Attendances 2022

[EalingGreen]

They've toyed with a Summer league schedule in the north which keeps the St Stephen's Day derbies. It is possible, though would mean not avoiding a lot of the crap weather as a downside.

I think some of the bigger/f-t clubs are in favour of switching to a summer season, while also preserving Boxing Day, as you say. And at least part of their reasoning is to help them in Europe.

But I'm not sure the smaller clubs are so keen (if nothing else, unlikely to qualify for Europe themselves), while I'm pretty sure the IFA is opposed, since they've put a lot of work into creating a pyramid, so they won't want the two senior divisions cut-off from the Intermediate and Junior (winter) leagues beneath them.

Sound familiar?

Personally I'm opposed, but then again, I've long been a hoary old traditionalist. Though I would also point out that the IL's results in Europe have been pretty good for the last couple of seasons. Tbh, a summer season might help, but there's a whole lot more to competing in Europe than that i.e. greater all-round "professionalism" (both literally and figuratively).

Meanwhile, the introduction of the Europa Conference League may actually do more to help the IL clubs, since they should be able to compete better with that standard of club, most of whom also operate a winter league.

[EalingGreen]

Didn't expect Coleraine's figures to be so high, what's going on there?

Finlay Harp and DCSIL are doubtless better-placed than me to comment on recent developments (above), but the idea that somewhere is what I call "a proper football town", like eg Coleraine, is imo often hugely underestimated.

Something which LOI fans from eg Derry, Ballybofey and Sligo will surely understand!

[EalingGreen]

Sorry to drag this further off the topic of LOI attendances (Mods delete if you like), but there is no better illustration of the value of tradition than the Steel & Sons Cup Final, which is held in Belfast every Christmas Day morning!

Dating from 1895, this competition is for 3rd tier level clubs and below (includes IL Reserve teams), afaik this attracts healthy 3 figure crowds, even low four figures(?), depending on the participants! And for many football fans (not just of the participating clubs), popping along to the Steel Cup Final is as much a part of Christmas as turkey and presents!

Lovely article here: https://thesefootballtimes.co/2019/1...ons-cup-final/

[El-Pietro]

Curious about this weeks figures. Looks like over 4k at the Cross.

[joey B]

Looks about 750/800 at UCD/Harps

[pineapple stu]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. Stand about half full

[SPXcyan]

2372 at the RSC.

[DCSIL]

Sorry to drag this further off the topic of LOI attendances (Mods delete if you like), but there is no better illustration of the value of tradition than the Steel & Sons Cup Final, which is held in Belfast every Christmas Day morning!

Dating from 1895, this competition is for 3rd tier level clubs and below (includes IL Reserve teams), afaik this attracts healthy 3 figure crowds, even low four figures(?), depending on the participants! And for many football fans (not just of the participating clubs), popping along to the Steel Cup Final is as much a part of Christmas as turkey and presents!

Lovely article here: https://thesefootballtimes.co/2019/1...ons-cup-final/

On my list to do a Steel and Sons Final.

[redarmyfaction]

Finlay Harp and DCSIL are doubtless better-placed than me to comment on recent developments (above), but the idea that somewhere is what I call "a proper football town", like eg Coleraine, is imo often hugely underestimated.

Something which LOI fans from eg Derry, Ballybofey and Sligo will surely understand!

There are times when there is more people in Finn Park then there is in the rest of Ballybofey, Harps support comes from all over Donegal though some parts are more garlicky than others.

[El-Pietro]

4,984 at Turners Cross.

[Finlay Harp]

Very impressive turnout in Cork.

[oriel]

4,984 at Turners Cross.

Absolutely outstanding, and what a miss they are from the PD.

[El-Pietro]

I believe we had 3500 sold ahead of time and we have less than 1k season ticket holders so its great to see. Don't expect us to maintain anything like that going forward. Good atmosphere tonight which will bring some back but performance was middling. Not bad, just not anything to write home about.

[2 Year Contract]

Good crowd at Richmond tonight. Main stand sold out and the entire steps in 3 of the sections were left with people standing on them for the 90 mins so probably a bit unsafe to be honest. Stand behind the goal full too and the camac was jammed. Shed end is set out for away fans but given that it wasn’t needed for Sligo fans it should’ve probably been opened to pats fans tonight given how packed everywhere else was

[Nesta99]

4,984 at Turners Cross.

Post Caulfield recovery starting in earnest?

[nigel-harps1954]

Good crowd at UCD tonight. Good traveling support as well. Hopefully the attendances can stay up about there.

[El-Pietro]

Post Caulfield recovery starting in earnest?

I wouldn't get overly excited. I think there was a lot of pent up demand after two years of restrictions. There is definitely more hope and expectation for this year's team though I think most agree we aren't outright favourites. The good weather and the 6 nil win will have helped.
Next home game is Cobh, I would hope for another good crowd for that game as its a pretty rare occurrence.

[Shinkicker]

Here are the opening home attendances for each of the 12 clubs, played over the last week in August/first 2 weeks in September, followed by their seasonal averages to date (brackets):

Portadown v Glenavon: 1,422 (1,003)
Larne v Coleraine: 1,934 (1,875)
W'point v Ballymena: 160 (396)
Linfield v Crusaders: 2,048 (2,812)
Dungannon v Glentoran: 1,178 (503)
Cliftonville v Carrick: 1,054 (1,670)
Carrick v Warrenpoint: 230 (515)
Glentoran v B'mena: 1.920 (2,598)
Glenavon v Carrick: 615 (900)
Ballymena v Glenavon: 972 (1,269)
Coleraine v Ballymena 3,183 (2,176)

Only 4 of the 12 exceeded their average on their season opener.

Tbh in NI at least, the attractiveness or otherwise of the opposition looks to count for far more in boosting/suppressing crowds than the date/time of year, i.e. local derbies (Portadown, Coleraine); or one of the Big Two coming to town (Dungannon).

In NI most games are played on Saturday as are all intermediate, amateur and junior games. If you play for a team you can't get to support you club.

[oriel]

Anyone have the crowd figures for the PD games last night, Bohs v DFC, Derry v Rovers, Pats v Sligo, Drogs v Shels ? (UCD v FH was 700-800 est)

Some turn out in the FD from Cork, Waterford and Cobh even.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Irish Times had 1,463 for Drogs game