The 2017 LOI Attendance thread.

**oriel** · 03/04/2017, 4:07 PM

Originally Posted by El-Pietro

I still don't understand why the games aren't being played at Institute!

Maybe they didn't want their pitch used all summer, or being on the other side of the divide maybe it was a non runner from the start, or possibly relations are not good between the two. Derry lads will know more. Would it have required IFA approval also?

**El-Pietro** · 03/04/2017, 4:18 PM

Originally Posted by Philosophizer

Is it possible that Derry would have more fans from the Inishowen peninsula than they would from the Waterside of the city? If so, it might back up the argument that by playing in Buncrana for a season they're re-inforcing ties with that section of their supporter base, and probably capturing new fans from Inishowen too...

Maybe, but I would imagine there is very little room for new fans this season as they will be at capacity for just about every game.

**brendy_éire** · 03/04/2017, 6:51 PM

Originally Posted by Philosophizer

Is it possible that Derry would have more fans from the Inishowen peninsula than they would from the Waterside of the city?

Nah, loads of fans from the Waterside.
Officially, two years ago at least, the reason was that we couldn't get Friday nights (not sure I buy that one). Besides, we originally went for Sundays in Buncrana, so Fridays obviously weren't that important.
Riverside would have been so much handier for the vast majority of our fans. Things like public transport being available at night there would have made it more accessible for people. Additionally, for the numerous Belfast-based fans, who cannot make kick-off in Buncrana, Riverside is even handier than the Brandywell.

**brendy_éire** · 03/04/2017, 10:53 PM

Originally Posted by oriel

Maybe they didn't want their pitch used all summer, or being on the other side of the divide maybe it was a non runner from the start, or possibly relations are not good between the two. Derry lads will know more. Would it have required IFA approval also?

*I must read all pages before replying*

Institute don't own the ground, the YMCA do. It's not a great surface generally. It's built on wet ground beside a river, though that really isn't helped by Stute playing on it through the rain, ice and snow all winter. It noticeably improves over the summer. Stute tend to play nice football at the start of the season, gradually reducing to hoofball when the the surface doesn't allow it.
The 'divide' thing is a non-issue, and the clubs get on really well. Institute are basically the second team of most Derry fans. Loads of player/staff transfers in either direction, and plenty of crossover of fans. I'm an on/off season ticket holder at Stute, for example.
Riverside is IFA approved, so no issue there.

It's been decided that we're playing in Buncrana. No real explanation as to why, but sure that's the way our club works for most things.

**Philosophizer** · 04/04/2017, 9:31 AM

Originally Posted by brendy_éire

The 'divide' thing is a non-issue, and the clubs get on really well. Institute are basically the second team of most Derry fans. Loads of player/staff transfers in either direction, and plenty of crossover of fans. I'm an on/off season ticket holder at Stute, for example.

Thanks for the info. I had just presumed there was an intense rivalry like what exists between some of the Belfast clubs

**EatYerGreens** · 04/04/2017, 12:29 PM

Originally Posted by brendy_éire

Maybe if we had approached said organisation officially and with a proper business case, instead of casually asking a club in the city to make the case for us, we would have a few thousand more.
Or maybe even if we had asked to use that 3,100 capacity football ground barely 6km from the Brandywell, wouldn't that have been an idea now.

But, alas, no. Buncrana every other week and Sligo for European matches it is.

I'd agree with you on Institute's ground. I think Derry City were being timid and overly fearful to not sort access to that (if they could've got it, that is).

I don't agree on the GAA though. Only a vote of GAA Annual Congress would have allowed Celtic Park to be used by Derry City FC. Yes - DCFC should have done the approach the proper way. But I'm not sure that would've got the use of Celtic Park past a Congress that is still the domain of a large number of bigoted backwoodsmen.

**pateen** · 04/04/2017, 12:47 PM

Does the FAI have serous restrictions on attendance at the Markets field.
Just watched the clip of the sold out game and there’s standing and green spaces all over the ground.

Could easily fit 5000 there rather than 3000

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1NtoGaIKrU

**Nesta99** · 04/04/2017, 3:31 PM

Doubt it is purely an FAI limit.

**fieldofmarkets** · 04/04/2017, 6:15 PM

Think I remember the fire officer being involved when it opened and deeming capacity to be 3050 once all sections were available. It was even less than that for a while because the grassy banks had no grass and a couple other pieces not tarmacced. You could clearly fit plenty more in.

**nigel-harps1954** · 04/04/2017, 6:43 PM

Seen a corrected figure for Cabinteely vs Cobh of 378. Still missing an official figure from St Pats vs Shamrock Rovers from last weekend if anyone can help.

Weekend figures:

Dundalk v Drogheda: 3,015
Limerick v Cork: 2,989
Bohemians v St Pat's: 2,600
Shamrock Rovers v Harps: 2,510
Derry v Bray: 1,574
Galway v Sligo: 891

Shelbourne v Wexford: 465
Longford v Waterford: 401
Cobh v UCD: 354
Athlone v Cabinteely: 142

**nigel-harps1954** · 04/04/2017, 7:01 PM

Week 6.

PREMIER DIVISION

Bohs - 1,853 (1,627; 1,724; 1,395; 1,597; 1,496; 1,488; 1,835; 2,366)
Bray - 801 (957; 769; 718; 891; 965; 1,121; 952; 1,169)
Cork - 4,178 (2,533; 3,263; 3,777; 1,965; 2,786; 2,128 FD; 1,693 FD; 2,681)
Derry - 1,516 (1,563; 1,124; 1,106; 1,446; 1,460; 2,135; 1,965 FD; 2,436)
Drogheda - 924 (583 FD; 813; 1,064; 817; 977; 811; 859; 1,106)
Dundalk - 3,431 (2,738; 3,158; 2,534; 1,997; 949; 1,355; 1,877; 2,371)
Galway - 1,445 (1,169; 1,290; 975 FD)
Harps - 1,539 (1,216; 784 FD; 449 FD; 479 FD; 429 FD; 433 FD; 644 FD; 480 FD)
Limerick - 2,072 (1,131 FD; 1,206; 757; 1,649; 734 FD; 569 FD; 598 FD; 429 FD)
Pat's - 1,539 (1,088; 1,321; 1,386; 1,687; 1,474; 1,346; 1,756; 1,631)
Rovers - 3,507 (2,041; 2,890; 2,269; 2,763; 3,127; 3,779; 3,794; 3,611)
Sligo - 1,537 (1,750; 1,750; 1,959; 2,342; 3,007; 2,103; 1,807; 1,756)

FIRST DIVISION

Athlone - 269 (156; 314; 653 PD; 754; 271; 200; 354; 462)
Cabinteely - 462 (352; 610)
Cobh - 351 (403; 366; 223; 439; 2008 - 1,122 PD; 681; 368; 403)
Longford - 347 (488 PD; 803 PD; 567; 379; 365; 315; 230; 260)
Shels - 555 (554; 596; 713; 1,114 PD; 1,187 PD; 781; 737; 972)
UCD - 280 (297; 216; 397 PD; 487 PD; 506 PD; 558 PD; 610 PD; 272)
Waterford - 1,482 (314; 460; 470; 478; 453; 466; 619; 434)
Wexford - 283 (585 PD; 553; 331; 227; 302; 216; 343; 494)

PREMIER AVERAGE: 2,097 (1,476; 1,681; 1,502; 1,566; 1,630; 1,547; 1,512; 2,010)
FIRST DIVISION AVERAGE: 456 (476; 486; 495; 391; 372; 578; 682; 417)

OVERALL AVERAGE: 1,482 (1,117; 1,249; 1,160; 1,140; 1,125; 1,110; 1,095; 1,175)

TOTAL WEEKLY ATTENDANCE: 15,222

OVERALL PREMIER ATTENDANCE: 83,888 (292,204; 332,805; 297,334)
OVERALL FIRST ATTENDANCE: 10,943 (52,807; 54,474; 55,408)

OVERALL COMBINED ATTENDANCE: 94,831 (345,011; 387,279; 352,742)

**ger121** · 04/04/2017, 10:02 PM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

Seen a corrected figure for Cabinteely vs Cobh of 378. Still missing an official figure from St Pats vs Bohs from last weekend if anyone can help.

Weekend figures:

Dundalk v Drogheda: 3,015
Limerick v Cork: 2,989
Bohemians v St Pat's: 2,600
Shamrock Rovers v Harps: 2,510
Derry v Bray: 1,574
Galway v Sligo: 891

Shelbourne v Wexford: 465
Longford v Waterford: 401
Cobh v UCD: 354
Athlone v Cabinteely: 142

The 2600 is the actual official attendance. Was tweeted by the club after the game.

**ToberonaTornado** · 04/04/2017, 10:20 PM

1172 was the attendance that i seen quoted by Sligo Rovers for the match in EDP last night[Galway Utd V Sligo R.]
Was by Sligo as i say.
https://twitter.com/sligorovers/stat...87545719504896

**nigel-harps1954** · 04/04/2017, 10:30 PM

Originally Posted by ger121

The 2600 is the actual official attendance. Was tweeted by the club after the game.

Sorry, that should have read St Pat's vs Shamrock Rovers in Richmond Park. Have edited it now. Thanks for that though, wasn't sure whether or not that was official actually.