2013 Attendances

[JC_GUFC]

It isn't even a word of a lie. The Donegal Celtic supporters club could fill Finn Park ten times over.

GAA could be blamed for a lot of things, but really, a five game run of four losses and one draw has driven everyone away.

I am actually dreading the thought of the attendance against Longford next week.

Donegal Celtic?! FFS they're not even Premier Division in the Irish League! ;)

There's clearly an issue with attendances but it's nothing new and I think the fact they've stayed steady over the last few years despite the recession is a positive thing.

Look at some of the crowds in the GAA recently - Limerick v Cork about a month ago had just over 4000 - I haven't seen any statistics tracking attendances but I'd say in the last 5 years there would have been a pretty alarming drop in averages.

They're just burying their head in the sand though.

[Jofspring]

And let's not forget the 30 or so people that showed up for Limerick hurling league games. Over the course of a season/league the GAA get shocking crowds. It's not until big championship games and the sense of occasion that they really get the numbers out. It's closing in on 44,000 for the Munster Final next week. People spend most of the year waiting for championship and aren't willing to spend money or travel for league games over a sustained period.

[mightaswell]

It does. Glasgow Celtic.
They dont have anything to do with these shocking attendances! How many were at the galway derby?

[nigel-harps1954]

what day is that match nigel do you know?

Friday night Marty.

[dong]

They dont have anything to do with these shocking attendances! How many were at the galway derby?

Who's shocked? I'd say around 150 people going on what is usually reported plus or minus 50 depending on who you talk to.

[NeverFeltBetter]

The "Limerick Football Club" FB page had this to say today:

"Some of our supporters brought an opinion piece from a national newspaper yesterday to the attention of staff at last night's game in Dalymount.The piece described our 943 attendance in the EA Sports Cup Quarter Final on Monday last as "pitiful".

While supporters are understandably angry at the negativity. Given the game was on a Monday night just 48 hours after our previous home game in the country's tertiary competition we would like to state again that we were hugely appreciative of the turnout, helped by those supporters of Sligo Rovers who made the trip.

While some supporters asked us to complain etc., we feel it's easier to point out that the 943 attendance is the highest attendance any club has recorded for any match in the competition so far this year [confirmed by the stats at Extratime.ie (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Extratimeie/97289166532?directed_target_id=0)].

We'd also remind any pundit or journalist who needs help with research that they can contact info@limerickFC.ie"

[bluewhitearmy]

The "Limerick Football Club" FB page had this to say today:

"Some of our supporters brought an opinion piece from a national newspaper yesterday to the attention of staff at last night's game in Dalymount.The piece described our 943 attendance in the EA Sports Cup Quarter Final on Monday last as "pitiful".

While supporters are understandably angry at the negativity. Given the game was on a Monday night just 48 hours after our previous home game in the country's tertiary competition we would like to state again that we were hugely appreciative of the turnout, helped by those supporters of Sligo Rovers who made the trip.

While some supporters asked us to complain etc., we feel it's easier to point out that the 943 attendance is the highest attendance any club has recorded for any match in the competition so far this year [confirmed by the stats at Extratime.ie (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Extratimeie/97289166532?directed_target_id=0)].

We'd also remind any pundit or journalist who needs help with research that they can contact info@limerickFC.ie"


Find it a bit sad from the club tbh.

[nigel-harps1954]

While some supporters asked us to complain etc., we feel it's easier to point out that the 943 attendance is the highest attendance any club has recorded for any match in the competition so far this year [confirmed by the stats at Extratime.ie (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Extratimeie/97289166532?directed_target_id=0)].



But it's not. There may have been no official attendance on the day, but there were around 1,500 at Harps v Derry.

[wonder88]

GAA crowds have fallen off a lot in recent years. I suppose the economic downturn has had a lot to do with it but "sense of occassion" mentioned above is also a major factor for Irish sport followers. I think the expectation is for 25K for the Leinster Hurling final tomorrow, I was there last year and just over 20K was there, unable to make it this time but it will be interesting to see how much new fans the Dublin hurlers can get. For the hurling final last year tickets were easy enough to get on the day, but when the prize was droped for the reply demand in Galway surged (also expectations of a win was stronger) and it was difficult enough to source a ticket. Yet apart from one hurling match the support for the Galway GAA teams this year has been poor.
I hope some of the St Pats fans come out for the european game this week, their attendances this season has been really low.

[Charlie Darwin]

That seems oddly defensive. Limerick's attendances have been brilliant this year, they shouldn't be so sensitive about one criticism, especially as it can only make them look precious if they respond to it.

[osarusan]

Find it a bit sad from the club tbh.

Yeah, no need for any comment at all.

Which paper was it?

[bluewhitearmy]

Yeah, no need for any comment at all.

Which paper was it?

Whoever Dolan writes for think its the Star.

[Charlie Darwin]

Dolan does indeed write for the Star. But bear in mind that anything less than 20,000 for every club is below Dolan's expectations. The fact that Limerick took a calcuated gamble on Thomond and have expanded their attendance as a result is irrelevant because he needs results NOW.

Limerick's attendance this season has been a resounding success. Anybody who says otherwise is not worth the time of day.

[Eminence Grise]

The "Limerick Football Club" FB page had this to say today:

"Some of our supporters ...

...they can contact info@limerickFC.ie"

I think that challenging lazy journalism is the kind of proactive PR that every club should do. These are the same journalists who will gripe about the league not being professional enough at the drop of a hat, but can't be bothered to do a little fact checking to back up their self-important opinions. When they consistently master the art of accurate reporting, then - maybe - they can start writing op eds.

The piece also gives credit where it's due - to the fans who did turn up - and that's good PR too.

Edit - didn't see that it was attributed to Dolan. I presume his stuff is ghost written? Above still applies, though, whether it's amateur hackery or professional.

[Charlie Darwin]

I think that challenging lazy journalism is the kind of proactive PR that every club should do. These are the same journalists who will gripe about the league not being professional enough at the drop of a hat, but can't be bothered to do a little fact checking to back up their self-important opinions. When they consistently master the art of accurate reporting, then - maybe - they can start writing op eds.

The piece also gives credit where it's due - to the fans who did turn up - and that's good PR too.

Edit - didn't see that it was attributed to Dolan. I presume his stuff is ghost written? Above still applies, though, whether it's amateur hackery or professional.
Yeah but why not directly criticise it then instead of "a national newspaper"? This sort of innuendo is bad PR. Send a letter to the Star, signed by Pat O'Sullivan or Stuart Taylor. Ring up the editor and ask for a right of reply. People do actually do read the reply sections in newspapers, and editors do take personal correspondence seriously. Passive-aggressive facebook posts are fundamentally useless and at worst they're actively counter-productive. You can have no doubt Pat knows who this post is aimed at and has probably taken it as vindication of his position.

[oriel]

1,538 in Cork
1,147 in Dalymount

At a guess, there was around 300 in Finn Park last night. Things are getting to a very scary stage.

So are these the final figures from Fri night?

Cork, 1,538
Bohs, 1,147
Bray, 2,200 (est)
Derry, 1,700 (est0


Drogs playing at 3pm tomorrow is not going to be a good attendance, but are any of the above really that unexpected? Bohs are on huge decline from the championship winning years, Cork would prob have expected twice that on any other season, but their awful form and results of late would have been a huge factor for the much lower crowd.

Bray would have been very happy with this crowd, and obviously no game for Pats.

There are 3 decent games next weekend, these should give us a much better view on the current appetite, as good crowds will be expected for Sligo v Pats, Rovers v Derry and Dundalk v Bohs.

[nigel-harps1954]

What's equally as depressing, is that the highest attendance in the First Division this week topped just over 300.

[Dalymountrower]

Bohs continuing to get 1100-1400 for the least attractive fixtures is remarkable , particularly when we have lost 6 home games in a row and scored only once!

[Spudulika]

Do you reckon it's crowd violence and the weather keeping people away? Or is it a combination of factors? Just out of interest, do you know what things were like in the Soviet era? Were football crowds cracked down on, or was more of a blind eye turned to hooliganism?

Crowd violence plays a massive part, weather too (when it's -10 it's pretty tough to keep your core temp up and not great for kids). So you're right, a combo effect. In the USSR there was some violence, it was kind of allowed as there is a Russian tradition of faction fighting, usually in the winter when the young men were cheesed off and wanted to let loose. It still happens though now under the guise of club fights (bandy, football, hockey). There are the usual numpties who go on about being hardcore and hoolies from the year dot, but it's myth. Spartak were never the "peoples club", like the church they were thoroughly communised, for real hardcore you'd have to go to ex-Yugoslavia where it is in their nature - some of the stories about what happened with the gravediggers, bad blue boys and torcida, though recent, were still under Tito's rule and pretty horrible.

[Jofspring]

I'd expect our attendance for the next home game vs Bray on Tuesday to be way down. In Limerick all the junior football teams will have returned to training on Tuesday night and a huge portion of our crowd this season has been the junior football community.

[Spudulika]

I'd expect our attendance for the next home game vs Bray on Tuesday to be way down. In Limerick all the junior football teams will have returned to training on Tuesday night and a huge portion of our crowd this season has been the junior football community.

I know Limerick is something of an anomaly in this regard, but this is positive for the league - not the fall in attendances. Great to see the strides the club is making and they were right to fight their corner, and in a positive community praising way.

[Acornvilla]

What's equally as depressing, is that the highest attendance in the First Division this week topped just over 300.
403 at the Town match apparently

[ATFC-1887]

403 at the Town match apparently

Thats shocking for 2 clubs in the top 3

[Acornvilla]

Yup, but its well above the season average, it is what it is.. We won't get crowds until we're promoted, and even then 1,000 would be an achievement.

[nigel-harps1954]

403 is a disaster indeed for two teams pushing for promotion.

[ATFC-1887]

Yup, but its well above the season average, it is what it is.. We won't get crowds until we're promoted, and even then 1,000 would be an achievement.
Why is it people wont get out and support ye though?

[Acornvilla]

If that riddle could be solved, then the league would be in a much better state.. Longford are hardly alone in the paltry crowd department.

[ATFC-1887]

Oh i know ye are not alone, but ye are top of the league (well not for long ;) ) and get crowds of just over 300. Would expect alot more. We are 2nd and getting 600-700

[Acornvilla]

Your seasons average attendance is 456, ours is 354 excluding last nights crowd of 403.

Also you know, there are over 20k people living in Athlone, Longford's closer to 10k. Chances are you'd have a bigger fan base. I'm sure we both pick up fans from outside the towns too, but you get the idea.

[MeathDrog]

An extremely generous estimate of 700 given by the boys at ET for the Drogs Shels game.

[nigel-harps1954]

Oh i know ye are not alone, but ye are top of the league (well not for long ;) ) and get crowds of just over 300. Would expect alot more. We are 2nd and getting 600-700


Ah here...you've only had ONE attendance over 600, which was only 602. I wouldn't boast about Athlone attendances either.

First Division attendances are shockingly bad right across the board at the minute. For a big town like Athlone, with the stadium a relatively nice walk from the town centre, you'd hope for close to 1,000 pushing for promotion and winning games at the minute.

Longford, well, the town is as dead as doornail, and the ground is disastrous to get to from the town unless you're driving. They'd need to be putting on buses from the town for free if they could afford it and then start pushing random people on and lock the door and force them to go to games.

[ATFC-1887]

One??? Official attendance is alot lower than our actual attendance. And i disagree completely. Its not hard to drive 2 mins out the road to watch a game. Cant make excuses for a team top of the league and getting 300 people. We have been getting over 400 all season. When we were drawing games. Last few games at least 650-700 in their. You should know official attendances are never correct

[nigel-harps1954]

You should know official attendances are never correct


Really? What's the point in an 'official attendance' if it's not even correct?

[ATFC-1887]

So you think that every single person at a LOI game has paid in etc?

[nigel-harps1954]

Week 16:

PREMIER DIVISION

Bohs - 1,588 (1,496; 1,488; 1,835; 2,366; 1,993; 1,924; 1,463; 1,976)
Bray - 875 (965; 1,121; 952; 1,169; 1,106; 1,200; 1,027; 1,550)
Cork - 2,010 (2,786; 2,128 FD; 1,693 FD; 2,681; 3,142; 2,897; 2,941; 3,644)
Derry - 1,588 (1,460; 2,135; 1,965 FD; 2,436; 3,363; 2,614; 3,229; 2,698)
Drogheda - 893 (977; 811; 859; 1,106; 1,631; 1,919; 1,751; 1,682)
Dundalk - 1,758 (949; 1,355; 1,877; 2,371; 1,459 FD; 1,406 FD; 1,078 FD; 474 FD)
Limerick - 2,151 (734 FD; 569 FD; 598 FD; 429 FD; 517 FD; 670 FD; 364 FD; 669 FD)
Pat's - 1,395 (1,474; 1,346; 1,756; 1,631; 1,795; 1,910; 1,342; 1,599)
Rovers - 3,021 (3,127; 3,779; 3,794; 3,611; 1,468; 1,715; 1,089 FD; 1,539)
Shels - 1,096 (1,187; 781 FD; 737 FD; 972 FD; 986 FD; 888 FD; 1,690; 1,949)
Sligo - 2,535 (3,007; 2,103; 1,807; 1,756; 1,960; 1,448; 1,806; 1,794 FD)
UCD - 424 (506; 558; 610; 272 FD; 546; 663; 546; 653; 306 FD)

FIRST DIVISION

Athlone - 456 (271; 200; 354; 462; 387; 670; 421; 316)
Cobh - 511 (2008 - 1,122 PD; 681; 368; 403; 240)
Harps - 579 (429; 433; 644; 480; 1,607 PD; 1,164; 428; 1,347 PD; 1,106) -
Longford - 360 (365; 315; 230; 260; 406; 885 PD; 681 PD; 1,004 PD)
Mervue - 255 (243; 349; 123; 166)
Salthill Devon - 135 (182; 125; 122)
Waterford - 417 (453; 466; 619; 434; 670; 1,181 PD; 915 PD; 1,513 PD)
Wexford - 224 (302; 216; 343; 494; 767; 810)

PREMIER AVERAGE: 1,600 (1,630; 1,547; 1,512; 2,010; 1,746; 1,687; 1,535; 1,759)
FIRST DIVISION AVERAGE: 367 (372; 578; 682; 417; 641; 722; 570; 520)

OVERALL AVERAGE: 1,156 (1,125; 1,110; 1,095; 1,175; 1,221; 1,235; 1,070; 1,195)

TOTAL WEEKLY ATTENDANCE: 8,333
OVERALL ATTENDANCE: 205,843

[nigel-harps1954]

So you think that every single person at a LOI game has paid in etc?


Nope, but there isn't 100-200 people walking into every game in Athlone for free.

Shall I refresh memory...

Athlones attendances this season,
380, 311, 591, 467, 301, 411, 602, 582.

Now you said


Last few games at least 650-700 in their

and


We have been getting over 400 all season.

which I'm just pointing out is wrong.



On a positive note, overall attendance for the league this season has passed 200,000. It only took 178 games...

[oriel]

Has there been an official figure given for Drogs v Shels yesterday. Seems to be only extra time figure of 'approx 700' available.

Nigel, hopefully this weekend will see some really decent crowds as these 3 should be well attended.

Sligo v Pats
Rovers v Derry
Dundalk v Bohs

[ATFC-1887]

Did i mention 200 ffs. Between all committee, volunteers etc it would add another 50-100 people watching the game.
Not that it really matters, you're just gonna find something to argue about aren't you nigel haha

[Bosco]

Did i mention 200 ffs. Between all committee, volunteers etc it would add another 50-100 people watching the game.
Not that it really matters, you're just gonna find something to argue about aren't you nigel haha

Sure you might as well count the players and the officials while your at it!
Surely the idea of attendance figures is to see how many punters are paying in each week?Would all these volunteers not have season tickets anyway and so probably would be counted?Even if not i'm sure there would be the same number of volunteers at any club so its completely irrelevant.

[ATFC-1887]

all my point was that there is more than 600 people sitting watching the games the last few weeks. simple as that

[Lim till i die]

The Official Attendance at a game us supposed to be all in attendance not just those who paid.

At least half the crowd figures given in the league are fanciful nonsense anyways.

[Lim till i die]

all my point was that there is more than 600 people sitting watching the games the last few weeks. simple as that

Do you stand on the far side or work the gate?

[nigel-harps1954]

Did i mention 200 ffs. Between all committee, volunteers etc it would add another 50-100 people watching the game.
Not that it really matters, you're just gonna find something to argue about aren't you nigel haha


You're honestly saying, you have almost 100 people between your committee and volunteers? Fair play..

[Martinho II]

I know for a fact that in the last season we got promoted we ran free buses from the longford arms hotel to strokestown rd back in the day. but club was losin money on this so it had to be pulled.. it will never work as the majority of our fan base arent even from longford town itself! its the biggest ever hanger on spot I am ashamed to say..

[ATFC-1887]

Its a pity with the stadium ye have. Imagine how good that would look with a few thousand in it. Surely yer crowds will pick up massively if ye stay top

[mightaswell]

I think that its a shame Terryland/Deacy Park is going to waste. That place won awards ffs!

[Eminence Grise]

For the playing surface wasn't it? And didn't the tenants get a nomination for the Oscar for Best DVD as well?

[gael353]

Limerick Bray last night was 914. Still no sign of a Friday or or Saturday game

[bullit]

2,900 Pat's v Zalgiris

[EAFC_rdfl]

This Athlone argument is good craic, where were the 600 odd for the past how many seasons? It reeks of a bandwagon after a few decent results. Hopefully it holds up from now onwards, but lets see what happens if like Harps they hit a very bad patch of form again.
Longford are like Harps, been struggling in division one for so long after a couple of relatively recent spells in the premier that attendances will carry on struggling until hopefully the next return to the premier.