Attendances 2019

[Ezeikial]

I don't post that often here anymore.

Is this fella for real? Or a super try hard wum?

Wow.


Who would have thought, facilitating the crowd was more interesting (for some) than the game itself 

Honestly, some of the snowflakes on here are embarrassing.



Snowflake and WUM comments are wide of the mark and will not deflect me from posting on this or other topics.

The issue raised was not about comfort or "facilitating the crowd", but about an overcrowding safety issue - and the remarkable slow response to dealing with it.

These things tend to have a remarkably low level of impact for many, until someone is hurt or worse

[sbgawa]

https://foot.ie/attachment.php?attachmentid=2778&stc=1
I suppose one of the DFC fans could have choked on a bit of the plastic netting while stepping through it.
That plastic stuff could represent a serious choke hazard if they started chewing it.
Id always recommend that when stepping through plastic you keep your mouth shut.
come to think of it i think the paint on the walls is lead based paint and could potentially be hazardous as well

[Lim till i die]

I remember being at a game against pats in inchicore and the cup semi final in cork a couple of years back and on both occasions the section for the away fans was too small (Lol Limerick fans overcrowding lol etc)

Anyway there was no room due to the safety netting.

Myself and three or four other lads moved the netting.

There were no fatalities.

[marinobohs]

I remember being at a game against pats in inchicore and the cup semi final in cork a couple of years back and on both occasions the section for the away fans was too small (Lol Limerick fans overcrowding lol etc)

Anyway there was no room due to the safety netting.

Myself and three or four other lads moved the netting.

There were no fatalities.

the 'shed' area behind the goal at pats (away end) is a safety nightmare. Usually overcrowded for Bohs games and an accident waiting to happen. I like the ground but how that end gets safety clearance is beyond me.

[mcgonigle]

Can any club really make any guarantees!?

No but other clubs are able to work with local authorities who can mitigate the risk. It was a problem at Dundalk, Bohs, Pats and Rovers for a while until the Garda finally got a handle on it. You can't blame the companies for not supplying buses or looking for significant insurance sums from organisers

[marinobohs]

I know all that, but my point still stands. If union jack carrying Coleraine fans can go to a game at the Brandywell, sing GSTQ and the Sash, and then leave without incident, then Dundalk fans should have nothing to worry about (and by extension, the bus company).

I get the issue, But times have changed.

always like visiting Derry when we play up there. there was a problem (outside the ground) with some local scrouts stoning busses but I thought it had improved. awful pity if it is still an issue but very little DCFC can do about matters on surrounding roads.

[EatYerGreens]

always like visiting Derry when we play up there. there was a problem (outside the ground) with some local scrouts stoning busses but I thought it had improved. awful pity if it is still an issue but very little DCFC can do about matters on surrounding roads.

FFS - it has ! This is the point. Linfield, Glentoran and Coleraine etc fans can turn up with Union Jacks and singing loyalist tunes these days and nothing happens to them.

Can Dundalk fans not hire buses from out of town if they're going to be like this ?

[Shearer]

355 in Limerick.

[SPXcyan]

2013 in Waterford.

[The Donie Forde]

3,016 at the Cross.

[ToberonaTornado]

FFS - it has ! This is the point. Linfield, Glentoran and Coleraine etc fans can turn up with Union Jacks and singing loyalist tunes these days and nothing happens to them.

Can Dundalk fans not hire buses from out of town if they're going to be like this ?

I don't know.
It could be that the bus owners have a network,wonder why Dundalk fans are sourcing a bus from outside their area and then talk to each other and learn the stories about incidents that happened?
Maybe they ask they're insurer about insurance coverage
Could be a whole lot of factors involved but the fact is no bus company wants to know. :(

[Nesta99]

Train to Coleraine and then on to Derry, loads of can drinking opportunity and some nice scenery along the north coast. 4 hour trip and fans will be in fine voice by the time they get to Derry ;)

Lads honestly, I really think its poor form to be dismissive of even a minor issue on crowd control, safety and all that. Yes netting can be moved, there is no restriction to moving on to the pitch if thinks get hairy. But if there was a slow reaction time for managing a limited crowd there is a flaw in the system. Its not a blame game, it is a lets look at how to react better in future. Complacency has no place on this from fellow LoI supporters never mind Event Controllers et al. It might take decades for crowds to grow to the point where a few minutes is an eternity if systems are not well oiled at ALL times.

I have often said that they tendency for some Dundalk fans to all pile in to one section, breaching the sections safe capacity while nowhere near a stand capacity is risky and sections should only be accessed as per ticket. Everyone saw a sold out stand in Tallaght at Europa League games looking half empty as half the crowd over crowded a couple of sections. There goes your safe evacuation capacity for the section, if someone takes ill or gets burnt with a flare emergency services getting in to the area are slowed down. People panic instinctively and often just run from the sight of such an incident and are tripping and falling over seats and eachother. We are thankfully unlikely to have to worry about bomb threats but it doesnt mean that its not on a protocol, that those protocols (including the ability to move people quickly) should noy be implemented as its a highly unlikely risk.

We are such a kneejerk nation - when something goes wrong we then look at what went wrong and enforce systems that are not always new but just not used. RoI v England was the best thing to happen for crowd safety in this country, interagency liason started to happen after amd why we now have Gardaí calling the shots in where fans get placed in Daleymount recently for eample. 80k people would converge on Croke Park regularly and DFB, security, safety didnt do a walk around officially making sure gates werent chained up. I know i'm not comparing like with like on the Tallaght game thing but I truly believe that if things are not well oiled on a small scale then it can have a ripple effect.

I dont remember Stardust, but one relatively small nightclub ummm didnt take safety seriously (I wont say what I really think on that whole affair) but I will bet that every fire officer in the country was out spot checking premises the day after. Call this post an overeaction if you like too, the 2014 league decider was was number of oversights ranging from blazé stewarding in the home section, lack of anticipation of a pitch invasion meaning visiting fans being at risk (not a pop at Rovers but if similar had happened v Rovers there would have been lads over the wall to respond to taunts), a rake of stewards were focused on getting the presentation podium up and completely missed their priority function of crowd safety imo. Gardaí...rabbits in headlights! There was a major review in the weeks after. Maybe the poster is being dismissed above rather than the valid observation being made.

Things as basic as at junior clubs the AED is let locked in the boot of someones car or a clubhouse cause they dont bother with a prematch checklist - its only noticed when some por git keels over and there is a who what where panic. Ok I shall say no more on the subjject!!

Soooo attendances tonight, many actually travel from Dundalk in the end. Rovers playing on a Friday, not so cold and not on TV so it had to have been a sellout!

[passinginterest]

I’d guess around 3,500 in Tallaght.

[Kingswood Rover]

Hopefully although i would say it was 3k at a push

[a.a.d]

There is one major factor that you are missing out here, the institute games have a three o'clock kick off, so the little knackbags can't hide in the cover of darkness. I would suggest this has more to do with no trouble than a change in attitude towards the busses.

[Candystripe]

Around 3,900 at the Brandywell last night.

[pineapple stu]

Maybe 500 at UCD v Harps last night.

Have a feeling the respective (non-title-winning) tie last season had about 300 at it, so that's something I guess...

[dundalkfc10]

Derry security men (lads in blue jackets) started being ********s to a few of our fans until a few of the proper Derry stewards told them to cop the **** on so they moved onto the grass area in front of away end

Sad sad men!

[Nesta99]

What were they doing exactly? Thats 2 away games on the spin there has been some issue - are Dundalk fans' expectations set a bit high?

[dundalkfc10]

What were they doing exactly? Thats 2 away games on the spin there has been some issue - are Dundalk fans' expectations set a bit high?

They went in and tried to stand in the middle of the group of fans who arrived in just at kick off.
Derry stewards rightly told them to **** off

[oriel]

I was in the Brandywell last night, as I said on the other thread about the game, very friendly folk up there, from the pubs to hotel to the ground. Definitely going back up again for a stay over next season. Decent crowd from Dundalk too, at least one bus travelled, but that was the one that's hired from Newry.

Great to see the new ground almost at capacity.

[thebronze14]

Maybe 500 at UCD v Harps last night.

Have a feeling the respective (non-title-winning) tie last season had about 300 at it, so that's something I guess...

Think that may be a little on the high side

[ToberonaTornado]

Soooo attendances tonight, many actually travel from Dundalk in the end. Rovers playing on a Friday, not so cold and not on TV so it had to have been a sellout!

150 approx

No direct bus or train.

[oriel]

Wouldn't say any rovers fans boycott dalymount, we sell out the des Kelly every time and used to bring at least double when we were in the Connaught street side.
Doubt bohs will be given more than 1000 anyway.


If any dundalk fans are still interested you had 798 in fans Tallaght according to the people in the ticket office at Rovers.





Talking to a lot of Dundalk fans last night in Derry, and this figure of 798 doesn't sound right. The East Stand must hold close to 3k, it def wasn't half full, but it was more than 1/3 and lots have said since it was the biggest away league crowd in Tallaght.

I'd have thought 1k would be more accurate, this would then leave the home support at 3,700, seems a lot as the new stand wasn't completely full, the west stand looked to be almost full though.

Was there an official attendance given for Derry last night? I've seen 3500 mentioned, seemed a little higher, excellent crowd to be fair, at this and the Rovers v Dlk game.

[Charlie Darwin]

Talking to a lot of Dundalk fans last night in Derry, and this figure of 798 doesn't sound right. The East Stand must hold close to 3k, it def wasn't half full, but it was more than 1/3 and lots have said since it was the biggest away league crowd in Tallaght.

I'd have thought 1k would be more accurate, this would then leave the home support at 3,700, seems a lot as the new stand wasn't completely full, the west stand looked to be almost full though.

Was there an official attendance given for Derry last night? I've seen 3500 mentioned, seemed a little higher, excellent crowd to be fair, at this and the Rovers v Dlk game.
The East Stand is about 2,800 afaik, a bit smaller than the Main Stand. It didn't look 1/3 full to me but I accept Dundalk fans were packed into a smaller area than they should have been so maybe 900 is about right.

[EatYerGreens]

There is one major factor that you are missing out here, the institute games have a three o'clock kick off, so the little knackbags can't hide in the cover of darkness. I would suggest this has more to do with no trouble than a change in attitude towards the busses.

It's got more to do with the wee knackbags having been spoken to firmly than it is darkness.

[EatYerGreens]

Train to Coleraine and then on to Derry, loads of can drinking opportunity and some nice scenery along the north coast. 4 hour trip and fans will be in fine voice by the time they get to Derry ;)

The train is actually a good option to get up to Derry from Dundalk - though it would need an overnight stay.

I'm not sure about your directions though. You get the train to Belfast, and change there for the train on-through to Derry. There is no train from Dundalk to Coleraine, and no need to change in Coleraine either (bar about 2 trains during rush hour). It's a Derry-bound train line.

[EatYerGreens]

Around 3,900 at the Brandywell last night.

Is that not more than the capacity ?

[RathfarnhamHoop]

Talking to a lot of Dundalk fans last night in Derry, and this figure of 798 doesn't sound right. The East Stand must hold close to 3k, it def wasn't half full, but it was more than 1/3 and lots have said since it was the biggest away league crowd in Tallaght.

I'd have thought 1k would be more accurate, this would then leave the home support at 3,700, seems a lot as the new stand wasn't completely full, the west stand looked to be almost full though.

Was there an official attendance given for Derry last night? I've seen 3500 mentioned, seemed a little higher, excellent crowd to be fair, at this and the Rovers v Dlk game.

We've been through this before but anyway. The east stand isn't 3,000 its 2,700-2,800 which is why the new stand had to be 2,200+ to get to 8,000 overall capacity. The netting at the front of the stand also takes up 5/6 rows of the 18 rows deep stand so fand are only in 3/4s of however along the stand they're in so if fans pack the stand from one end all the way to the middle that's not 1350/1400 is just around 1000. Now dundalk fans didn't reach to the middle of the stand, the original netting didn't move so there's around 100 empty seats and as dundalk fans spread out gaps in the original allocation appeared and the people South of the the netting weren't exactly packed in so the number of around 800 is pretty bang on for what was there.

To put that in concise words. Due to netting 50% full is actually at absolute max 37% full not accounting for vertical netting and gaps

[Candystripe]

Is that not more than the capacity ?

We have 3,340 seats plus the whole back of the Southend stand people were standing behind the seats. About 150 watched the entire game from the bar in the Mark Farren stand. Their was also loads of people standing either side of the Mark Farren stand.

People can also stand behind both goals although their was only a few that did.

[Nesta99]

The train is actually a good option to get up to Derry from Dundalk - though it would need an overnight stay.

I'm not sure about your directions though. You get the train to Belfast, and change there for the train on-through to Derry. There is no train from Dundalk to Coleraine, and no need to change in Coleraine either (bar about 2 trains during rush hour). It's a Derry-bound train line.

Change is at Lisburn, or stay on the train that goes to Central as usually it is the same train that reverses out and heads to Coleraine after a line switch at Lisburn but technically no change. I'd be asking just in case as obviously that isnt definite every time. Depends on which train yer on on whether a change in Coleraine is needed occasional ones go to Portrush, but mostly on to Derry. (former UUC student ;) )

[Martinho II]

Derry security men (lads in blue jackets) started being ********s to a few of our fans until a few of the proper Derry stewards told them to cop the **** on so they moved onto the grass area in front of away end

Sad sad men!

whats difference between derry security men and stewards? is this private security firms?

[dundalkfc10]

whats difference between derry security men and stewards? is this private security firms?

Their was lads with Security firm jackets but was also few lads in yellow jackets

[oriel]

Was that the lads with the wording 'ejection stewards' on the back of the jackets ?

[Scrufil]

Nest99 wrote:


Lads honestly, I really think its poor form to be dismissive of even a minor issue on crowd control, safety and all that. Yes netting can be moved, there is no restriction to moving on to the pitch if thinks get hairy. But if there was a slow reaction time for managing a limited crowd there is a flaw in the system. Its not a blame game, it is a lets look at how to react better in future. Complacency has no place on this from fellow LoI supporters never mind Event Controllers et al. It might take decades for crowds to grow to the point where a few minutes is an eternity if systems are not well oiled at ALL times.

I have often said that they tendency for some Dundalk fans to all pile in to one section, breaching the sections safe capacity while nowhere near a stand capacity is risky and sections should only be accessed as per ticket. Everyone saw a sold out stand in Tallaght at Europa League games looking half empty as half the crowd over crowded a couple of sections. There goes your safe evacuation capacity for the section, if someone takes ill or gets burnt with a flare emergency services getting in to the area are slowed down. People panic instinctively and often just run from the sight of such an incident and are tripping and falling over seats and eachother. We are thankfully unlikely to have to worry about bomb threats but it doesnt mean that its not on a protocol, that those protocols (including the ability to move people quickly) should noy be implemented as its a highly unlikely risk.

We are such a kneejerk nation - when something goes wrong we then look at what went wrong and enforce systems that are not always new but just not used. RoI v England was the best thing to happen for crowd safety in this country, interagency liason started to happen after amd why we now have Gardaí calling the shots in where fans get placed in Daleymount recently for eample. 80k people would converge on Croke Park regularly and DFB, security, safety didnt do a walk around officially making sure gates werent chained up. I know i'm not comparing like with like on the Tallaght game thing but I truly believe that if things are not well oiled on a small scale then it can have a ripple effect.

I dont remember Stardust, but one relatively small nightclub ummm didnt take safety seriously (I wont say what I really think on that whole affair) but I will bet that every fire officer in the country was out spot checking premises the day after. Call this post an overeaction if you like too, the 2014 league decider was was number of oversights ranging from blazé stewarding in the home section, lack of anticipation of a pitch invasion meaning visiting fans being at risk (not a pop at Rovers but if similar had happened v Rovers there would have been lads over the wall to respond to taunts), a rake of stewards were focused on getting the presentation podium up and completely missed their priority function of crowd safety imo. Gardaí...rabbits in headlights! There was a major review in the weeks after. Maybe the poster is being dismissed above rather than the valid observation being made.

Things as basic as at junior clubs the AED is let locked in the boot of someones car or a clubhouse cause they dont bother with a prematch checklist - its only noticed when some por git keels over and there is a who what where panic. Ok I shall say no more on the subjject!!


Nesta99 sadly your words of warning may have come to pass.

There is a headline on rte.ie

Three dead following reported 'crush' at Co. Tyrone Disco

My phone seems incapable of posting the link.

[EatYerGreens]

We have 3,340 seats plus the whole back of the Southend stand people were standing behind the seats. About 150 watched the entire game from the bar in the Mark Farren stand. Their was also loads of people standing either side of the Mark Farren stand.

People can also stand behind both goals although their was only a few that did.

The club doesn't sell any standing/terraced tickets though, so presumably all those standing or in the bar had tickets for a seat. Whilst the ground was packed there were still a good few empty seats visible around where we were. So we can't add up every single seat in the ground and then add on hundreds more for standing/bar people, as an element of that is just double counting.

Of course all this would be resolved if the club just released attendance figures.

I'm pretty sure you can't stand behind the goals at the Brandywell Road end unless you're a ball boy btw.

[Shearer]

525 in Bray today

[nigel-harps1954]

Maybe 500 at UCD v Harps last night.

Have a feeling the respective (non-title-winning) tie last season had about 300 at it, so that's something I guess...


455 official.

[pineapple stu]

Not a million miles off so.

What was the corresponding figure last year?

[nigel-harps1954]

Not a million miles off so.

What was the corresponding figure last year?

236 at that one. Not far off half the attendance altogether.

[Candystripe]

The club doesn't sell any standing/terraced tickets though, so presumably all those standing or in the bar had tickets for a seat. Whilst the ground was packed there were still a good few empty seats visible around where we were. So we can't add up every single seat in the ground and then add on hundreds more for standing/bar people, as an element of that is just double counting.

Of course all this would be resolved if the club just released attendance figures.

I'm pretty sure you can't stand behind the goals at the Brandywell Road end unless you're a ball boy btw.

Yes you can stand behind both goals now.

Derry do allow for people standing as their are railings on each side of the Mark Farren stand specifically for that.

[EatYerGreens]

Yes you can stand behind both goals now.

Derry do allow for people standing as their are railings on each side of the Mark Farren stand specifically for that.

I know Derry allow people to stand, but they don't sell tickets for standing. So those standing have left a seat empty to do so.

Where and when was it announced that people can stand behind the nets at the Brandywell Road end ? I'd be surprised if the council deemed it safe to even do so, given that there's a steep slope there. Plus it would make a bit of a mockery of the segregation.

[nigel-harps1954]

So we can't add up every single seat in the ground and then add on hundreds more for standing/bar people, as an element of that is just double counting.


Something about double counting and Derry that makes me laugh..

[sbgawa]

lol harsh

[PartySaint]

2013 in Waterford.

I wonder if that was tickets sold or tickets scanned, think they were having issues scanning tickets that were bought online.

[Ezeikial]

Plus it would make a bit of a mockery of the segregation.

I could see no attempt at segregation in the Brandywell last. There was plenty of mixing of fans - and it makes the occasion all the better to be able to have craic without any hint of hassle

[EatYerGreens]

I could see no attempt at segregation in the Brandywell last. There was plenty of mixing of fans - and it makes the occasion all the better to be able to have craic without any hint of hassle

Segregation at the Brandywell just means put in a corner out of the way. There's no hard and fast segregation in my experience.

If you put home fans either side of the 'segregated' away fans in that end block, then the loose segregation wouldn't really be segregation any more - as they'd be in the middle of home fans.

[Nesta99]

Nesta99 sadly your words of warning may have come to pass.

There is a headline on rte.ie

Three dead following reported 'crush' at Co. Tyrone Disco

My phone seems incapable of posting the link.

It crossed my mind too Scrufil. While detail are scant on what happened in Cookstown, crowds in any sort of confined space or where there are solid barriers, be it turnstiles, walls, seating et al, should be a headache for all concerned with safety. I know I have rattled on plenty about this in this thread. Its off topic but an interesting study done on evacuating people was hard to test as of course when people knew there was no real risk they did everything as they were supposed to and everything went perfectly. The people doing the study (evacuating an airplane) offered a cash prize to the people who got out first and then the mayhem, lack of concern of others, panic and so on became apparent and the test had to be stopped at one point. My concern is more that this sshould never be taken lightly, there is no room for 'snowflake' jibes. Even if observations on specific incidents can be invalidated somehow (and imo no personal sense of feeling at risk should be dismissed) there is the risk of people nt speaking up in case they are seen as being supersensitive - saying nothing is worse than shouting too loudly!!

Dundalkfc10, so a couple of stewards wanted to stand among a section of support? I dont see issue with that unless they are deliberately standing in the way as in obstructing view. If they werent stopping people from chanting singing then what was the issue? Was it that people couldnt drink, smoke, pull out flares and the like in the presence of stewards. It would be pretty commong for stweards to stand/sit among the crowd in leagues all over the continent so I dont see reason for your fairly harsh criticism of what many would feel was the stewards dowing their job, of seeing something that made them think it was necessary to be among fans. In Inchicore the stewards are very close to the fans in the away section of the stand on that landing at the rear. Ive heard criticism of them also when all they were doin was spotting people smoking in the tsand for example and telling them they needed to leave the stand to smoke. When there is no stewarding people complain, when stewards are proactive people complain....

[wonder88]

803 at Galway v Drogheda.

[outspoken]

803 at Galway v Drogheda.
Good crowd.

Over 700 at El Clasico with around 200 from Longford