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Should be noted we played you in the league last week, and trebled the crowd in that time. A lot of that was due to youz bringing and extra 300-400, but our own crowd about doubled as well (300 to 700 or so). So it worked to an extent, although not as much as the club would have liked.Quote:
Originally Posted by Macy
Yeah. Singled him out before the game for praise, then said that he does a bit of scouting for Gretna and told them to sign him.Quote:
Originally Posted by Poor Student
Strange seeing as he's not going to Gretna. :confused:
Actually when the stories first came out about his departure they were saying either Stockport or Gretna.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Have to agree with this.Quote:
Originally Posted by dcfcsteve
The UCD fans that I've met up in Ballybofey are as committed and passionate as fans of any other club in league. The problem is that there are so little of them. It is a thankless task that takes a lot of time and effort trying to get more fans in the gate. Everyone club knows this, but to struggle for a cup semi must be very disheartening. Like you say PS, keep plugging away dude.
To be honest I'd rather add 5-10 hardcore regulars than call on a once off crowd of 1000 day trippers. Don't get me wrong, the big eventers are nice and every club has and needs them but we're thin on the ground for volunteers committed to assisting the club. 5-10 extra volunteers would make a big difference. Our promotional efforts over the last few months since the start of the academic year have resulted in the odd inquisitive e-mail to the club from people who are new to attending games. Nothing earth shattering but I think we're getting the club's name out there more than we have been since I've started supporting the club.
That's one way of looking at it. The other is that the promotion just had little or no impact itself and whoever turned up would have anyway. I think the promotion in the college had no effect, I didn't notice many student looking people there. It was mainly families and kids. On another day of the week or indeed another week altogether perhaps the student support could have been mustered better. That's no fault of the promoting itself which was a good effort.Quote:
Originally Posted by dcfcsteve
So it didnt go as well as we hoped (Understatement) F**k it.new game starts tomorrow morning 9am Pats at home this Friday. Our last ever game at Belfield Park (save for any playoff,shudder) Might get a decent crowd. I'm going to do a student promotion I think.Went welll lasttime anyway. Now wheres that wall til i give it a good slap with my head:D
Keep the faith Titan.Quote:
Originally Posted by Titan
I'm sure most of us would like to see a well-supported UCD, rather than a poorly supported one.
There's something interesting/romantic about a University team being in senior football in this part of the world. Now, if we could just get it to work support-wise....!
While I agree with that is mildly romantic, I think it also works against the club to an extent.Quote:
Originally Posted by dcfcsteve
Feel free to correct me Stu, Schumi, Titan etc, but I suspect you all studied at UCD?
My opinion is that the club has no appeal to the public beyond current and former students. I think it is really unlikely to attract a floating league of Ireland supporter who has yet to give allegiance to a club.
Sometimes in business you have to something almost unthinkable to make the business tip over from struggling to successful - there's an apocryphal tale about selling the family mill I once heard - maybe it's time to start 'rebranding' and try to appeal to footballing public beyond the campus?
Quote:
Originally Posted by el punter
Most of the core regulars have attended UCD although a few started to support UCD AFC before attending there. The club does happen to be our local club too though for most of us. There is a UCD footballing crest in the works for the purpose of marketing the club but college ties mean their crest must always take primacy and still be used. You certainly raise an interesting point but only so much rebranding can be done (if that's even desired) under the college banner.
Yes for me and schumi; don't know for Titan.Quote:
Originally Posted by el punter
But the likes of Bald Student, Aberdonian Stu, Student Mullet and John-boy (who hasn't been seen on here for a while...) were going to games for years before going to college, while dmandmythdledge is doing the Leaving Cert this year. Similarly, if you look at the TV footage from yesterday, you can see a fair few young kids with UCD jerseys or UCD face paint.
As another aside, I think we've sold more scarves this year than any previous years, including 12 yesterday alone, so that's a sign of a bit of improvement.
The point about the college links alienating people don't hold water. Kids of ten or twelve who go to the soccer camps, for example, don't see the club as a college based team - they just see players coaching them, being a bit of fun, and then enjoying the chance to see their coaches play in a serious game. That's the route we're going to be going further down from next season with the launch of the academy.
I'm seeing more and more blue and club merchandise on people with each passing season. While some of it is just down to the availability of merchandise it's a positive sign.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Poor Student
The availability of merchandise means more people will want it. It was the same with jerseys . I started bringing these into the club shop about 12 years ago I ordered the equivalent of a squad set the first year. I sold them all by mid-season.
Next year I had to double the order. Nowadays the demand is such that they get enough to sell over an entire season in advance. And you see a lot more shirts at matches than ever before. Now if we can stop our fan base emigrating we might be getting somewhere :D
Bit off the top of my head this, but in a way, college kids are the worst target group for football. Boys (usually) if they are going to get into football at all, and particularly the local game, will do so well before university (usually before puberty); either as underage players or as fans; if they aren't already confirmed fans by the time they get to uni, they won't discover the bittersweet joys of that kind of commitment during their most distractable - and also poorest - years. A walk around UCD will reveal a load of Leinster rugby shirts and assorted GAA colours; allegiances formed at school, either in Southside rugby schools or at home in the bog. The rare LOI fan in this environment will have a prior allegiance.
My own experience of football fandom is of being a teenage obsessive, followed by a slackening of interest when I went to college and discovered girls and stuff; active fandom only revived when I was old enough to take my own kid to matches - I know I'm not alone in this pattern.
UCD's best hope is to attract local schoolage kids who aren't big or thick enough for rugger and families - and, just as Pat's and Bohs have large numbers of immigrants in their respective hinterlands to target, so do UCD; there are many middle class professionals from outside ireland on the southside, and just like their working class equivalents, they are much more likely to be attracted by a football club than by Rugby or Gah.
Students will only ever turn up on gala occasions, if that - they way they turn up for the colours match; they are the wrong age for fandom. College sport in America is big business - firstly because it is the acknowledged path to the pro leagues, but also because the players are seen to represent the student body; which isn't the case with UCD. The club's best hope might be to loosen the link with the college - go back to being called Pegasus? -and appeal to it's hinterland - they are, after all, currently the only southside team in the league.
son of stan
Some of your points are valid but just to correct an inaccuracy, Pegasus , is a separate club most of whose players base is UCD graduates.
The committe is almost exclusively UCD graduates and many of their players have played for UCD either the Under 21's or Intermediate teams operating in the Leinster Senior League.
They raise funds jointly with UCD and are a huge assistance to the club in keeping it going. In return for which they have the use of our playing facilities on the campus.
As noted, the club's name has nothing to do with anything, and changing it won't alter anything.
We can't go back to being called Pegasus because they are a different (if linked) team.
The players, as noted, aren't seen by ten to twelve year old kids (the best people to target) as representing the college body. That's an existing preconception among current eL fans, which they erroneously put into the minds of kids who know next to nothing about the eL.
Sorry, didn't realise the distinction.
What if UCD changed their name? To what? I don't know.
Perhaps something that would entice lay people who have no affiliation with the Univesity.
Off the top of my head...
Belfield FC
South Dublin FC
Dublin 4 FC (a bit like Limerick 37:D)
The name of a club is important. A few years ago , Salthill Devon FC took over the running of Galway United and there was talk of a name change to Salthill Devon FC. I know a lot of people would have stopped supporting the club if the name changed - including myself despite the fact that I was brought up and schooled in Salthill.
Salthill Devon jumped ship two years ago and we all lived happily ever after.
LOL. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Paddyfield