The level of interest in English league football has varied over the past decades. During the post – war era, demand for football increased to a record high of 41m, an average of 22,000 spectators per match across all four divisions of the Football League. English league football has never been able to match its former popularity and demand since the late 1940s has been in decline. The fall in demand has been consistent, albeit punctuated with small increases along the way. One of these was during the mid – 1960s when England was triumphant in the FIFA Would Cup. The positive impacts of the England win were only temporary and match day attendances continued to fall. The fall in demand during the latter parts of the 1970s and the first half of the 1980s can be attributed to a number of factors. English football was blighted by hooliganism during this period; the Football League and football clubs were found wanting when it came it issues of safety and security. Hooliganism, lack of effective crowd management and poor stadium accommodation resulted in fatalities