Attendances 2019

[Kingdom]

But the average LOI crowd is way below the average Division 1 crowd. This season's LOI attendance so far compares favourably with previous years LOI attendance but not with GAA. If anything it shows how much scope there is for improvement.

Do you mean the Average GAA NFL Div 1? If you were to remove Dublin, GAA crowds are atrocious in the main. If you go below Div 1, well they're truly shocking.

Even championship for one-off games outside of Dublin matches, it's embarassing. Just look at the "super-8s" last year.

The LoI has a bit to go, but if it could get to, hold and then look to build on a total matchday attendance of 20k, that would be a start. You'd be averaging around 4k per PD game, and then 1k per FD game, which is an approximation, but achievable. You don't get 20k supporters going to Ulster or Munster weekly games.

Btw, and I don't know if it was referenced elsewhere, but there is another angle to it when comparing the GAA, and it's that relatively speaking their support only has to be sporadic, yet even at an average of 1 game per calendar month a season, GAA fans still support in poor numbers (Div 1 sides excepted).

[bohsmug]

I don't really see how you can disregard NFL Division 1 if you're making any sort of comparison. You go lower down in LOI and it doesn't look good at all, similar to GAA. Anyway the best thing on that thread is the suggestion the GAA should start using the hashtag #GaelicfootballoneofgreatestfieldgamesinWorld as a promotional tool. Bit of a mouthful.

I agree it's great to see attendances coming up. I'm genuinely excited and hopeful that, even with the expected drop off, we achieve higher attendances than we have in recent memory. I do believe something is happening and LOI is starting to forge a more positive reputation. I'm starting to think social media may even be helping us in this regard. LOI doesn't have a huge marketing budget but your snapchats/instagrams/whatever will have people taking videos at matches and reminding people that there's live football on your doorstep. Previously you would have had to have actively chosen to watch LOI (either on telly or in person) to know anything about it. Nowadays people see little clips from friends on social media and it may just be peaking interests.

[sbgawa]

Fair enough, although I would be surprised if even 3-500 fans were put off by Dalymount (certainly contrary to any shams fan I've ever spoken to). Don't think facilities play much of a part in attracting fans to Irelands biggest game

'
combination of put off plus thats all our allocation is.
I'd agree in general i don't think bad facilities put off the hard core but i think better facilities bring families and floating supporters.

[sbgawa]

I don't think your assertion on the ticket office numbers are pertinent or even particularly credible.

Anyone who was in the away section that evening was aware of the incompetency around accommodating the numbers admitted.

It was clear well before kick-off that the number of seats allocated was too few for the visiting crowd, yet it still took 20 minutes into the match before the dangerous overcrowding was resolved. The solution of opening the unoccupied adjacent section was so simple to implement that it beggars belief that it took so long to action.

If there was a goal scored in that time (or any other major incident causing a crowd surge) the consequences of the overcrowding could have been serious.

I hope Shamrock Rovers, AGS and SDCC have learned from this and review the issues (maybe this also includes the ticket office ticket counting system)

ive been estimating numbers in the East stand for years and id say 800 is about right (the netting seat kills at the front spread people out).
800 is a phenomenal traveling support.
The lack of scanning of tickets that was reported is irrelevant the tickets were sold and unless a lot of dundalk fans traveled without tickets and then queued up in the hope they could bunk in i don't know why the number admitted would be different to what was sold.
Again 800 is a phenomenal support and the highest by far i've seen in Tallight for a team outside Dublin.

[Kingdom]

I don't really see how you can disregard NFL Division 1 if you're making any sort of comparison. You go lower down in LOI and it doesn't look good at all, similar to GAA. Anyway the best thing on that thread is the suggestion the GAA should start using the hashtag #GaelicfootballoneofgreatestfieldgamesinWorld as a promotional tool. Bit of a mouthful.

I agree it's great to see attendances coming up. I'm genuinely excited and hopeful that, even with the expected drop off, we achieve higher attendances than we have in recent memory. I do believe something is happening and LOI is starting to forge a more positive reputation. I'm starting to think social media may even be helping us in this regard. LOI doesn't have a huge marketing budget but your snapchats/instagrams/whatever will have people taking videos at matches and reminding people that there's live football on your doorstep. Previously you would have had to have actively chosen to watch LOI (either on telly or in person) to know anything about it. Nowadays people see little clips from friends on social media and it may just be peaking interests.

Honestly, I think a lot of is to do with the realisation that the "product" the public are being fed from the UK is not what it is supposed to be.
I really think the fact that there is a fundamental link now between the Senior team and the League here, that is improving the profile also.

[EatYerGreens]

Not sure about that but Bohs could well break the away attendance for a LOI game that evening 1500 plus is possible. If we were going in the apposite direction to a ground of a similar standard we would bring a similar number, lots of Rovers fans wont go to Dalyer because of the away end and the poor view.

Is there a record for away support in the league ? If so - who and when ? How far back does it go, as Derry were bringing thousands to even very ordinary first division games in the mid 1980s.

[Ezeikial]

ive been estimating numbers in the East stand for years and id say 800 is about right (the netting seat kills at the front spread people out).
800 is a phenomenal traveling support.
The lack of scanning of tickets that was reported is irrelevant the tickets were sold and unless a lot of dundalk fans traveled without tickets and then queued up in the hope they could bunk in i don't know why the number admitted would be different to what was sold.
Again 800 is a phenomenal support and the highest by far i've seen in Tallight for a team outside Dublin.

The veracity of the 798 number, or how 'phenomenal' it may be, is hardly the most pertinent issue.

It is the safety issue that occurred because of the large disparity between the number of seats allocated and the number of people admitted to that section. If the incompetency involved in this, exasperated by the incredibly slow response in relieving the dangerous overcrowding, was repeated in the future, it would only be a question of time before there would be serious consequences.

While some forum posters here may be in denial about what happened, I sincerely hope that the club and/or the safety authorities are not. Otherwise it calls into question their ability to safely host large away crowds.

[Kingswood Rover]

Do the same Rovers fans refuse to go to Oriel, Sligo (you can’t see down sideline if your beside the big fences they have up) Finn Park and Pats as view in Sheds poor?

Dalyer and Oriel are the grounds that i often hear fans say they will not go to. Pats behind the goal is crap as well but you have a decent chance of a stand ticket in Richmond if you are in early enough. Sligo is fine imo, Finn park tbh its a long time since i was there.

[Kingswood Rover]

So there are approx. 1600 shams fans out there 'boycotting' Dalymount ? Wow, who knew ? Genuinely the first I (or I suspect anyone else) heard of that.

What are you on about we only get 900 tickets. Let me clarify i am talking about (in the main) the current ground regs across the league. So if you go back to prior to Rovers going into Shed we would have taken 1500 plus to Dalyer. Look who cares about this my dick is bigger than your Dick garbage. Great attendances so far with some noteworthy work by clubs in their communities being a big contributor.

[sbgawa]

The veracity of the 798 number, or how 'phenomenal' it may be, is hardly the most pertinent issue.

It is the safety issue that occurred because of the large disparity between the number of seats allocated and the number of people admitted to that section. If the incompetency involved in this, exasperated by the incredibly slow response in relieving the dangerous overcrowding, was repeated in the future, it would only be a question of time before there would be serious consequences.

While some forum posters here may be in denial about what happened, I sincerely hope that the club and/or the safety authorities are not. Otherwise it calls into question their ability to safely host large away crowds.

I'm not in denial at all, dundalk fans were left standing for 20 minutes under cover of a nice roof. It's a shocking indictment that could easily have led to people having to bunch up into a three people for every 2 seats situation. Close shave....irony or what

[Ezeikial]

I'm not in denial at all, dundalk fans were left standing for 20 minutes under cover of a nice roof. It's a shocking indictment that could easily have led to people having to bunch up into a three people for every 2 seats situation. Close shave....irony or what

You really think a 'nice roof' is in some way relevant?

It was a safety issue not simply one of comfort. The aisles and stairways were packed with people trying to get in to a stand section that was already full.

You seem to have very little appreciation for the safety issues involved in stadium overcrowding, but then that's also what I thought about those responsible for the inertia and mismanagement on the night.

Most of the tragedies listed here involve the consequences of overcrowding or mismanagement of crowds:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catego...dium_disasters

[sbgawa]

Exaggerate much? If people had been pushed up against the orange netting anything could have happened

[sbgawa]

I've been googling but can't find any specific numbers for away support for Derry in the late 80s, but I'd suspect they were the biggest certainly over a season or two.
I suppose if you go back far enough into the 50s and 60s the crowds were far higher.
Rovers had a couple of thousand for the final game in bray in 2011....Given bray were taking tenners at the gate with no tickets anything is possible crowd wise .

For a normal league match I'd say if bohs or pats get 1500 into the east stand it will b e a modern record.

[Eminence Grise]

Look who cares about this my dick is bigger than your Dick garbage.

Not you, sir, and I salute you for it! Good of you to take the lower case and be, ah, the bigger man.

[Ezeikial]

Exaggerate much? If people had been pushed up against the orange netting anything could have happened

[RathfarnhamHoop]

There's an awful lot of ****e posted on this site but I think claiming figures from a clubs official ticket office are neither relevant nor credible probably takes the biscuit.
It's actually impossible for the figure to not be relevant as they were posted just in case any Dundalk fans were interested in the official number and not in relation to any conversation that might have been going on in your own head Ez. Claiming they're not credible on the basis of not believing the poster is one thing but claiming they're not credible on the basis the ticket office itself is wrong is laughable, especially when the game was an all ticket event and the number is roughly what multiple estimates have put it at and what has been taken on here as the number.

Now if the conversation is now (back) on the issues of the night there's actually a few things you're leaving out Ez. Mainly that it may have taken 20 minutes to open the next section but a while before that the netting at the front of the stand started to get moved but it was decided due to the rain to stop that and see about opening the next section so that fans could stay dry, trying to keep away fans under shelter, if only every set of away fans could be treated so well.

Was the over crowding acceptable? No. It was a learning curve though and not deserving of being brought up again to such an extent out of nowhere.

[dundalkfc10]

Dalyer and Oriel are the grounds that i often hear fans say they will not go to. Pats behind the goal is crap as well but you have a decent chance of a stand ticket in Richmond if you are in early enough. Sligo is fine imo, Finn park tbh its a long time since i was there.

You can pay into the Stand in Oriel and have an excellent view!

[Asterix]

You can pay into the Stand in Oriel and have an excellent view!

Not sure excellent is the word I'd use, better perhaps. I'd expect at least a clear view for €20.

[sbgawa]

We should have a predict the crowd competition as a separate bonus point in the predictions league ( humble suggestion Sirs )....
I feel sure this would be a good thing for me.

[Nesta99]

There's an awful lot of ****e posted on this site but I think claiming figures from a clubs official ticket office are neither relevant nor credible probably takes the biscuit.

Ah come on RH, under declaring ticket sales is as old as the hills and as much a key LoI business practice as spending money ye dont have hoping to make money. Maybe not in this case and I dont dispute the figures but it will be a while yet before I take all declared ticket sales and announced attendanes anywhere at face value. Its not that long ago that we were given cloakroom tickets at United Park eg. If there are hand held scanners used than people can slip through occasionally without their ticket scanned. That can be reconciled with ticket sales to some extent. I wasnt at the game so cant comment at the level of risk, precieved or real, but it is not unknown for crowd congestion entering league grounds. I hate when there is a delayed response to a developing situation (in general as Im aware of how things get very bad very quickly) even if there was no risk this time, the next time there could be with larger numbers if a proper debrief isnt done to improve decision making on the move - especially with Na Gardaí who will be dealing with huge crowds and need to act quickly to avert injury or worse.