Attendances 2025

[EatYerGreens]

Just reading an article that says the GAA had a 10% decrease in attendances in 2024. The attendances were down in both the hurling and football. A few different, mainly on field stuff, given as the reasons for the fall off. The LOI Premier has a 22% increase in 2023 and another 6% increase again in 2024. It would be interesting to know if these are directly affected. Of course the gah would never admit it anyway but watch this space I guess.

I doubt it's a simple case of many people trading in going to the GAA for attending the LOI instead. Outside of a couple of places (Dublin, Cork, maybe Sligo?) I doubt there's a lot of overlap between LOI and GAA-going crowds. Plus numerically a 10% drop in GAA attendances will presumably equal a lot more people than the 22% increase in LOI, given our lower starting point.

It should be easy to find out which GAA counties experienced falls, and which of those have LOI clubs nearby. I suspect the decline at the GAA is due to a variety of things - from Dublin not being so good at the moment, to the post-Covid increase/bubble wearing off.

[yurt]

What particular LOI Club's current grounds through funding could add or improve existing areas that would increase their capacity and help increase their home attendance!

I'm just talking about immediate additions and not major structural work.

Clubs like Shels, St. Pats & Drogheda have added extra terracing to increase the space available. Small modifications, but may help to add a few hundred more fans to the attendance figure, it all helps!

I was thinking of a club like Sligo Rovers Showgrounds adding cover to the popular Railway End.

Dundalk Oriel Park adding maybe covered terracing to the Town End.

Anyone care to add their suggestions on possible some minor or obvious improvements!

I understand that EDP could easily fit another 1k or so if they made some upgrades on turnstiles to service egress requirements. I get the impression that the club are actually happy enough to keep the capacity smaller so that having a handful of sell outs a year will increase the profile and the value of season tickets.

I think only 2 games sold out last year (first and last home games against Pat's and Sligo). If that number gets much bigger I'm sure it's something they'd have to look at implementing.

[joey B]

Over 25000 tickets sold for Bohs/Rovers on Sunday

[Acornvilla]

Over 25000 tickets sold for Bohs/Rovers on Sunday
I just got two of them, bringing along a non LOI head who I am slowly trying to convert, €74 for two premium seats felt a bit steep, but maybe I'm just poor (I am) :D

[ger121]

Over 25000 tickets sold for Bohs/Rovers on Sunday

Club also saying it will soon surpass the 28k attendance who watched Cork Hibs vs Rovers playoff game in 1971. Probably heading towards 30k.

[nigel-harps1954]

Great numbers for a league match, but probably an element of novelty, as well as it being possibly the only match up in the country that could achieve those numbers currently

[LTFC]

Great numbers for a league match, but probably an element of novelty, as well as it being possibly the only match up in the country that could achieve those numbers currently

Gonna mess up your stats Nigel!

[ger121]

Great numbers for a league match, but probably an element of novelty, as well as it being possibly the only match up in the country that could achieve those numbers currently

I’d say you are right Nigel. Probably will be other games there in the future. How successful they are remains to be seen.

[Kingswood Rover]

Yes brilliant looked at the stadium map and between the lower and middle tiers available/open Rovers fans looked like only about 400 blue dots left, some more general availability in the upper sections. Going to be class- Ringsend 11 bells meet up for lots i would imagine.

[LTFC]

I’d say you are right Nigel. Probably will be other games there in the future. How successful they are remains to be seen.

Very true. Last season , based on Nigels stats, Rovers had a slight dip, but that was after a number of years of steady growth, but would indicate a certain upper limit of averages for now, and in Dublin that looks like could be 6k.

[Martinho II]

As far as I can remember when Shamrock Rovers were out of Milltown didnt their first game in the RDS attract a huge attendance? Cant remember of who the team was?

[Kingswood Rover]

Pats 20k + 0 0 all turgid affair i think if memory is correct.

[BigEars]

There's no doubt that this is fixture is getting attention as a novelty, and we're not going to get 25,000+ through the door every week at LOI games.

However it does open the possibility to this happening a few times a season, with perhaps a bigger push on certain games (Cup semi-finals ?) as well, bringing a greater level of interest to the league overall and a great promotional idea in itself.

There's plenty of people out there who want the big game experience, without having to get a boat/plane to England to get it.

[yurt]

Great numbers for a league match, but probably an element of novelty, as well as it being possibly the only match up in the country that could achieve those numbers currently

There's no doubt that it's a novelty and no other league fixture would come to 20k+. I would be pleasantly surprised if this wasn't a one time thing.

If the game turns out to be a cracker and the atmosphere comes across well on TV, then I think the coverage this game gets could well lead to them running it back whenever the Bohs v Rovers fixture happens again later this season.

[Dermobohs]

Over 25000 sold as of today.

[Acornvilla]

Great numbers for a league match, but probably an element of novelty, as well as it being possibly the only match up in the country that could achieve those numbers currently
At least we're looking likely to have another record breaking total/average attendance across the PD which will be helpful for funding request propaganda if nothing else.

We're definitely in the upper 90% or so of the realistic possible Max in the short term.

[Shinkicker]

Over 25000 sold as of today.
Will there be the usual hoo ha over pyrotechnics? I'm sure there will.
I was at a champions league game recently and the stadium had smoke /steam cannons to provide the atmosphere for the home support. It's something Bohs could look at and it would let the banner displays take place safely,add to the experience and put on a TV spectacle.

[EatYerGreens]

Club also saying it will soon surpass the 28k attendance who watched Cork Hibs vs Rovers playoff game in 1971. Probably heading towards 30k.

Would that then make it the highest league game on record?

(Presumably there was a bigger crowd at something back in the 30s or whenever, but records then would have been poor - and bizarrely usually focused more on the gate money paid, rather then the size of crowd attending).

[nigel-harps1954]

Gonna mess up your stats Nigel!

We haven't had an asterisk in a few years. I will be delighted to oblige.

[sbgawa]

Rovers with the biggest travelling support this season.

[EatYerGreens]

Rovers with the biggest travelling support this season.

All there to see the Boez, sure :p

[EatYerGreens]

Will the FAI put out a trimuphant press release next week to trumpet the fact that the opening weekend of the league drew a record average crowd? :D

[nr637]

Will the FAI put out a trimuphant press release next week to trumpet the fact that the opening weekend of the league drew a record average crowd? :D

Why not, bask in the moment!

[pateen]

Will the FAI put out a trimuphant press release next week to trumpet the fact that the opening weekend of the league drew a record average crowd? :D

We're grand, John Trump Delaney's gone now for this shyte

[bohsmug]

Whether a press release or a social media post, LOI or FAI, there'll be something put out there to celebrate a record number of people through the gates. If that's what we're heading for.
Would be strange if not, given the LOI social media account is posting about numbers signing up to fantasy football.

[CorribsideSteve]

I understand that EDP could easily fit another 1k or so if they made some upgrades on turnstiles to service egress requirements. I get the impression that the club are actually happy enough to keep the capacity smaller so that having a handful of sell outs a year will increase the profile and the value of season tickets.

I think only 2 games sold out last year (first and last home games against Pat's and Sligo). If that number gets much bigger I'm sure it's something they'd have to look at implementing.

I'd love to see a stand built where the carpark is, although that brings it's own problems. It works for Aston Villa though, with one of the smallest carparks in the football league. Failing that., I'd love to see another tier added to the away stand. Terryland's location really stands against it regarding serious expansion, with the narrow Dyke Road, and that cursed breeze off the river is the horror story Siberian gulags are written about.

[LTFC]

Any sold out signs for Friday yet?

[Martinho II]

heard on OTB earlier that ticket sales for aviva on sunday has hit 30k mark! Now thats phenomenal!

[Jolly Red Giant]

heard on OTB earlier that ticket sales for aviva on sunday has hit 30k mark! Now thats phenomenal!
Bohs posted today that 29K have been sold - It should comfortably clear 30K by Sunday

[LTFC]

Looking at the game in Aviva, will certainly be the largest gate receipts ever for a league game. Dont know what it is costing Bohs to rent Aviva and security costs, but the actual gate receipts could be over 600k. Be at best 80k gross if it was held in Dalymount I reckon.

[Shearer]

1,236 in Limerick

[thebronze14]

1,236 in Limerick
Great stuff

[2 Year Contract]

5,034 at Pats Drogheda
5,031 at Cork Galway

[outspoken]

1,236 in Limerick

Wasn't it around 2k last year? Big drop off

[Comic Book Guy]

5,034 at Pats Drogheda
5,031 at Cork Galway

That's quite an impressive number for Cork given the talk was many people were unhappy with the €25 ticket price.

[oriel]

Nothing out from Dundalk yet, but last night v Athlone was bigger than some PD crowds last season.

Big queues outside for on the night tickets and half time bars packed, usually a good sign.

I'd be guessing something like 2,800.

[EatYerGreens]

Bohs posted today that 29K have been sold - It should comfortably clear 30K by Sunday

Will be interesting to see what the split in support is between the 2 clubs. The fact they play in very different coliurs will help in that.

Will Bohs be selling merch at the game? Would be crazy for them not to have something set u for it with that sort of crowd.

[culloty82]

610 at Kerry v Harps

[Shinkicker]

Bohs just posted over 30,000 tickets sold

[ger121]

Bohs just posted over 30,000 tickets sold


We really are The Big Club.

[Shinkicker]

We really are The Big Club.
There will be more people at Bohs tomorrow than all other LOI games this weekend collectively. Make you wonder will nee Dalymount be too small by a long shot?

[Buckett]

610 at Kerry v Harps
That's a bit disappointing, is it?

[listowelceltic]

Yeah poor crowd in Tralee for some reason. Stand was sold out online but alot of no shows. Maybe 20 Harps fans there.

[D24Saint]

Bohs just posted over 30,000 tickets sold

Going to the game tomorrow, what’s the break down of the numbers. Is it ten home ten away and the rest neutrals ?

[LTFC]

No figures for Shels or Dundalk games. Shels was sold out so assume over the 5k. Would mean 3 teams last night all above 5k. With the 30k in Aviva,
over 50k at league games this weekend.

[outspoken]

610 at Kerry v Harps

Tad disappointing to to be expected on a bad weather night?

[yurt]

I think Noonan put an extra 5k on the attendance Sunday with his goal on Thursday.

The amount of eyeballs that story got will have convinced a small fraction on those people that it's worth ripping along to the Aviva.

I wouldn't worry about the size of Dalymount just yet. It's 2 fixtures a year which are guaranteed to sell out.

This weekend could be the beginning of Bohs going to the Leinster model of playing their biggest games in the Aviva.

[Zico]

Yeah poor crowd in Tralee for some reason. Stand was sold out online but alot of no shows. Maybe 20 Harps fans there.

It’s bang on Kerry’s average of last season and up 20% on last seasons opener (bray - 510). If Kerry can average over 700 this year then it will keep momentum going - a new club is always going to take time to build fan base, especially when so far always rooted to the bottom of the table.

That said, would expect and hope for a much bigger crowd in 2 weeks against Dundalk.

[D24Saint]

I think Noonan put an extra 5k on the attendance Sunday with his goal on Thursday.

The amount of eyeballs that story got will have convinced a small fraction on those people that it's worth ripping along to the Aviva.

I wouldn't worry about the size of Dalymount just yet. It's 2 fixtures a year which are guaranteed to sell out.

This weekend could be the beginning of Bohs going to the Leinster model of playing their biggest games in the Aviva.

With the experiment tomorrow set to be a success then it will probably convince the powers that be to go again for their next fixture at home to Rovers.

[ger121]

That's a bit disappointing, is it?

I was thinking that, considering the first game of the season tends to be one of the better attended matches.