2008 attendances

**dortie** · 03/07/2008, 8:12 AM

Originally Posted by Candystripe

1,800 @Derry V Bohs LC 1/4 final 1,760 of which were very happy souls.

Definately not 40 Bohs fans, i didnt see one.

**Youths4Ever** · 03/07/2008, 8:32 AM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Been told UCD v Cork was 550 official. Away end must have been a lot less crowded than I thought. If only there was a way of getting rid of Cork and replacing them with, say, Linfield, they might bring a larger away support and generate more interest in the game, and we wouldn't be in the position we're in at the moment.

UCD should worry more about attracting some home support rather than away fan numbers. Was my first visit to UCD tuesday night got a little lost and asked several people where the pitch was not one could even point me in the general direction maybe there in lies your problem noone can find your pitch.

**John83** · 03/07/2008, 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by Youths4Ever

UCD should worry more about attracting some home support rather than away fan numbers. Was my first visit to UCD tuesday night got a little lost and asked several people where the pitch was not one could even point me in the general direction maybe there in lies your problem noone can find your pitch.

Gee, we never though of that.

**smasher** · 03/07/2008, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by Sam_Heggy

Thats bull, there was easily 7000 maybe 8000 at the game between Harps and Derry early on in the season, there was around 4000 in the return fixture (smaller ground), Dundalk - Drogheda would fetch high numbers maybe 5000 or so, Bohs - Rovers crowds seem to be dropping yet they are still in the region of 3500 - 4000.
Last season for the final league game of the season, we had 800 fans in Kilkenny, for the play-offs in waterford we had the same if not more.

The cup final last season had much more than 2000 fans from either club.

Point is, LOI clubs have their "hard core" of fans and then the band wagon jumpers, I guarantee you if even Monaghan (no offence) were to be in the FAI Cup final, they would be fit to bring that sort of numbers. Junior clubs up here are the same, there was a crowd of around 1500 2 seasons ago for a league game between Kildrum and Fanad, 2 very small villages. If either of those sides (or any other USL side) were to make the cup final they would be able to gather up 2000 folk for it. Its the kind of country we live in.

All you guys seem to be missing the point. LOI sides coming from large population bases, eg Galway, Waterford, Cork, Limerick etc and get crowds ranging from 300 up to 7,000( on a very good night) while a town like Carrick( 5,500) brings almost half their population to an FAI Junior Cup final. At an FAI sENIOR Cup Final the best CROWD YOU WILL GET IS 12-15,000 AND THATS GENEROUS . I rest my case

**Youths4Ever** · 03/07/2008, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by smasher

All you guys seem to be missing the point. LOI sides coming from large population bases, eg Galway, Waterford, Cork, Limerick etc and get crowds ranging from 300 up to 7,000( on a very good night) while a town like Carrick( 5,500) brings almost half their population to an FAI Junior Cup final. At an FAI sENIOR Cup Final the best CROWD YOU WILL GET IS 12-15,000 AND THATS GENEROUS . I rest my case

Majority of teams in LOI could generate that kind of interest in a one off big game. How many did Carrick have at semi finals and in earlier rounds?

Much more realastic to look for a sustainable base and build from there attendance wise.

**John83** · 03/07/2008, 10:59 AM

Originally Posted by smasher

All you guys seem to be missing the point. LOI sides coming from large population bases, eg Galway, Waterford, Cork, Limerick etc and get crowds ranging from 300 up to 7,000( on a very good night) while a town like Carrick( 5,500) brings almost half their population to an FAI Junior Cup final. At an FAI sENIOR Cup Final the best CROWD YOU WILL GET IS 12-15,000 AND THATS GENEROUS . I rest my case

Longford are in the same position - the whole town will turn up for a final. Ditto Monaghan. Cork won't get 50,000, sure, nor Bohs 100,000, but all this says is that small towns in Ireland cling on to local sports teams for an identity. The only way people from Limerick, Galway, Waterford, etc. are going to associate themselves with their local clubs like that is if there's a sustained period of enormous success - I'm thinking Rosenborg-style qualifying for the CL groups a bunch of times success.

**holidaysong** · 03/07/2008, 11:40 AM

Originally Posted by smasher

At an FAI sENIOR Cup Final the best CROWD YOU WILL GET IS 12-15,000 AND THATS GENEROUS.

There was 25,000 at the Cork - Drogheda final in Lansdowne Road in 2005 and 16,000 at Derry - St. Pat's the year after.

**smasher** · 03/07/2008, 3:15 PM

Originally Posted by Youths4Ever

Majority of teams in LOI could generate that kind of interest in a one off big game. How many did Carrick have at semi finals and in earlier rounds?

Much more realastic to look for a sustainable base and build from there attendance wise.

At semi final v Castlebar Celtic they would have had 1,200 plus and would have reasonably large following throughout their cup run. I have to disagree and the figures bear this out , most, if not all LOI sides would not generate this type of interest, proportionately speaking, in one off games.
I know as I have been a fan of Waterford Utd going bacck to the halycon days of late sixties and early seventies and would have visited many LOI grounds in that time.

**Rovers Maniac** · 03/07/2008, 3:48 PM

Originally Posted by smasher

At semi final v Castlebar Celtic they would have had 1,200 plus and would have reasonably large following throughout their cup run. I have to disagree and the figures bear this out , most, if not all LOI sides would not generate this type of interest, proportionately speaking, in one off games.
I know as I have been a fan of Waterford Utd going bacck to the halycon days of late sixties and early seventies and would have visited many LOI grounds in that time.

You are guessing with your crowd figures there, i know i am going back again but the Sligo Rovers v Cobh Ramblers 1983 semi final crowd were massive over 23k in one match in Cork and the last match had an offical crowd of just over 13k in the Showgrounds. In 1994 we sold 10,000 tickets not bad from town who has a population of 19,000 in the last census.

**Sam_Heggy** · 03/07/2008, 3:59 PM

Originally Posted by smasher

All you guys seem to be missing the point. LOI sides coming from large population bases, eg Galway, Waterford, Cork, Limerick etc and get crowds ranging from 300 up to 7,000( on a very good night) while a town like Carrick( 5,500) brings almost half their population to an FAI Junior Cup final. At an FAI sENIOR Cup Final the best CROWD YOU WILL GET IS 12-15,000 AND THATS GENEROUS . I rest my case

Ballybofey, Lonford, Cobh,etc are not that big of towns.

Can you guarantee that each and every one of the 2000 at that one game were from Carrick?

If Fanad United were to get to the cup final, there would easily be that size of a crowd, alot of Harps fans would come out and support them in a one off game like that.

In a crowd of 12000 to 15000 your 2000 wouldn't exactly stand out now would they?

**pineapple stu** · 03/07/2008, 4:02 PM

Let Carrick apply for the A League and see what crowds they get on a regular basis.

**Sam_Heggy** · 03/07/2008, 4:03 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Let Carrick apply for the A League and see what crowds they get on a regular basis.

and close on that.

**Conroy** · 03/07/2008, 9:34 PM

Around 900 at Dundalk - Athlone Tonight.

**oriel** · 03/07/2008, 10:11 PM

1,000 approx as per www.dundalkfc.com

**DmanDmythDledge** · 03/07/2008, 10:16 PM

Originally Posted by Sam_Heggy

If Fanad United were to get to the cup final, there would easily be that size of a crowd, alot of Harps fans would come out and support them in a one off game like that.

Precisely. A lot of Waterford Utd fans would have supported Carrick in the final, especially considering the match was in the RSC.

**Battery Rover** · 04/07/2008, 5:03 PM

Would never doubt figures given out by clubs but would never have thought that there were 1000 in Oriel last night. Thought 600 tops but then again don't have a good knowledge of Oriel.

One thing I did do was count 178 in the shed as with the referee stopping the match every 60 seconds for something or other there was plenty of time.

Free awarded were 21 Athlone, 16 Dundalk and thats not including the 5 offsides .

**oriel** · 04/07/2008, 8:23 PM

Fair point battery, oriel is a very large ground with a lot of wide spaces, the stand for eg seats 1,300 now, that alone was at least half full and there must have been 300 + scattered around the ground, although one thing is for sure, our avg crowd is def on the slide since the break, a sharp dip from 1,500 avg to around the 1,000 mark. natives not happy with the style of football me thinks