THE Welsh Premier could abandon its controversial 12 club membership in 2014, after alarming statistics released this week showed a big slump in attendances.
Overall attendances have decreased by 12 per cent this season, with the average gate for a top flight match just 309 - down from 351 last season.
Even more alarmingly the league’s efforts to scatter kick-offs has seen even greater decreases, with Friday night attendances down by 14 per cent to just 216 and Sunday games down by 13 per cent, with an average of 299.
Even traditional crowd pullers have reported fans walking away from the league, with defending champions Bangor City witnessing the largest fall with a 34 per cent slump, while Neath’s gates are down 15 per cent and Carmarthen Town’s by 11 per cent.
League secretary John Deakin this week conceded that many factors had prompted the slump, but also admitted that supporters’ long standing qualms over the format of the league was also a factor.
Presently the 12 clubs compete home and away in a 22 match programme, before the league splits during the winter with the top six and bottom six competing over 10 games.
Deakin said: “Supporters are voicing their frustrations at the number of times the same fixtures are taking place and it is something we must look at.
“When we first reduced the league it was geared at ensuring there would be no dead rubber games throughout the season and although gates were up last season, the reduction this season and views I have heard from supporters suggests the format is not without its problems.
“As a league it is our duty to help clubs to improve their attendances and following the release of these statistics we must, together, devise a co-ordinated plan to attract more people to games.
“It would be too soon to tinker with the format again now having only gone to the present one last season but I would think after three seasons we would be bale to make a judgment.”
Gates at TNS and Aberystwyth Town have suffered a slight drop, while Newtown have reported an increase of six per cent to 213 from last season and are one of only two teams to witness an increase.