2009 attendances

**Longfordian** · 08/03/2009, 4:23 PM

It's ok I'll take your word for it, it was very quiet whenever ye scored however so it was hard to know.

**Magicme** · 08/03/2009, 4:27 PM

Yeah we dont have the most vocal of support. If you had been near the press box tho you would have heard me roaring!

**Maynard** · 08/03/2009, 4:57 PM

Originally Posted by oldyouth

Why should I have to pay PD prices to see MY team play as a away supporter. Charge your own fans what you like

Eh, you don't. Stay at home and keep your 15 bills in your pocket twice this season. Shels aren't hiding what they charge. If you don't like it don't pay it. Simple really. I'm sure you would have done marvelous things with that fiver anyway. Fair play to you.

**dcfcsteve** · 08/03/2009, 10:24 PM

Originally Posted by CelticTiger

Im tellin ye! we'll have a lot better crowds this year average attendance at the end of the year will be a serious increase on last year

You're getting far too carried away too early here CT.

Crowds at the start of the season are probably higher on average across all clubs than at any other part of the year, as people have been starved of footie for a few months and the new season brings new hope.

Once the reality of poor performance and mid-table mediocrity kicks in, attendances across most of those clubs will almost certainly fall.

One thing that I expect to boost the overall league average this year is Rover's in Tallaght, as the novelty and their marketing will combine to produce relatively good crowds across certainly the first half of the season.

Conversely - the economic circumstances will doubtless play a part to supress attendnaces in general as well, and at some clubs more than others.

All-in-all, it's far too early to be making any predictions on the basis of the opening day's attendnaces - thoiugh I suspect we'll have a small year-on-year overall increase by the end myself.

**oldyouth** · 09/03/2009, 7:45 AM

Originally Posted by Maynard

Eh, you don't. Stay at home and keep your 15 bills in your pocket twice this season. Shels aren't hiding what they charge. If you don't like it don't pay it. Simple really. I'm sure you would have done marvelous things with that fiver anyway. Fair play to you.

You're getting me wrong. Firstly, I like going to Tolka Park. Nice ground, close to the action and always a bit of banter between fans. My point is that I don't usually go to games on my own and bring the family with me. The game on Friday would set me back �20 more for my circumstances than at most 1st Division grounds. I appreciate that every club has different expenses but I think it is bad form to be out of step with other teams in the same division. Every club's season ticket offers fans reasonable savings by purchasing one but visiting fans don't have this option.
PS, I would have bought another portion of curry chips with the fiver. Yummy

**gspain** · 09/03/2009, 8:07 AM

I would have put the UCD v Limerick attendance at 120 and thought we did have almost half the crowd.

A friend was at Bray v Rovers and put the attendance at 4,000. It said 3,000 on the radio. He also said that Rovers had much bigger support than Bray.

**oriel** · 09/03/2009, 8:39 AM

Originally Posted by dannydundalk

we had 4,500 at home versus bohs

I`m not sure if it was this high, I also heard a figure of 4,200 with 3,600 paying in (+ 600 season tickets) - this was just after the game, maybe the figures were just out and still unconfirmed ?

Includes 500 + bohs support - very impressive

**pineapple stu** · 09/03/2009, 8:40 AM

Originally Posted by gspain

I would have put the UCD v Limerick attendance at 120 and thought we did have almost half the crowd.

I did a quick count and there was 100 in the block I was in alone, and 40 in the outside right block. Didn't see the Limerick side fully, but if you reckon youz had half the crowd, that puts the crowd at 300. So someone Shannon-side is telling porkies.

Also baffled how Limerick can claim half the crowd.

**Maynard** · 09/03/2009, 1:50 PM

Originally Posted by oldyouth

You're getting me wrong. Firstly, I like going to Tolka Park. Nice ground, close to the action and always a bit of banter between fans. My point is that I don't usually go to games on my own and bring the family with me. The game on Friday would set me back €20 more for my circumstances than at most 1st Division grounds. I appreciate that every club has different expenses but I think it is bad form to be out of step with other teams in the same division. Every club's season ticket offers fans reasonable savings by purchasing one but visiting fans don't have this option.
PS, I would have bought another portion of curry chips with the fiver. Yummy

Right, I'll say this and call it a day. I understand that it might cost a bit extra to bring the family etc to Tolka, but if you think that a) you can charge home fans more than away fans then you are looney, and if you think that b) all PD clubs and FD clubs should have a set gate charge then your complaint should be with the FAI.

And it is a reasonable arguement.

But Shels need the money. We actually would have broken even/made a small profit last season were it not for debts accrued during the old Ollie years that we are still paying off (and not at one cent in the euro I'll have you know)

Also, on a value for money issue; I will happily part with 15E every other week without fuss to watch a match in Tolka, pay and extra 3E for the best programme in the league, browse in the shop and have a scoop in the bar if I can - This overall matchday experience beats the sh1t out of what I was treated to when I went to Ferrycarrig for the first time last season

10E got me, no seat, a portaloo and leaning against a fence for 90minutes craning my neck past the dugouts.Not only would your stewards not allow me and my missus to go to the stand, but they would also not allow us to stand behind the f***ing goal.

So PLEASE. Give it a rest.

**Grey Boy** · 09/03/2009, 3:25 PM

Originally Posted by gspain

I would have put the UCD v Limerick attendance at 120 and thought we did have almost half the crowd.

A friend was at Bray v Rovers and put the attendance at 4,000. It said 3,000 on the radio. He also said that Rovers had much bigger support than Bray.

Unfortunately your friend was wrong about the attendance, but right about being outnumbered by the Rovers support. 3000 was about right for the attendance, I'd say 1700 or so were Rovers fans. The Star must pluck figures out of the air for attendances, they had it down as 4500.

**oriel** · 09/03/2009, 3:44 PM

Originally Posted by Grey Boy

Unfortunately your friend was wrong about the attendance, but right about being outnumbered by the Rovers support. 3000 was about right for the attendance, I'd say 1700 or so were Rovers fans. The Star must pluck figures out of the air for attendances, they had it down as 4500.

The star figures have been a load of sh'#te for at least 5 years, they had 2,800 for us v Bohs.

They continously got a host of other clubs, hugely incorrect last season for eg.

Just ignore any crowd they report in future.

**Ronnie** · 09/03/2009, 3:51 PM

Real shame we can't get official figures to at least compare ouselves. If you want some very sobering comparisons with English football, look at fansfocus.com, they produce attendances for the 7th and 8th tiers of English football, the likes of the Ryman and Unibond leagues, but even more scary is the size of some of these support bases compared to our league.

**pineapple stu** · 09/03/2009, 3:53 PM

Look at Tony Kempster's site, where they have official figures for the seventh and eighth level of non-league football. I think that's every senior league in England, even the ones where attendances drop below 10.

**Boh_So_Good** · 09/03/2009, 3:56 PM

Originally Posted by CelticTiger

Im tellin ye! we'll have a lot better crowds this year average attendance at the end of the year will be a serious increase on last year

I think you are right. There is more layman interest this year for some reason.

Tallaght alone should go mega.

**dannydundalk** · 09/03/2009, 4:04 PM

sure the star said there was 4,500 at bray game?

i was like

nah
then i heard there was 2,800 or sommething

and it say's on dundalk website 4,500 at our game versus bohs maybe a bit exaggerated to be honest though

but close enough to it which is fantastic