Like it or not Friday saw a stadium filled above normal levels with a sizeable number of "occasion seekers". There were lots of people who just wanted to be able to say "I was there". It was fuelled by a media frenzy and to some degree the manner in which the tickets were sold. The repeated references to tickets are running out increased the public interest and created a kind of panic that you might miss out. I would guess there were many thousands there that basically were interested in CCFC, want the "I was there badge" and are not nor ever were regular attendees.
Compare that to the Yeovil match. Not, with all due respect to Yeovil, the greatest attraction for a match, no media hype, no real information from the club on tickets, no panic for tickets, not an "occasion". Add in to that the number of times over many years that CCFC have flattered to deceive, the years of under achievement, the 12 months of habit changing what is the realistic expectation of a crowd. Then factor in the broken trust, the only recent attention to fans needs, the damage done by things said or done during the dispute, the disconnect from the fans, even the repeated operational cock ups that have gone on. There is a lot to repair and less ardent fans remain to be convinced.
The return to the Ricoh is a step - be it a very big step - in the right direction. It was never going to be the cure all, just being back does not guarantee footfall, feel good factors can wear off and quickly. The one thing that will make the biggest difference is success on the pitch. Get the team consistently challenging in league or cups and people will turn up on a regular basis.
What has just happened Friday is a building block. It shows everyone that there can be significant interest in CCFC. The next step is in the hands of the club and its owners. If we get 12000 plus against Yeovil that might disappoint some but the reality is that is not a bad base to build from. Significantly more than 12k and to be honest I think that would be brilliant. It is early days yet. Three weeks ago it was 2279 against one of the best supported teams in L1