Crowds

[atfconline]

Would anyone, preferably a few people, let me know what you think our crowds have been so far this season?

I have my own ideas but I'd just like to get some other people's estimates too.

[Dido]

The Crowds have been awfull, a paltry couple of hundred for each home game , even for the FAI cup game. It will get worse if the season continues along the same lines. I wouldn't mind if the team were unlucky, but the football has been abysmal. Stephen Kelly has to be the worst signing he has struggled in every game and a beely Jimmy 5 bellies would be proud of.

Curren is a complete lunatic and to run from his own penalty area to take a penalty he had no right to take was foolish when you had 3 or 4 strikers on the field already, can anyone on that team take charge.

[Oh No]

I don't want to sound negative so early in the season but DIDO is right. The crowds are poor and will be poorer if we have to continue to watch such dreadful and aimless performances.

Now, please don't say we are a young team and we need to be given a chance. Most of this panel are seasoned and experienced and should be performing a lot better. We are bursting a gut playing aimless long silly 50-50 balls and making it impossible for our strikers to even get a chance on goal. Nobody on the pitch is taking responsibility!! And I agree that Stephen Kelly is a major dissapointment, he should be our creative midfielder but he is too far off the pace and is constantly playing catch up.

Let's slow this thing down, stop huffing and puffing and play some football.

By the way, forget the statements made in the past that support will be there if there were an all local team, the crowds will be there if only if there is an attractive and relatively successful team.

[atfconline]

So does....

Athlone Town Vs. Kilkenny City 350
Cobh Ramblers Vs. Athlone Town ???
Athlone Town Vs. Waterford United 500
Athlone Town Vs. Kildare County 300

Athlone Town Vs. Kilkenny City 700
Kilkenny City Vs. Athlone Town 250

look about right? I want these figures for something so I just want some other opinions on them.

As for eccentric Curran, at least we're not stuck with him. Gary is back with us and Brennan seems to be back from the States already too. Does anyone know if Gary Byrne is away or something? I was surprised he hasn't even come on as a sub in any of the games. Or maybe they are just going to put him into the Under-21 set up, who btw are playing Shels in Mel's on Saturday at 3, according to TOTT.

Going back to the crowds thing for a second. The club or the supporters club has to get some posters made up. Ya can't just expect people to flock down to Mel's if they don't know when we are playing. One thing I'd like to see is kids getting in for free, provided they are accompanied by an adult. There are around 800 kids playing each week in the ADSL. If each one of those was to come along with a paying adult, that would make a huge difference. It doesn't matter that the kids are getting in for free. The club's match day costs are the same no matter how many people they let through the gate. And I don't just mean letting the odd child in for free when he shows up with his dad (or mother) for the match anyways. They have to work with the ADSL, make up concession tickets or membership cards or something and make them feel from a young age that this is their club. In a couple of years they won't be so young and then they will be paying to get in. There is an article that Padraig Nicholson wrote up on this matter about Longford and it makes sense, obviously. I'll see if I can find it and post it up here. If the posters were available, I'd be willing to put them up around my part of town.

[Ash]

As for the concessions, this was discussed many times, as
all the people who attend any supporters club meetings will know! (which is usually about 6 people!)

Athlone Town rarely charge kids anyway!, but this was previously
tried out a few seasons ago but what was happening was
parents would arrive to the gates of Mels, peg the kids over the
turnstyles and land back 2 hours later - even though the deal
was "with paying adult"

Many moons ago I remember Dennis Clarke and someone else
came around to Cornamaddy NS with "Free Entry" vouchers for a
match against Galway. Mels was mobbed with kids.
But children running wild around the ground is a receipe for
disaster. The Parents expected the club to look after thier
children for the day!

Getting kids to go is no problem but getting adults, who dont
want to go unless the team is winning, to bring them is another
story!

The attendances speak for themselves!

[pete]

Originally posted by Ash
But children running wild around the ground is a receipe for
disaster. The Parents expected the club to look after thier
children for the day!

Sure isn't a creche one of the functions of the Carlisle Grounds on matchday?