The 2017 LOI Attendance thread.

[sbgawa]

Bray have never had good attendances - bar an FAI Cup final when people were let in for free.

It's looking this year that 3 teams with a good geographical spread, history, fanbase etc are in danger of being relegated, whilst a few of the teams that are weaker off the pitch are looking likely to stay up. Well done FAI !

rather unusually I'm defending the FAI.. Surely the 3 teams with a good geographical spread history fan base etc are more responsible for their situation than the FAI, two of them would have gone down anyway, plus is it not fair play to Harps etc.

[EatYerGreens]

rather unusually I'm defending the FAI.. Surely the 3 teams with a good geographical spread history fan base etc are more responsible for their situation than the FAI, two of them would have gone down anyway, plus is it not fair play to Harps etc.

The point is that the way you answer the many challenges facing Irish football is not to send more clubs into the graveyard division, replicating a change that has been tried twice already this century and deemed a failure.

[Nesta99]

It has or is a scatter gun effort - try everything in hope that something is a silver bullet, i think everything superficial has been done at this stage with mid season split, 10 teams, 12 teams, 10 teams and summer football, cherry picking clubs, relegating 2 then 3, promotion/relegation playoffs, we had an all-Ireland competition, 4th and 5th will now play in a Scottish Trophy etc. The only window dressing that hasnt been done is Europa League play-offs. All bar spending any significant resources on the league. Maybe that tide is turning at least from a representation point of view if the FAI really are lobbying hard for sports grants and underage structures being properly introduced. Any mention of mid season splits fills you with dread as any club in the bottom half of the split unless in the middle of a relegation battle crowds drop off so being top of the bottom is nearly worse than in a dog fight. As for 1st Division well it just gives you the heebie jeebies at the thought - be very afraid Pats fans as it truly is as bad as people say.:excruciating:

[Eminence Grise]

Window dressing and chopping and changing is just short-termism. What’s needed is a commitment to a decade-long framework with unchanging numbers in the divisions and multiple goals – centralised marketing and advertising for attendances, PR and community relations for increased awareness and respect, (both either through the FAI or, my preference, hiring competent professional agencies) improved facilities and bringing through young professional players from affiliations with local junior clubs to enhance clubs’ community embeddedness. And not twitching when something isn’t perfect first time round, but seeing it through over the course of the plan.

That’ll cost a chunk, which is why the FAI should emphasise job creation and income tax revenue, more tax from sales of club merchandise and club profits from higher attendances, social benefits etc when lobbying for state funding. The more that flows back to the exchequer, the more the Department of Finance approves, and that’s where the money comes from – not Sport or Health or Local Government or whatever other department disburses funds the league could tap into.

There seems to be an upward swing in PD attendances – it’s the right time to invest – but the hard work will be in the FD. You'd hope in time that if PD attendances do increase, when a club gets relegated the percentage fall-off in attendance would still leave the club not far from its old PD average unlike the catastrophic halving that some clubs experience now.

[ToberonaTornado]

2037 Dundalk v Finn harps

[gael353]

1470 Limerick v Pats.

[legendz]

1470 Limerick v Pats.
Is that a low crowd for the favoured 6.30 Saturday evening kickoff?

[LK37oldskool]

With 3 home wins all season its no wonder. 1400 is your regular heads. If they put a good run together it would increase significantly. Limerick people are very fickle.

[oriel]

EDIT with Pat's estimate.

Weekends games:


Cork v Limerick - 4,725
Sligo v Galway - 1,679
Harps v Shamrock Rovers - 1,281
Waterford v Cabinteely - 1,245
Bray v Derry - 799
UCD v Shels - 302
Wexford v Athlone - 261
Longford v Cobh - 225

Drogheda v Dundalk - 1,500 estimate seems general consensus.
St Pats v Bohs - 2,000 estimate given here.

Bit late now but I read something somewhere over the weekend that there was an official crowd given for Drogs v Dlk as 1,681 or something, def 1,6xx, heard at the Dlk v Harps match that Drogs sold over 1k tickets to Dlk fans on the night, seems a bit high but not sure there was more than 600-700 home fans there so maybe wasn't too far out.

[EatYerGreens]

With 3 home wins all season its no wonder. 1400 is your regular heads. If they put a good run together it would increase significantly. Limerick people are very fickle.

Considering Limerick were getting only about a tenth of that crowd a few seasons ago, I'd say yees have little to complain about in fairness.

1,400 as a base-line attendance would be pretty damn good in the LOI.

[legendz]

Considering Limerick were getting only about a tenth of that crowd a few seasons ago, I'd say yees have little to complain about in fairness.

1,400 as a base-line attendance would be pretty damn good in the LOI.It's a good baseline alright. Thought the preferred kickoff time would have brought more to the game, despite recent home results as pointed out. Limerick people are fickle alright.

[Nesta99]

Irish football fans are fickle across the board not just in Limerick, especially the self professed best supporters in the world abandon the national side en masse when not looking like qualifying, and that trend has gotten worse over the years from 2002 or so though pricing by the FAI didnt help.
If there is a Kerry side ever in LoI you will see the usual trend of promising early attendances, then the novelty wears off after a season, then a pick up again if looking like promotion, a big crowd for latter ends of a cup run, the wondering where all those thousands of people that were at the cup final have gone to by March, if there is a go to the wall experience people will start to miss the club and Kerry mark 2 will get a burst of support for the new club's 1st season - rinse and repeat! Add in the ifs and buts of visiting support levels and the complimentary eh observations on facilities for away support, the discussion on the hardship of travel that Kerry fans would have and that a weeks holidays is needed to get to an away game in Derry and the like and you have yerself a LoI club.

[Candystripe]

Apparently Derry have had over the official capacity of 1574 for every game except the Drogeda and Galway games. At least 2,000 against Cork and apparently 2,400 V Harps earlier this season.

I had to go to 4 ticket outlets to finally get a ticket for the Cork game.

[Charlie Darwin]

Sounds like Derry could sell two of every one officially declared ticket.

[Nesta99]

Sounds like Derry could sell two of every one officially declared ticket.

Well if Bohs chanced double selling a ground why not Derry double selling tickets - average official attendances outstripping official capacity wouldnt be the most surprising in League of Ireland.

[ToberonaTornado]

Bray v Dundalk 1538

Big crowd from Dundalk i believe(hearing 850-900)

[ger121]

Bray v Dundalk 1538

Big crowd from Dundalk i believe(hearing 850-900)

After that message in the match programme, Bray need every paying Customer through the gate they can get.

[dublinwanderer]

Bray v Dundalk 1538

Big crowd from Dundalk i believe(hearing 850-900)

Max 500-600 Dundalk fans

[ToberonaTornado]

Max 500-600 Dundalk fans

That you D O'C ? ;):D

Seems that your 'home' attendances aren't as bad as was made in the gubu statement.1000+ home support not that shabby!
:rolleyes:

[nigel-harps1954]

Last weeks attendances:

Shamrock Rovers v Drogheda - 2,047
Dundalk v Finn Harps - 2,037
Derry v Cork - 1,574
Limerick v Pats - 1,470
Galway v Bray - 1,022
UCD v Waterford - 369


Dundalk v Galway (midweek) - 2,000 estimated
Bohs v Sligo - 1,200 estimated
Cobh v Shelbourne - 350 estimated
Cabinteely v Wexford - 100 estimated
Athlone v Longford - 100 estimated


This weekend:

Bray v Dundalk - 1,538
Shelbourne v Waterford - 589
Wexford v UCD - 289

St Pats v Galway - ?
Drogheda v Limerick - 600 estimated

Cobh v Athlone - (Playing Saturday)
Longford v Cabinteely - (Playing Saturday)
Sligo v Shamrock Rovers - (Playing Sunday)

[nigel-harps1954]

Week 17: (Up to Mondays Dundalk v Galway game)

PREMIER DIVISION

Bohs - 1,948 (1,627; 1,724; 1,395; 1,597; 1,496; 1,488; 1,835; 2,366)
Bray - 998 (957; 769; 718; 891; 965; 1,121; 952; 1,169)
Cork - 4,523 (2,533; 3,263; 3,777; 1,965; 2,786; 2,128 FD; 1,693 FD; 2,681)
Derry - 1,519 (1,563; 1,124; 1,106; 1,446; 1,460; 2,135; 1,965 FD; 2,436)
Drogheda - 921 (583 FD; 813; 1,064; 817; 977; 811; 859; 1,106)
Dundalk - 3,023 (2,738; 3,158; 2,534; 1,997; 949; 1,355; 1,877; 2,371)
Galway - 1,212 (1,169; 1,290; 975 FD)
Harps - 1,154 (1,216; 784 FD; 449 FD; 479 FD; 429 FD; 433 FD; 644 FD; 480 FD)
Limerick - 1,740 (1,131 FD; 1,206; 757; 1,649; 734 FD; 569 FD; 598 FD; 429 FD)
Pat's - 1,523 (1,088; 1,321; 1,386; 1,687; 1,474; 1,346; 1,756; 1,631)
Rovers - 2,910 (2,041; 2,890; 2,269; 2,763; 3,127; 3,779; 3,794; 3,611)
Sligo - 1,621 (1,750; 1,750; 1,959; 2,342; 3,007; 2,103; 1,807; 1,756)

FIRST DIVISION

Athlone - 184 (156; 314; 653 PD; 754; 271; 200; 354; 462)
Cabinteely - 379 (352; 610)
Cobh - 372 (403; 366; 223; 439; 2008 - 1,122 PD; 681; 368; 403)
Longford - 319 (488 PD; 803 PD; 567; 379; 365; 315; 230; 260)
Shels - 489 (554; 596; 713; 1,114 PD; 1,187 PD; 781; 737; 972)
UCD - 248 (297; 216; 397 PD; 487 PD; 506 PD; 558 PD; 610 PD; 272)
Waterford - 1,490 (314; 460; 470; 478; 453; 466; 619; 434)
Wexford - 314 (585 PD; 553; 331; 227; 302; 216; 343; 494)


PREMIER AVERAGE: 1,940 (1,476; 1,681; 1,502; 1,566; 1,630; 1,547; 1,512; 2,010)
FIRST DIVISION AVERAGE: 464 (476; 486; 495; 391; 372; 578; 682; 417)

OVERALL AVERAGE: 1,388 (1,117; 1,249; 1,160; 1,140; 1,125; 1,110; 1,095; 1,175)


TOTAL WEEKLY ATTENDANCE: 13,069 (11 games)

OVERALL PREMIER ATTENDANCE: 221,148 (292,204; 332,805; 297,334)
OVERALL FIRST ATTENDANCE: 31,535 (52,807; 54,474; 55,408)

OVERALL COMBINED ATTENDANCE: 252,683 (345,011; 387,279; 352,742)

[White Horse]

Max 500-600 Dundalk fans

There's no way there was 1,000 Bray fans at the game.

Either your estimate for Dundalk fans is wrong or the overall attendance was overstated.

[Martinho II]

thats shocking with Athlone. I wasnt at the game in Lissywoolen but I believe we had a good away support there..

[outspoken]

326 Longford V CABO

[Dalymountrower]

Niigel , 1800 at Bohs v Sligo

[nigel-harps1954]

Niigel , 1800 at Bohs v Sligo

Is that official or just your guess?

[Dalymountrower]

Extratime reported it.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Don't normally get involved in the size of crowds but would definitely go for 1800 rather then 1200

[brendy_éire]

5,122 at Midtyjlland-Derry City last week, for interest's sake.

I'd dare say we'll be lucky to hit 1,000 in Sligo.

[Guitd]

799 is a shocking attendance for Bray a team going well in 3 rd place do the people of bray not have some respect for football on their doorstep ??

Seems like I was predicting the future last month

[Nesta99]

5,122 at Midtyjlland-Derry City last week, for interest's sake.

I'd dare say we'll be lucky to hit 1,000 in Sligo.

It was pretty depressing playing Varteks in Tolka after being well beaten in Croatia 2002/3, id say there was barely 1000 at it and only the main stand was opened. Getting the 1st leg at home when the draw is on the nasty side not to lose a good wedge of money is important espacially when a ground has to be rented for the match.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

2,065 in The Showgrounds

[ger121]

2404 in Dalyer and a good away support too! Who says midweek games are bad :)

[wonder88]

I think mid-week games when schools are closed in summer can attract good crowds. Recall a game against Cork at Terryland at this time of year on tuesday evening i think, and there was around 3,000 at it. 2 all draw with Roy O Donovan scoring one if not both of Cork goals. Before new stand was built.

[Olander]

Official attendance of 1471 at Eamonn Deacy Park tonight, I thought there was closer to 1700-1800 myself.

There was a fantastic away following from Limerick it must be said, I would say there was easily 400+ Lim fans in the Old Stand.

[trevy]

1508 at Waterford v Wexford.

[Shearer]

2,403 in Turner's Cross for Cork vs St. Pat's. Great turnout when you consider how many were in Thurles.

[nigel-harps1954]

Harps v Bohs - 1,038

[pineapple stu]

No more than 250 at St Colmans Park for second versus third. Thought Cobh had better support than that tbh

[sullanefc]

No more than 250 at St Colmans Park for second versus third. Thought Cobh had better support than that tbh
All their cork city support are tapped out after 3 games in a week.

[ATFC-1887]

Nigel, shot in the dark here but have you managed to get a figure for Athlone Vs Cabo Friday night. From what i was told it was less than 50. Curious to see if you have been told. Crazy if true.

[Comic Book Guy]

332, I had time to count! Still I don't know what more the club can do to get people in the gate? The crowd for the Norwich game would have been their average crowd once upon a time, just can't figure it out. It could be a number of factors, no playoff's this year, lack of locals in the team, 7.15 kick off times, some people in the town are seriously poisoned against the club. But a hard working team and club like that deserve better.

[nigel-harps1954]

Nigel, shot in the dark here but have you managed to get a figure for Athlone Vs Cabo Friday night. From what i was told it was less than 50. Curious to see if you have been told. Crazy if true.

Haven't got any figure unfortunately yet. If that's true too, I don't expect to get any official figure!

[outspoken]

Probably our biggest crowd of The season last night 450-500 I would've said.

[nr637]

1,879 at Bray v Cork while there was over 5,000+ at the beach nearby!

[bluemovie]

332, I had time to count! Still I don't know what more the club can do to get people in the gate? The crowd for the Norwich game would have been their average crowd once upon a time, just can't figure it out. It could be a number of factors, no playoff's this year, lack of locals in the team, 7.15 kick off times, some people in the town are seriously poisoned against the club. But a hard working team and club like that deserve better.

Lack of play-offs is going to be a killer for several clubs towards the end of the season. I still think it's crazy. On the plus side, I can guarantee you the biggest crowd of your year by far will be the last game of the season.

[ger121]

1,879 at Bray v Cork while there was over 5,000+ at the beach nearby!

Reminds me of that scene in Jaws. Crowded beach but everyone afraid to go into the water. It bites!!

[ToberonaTornado]

Bray used a jaws type themed poster for the v Dundalk match at the end of June.

https://scontent-lht6-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/19511127_1365987463455810_4921228945606774464_n.jp g?oh=061b2d3ca7d5e9ebb0d03b09522be33e&oe=59F9039F

[Charlie Darwin]

More like Jaws II that one. It came back to bite them.

[PartySaint]

1,368 at the Pats Derry game