2015 attendances

[nigel-harps1954]

Is that not every county in Ireland though?

Not really. There's a lot of parts of Ireland that aren't largely GAA or Rugby. Inishowen, top of Donegal, is thriving in junior soccer, they don't have the same attraction to GAA or Rugby at all. Inishowen League just won the Oscar Traynor cup, facilities up there are top class and used by the likes of Derry and even Harps during pre-season.

Some other counties have stronger followings for GAA and Rugby than others, while the people of Dundalk have proven that you can attract a good support, a town of less than 40,000 people attracting 3,500 to their games while the GAA team are crap, and there's not the same following for Rugby there that I know of at all.

Some areas are impossible to compete with GAA and Rugby, while in other areas, there's a large portion of people who simply don't look at either.

[White Horse]

Some other counties have stronger followings for GAA and Rugby than others, while the people of Dundalk have proven that you can attract a good support, a town of less than 40,000 people attracting 3,500 to their games while the GAA team are crap, and there's not the same following for Rugby there that I know of at all.

Dundalk is a football town. While GAA and rugby have a presence, football is the major sport.

While an average of over 3,000 is good, many (including the manager) would argue that it should be much higher.

[Dodge]

Sligo is definitely a football town too.

Dublin clearly is, but that doesn't translate to LOI fans of course

[Pablo Escobar]

Dundalk is a football town. While GAA and rugby have a presence, football is the major sport.

While an average of over 3,000 is good, many (including the manager) would argue that it should be much higher.

You're far outstripping the European average, so I would think not.

[outspoken]

Not really. There's a lot of parts of Ireland that aren't largely GAA or Rugby. Inishowen, top of Donegal, is thriving in junior soccer, they don't have the same attraction to GAA or Rugby at all. Inishowen League just won the Oscar Traynor cup, facilities up there are top class and used by the likes of Derry and even Harps during pre-season.

Some other counties have stronger followings for GAA and Rugby than others, while the people of Dundalk have proven that you can attract a good support, a town of less than 40,000 people attracting 3,500 to their games while the GAA team are crap, and there's not the same following for Rugby there that I know of at all.

Some areas are impossible to compete with GAA and Rugby, while in other areas, there's a large portion of people who simply don't look at either.

But as a whole Donegal is a Gaelic football county. Dublin LOI attendances clearly show this rubbish that it's a football county to be nonsense, it's a GAA county.

[nigel-harps1954]

While it's not easy to see from the outside, Donegal and Inishowen are practically two different counties.

[toffeejay]

Derry, Dundalk and Sligo seem to be more football orientated than GAA or Rugby. With the exception of a couple of pockets as mention like Innishowen its a rarerity here.
Even in the North, rugby, cricket and GAA take precidence. Only really Portadown that seems to have a significant football dominance.

I'd go as far to say Sligo's strong attendances for a town of its size are in part to it being traditionally poor at both GAA codes and the province being the weakest of the 4 at rugby and its headquarters also based far away in Galway.

[PartySaint]

How many fans would Sligo GAA or Louth GAA get on average at their games?

[Dodge]

Dublin LOI attendances clearly show this rubbish that it's a football county to be nonsense, it's a GAA county.

That's if you're counting people who go to games. Which is a pretty ****e indicator of it

More people play football, and watch football than GAA and rugby combined in Dublin. They just all watch Man U, Liverpool etc and not LOI

[White Horse]

How many fans would Sligo GAA or Louth GAA get on average at their games?

Louth would be lucky to get 1,000 to 2,000 at league games. The capacity of the ground in Drogheda is only 3,500.

[White Horse]

That's if you're counting people who go to games. Which is a pretty ****e indicator of it

More people play football, and watch football than GAA and rugby combined in Dublin. They just all watch Man U, Liverpool etc and not LOI

There is little doubt that football is the number one sport in Dublin, As Dodge says, it doesn't translate into attendances at LOI games.

Given the demographic profile of Ireland and Dublin being the only place that has good transport links to all other parts of Ireland, this is a huge issue for the league.

[Ezeikial]

We don't have the transport infrastructure to move/attract large numbers of people effectively in urban areas.

As compared to rural areas?

This has echos of the infamous "no direct bus to Dalymount" post

[sulywaterfordfc]

Came across this site worldfootball.net. Numbers seem pretty accurate, no attendance numbers on the first division though.


2302

[outspoken]

Came across this site worldfootball.net. Numbers seem pretty accurate, no attendance numbers on the first division though.


2302

Thank God for away fans, our home attendance is crap. Hopefully we can push on after the break with our new supporters club advertising

[Nesta99]

Thank God for away fans, our home attendance is crap. Hopefully we can push on after the break with our new supporters club advertising

Thats what my original post was getting at - whether advertisment is worth the expenditure. Running transport from key points in the area to the ground could be developed. I'd like to see Dundalk at the point where a regular bus runs from the likes of Carrickmacross and other hinterland spots beyond the current traditional areas. I'd reckon that would have a greater impact than an advertisment campaign assuming that such transport could become established match nights. Supporters club branches could play a role.

[Mr A]

Harps have tried similar things to that bus idea on several occasions and it has never taken off unfortunately.

[Eminence Grise]

If it took off, it wouldn't be a bus. Are you confusing 'bus' and 'spaceship' by any chance?

[dundalkfc10]

Louth would be lucky to get 1,000 to 2,000 at league games. The capacity of the ground in Drogheda is only 3,500.

Yeh very true. Louth played in Drogheda in the champ V Westmeath a few weeks ago and there wasnt 2500 at it. Next year in Div 4, Won't be 500 at some league games.

Dundalk has 6 Gaelic teams not counting Haggardstowm, Dromiskin, KnoKnockbridge etc were we get decent following from. This year on at least 3 occasions, their was a full round of GAA matches on the same night as Oriel and were still averaging over 3000.

Apart from McCafferys season (which was still decent) we have got good crowds the last 10 years, incl div 1

[nigel-harps1954]

Came across this site worldfootball.net. Numbers seem pretty accurate, no attendance numbers on the first division though.


2302


I'd love to know where they got their figures. Most of the teams are the same figure I have, but a few of them are different.

[Real ale Madrid]

Would I be right in saying though, GAA and Rugby is probably far bigger in Cork than football, and there'd be the traditional scoffing at senior football from those involved with the MSL?

GAA yes, rugby definitely not and I'm a big rugby fan as well. Not sure about the MSL scene really. Not that familiar with it.

[Nesta99]

If it took off, it wouldn't be a bus. Are you confusing 'bus' and 'spaceship' by any chance?

Richard Branson is waiting in the wings...

[redobit]

That's if you're counting people who go to games. Which is a pretty ****e indicator of it

More people play football, and watch football than GAA and rugby combined in Dublin. They just all watch Man U, Liverpool etc and not LOI

When you think that there are 500,000 people registered to play football in this county afaik. And add to that the people who view it regularly. Well the attendances for LOI games are horrific.

[wonder88]

Was it ERSI who did a survey/report on participation in sport in Ireland year or two ago? Soccer I think came out on top, and John Delaney has been boasting about it a bit since. Unlikely to have been studies done going back to the foundation of the state, but it would have been nice to know what the trends are; has soccer always been most popular? how is GAA, Rugby doing from say from the 1960's onwards. Wonder has any college/academic done work in this area?
Maybe off topic, but with the women's world cup on at present, do folks on here notice any increase in female fans at LoI games?
Did the Stephanie Roache factor have any effect? It seems from feedback Gareth of extratime.ie got, there was no increase in crowds at women national league games. At championship GAA matches upwards of 30% of the crowd is female, much less during national league, and Rugby due to its elite nature has always attracted a fairly high percentage of women to its games.

[avvenalaf]

Yes, I have noticed a significant increase in comely maidens at matches in The Showgies. Mind you, it may have something to do with the fact that the crap on the field is so bad, I have begun passing the time studying the crowd (what there is left of it).

[dundalkfc10]

Was it ERSI who did a survey/report on participation in sport in Ireland year or two ago? Soccer I think came out on top, and John Delaney has been boasting about it a bit since. Unlikely to have been studies done going back to the foundation of the state, but it would have been nice to know what the trends are; has soccer always been most popular? how is GAA, Rugby doing from say from the 1960's onwards. Wonder has any college/academic done work in this area?
Maybe off topic, but with the women's world cup on at present, do folks on here notice any increase in female fans at LoI games?
Did the Stephanie Roache factor have any effect? It seems from feedback Gareth of extratime.ie got, there was no increase in crowds at women national league games. At championship GAA matches upwards of 30% of the crowd is female, much less during national league, and Rugby due to its elite nature has always attracted a fairly high percentage of women to its games.

Plenty of women in Oriel. The Shedsidearmy even gave a group of 10-15 girls who go to away games with them. All around 18-25, fair play to them.

[Dunny]

2714 at Oriel tonight.

[gufct]

1,644 in Edp about 200 rovers fans. Should have got something out of the game but yet again our defending at set pieces cost us..

[Charlie Darwin]

Decent numbers from Rovers considering a lot sacrificed the trip to Galway for Luxembourg.

[Nesta99]

You going CD? Looks like it will be fun in the sun!

[Charlie Darwin]

I wish - I can barely afford a trip out of Dublin right now. Luxembourg's loss I'm sure you'll agree :)

[Nesta99]

I wish - I can barely afford a trip out of Dublin right now. Luxembourg's loss I'm sure you'll agree :)

Yeah it might be hard to find the type of place of libation that Dundalk offers our Shamrock Rover's friendly visitors. If it had been a trip to Greece you could have probably bought your own little bar for €20 by Wednesday morning.

[Charlie Darwin]

Yeah it might be hard to find the type of place of libation that Dundalk offers our Shamrock Rover's friendly visitors. If it had been a trip to Greece you could have probably bought your own little bar for €20 by Wednesday morning.
Turns out our chant against PAOK "the Greeks are going bust" was premature.

[White Horse]

I wish - I can barely afford a trip out of Dublin right now. Luxembourg's loss I'm sure you'll agree :)

To think that some Rovers fans used to travel to away games by helicopter.

[Charlie Darwin]

To think that some Rovers fans used to travel to away games by helicopter.
We've had to downgrade our travel plans ever since mypost started taking his spaceship to Anfield.

[Nesta99]

We've had to downgrade our travel plans ever since mypost started taking his spaceship to Anfield.

Anfield Direct? (never gets old)

[Comic Book Guy]

About 300 max at Ramblers v UCD including two Luxembourgers (is that right?) to see a game where a UCD player gets a straight red for going in studs up on Ramblers assistant manager!
God I love this league.

[pineapple stu]

Good idea from us there.

Ten minutes with a full team - 1-0 up, so we'd have won 9-0 or so ordinarily. Good for confidence

Then get a guy sent off - our game plan is completely changed and the scouts learn bugger all about our regular game plan. Get 80 good minutes at defending practice. All in the baking temperatures of the sunny South East.

And it would have worked too if it hadn't been for that pesky penalty at the end

[Comic Book Guy]

I couldn't see us getting anything but the sending off definitely changed things, that said 4-2 to U.C.D would have been a fair reflection of the play in the first half.
Kevin Mulcahy made a brilliant goal saving tackle on one of your strikers near the end.
Happy with the point in the end we might even have stolen it very late on.

[trevy]

345 at Waterford v Athlone.

[Nesta99]

To think that some Rovers fans used to travel to away games by helicopter.

Didnt a Dundalk Board member arrive at Oriel Park many years ago in a helicopter that landed on the pitch prematch? I think our very enthusiastic PA announcer did cartoon sketches for the programme then and the following game had cartoon drawing with the caption 'Mr X gets his chopper out for the fans'. Funny if true but could be a bit of an urban myth though it has Micky Duffy all over it. At least in a few weeks the Champions League jingle will not get any groans as it did when the players ran out last season in the Europa League games!

[nigel-harps1954]

Week 15:

Dundalk v Limerick: 2,714
Bohs v Drogheda: 1,762
Galway v Shamrock Rovers: 1,644
Pats v Longford: 1,165
Derry v Cork: 950
Shelbourne v Harps: 614
Waterford v Athlone: 345

Cabinteely v Wexford: 150 estimate
Cobh v UCD: 300 estimate

Bray v Sligo: ?

[nigel-harps1954]

Week 15: Missing Drogs v Derry 12th June & Bray v Sligo 27th June

PREMIER DIVISION

Bohs - 1,837 (1,395; 1,597; 1,496; 1,488; 1,835; 2,366)
Bray - 899 (718; 891; 965; 1,121; 952; 1,169)
Cork - 3,826 (3,777; 1,965; 2,786; 2,128 FD; 1,693 FD; 2,681)
Derry - 1,219 (1,106; 1,446; 1,460; 2,135; 1,965 FD; 2,436)
Drogheda - 707 (1,064; 817; 977; 811; 859; 1,106)
Dundalk - 3,159 (2,534; 1,997; 949; 1,355; 1,877; 2,371)
Galway - 1,476 (975 FD)
Limerick - 797 (757; 1,649; 734 FD; 569 FD; 598 FD; 429 FD)
Longford - 936 (567 FD; 379 FD; 365 FD; 315 FD; 230 FD; 260 FD)
Pat's - 1,564 (1,386; 1,687; 1,474; 1,346; 1,756; 1,631)
Rovers - 3,148 (2,269; 2,763; 3,127; 3,779; 3,794; 3,611)
Sligo - 1,797 (1,959; 2,342; 3,007; 2,103; 1,807; 1,756)

FIRST DIVISION

Athlone - 349 (653 PD; 754; 271; 200; 354; 462)
Cabinteely - 805 (No previous)
Cobh - 365 (223; 439; 2008 - 1,122 PD; 681; 368; 403)
Harps - 881 (449; 479; 429; 433; 644; 480) -
Shels - 600 (713; 1,114 PD; 1,187 PD; 781; 737; 972)
UCD - 239 (397 PD; 487 PD; 506 PD; 558 PD; 610 PD; 272)
Waterford - 473 (470; 478; 453; 466; 619; 434)
Wexford - 370 (331; 227; 302; 216; 343; 494)


PREMIER AVERAGE: 1,825 (1,502; 1,566; 1,630; 1,547; 1,512; 2,010)
FIRST DIVISION AVERAGE: 509 (495; 391; 372; 578; 682; 417)

OVERALL AVERAGE: 1,336 (1,160; 1,140; 1,125; 1,110; 1,095; 1,175)


TOTAL WEEKLY ATTENDANCE: 9,844 (Minus Bray v Sligo)

OVERALL FIRST ATTENDANCE: 31,052 (55,408)
OVERALL PREMIER ATTENDANCE: 188,000 (297,334)

OVERALL COMBINED ATTENDANCE: ​219,052 (352,742)

[outspoken]

Week 15:

Dundalk v Limerick: 2,714
Bohs v Drogheda: 1,762
Galway v Shamrock Rovers: 1,644
Pats v Longford: 1,165
Derry v Cork: 950
Shelbourne v Harps: 614
Waterford v Athlone: 345

Cabinteely v Wexford: 150 estimate
Cobh v UCD: 300 estimate

Bray v Sligo: ?

Wow that's a massive drop from Cabo

[nigel-harps1954]

Cabinteely v Wexford: Estimate from club 350. Waiting on official. Extratime were well out with that one according to the club.

[nigel-harps1954]

Harps v Cabinteely - 679

Bit of a drop in attendance after three losses in a row, but hopefully a win in Waterford would see a good crowd for Cobh at home in two weeks time.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

1,698 in The Showgrounds last night

[ForzaForth]

Attendance at Wexford v Waterford was 576.

[nr637]

Harps v Cabinteely - 679

Bit of a drop in attendance after three losses in a row, but hopefully a win in Waterford would see a good crowd for Cobh at home in two weeks time.

Considering the weather, I still think it was a decent crowd and shows that when any Harps team shows some potential, the support is there.

[nr637]

Attendance at Wexford v Waterford was 576.

Even though it is somewhat of a South East local derby of sorts and Waterford are not up to much at present, so their attraction has fallen. It is still a good attendance, considering how far out of town Ferrycarrig Park is for your average interested fan, most grounds are within a walk for alot of people.

[nr637]

1,698 in The Showgrounds last night

Sligo are now done to their hardcore average fans, which is around 1,500 and for most clubs such as St. Pats, Bohs etc., in Dublin they would love to be in a similar situation. So, again this attendance is what Sligo should expect in their position and will only increase as the team improves, don't forget the fans in Sligo can see the players performance and will demand value for their money.