2015 attendances

[gufcfan]

That is an excellent crowd, especially not long after getting battered by UCD. Fair play to Cabo, they've got a lot right since coming into the league.

That's what happens when a whole club is behind entry into the LOI, not a few lads helping their poor buddy on the committee out, who ignore the protests of the membership.

[Dunny]

I think he might have managed 10 using his fingers and thumbs but then lost count and accidentally added another zero when typing it.

What you talking about Willis?

[Nesta99]

Considering that Turners Cross is a lovely ground and Cork's marketing campaign is so good that it should be in a Forbes top ten is it worth the expenditure and effort considering Dundalk who have been weak with marketing yet there isnt a huge difference in attendance averages at the half way point. Crok have added about 100 to their average and Dundalk 700. Both being top 2 last season and so far this season in the league table. The football product at Oriel is arguably speaking for its self but Oriel isnt conducive to attracting the floating fan or barstooler.

Shamrock Rover are challanging for the title this season yet there has been a fall in average as the novelty factor of Tallaght has worn off to the hardcore support in averages terms but have added the guts of 1000 to this seasons average (dont know what they do in marketing terms).

Sligo's average is good in LoI terms again with great facilities but are struggling onfield losing about 1300 off their average from the championship season. A potential relegations season hasnt seen their crowds collapse and still higher than Pat's league winning season.

Bohs have seen an improvement with their on field performances and added about 400.

Galway isnt bad for a new club but i'd have expected a higher average due to the return of a united Galway club, newly promoted and not relegation fodder.

Harps promotion push has doubled their average and very impressive from Cabinteely so far again in relative term for LoI.

Considering all this, the much criticised lack of clubs getting out and marketing themselves the above would indicate why clubs dont see it as worth spending limited money without any obvious return. I'm nor talking abut a FAI or league led national ad campaign which may at least marginally increase average support across the leagues...maybe. Any thoughts? I was going to do percentages but couldnt be that bothered although this is the stuff of summer break boredom I suppose! The roughly 600 in the difference between Dundalk's and Cork's average attendance at say €15 entry is €9k, I doubt an extensive advertisment, billboards, bus stops, flyer drops etc could be done for 9 grand...I am shooting in the dark though as I wouldnt have much idea what these things would cost over a season.

Cork - 3,826
Dundalk - 3,215
Rovers - 3,148
Bohs - 1,846
Sligo - 1,797

[White Horse]

The attendance figures in Cork have been over-hyped. For a city of it's size, an average of 3,826 is nothing special.

[wonder88]

Very interesting observations Nesta. A LoI club can't justify spending big on marketing. However social media may give an opportunity to do a good campaign on the cheap, if you could get people with good skills/creativity to volunteer for the club. Paying an agency/company to do marketing/promotion work will not give a positive return.
Only been to Cabinteely once for a game, so no expert, but got a good impression of the club that night. Their crowds very impressive so far, fair play.
The influence of facilities on attendance figures in Irish soccer I think is exaggerated.

[Pablo Escobar]

The attendance figures in Cork have been over-hyped. For a city of it's size, an average of 3,826 is nothing special.

You'll get no argument from me in that. But in reality the closer you live to the ground the more likely you are to go to games. People living in Mayfield would be far less likely to attend than people from Ballyphehane. It's just the way it is. We don't have the transport infrastructure to move/attract large numbers of people effectively in urban areas. Not to say that's the main issue, the culture just isn't there.

[Real ale Madrid]

The attendance figures in Cork have been over-hyped. For a city of it's size, an average of 3,826 is nothing special.

Who has been hyping the Cork's average attendances ? Apart from our manager having a cut off the Dublin clubs - I haven't seen anything else. Granted there was a lot of praise regarding the Dundalk game itself - but that was a great occasion in fairness.
Dundalk have excellent crowds in fairness to them, no doubt driven on by success and the quality of football. Our crowds have been great I think - in the context that last seasons average was higher than 05 and this season looks like it may exceed it if we stay in the title race.

[nigel-harps1954]

Would I be right in saying though, GAA and Rugby is probably far bigger in Cork than football, and there'd be the traditional scoffing at senior football from those involved with the MSL?

[outspoken]

Would I be right in saying though, GAA and Rugby is probably far bigger in Cork than football, and there'd be the traditional scoffing at senior football from those involved with the MSL?

Is that not every county in Ireland though?

[The Donie Forde]

Would I be right in saying though, GAA and Rugby is probably far bigger in Cork than football, and there'd be the traditional scoffing at senior football from those involved with the MSL?

Cork is a GAA town.

[nigel-harps1954]

Is that not every county in Ireland though?

Not really. There's a lot of parts of Ireland that aren't largely GAA or Rugby. Inishowen, top of Donegal, is thriving in junior soccer, they don't have the same attraction to GAA or Rugby at all. Inishowen League just won the Oscar Traynor cup, facilities up there are top class and used by the likes of Derry and even Harps during pre-season.

Some other counties have stronger followings for GAA and Rugby than others, while the people of Dundalk have proven that you can attract a good support, a town of less than 40,000 people attracting 3,500 to their games while the GAA team are crap, and there's not the same following for Rugby there that I know of at all.

Some areas are impossible to compete with GAA and Rugby, while in other areas, there's a large portion of people who simply don't look at either.

[White Horse]

Some other counties have stronger followings for GAA and Rugby than others, while the people of Dundalk have proven that you can attract a good support, a town of less than 40,000 people attracting 3,500 to their games while the GAA team are crap, and there's not the same following for Rugby there that I know of at all.

Dundalk is a football town. While GAA and rugby have a presence, football is the major sport.

While an average of over 3,000 is good, many (including the manager) would argue that it should be much higher.

[Dodge]

Sligo is definitely a football town too.

Dublin clearly is, but that doesn't translate to LOI fans of course

[Pablo Escobar]

Dundalk is a football town. While GAA and rugby have a presence, football is the major sport.

While an average of over 3,000 is good, many (including the manager) would argue that it should be much higher.

You're far outstripping the European average, so I would think not.

[outspoken]

Not really. There's a lot of parts of Ireland that aren't largely GAA or Rugby. Inishowen, top of Donegal, is thriving in junior soccer, they don't have the same attraction to GAA or Rugby at all. Inishowen League just won the Oscar Traynor cup, facilities up there are top class and used by the likes of Derry and even Harps during pre-season.

Some other counties have stronger followings for GAA and Rugby than others, while the people of Dundalk have proven that you can attract a good support, a town of less than 40,000 people attracting 3,500 to their games while the GAA team are crap, and there's not the same following for Rugby there that I know of at all.

Some areas are impossible to compete with GAA and Rugby, while in other areas, there's a large portion of people who simply don't look at either.

But as a whole Donegal is a Gaelic football county. Dublin LOI attendances clearly show this rubbish that it's a football county to be nonsense, it's a GAA county.

[nigel-harps1954]

While it's not easy to see from the outside, Donegal and Inishowen are practically two different counties.

[toffeejay]

Derry, Dundalk and Sligo seem to be more football orientated than GAA or Rugby. With the exception of a couple of pockets as mention like Innishowen its a rarerity here.
Even in the North, rugby, cricket and GAA take precidence. Only really Portadown that seems to have a significant football dominance.

I'd go as far to say Sligo's strong attendances for a town of its size are in part to it being traditionally poor at both GAA codes and the province being the weakest of the 4 at rugby and its headquarters also based far away in Galway.

[PartySaint]

How many fans would Sligo GAA or Louth GAA get on average at their games?

[Dodge]

Dublin LOI attendances clearly show this rubbish that it's a football county to be nonsense, it's a GAA county.

That's if you're counting people who go to games. Which is a pretty ****e indicator of it

More people play football, and watch football than GAA and rugby combined in Dublin. They just all watch Man U, Liverpool etc and not LOI

[White Horse]

How many fans would Sligo GAA or Louth GAA get on average at their games?

Louth would be lucky to get 1,000 to 2,000 at league games. The capacity of the ground in Drogheda is only 3,500.