Caulfield: "Why aren't teams in Dublin marketing their clubs?"

[GypsyBlackCat]

Sorry but this is a new one on me.
I used to live in Dublin up until not so long ago and often drove north from my gaff in the leafy suburbs of Dundrum to games in Dalymount. I could get parked in the street parking on Phibsboro road less than 5 mins from the ground for free. Stroll up and be finished and home by not long after 10. Even if they were playing Shams with a packed house it would never matter.
Pats a bit harder to access on a busy night fair enough.
I don't buy into this as a valid theory to explain poor attendances for a minute.
Stuey is enthusiastic about the game which is commendable but he's a bit simple at times.

It would take about 45mins to get from Phibsboro to Balbriggan if you're driving. If you get a bus it's well over an hour. Bare in mind that for a family of four it would be €40 (€15 adult €5child) add in petrol or bus fare it's €60 for before you buy food etc. That would discourage a lot of people from say Rush, Lusk, Skerries and Balbriggan from going to matches. When you think about how those towns have grown there's a lot of young fans. But places like Ballymun and Santry it isn't really an excuse. In fairness to the clubs they are trying to encourage people from the surrounding areas to go. Plus Dublin hasn't got that same drive provincial clubs and towns have. Even in GAA terms when you look at it, the country teams have a better fanbase than the Dubs

[eelmonster]

It would take about 45mins to get from Phibsboro to Balbriggan if you're driving.

Ah, here, I can get from Dundalk to Dalymount or Tolka by car in about 50 mins on a Friday night.

[GypsyBlackCat]

Ah, here, I can get from Dundalk to Dalymount or Tolka by car in about 50 mins on a Friday night.

Maybe but for some people travelling an hour or so to go to a football match is hassle and then there's the cost. It's €40 for a family of four is expensive. For a lot of people football is just entertainment and if the standard and facilities aren't up to scratch people will look else where.

[Nesta99]

This sounds a bit like when some people who complain about it being too expensive to go to a game but sit in the pub spending twice as much and then heading to a nightclub when the beers are on board thats costs the same or more to get in to than the football.

[GypsyBlackCat]

This sounds a bit like when some people who complain about it being too expensive to go to a game but sit in the pub spending twice as much and then heading to a nightclub when the beers are on board thats costs the same or more to get in to than the football.

That's another argument though. Clubs will want families to go and sometimes they do make the effort. It's difficult for them to make everyone happy. They still had to make money. But the argument you make is different. If it's just me going it's a lot cheaper. For example, €50 would easily pay in for the match, get you a few pints and your bus home and that would a very cheap night.

[seand]

That's another argument though. Clubs will want families to go and sometimes they do make the effort. It's difficult for them to make everyone happy. They still had to make money. But the argument you make is different. If it's just me going it's a lot cheaper. For example, €50 would easily pay in for the match, get you a few pints and your bus home and that would a very cheap night.

I'm a bit confused GBC.... in a couple of posts you've gone from €60 is expensive for a family of 4 to €50 "would be a very cheap night" for one. Guessing you don't value the wife n kids too much ;-)

[GypsyBlackCat]

I'm a bit confused GBC.... in a couple of posts you've gone from €60 is expensive for a family of 4 to €50 "would be a very cheap night" for one. Guessing you don't value the wife n kids too much ;-)
:D

I should have said when it was just me going back in those glorious single days!:(

If you compare a night out to a football match, the match is cheaper is the point I making. Well trying to make!!

[TonyD]

If you take Pats as an example. They have played lovely football for several years now. In a football mad city, why are only 1,200 people coming to see them? Compared to Cork, Dundalk, and Sligo, I see very few families with young children in Inchicore.

Can't understand this myself. Pats have a big catchment area to work from too, Inchicore, Ballyfermot, Drimnagh, Bluebell, Clondalkin etc. Decent transport links to the ground. Unless, as Charlie Darwin says, we're not really that football mad as a city. At least not to the extent of gong to games.

[peadar1987]

A lot of it could be down to the fact that the Dublin clubs aren't seen as representing Dublin. Cork City unequivocally represent Cork, Sligo Rovers, Sligo, etc. That tends to galvanise people. Bohs seem to be more seen as representing Phibsboro, they wouldn't get much of an emotional response from people five miles down the road.

Doesn't explain why nobody comes to watch Bray though!

[peadar1987]

I had prattled on about specific average attendances but accidently caused the browser to refresh so all gone grrrr - probably no bad thing! I was being more specific but Cork City are getting about 4% support, Dundalk 8%, Glasgow C 1.6% Glasgow R. 1.1%, Leeds Utd 2002ish 3% now more the average of less than 2%. I posted up on Orielweb a while back on this and it seems the smaller the league/nation often the better support. The Faroes per head of population had the bast followed sides. The big cities and nations average around the 1%; so scale is the main factor even if Sky has EPL fans thinking that an entire city are at a game when in reality it is 'bouts the 1% mark and that falls if there is more than one club in an urban area like Birmingham.

Cork has about 400,000 residents in the metropolitan area, so even 7,000 people is under 2%.
Glasgow is about 1.2 million if you don't include places like Hamilton, Motherwell and Greenock (which you shouldn't). Celtic average around 45,000 at their games, which is 3.75%. You've also got Rangers (32,000), Partick Thistle (3,300), St. Mirren (4,000) and Queen's Park (400), which adds up to about another 40,000, you're probably looking at 7%

[wonder88]

From experience it is not easy to get people to go to games, so getting families into grounds is important. Agree that price is a factor and the Pats crowd is particularly sad. Saw them play last night first time this year and its still the Buckley way. Cabinteely seemed to have a good family atmosphere when I visited there for League Cup game against Shamrock R.

[nigel-harps1954]

Cabinteely said they were awfully disappointed with their crowd on Friday night, but expected a lower attendance because of the bank holiday weekend. There's a nice family feeling to the place, the club are very welcoming to away supporters and did well to accomodate a bar for us in the gym while there was a function booked in the bar there.
(Most) fans mixed well and a there was good laugh on the terraces between the supporters.
Cabinteely are certainly doing all the right things at the minute. If they'd only have something done with that pitch....holy sweet feck.

[PartySaint]

From experience it is not easy to get people to go to games, so getting families into grounds is important. Agree that price is a factor and the Pats crowd is particularly sad. Saw them play last night first time this year and its still the Buckley way. Cabinteely seemed to have a good family atmosphere when I visited there for League Cup game against Shamrock R.

With Sligo doing so badly this year, we'll probably end up with the 4th average highest attendance in the league this season.

That makes 'particularly sad' reading for the rest of the league

[Dalymountrower]

With Sligo doing so badly this year, we'll probably end up with the 4th average highest attendance in the league this season.

That makes 'particularly sad' reading for the rest of the league

5th highest at best.
On the back of the cup win last year I thought that Pats crowds would improve. One long time Pats fan ,who I know well, reckons that it's a combination of Buckley not being liked and players swapping every season with Rovers that has caused a lot of older fans to drift away.
The same happened to Bohs during our period of Civil wars,, but I am seeing a lot of lapsed fans coming back now

[Nesta99]

That makes 'particularly sad' reading for the rest of the league

It is sad, it is particularly sad for St Pats in relative terms with recent league sucess and especially St Pats having dumped the cup hoodoo. Why would people dislike Buckley? He is almost too nice in post match interviews. Is it his Rovers past?

[Dalymountrower]

[QUOTE=Nesta99;1. Why would people dislike Buckley? He is almost too nice in post match interviews. Is it his Rovers past?[/QUOTE]

Issues from when he was Rovers manager.Would be prudent to leave it at that.

[PartySaint]

The Buckley thing is nonsense

[wonder88]

Their style of soccer deserves the 4/5 best crowds for sure, and Pats should also benefit from big away support later in the season.
It is a pity Salthill Devon did not do sometime similar to what Cabinteely are attempting when they joined the league. The match programme at Stradbrook had adds from firms that you would not usually associate with the LoI market, do anyone know if it is a joint venture with the rugby club? The pitch there will improve I am sure during the rugger off season.

[Charlie Darwin]

The Buckley thing is nonsense
Can't imagine anyone but the diehards care about such things.

[TonyD]

The Buckley thing is nonsense

Agree. I'm not aware of any ill feeling from Pats fans to Bucko. He has created a super team since he's come back, and always comes across as a gent as far as I can see.

[marinobohs]

It would take about 45mins to get from Phibsboro to Balbriggan if you're driving. If you get a bus it's well over an hour. Bare in mind that for a family of four it would be €40 (€15 adult €5child) add in petrol or bus fare it's €60 for before you buy food etc. That would discourage a lot of people from say Rush, Lusk, Skerries and Balbriggan from going to matches. When you think about how those towns have grown there's a lot of young fans. But places like Ballymun and Santry it isn't really an excuse. In fairness to the clubs they are trying to encourage people from the surrounding areas to go. Plus Dublin hasn't got that same drive provincial clubs and towns have. Even in GAA terms when you look at it, the country teams have a better fanbase than the Dubs

45 minutes from Balbriggan to Dalymount ? via Athlone ? 20 euro petrol to get from Balbriggan to Dalymount ? Really ? but my favourite has to be 'country teams have a better fanbase than Dublin' whatever (little) credibility your argument had wiped out in a second.


...if you don't want to go to LOI just say so but quit with the fantasy excuses :rolleyes:

[rooster]

JC was a brave man sitting in the main stand in Tallaght Friday night after this statement last week !!

[Mr A]

Actually he gave Shamrock Rovers a pass and said it was the other teams that don't market themselves.

[gufcfan]

It is a pity Salthill Devon did not do sometime similar to what Cabinteely are attempting when they joined the league.
I don't think the members of Salthill Devon were ever really behind joining the LOI. It sucked the life out of the club. A few lads did it for their own gain, as far as I can see.

[GypsyBlackCat]

45 minutes from Balbriggan to Dalymount ? via Athlone ? 20 euro petrol to get from Balbriggan to Dalymount ? Really ? but my favourite has to be 'country teams have a better fanbase than Dublin' whatever (little) credibility your argument had wiped out in a second.


...if you don't want to go to LOI just say so but quit with the fantasy excuses :rolleyes:

When country teams are doing well the gates go up. It's a fact. Cork, Sligo and Dundalk always get big crowds when they do well. It's easier for one town clubs to get a good support than a town with two or three teams. I was pointing out that Bohs and Shels are in the so-called 'Fingal area' and should be trying to tap into the Fingal area to grow their fanbase. But they will face those problems I've mentioned. But there isn't the same excuse for people in the city centre.

[gearbag]

Too many clubs in Dublin! Kerry,Kilkenny etc with none. The FAI should be concentrating on these areas and getting teams into the league.

[Charlie Darwin]

The FAI are to blame for a lot of things but the lack of interest in Kerry and Kilkenny isn't one of them.