2013 Attendances

[gufcfan]

If Salthill had big clubs like rovers, Bohemians, St pats, Derry at home in the League twice a year then people who dont usually go to games will go to see some of the best players in Ireland.I'm not saying Salthill would be in the Premier Diviosn but if they were it would be an improvement on there attendances.

Salthill drew Rovers in the cup. It was moved to Terryland. Apart from Rovers fans and stewards there was nobody there. Was actually a bit surprised at that myself. People don't forget.

[nigel-harps1954]

Salthill drew Rovers in the cup. It was moved to Terryland. Apart from Rovers fans and stewards there was nobody there. Was actually a bit surprised at that myself. People don't forget.

Salthill might have been a bad example to use.

I know if Shamrock Rovers were visiting Finn Harps this Friday and not Cobh Ramblers the crowd would be well above what we're expecting (no disrespect to Cobh intended).

There's a valid argument there for an increased Premier Division. It's been done to death at this stage however.

[mightaswell]

Salthill and Mervue should never have been entered into the league.....they are nothing more than local city area clubs how on earth were they meant to get any kind off attendance??

[gufcfan]

There's a valid argument there for an increased Premier Division. It's been done to death at this stage however.

I completely disagree with the single division idea. No relegation means that anyone outside of the teams capable of challenging for Europe will only be competing to win back some of the club's affiliation fees.

The point is made that people come out to see the big teams, but I think LOI fans come out to see their own team compete against the top teams. If there is nothing at stake, nobody really gives a toss.

The teams at the bottom either go tits up or never get a chance to find their level and regroup.

Chopping and changing the league structure will not fix the real problems.

[peadar1987]

Made a presentation to a convention tonight, last weekend I was trying to put together some figures to compare Ireland and Russia in relation to sports. So I decided to look at attendances for professional/major sports leagues. Using very basic figures (from standard sources) I found that 0.0042% of Dublin's population follow the capital's clubs (didn't include Tallaght of the South, ie Bray) compared to 0.0044% of Muscovites.

Was that using attendance figures? And how full are Muscovite stadia? I ask because if the stadia in Moscow are full, there could be a large number of people who follow the clubs who simply can't get to games, similar to how Man Utd's global following is far greater than the 70000 odd who fit into Old Trafford. Is there the same phenomenon in Russia of people supporting the big Moscow and St. Petersburg clubs in spite of themselves being from Samara, Yekaterinburg or Vladivostok?

[Sean South]

Apart from Rovers fans and stewards there was nobody there.

Are you a Salthill steward or a Shams fan?

[Spudulika]

Was that using attendance figures? And how full are Muscovite stadia? I ask because if the stadia in Moscow are full, there could be a large number of people who follow the clubs who simply can't get to games, similar to how Man Utd's global following is far greater than the 70000 odd who fit into Old Trafford. Is there the same phenomenon in Russia of people supporting the big Moscow and St. Petersburg clubs in spite of themselves being from Samara, Yekaterinburg or Vladivostok?

Yes and not very. The size of (for example) Luzhniki goes against it, even with 40,000 it doesn't react, though much of this is down to the layout. The attitude towards the league here is not too far from the view held in Ireland towards the LOI. The prevailing attitude is that it's ruffians who go to games, if you're nice you follow some dross like Barcelona or the other sky leagues. But local clubs are looked down on. Spartak would be the biggest club in the country, though they have a terrible reputation and even though they'll have their new ground open next year, the club is a mess and they'll fail to fill their new ground when it opens. The problems here are many, thoug maybe some sound familiar - poor facilities, poor atmosphere, questionable on pitch product, lack of community connection, constant money worries.

In terms of travelling fans (who go to watch a team not from their own city), I personally know a group of Spartak fans who travel from Yaroslavl for 6-8 home games a year, sometimes more. They have a full pro club, Shinnik, in their own city, but they view them as losers. Though in fairness most small town club followers will also follow a big club. But down the divisions you'll get nobody at FNL (1st division) games and bigger crowds in the 2nd (3rd level) than some of the Premier teams even.

Without local government or sugar daddies all clubs in Russia are out of business, period. When you take (say Kuban) €50k at the gate 15 times a year and almost no prize money, and even less tv money, they couldn't pay a wage bill in excess of €30million a season.

[peadar1987]

Yes and not very. The size of (for example) Luzhniki goes against it, even with 40,000 it doesn't react, though much of this is down to the layout. The attitude towards the league here is not too far from the view held in Ireland towards the LOI. The prevailing attitude is that it's ruffians who go to games, if you're nice you follow some dross like Barcelona or the other sky leagues. But local clubs are looked down on. Spartak would be the biggest club in the country, though they have a terrible reputation and even though they'll have their new ground open next year, the club is a mess and they'll fail to fill their new ground when it opens. The problems here are many, thoug maybe some sound familiar - poor facilities, poor atmosphere, questionable on pitch product, lack of community connection, constant money worries.

In terms of travelling fans (who go to watch a team not from their own city), I personally know a group of Spartak fans who travel from Yaroslavl for 6-8 home games a year, sometimes more. They have a full pro club, Shinnik, in their own city, but they view them as losers. Though in fairness most small town club followers will also follow a big club. But down the divisions you'll get nobody at FNL (1st division) games and bigger crowds in the 2nd (3rd level) than some of the Premier teams even.

Without local government or sugar daddies all clubs in Russia are out of business, period. When you take (say Kuban) €50k at the gate 15 times a year and almost no prize money, and even less tv money, they couldn't pay a wage bill in excess of €30million a season.

Are there any leagues you've come across who'd be facing the same sort of issues as Ireland, and have actually dealt with any of them effectively?

[gufcfan]

Are you a Salthill steward or a Shams fan?

I loves Shamrock Rovers so I do.

[trevy]

355 at Waterford United v Finn Harps.

[Spudulika]

Are there any leagues you've come across who'd be facing the same sort of issues as Ireland, and have actually dealt with any of them effectively?

Until last year I'd have lauded the 2nd division Ural Volga, where they brought in measures to improve in all respects, however this has wobbled once clubs saw they weren't winning so quickly. Latvia was supposed to take steps but it's a mess, Armenia is terrible. Croatia has gone backwards and Russia is in crisis. The LOI has potential to do much better but it won't matter until it becomes competition the main Irish sports.

[MeathDrog]

It would be funny if 800 or so GUFC fans arrived at a Salthill game with the intention of seeing how small the crowd was.

[Olander]

It would be funny if 800 or so GUFC fans arrived at a Salthill game with the intention of seeing how small the crowd was.

Yes, that would be a mad laugh alright...

[nigel-harps1954]

Week 15: (amended Waterford v Harps)

PREMIER DIVISION

Bohs - 1,637 (1,496; 1,488; 1,835; 2,366; 1,993; 1,924; 1,463; 1,976)
Bray - 750 (965; 1,121; 952; 1,169; 1,106; 1,200; 1,027; 1,550)
Cork - 2,063 (2,786; 2,128 FD; 1,693 FD; 2,681; 3,142; 2,897; 2,941; 3,644)
Derry - 1,576 (1,460; 2,135; 1,965 FD; 2,436; 3,363; 2,614; 3,229; 2,698)
Drogheda - 915 (977; 811; 859; 1,106; 1,631; 1,919; 1,751; 1,682)
Dundalk - 1,758 (949; 1,355; 1,877; 2,371; 1,459 FD; 1,406 FD; 1,078 FD; 474 FD)
Limerick - 2,151 (734 FD; 569 FD; 598 FD; 429 FD; 517 FD; 670 FD; 364 FD; 669 FD)
Pat's - 1,395 (1,474; 1,346; 1,756; 1,631; 1,795; 1,910; 1,342; 1,599)
Rovers - 3,021 (3,127; 3,779; 3,794; 3,611; 1,468; 1,715; 1,089 FD; 1,539)
Shels - 1,096 (1,187; 781 FD; 737 FD; 972 FD; 986 FD; 888 FD; 1,690; 1,949)
Sligo - 2,535 (3,007; 2,103; 1,807; 1,756; 1,960; 1,448; 1,806; 1,794 FD)
UCD - 424 (506; 558; 610; 272 FD; 546; 663; 546; 653; 306 FD)

FIRST DIVISION

Athlone - 456 (271; 200; 354; 462; 387; 670; 421; 316)
Cobh - 511 (2008 - 1,122 PD; 681; 368; 403; 240)
Harps - 619 (429; 433; 644; 480; 1,607 PD; 1,164; 428; 1,347 PD; 1,106) -
Longford - 354 (365; 315; 230; 260; 406; 885 PD; 681 PD; 1,004 PD)
Mervue - 256 (243; 349; 123; 166)
Salthill Devon - 135 (182; 125; 122)
Waterford - 417 (453; 466; 619; 434; 670; 1,181 PD; 915 PD; 1,513 PD)
Wexford - 213 (302; 216; 343; 494; 767; 810)

PREMIER AVERAGE: 1,608 (1,630; 1,547; 1,512; 2,010; 1,746; 1,687; 1,535; 1,759)
FIRST DIVISION AVERAGE: 371 (372; 578; 682; 417; 641; 722; 570; 520)

OVERALL AVERAGE: 1,169 (1,125; 1,110; 1,095; 1,175; 1,221; 1,235; 1,070; 1,195)

TOTAL WEEKLY ATTENDANCE: 7,616
OVERALL ATTENDANCE: 197,510

[nigel-harps1954]

1,496 in Tallaght for Drogs v Malmo.

[Charlie Darwin]

1,496 in Tallaght for Drogs v Malmo.

They'd have had at least 1,497 in Oriel.

[bullit]

They'd have had at least 1,497 in Oriel.

1498,i would have went
Charlie wouldn't troll?

[Rasputin]

poor atmosphere,

The Russian league has many problems but that is not one of them.

[MiniMourinho]

They'd have had at least 1,497 in Oriel.

Brilliant.

[Spudulika]

The Russian league has many problems but that is not one of them.

Large empty stadia, ott policing, violence inside and outside grounds, weather, etc etc. If you take just a couple of clubs, Zenit or Kuban, I'd agree with you. But until you go down to 2nd division and football towns, it's terrible.