Attendances boom as Truro and Torquay go for title
Torquay United have had three attendances this season of more than 5,000
- Published
It's the tightest title race in the country.
With four games left of the National League South season, just six points separate the top six as Truro City look to win promotion to the National League for the first time in their history and Torquay United look to edge closer to a return to the Football League.
Both sides have seen an increase in attendances as fans flock to the non-league scene in increasing numbers.
BBC Sport analysis shows a 65% growth in average attendances in the top four levels of the non-league pyramid in the lpast decade. In the National League South that figure rises to 122%.
Torquay co-chairman Michael Westcott says more and more supporters are losing faith with the Premier League and want a local connection instead.
He told BBC Sport: "True football fans are being priced out of league football.
"A family of four has to spend nearly £200 or more to watch a game in the Premier League but they can come here for highly competitve football - where players give as much effort as anywhere - and have that day out and a fantastic experience with change out of £50 for the family.
"There's a lot of disillusion from fans at the highest levels and they are finding a local team to follow - people buy into that."
Torquay were relegated from the English Football League in 2014 and have bounced between the National League and National League South since.
But Westcott is hoping that they can make the step up again this season either by winning the title or via the play-offs.
"Twelve months ago we nearly didn't have a football club, so it's terribly exciting," he said.
"We had one player under contract last summer and to be in the mix of arguably the most exciting league in the pyramid - we are thrilled.
"It is so tight, anyone in the top six or seven can win this league with 12 points to play for. It has captured the imagination of the wider football family.
"We are seeing our highest attendances since the 1970s. Our ambition is to return Torquay to the Football League where we existed happily for nearly 80 years."
'The whole of Cornwall is behind us'
Truro City's best crowd this season was 2,818 against Chippenham Town
Leaders Truro City have never played higher than the National League South and manager John Askey says the whole of Cornwall is willing them to climb the ladder.
The club had to play games at Plymouth, Torquay and Gloucester City after selling their stadium in 2020 but are back in the city now and looking for promotion.
"We weren't expected to be up there," Askey said.
"We were favourites for relegation but as time goes on you keep looking at the table. As soon as someone goes top they seem to fall away, I have never known a season with so many teams still in the title race with four games to go.
"It's our first year back in Truro after a nomadic few years, so everyone is behind us and we feel that. The whole of Cornwall wants us to get to that next step."
Truro face Hornchurch on Saturday, while Torquay face Slough - with the two teams playing each other on Good Friday.
"That's possibly the biggest game in the club's history," adds Askey.
With every point vital, the race will surely go to the wire.