Weekend Fixtures Friday 23rd of May

[Nesta99]

I suppose like any team that gets relegated from the elite will always suffer smaller attendances, mainly based around lack of interest. Cork City, Waterford and Shelbourne over the years are an example.
Dundalk will have to admit that a percentage of their support over the glory years were unfortunately only there while you were winning.
Maybe a lot of what was going on behind the scene with the running of the club, the various investment groups, players with high wage demands did not go down well with the local support.
Clubs overtime probably need a reset!

A percent of the support over the glory years were unfortunately not there while we were winning. Particularly the hard core shed side support over states the the depth of loyalty of a good chunk of Dundalk support. To reach crowds over 3000 we need about 30% away fans in attendance. There is very excuse under the sun as to why, some you mention, my favourite was I didnt want to go to games when winning so Im not a gloy hunter - while they sit in a pub wearing a Man City shirt. These excuses would be volunteered when you arrive in to a pub after a game in a Dundalk shirt ' i didnt go because.....bs', just say ye couldnt be bothered, ground is to open cold or wet, not interested, cant afford game and pints, game was on tv, whatever, thats grand but be straight about it with yerself. I am thankful of a hardcore loyal support that was circa 1500 the last time we were in division 1, and now it could be circa 2000 by season end (more likely 1800) which keeps the lights on but there seems to be a bit of a glass ceiling and maybe its competition from other riday night events but im not sure if work has been done to establish such things and work on it like Bohs.

[dundalkfc10]

Really thought last night going in and out of the ground, the FD relegation really hit, its simply non attractive, so hard to get the floating fan involved / buzzed up. Lowest league crowd - 1,586 (covid seasons obv exempted) for probably 12 years (2013 was pre SK joining) last night and it showed, place was dead.

Modest away (50 or so away) and fair play to each and everyone of them btw), but its on the decline, 2,750 opening night v Athlone, quick check and can see it was 2.3k v Treaty, 1.9k v Bray, its a really hard sell the FD, posted last night and probably not great but there was just nothing to drag us back to the game after HT, so myself and mates stayed chatting to almost 9.10pm in the upstairs bar and casually watching on LOITV.

I don't recall the likes of this lack of interest last stint in the FD, maybe it was on the back of quite modest previous success v SK era, but christ this is a hard slog, then again it was on the back of a deserved relegation, so no one to blame but ourselves.

I know a few lads who would be beside myself and my mates at games who havnt been to the last 2 games in Oriel as they had spent a fortune taking the kids to the Louth Senior/U 20 and Minor games recently

Thankfully I've a season ticket for oriel and so does the young fella, but I'd be scared to think of the money I've spent watching Louth over the last month (another €55 for tomorrow's U20 game and that's before diesel and food costs and the same again for the Louth game this Sat)
I probably would have gave oriel a miss the other night if I didnt have a season ticket.

I'd say once the GAA is finished Dundalks crowds will go back to close to 2000