Those two games in question:
Pompey - That was £5 a ticket if i remember rightly (I brought 2 North End Fans!)
Fulham - Last game of the season and celebration for the Worthy Cup.
I fully believe it's the price that keeps people away. If you have a season ticket you go to every game. If you dont, you go to a couple of early games, watch awful football and think "hang on - there's 101 better things I could have done with that cash" and next week you do one of those 101 things, and maybe catch one of the live games on Sky that day to satisfy your football craving.
Its as simple as that.
Last year my mate couldnt go to the Newcastle (h) game, I asked my dad (who used to go to about 8/9 games a season until about 3 years ago) if he wanted to come.
He said no!! And it was free!! Simply had better things to do. Eventually he did come - was a good match - managed to drag him to another couple of games after that.
I'm in Cambridge now, and actually quite enjoy not being angry and disappointed on saturday evenings!
didnt bother with a saeon ticket this season, it costs me at least £15-£20 to drive up to ewood (now that Chesh wont lend me his lear jet) so on top of tickets thats £40 for a cheap round trip to Ewood.
For teh newcastle game I bought 3 tickets, and paid £40 fuel thats £130 to go and watch us get tonked 3-0.
However when i am free at weekends i'll travel up to the game - although now my weekends are quite busy i cant really do that at the moment.
So the cost is a factor but its more other commitments and the people i usuallt travel up with arent anymore thats stopped me going.