Attendances 2025

**EatYerGreens** · 09/02/2025, 2:51 PM

Originally Posted by redobit

Just reading an article that says the GAA had a 10% decrease in attendances in 2024. The attendances were down in both the hurling and football. A few different, mainly on field stuff, given as the reasons for the fall off. The LOI Premier has a 22% increase in 2023 and another 6% increase again in 2024. It would be interesting to know if these are directly affected. Of course the gah would never admit it anyway but watch this space I guess.

I doubt it's a simple case of many people trading in going to the GAA for attending the LOI instead. Outside of a couple of places (Dublin, Cork, maybe Sligo?) I doubt there's a lot of overlap between LOI and GAA-going crowds. Plus numerically a 10% drop in GAA attendances will presumably equal a lot more people than the 22% increase in LOI, given our lower starting point.

It should be easy to find out which GAA counties experienced falls, and which of those have LOI clubs nearby. I suspect the decline at the GAA is due to a variety of things - from Dublin not being so good at the moment, to the post-Covid increase/bubble wearing off.

**yurt** · 09/02/2025, 4:12 PM

Originally Posted by nr637

What particular LOI Club's current grounds through funding could add or improve existing areas that would increase their capacity and help increase their home attendance!

I'm just talking about immediate additions and not major structural work.

Clubs like Shels, St. Pats & Drogheda have added extra terracing to increase the space available. Small modifications, but may help to add a few hundred more fans to the attendance figure, it all helps!

I was thinking of a club like Sligo Rovers Showgrounds adding cover to the popular Railway End.

Dundalk Oriel Park adding maybe covered terracing to the Town End.

Anyone care to add their suggestions on possible some minor or obvious improvements!

I understand that EDP could easily fit another 1k or so if they made some upgrades on turnstiles to service egress requirements. I get the impression that the club are actually happy enough to keep the capacity smaller so that having a handful of sell outs a year will increase the profile and the value of season tickets.

I think only 2 games sold out last year (first and last home games against Pat's and Sligo). If that number gets much bigger I'm sure it's something they'd have to look at implementing.

**joey B** · 10/02/2025, 11:05 AM

Over 25000 tickets sold for Bohs/Rovers on Sunday

**Acornvilla** · 10/02/2025, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by joey B

Over 25000 tickets sold for Bohs/Rovers on Sunday

I just got two of them, bringing along a non LOI head who I am slowly trying to convert, €74 for two premium seats felt a bit steep, but maybe I'm just poor (I am)

**ger121** · 10/02/2025, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by joey B

Over 25000 tickets sold for Bohs/Rovers on Sunday

Club also saying it will soon surpass the 28k attendance who watched Cork Hibs vs Rovers playoff game in 1971. Probably heading towards 30k.

**nigel-harps1954** · 10/02/2025, 11:25 AM

Great numbers for a league match, but probably an element of novelty, as well as it being possibly the only match up in the country that could achieve those numbers currently

**LTFC** · 10/02/2025, 11:37 AM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

Great numbers for a league match, but probably an element of novelty, as well as it being possibly the only match up in the country that could achieve those numbers currently

Gonna mess up your stats Nigel!

**ger121** · 10/02/2025, 12:15 PM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

Great numbers for a league match, but probably an element of novelty, as well as it being possibly the only match up in the country that could achieve those numbers currently

I’d say you are right Nigel. Probably will be other games there in the future. How successful they are remains to be seen.

**Kingswood Rover** · 10/02/2025, 12:45 PM

Yes brilliant looked at the stadium map and between the lower and middle tiers available/open Rovers fans looked like only about 400 blue dots left, some more general availability in the upper sections. Going to be class- Ringsend 11 bells meet up for lots i would imagine.

**LTFC** · 10/02/2025, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by ger121

I’d say you are right Nigel. Probably will be other games there in the future. How successful they are remains to be seen.

Very true. Last season , based on Nigels stats, Rovers had a slight dip, but that was after a number of years of steady growth, but would indicate a certain upper limit of averages for now, and in Dublin that looks like could be 6k.

**Martinho II** · 10/02/2025, 3:12 PM

As far as I can remember when Shamrock Rovers were out of Milltown didnt their first game in the RDS attract a huge attendance? Cant remember of who the team was?

**Kingswood Rover** · 10/02/2025, 3:14 PM

Pats 20k + 0 0 all turgid affair i think if memory is correct.

**BigEars** · 10/02/2025, 3:32 PM

There's no doubt that this is fixture is getting attention as a novelty, and we're not going to get 25,000+ through the door every week at LOI games.

However it does open the possibility to this happening a few times a season, with perhaps a bigger push on certain games (Cup semi-finals ?) as well, bringing a greater level of interest to the league overall and a great promotional idea in itself.

There's plenty of people out there who want the big game experience, without having to get a boat/plane to England to get it.

**yurt** · 10/02/2025, 4:18 PM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

Great numbers for a league match, but probably an element of novelty, as well as it being possibly the only match up in the country that could achieve those numbers currently

There's no doubt that it's a novelty and no other league fixture would come to 20k+. I would be pleasantly surprised if this wasn't a one time thing.

If the game turns out to be a cracker and the atmosphere comes across well on TV, then I think the coverage this game gets could well lead to them running it back whenever the Bohs v Rovers fixture happens again later this season.

**Dermobohs** · 10/02/2025, 4:30 PM

Over 25000 sold as of today.

**Acornvilla** · 10/02/2025, 5:01 PM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

Great numbers for a league match, but probably an element of novelty, as well as it being possibly the only match up in the country that could achieve those numbers currently

At least we're looking likely to have another record breaking total/average attendance across the PD which will be helpful for funding request propaganda if nothing else.

We're definitely in the upper 90% or so of the realistic possible Max in the short term.

**Shinkicker** · 10/02/2025, 5:08 PM

Originally Posted by Dermobohs

Over 25000 sold as of today.

Will there be the usual hoo ha over pyrotechnics? I'm sure there will.
I was at a champions league game recently and the stadium had smoke /steam cannons to provide the atmosphere for the home support. It's something Bohs could look at and it would let the banner displays take place safely,add to the experience and put on a TV spectacle.

**EatYerGreens** · 10/02/2025, 5:18 PM

Originally Posted by ger121

Club also saying it will soon surpass the 28k attendance who watched Cork Hibs vs Rovers playoff game in 1971. Probably heading towards 30k.

Would that then make it the highest league game on record?

(Presumably there was a bigger crowd at something back in the 30s or whenever, but records then would have been poor - and bizarrely usually focused more on the gate money paid, rather then the size of crowd attending).