eye test from the previous Sunday afternoon when the stands emptied as Palace scored goal after goal, and wasn't true of the second half against Liverpool, either. I have no judgements to make on anyone deciding to leave matches as bad as those two as early as they can. But I wonder about it, and fans' relationship to Premier League football.
It's interesting, to start with, that clubs think of high renewal rates as news. It's a flex, I suppose, dipping a toe into the 'our club's bigger than yours' arguments fans have. But when Leeds put the renewals down to our 'overwhelming and unconditional support', I wonder how far that is true. There wasn't a survey alongside the renewals, asking us why we were doing it. If there was, and if fans were able to be completely honest, then I'm sure many would still say 'unconditional support'. But others might say 'habit'. Others might say 'fear of not being able to buy a new one in future'. Others might talk about the good bits before and after the matches, with their mates in town. Some might prefer not to think about the reasons too much.