Lancaster City are looking to boost home crowds at Giant Axe

The Dolly Blues are still fighting for a play-off place this season with five game of their NPL Premier Division season to go.

The fact that Dolly Blues are currently in 10th spot and just six points off the top five can be viewed as an achievement especially considering the club is at the other end of the table when it comes to attendances.

Only Grantham Town and Ashton United average less than City’s 294 in the division.

Considering Lancaster’s population is believed to be around the 50,000 mark, with a wide surrounding area too, only a tiny percentage of people from the city watch the Dolly Blues in action.

In comparison to Lancashire neighbours Clitheroe, which is a small market town, their average attendance is more than double this season and they are one division below City in the football pyramid.

Players and club officials were in the city centre ahead of Saturday’s game at home to Nantwich Town trying drum up support for that afternoon’s game and the future.

"We needs to get as many people in Giant Axe as we can,” said boss Mark Fell, whose team have two home games remaining this season against Witton Albion and Bamber Bridge respectively.

"We are getting 300 gates, we need more. The club is obviously in a transitional period. We are in a league where cash is king, not just in terms of the wage just to keep the club afloat. We have a big old ground to maintain and all these different things.

"Our fans are brilliant and they are vocal but we have got to find ways of getting more people through the gate.”

City’s recent good run attracted a few more fans through the door last weekend. The attendance for the win over Nantwich was 478, the crowd slightly swelled due to last weekend being officially Non-League Day.

"I think we have to look at our supporter experience,” said Fell, who accepts good results on the pitch is always the best way to attract fans. “Are we giving our fans a good enough experience?”