2013 Attendances

[nigel-harps1954]

Lowest Attendances;

Bohs - 1,006
Bray - 250
Cork - 1,444
Derry - 750
Dundalk - 1,155
Drogs - 465
Limerick - 847
Shamrock Rovers - 857
Shelbourne - 551
Sligo - 1,500
St Pats - 963
UCD - 170


First Division;

Athlone - 311
Cobh - 300
Harps - 200
Longford - 200
Mervue - 100
Salthill - 23
Waterford - 208
Wexford - 145

[nigel-harps1954]

Nice one Nigel

However my eagle eye has noticed 10 figures for UCD compared to 9 for the rest?

The beauty of small attendances is that they fit all in a row without starting a new one.

The 60% drop in Cobh's attendance is unforgivable. Sack the board!

Longford would want to have a look at themselves for that average attendance, even if it is up on the last few years. Startling jump from Athlone.

As I correctly predicted months ago in the face of ridicule, Bohs have achieved a healthy increase in average attendance (although perhaps the extra game vs Rovers accounts for that), while Pats and Dundalk in particular will be pleased with themselves. A lot of work to do for Rovers and Sligo, goes to show how difficult it is to maintain your fan base when things are slightly sub-optimal, let alone in freefall like in Tallaght.

Athlones attendances were just as awful as the rest of the divisions until late in the season. It took 7 of their 14 home games for them to even break 600, which was their only 600+ attendance besides their last 4 home games. If it wasn't for their last 4 games, their average would only be 460.

Besides Longfords push for promotion, their attendances fell badly in the second half of the season. Their last 4 home games were all below 300, which only happened once the whole lot of their games before that. In saying that though, only 3 of their games all season have been 400+ (not including play-offs).

Cobh arguably have the most impressive stats of the whole League of Ireland. Second bottom for pretty much the whole season, they steadily averaged around 400 for the whole season despite not going anywhere.

[Charlie Darwin]

Cobh's stats are undoubtedly impressive and they're a welcome re-addition to the league. Longford is a GAA county but the town is a good footballing place and they really should be doing a lot better than that. I'd say there'll be 1500 out for the game on Friday, which just goes to show how much they're missing out on with Cousins' turgid football. Without knocking Harps, a Longford side bothering the top of the table should be at least matching your crowds.

Bohs' lowest attendance being higher than Rovers' is slightly surprising but not hugely. Grudgingly, I'll admit the Premier would be worse without them.

[nigel-harps1954]

With the stadium Longford have, as well as knocking on the door of promotion for the last 3 or 4 seasons, they really should be getting much higher attendances.

People chat all they like about how Mervue and UCD add nothing to the league, but honestly, for me, it's just as horrible going to Longford and seeing an empty stadium for home games. The fans there are passionate, and they have their core base, but they really should be doing much, much better when it comes to attendances. Shocking crowds will only see them fall further and further until they go out of business altogether. Something drastic needs done.

[avvenalaf]

Might be a help if they hadn't built a stadium 2/3 miles out of town.

[Charlie Darwin]

Might be a help if they hadn't built a stadium 2/3 miles out of town.

It was built 100 years ago. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and all, but that's just taking the ****.

[nigel-harps1954]

Might be a help if they hadn't built a stadium 2/3 miles out of town.

That's a poor excuse really though. Ballybofey isn't exactly the biggest place for example, yet still Harps attract regular home fans 50 miles away.

[dundalkfc10]

Lowest Attendances;

Bohs - 1,006
Bray - 250
Cork - 1,444
Derry - 750
Dundalk - 1,155
Drogs - 465
Limerick - 847
Shamrock Rovers - 857
Shelbourne - 551
Sligo - 1,500
St Pats - 963
UCD - 170


First Division;

Athlone - 311
Cobh - 300
Harps - 200
Longford - 200
Mervue - 100
Salthill - 23
Waterford - 208
Wexford - 145

Irelands Number 1

[Charlie Darwin]

Irelands Number 1

http://extratime.ie/fixtures/detail/18043/2/

Let's be completely fair now.

[avvenalaf]

It was built 100 years ago. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and all, but that's just taking the ****.

It wasn't built 100 years ago and it was a crazy decision to build it out there where the vast majority of the clubs support had no means of getting to a game. Finn Harps ground is in the middle of the town, Sligo Rovers is a walk from anywhere in the town and when Limerick go back to Markets Field watch their support grow.

[pateen]

Irelands Number 1

Me hole!!

[Macy]

Something drastic needs done.

Hopefully that's promotion! Regardless though, the whole play off's, regardless of results, might have rekindled the interest around the place.

As for the position of the ground, ideally something walking distance would be better, however, little chance of a green field site much nearer the way things went in Longford (you'd be talking out by the bypass probably, which would be the guts of 3km from the town anyway). Abbeycartron (not that near the town centre) could never really have been brought up to standard, so then you'd be looking at sharing somewhere like the dog track which would be pretty cramped too. To be honest, it's just another one of those excuses that's used - anyone from outside the town has to drive anyway, and anyone in the outer estates probably taxi's it into town if they were going for a pint anyway, but moan about a couple of quid the bit out the road on top.

[Charlie Darwin]

It wasn't built 100 years ago and it was a crazy decision to build it out there where the vast majority of the clubs support had no means of getting to a game. Finn Harps ground is in the middle of the town, Sligo Rovers is a walk from anywhere in the town and when Limerick go back to Markets Field watch their support grow.

40 years ago then, or whenever it was built. It's a couple of miles outside of the town, 5 minutes by road. It takes me longer to get to Dalymount. Although, to be fair, I had no idea the "vast majority" of Sligo's support had no access to a car so my knowledge might be outdated.

[BonnieShels]

40 years ago then, or whenever it was built. It's a couple of miles outside of the town, 5 minutes by road. It takes me longer to get to Dalymount. Although, to be fair, I had no idea the "vast majority" of Sligo's support had no access to a car so my knowledge might be outdated.

And you don't even have a direct bus...

[Acornvilla]

Pretty sure it's not even 20 years old...

[nigel-harps1954]

Didn't Longford run a free bus from the town before that had to be cancelled because nobody was getting it?

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

40 years ago then, or whenever it was built. It's a couple of miles outside of the town, 5 minutes by road. It takes me longer to get to Dalymount. Although, to be fair, I had no idea the "vast majority" of Sligo's support had no access to a car so my knowledge might be outdated.

What would Sligo have to do with the vast majority of Longfords support? Away fans will go to grounds no matter where they are in a town / city.

And I would have thought that you, more then anyone, would have understood that the location of a ground has a huge impact in a teams regular following

[Charlie Darwin]

I think I may have meant Longford.

[Martinho II]

Didn't Longford run a free bus from the town before that had to be cancelled because nobody was getting it?

correct in 98/99 and 99/00 seasons..

[Longfordian]

Hopefully that's promotion! Regardless though, the whole play off's, regardless of results, might have rekindled the interest around the place.

As for the position of the ground, ideally something walking distance would be better, however, little chance of a green field site much nearer the way things went in Longford (you'd be talking out by the bypass probably, which would be the guts of 3km from the town anyway). Abbeycartron (not that near the town centre) could never really have been brought up to standard, so then you'd be looking at sharing somewhere like the dog track which would be pretty cramped too. To be honest, it's just another one of those excuses that's used - anyone from outside the town has to drive anyway, and anyone in the outer estates probably taxi's it into town if they were going for a pint anyway, but moan about a couple of quid the bit out the road on top.

If it was in the town there'd be another excuse as you say. They got fourteen acres or whatever is out there in a swap for one building in the town. It was a no brainer really, lots of space out there to develop great facilities that will hopefully provide off the field revenue. Two brand new full length pitches being put in, dressing rooms too I think.