Was going to reply in agreement with Andrew on the match thread, but doing it here because it's a more general point.
7,100 fans at home v Hibs is extremely worrying, and given both are well established non-diddy teams and both in the race for a european spot, it suggests that the reason for it is that our SPL structure is fundamentally flawed.
It's as though fans realise the euro spot will likely be sorted after the split, so the third game against opposition that look similarly likely to make top six is one to avoid and save the pennies. It's not the games being against competitive opposition that matters necessarily, it's the games themselves being competative in terms of something being at stake. You get that in every home game that's a one-off. Lose, and you've got to wait for next season to put it right. We already won the 1st, so today had nothing riding on it as a one-off.
I accept tv is a problem, however our first game against hibs was also on tv and the attendance was 12,000. What else can justify a drop of 5,000? Maybe the cup game next week? If so, that's no excuse because this scenario of playing the same opposition twice in quick succession plays out regularly in the current set up - three games v Motherwell in December ffs!
Surely it's common sense that a one off league game v Hibs at Pittodrie would be hoping for over 12,000 each year, and even a one off game against the likes of Greenock wouldn't be so much less than 7,000 (if at all) as to really decrease our takings?
I just can't see the argument for this set up of playing each other 4 times all. But hey, next week we're playing hibs so that's something to look forward to...