Attendances 2023

**JC_GUFC** · 12/05/2023, 7:11 AM

In the Premier Division some clubs have ‘tiered’ pricing so for the “Cat A” games it may be €20 then something like €17 for others.
Some clubs give a reduction for tickets bought online. This obviously guarantees pre-sales and takes out the factor of weather on if someone decides to go or not (in Galway where it rains a LOT this is pretty big!)

I think the FAI Cup Final was just €15 last year, so really it’s as cheap as a League match.

**Shinkicker** · 12/05/2023, 1:58 PM

Originally Posted by Dermobohs

Bohs tickets are 15 in the des kelly and 20 in the Jodi, season tickets are 250€ and full membership( ie part ownership with voting rights) is 365 pa.

The recent home game v Rovers was 19 euro for the Dk, I bought 2

**Shinkicker** · 12/05/2023, 2:29 PM

Originally Posted by sadloserkid

I think FAI Cup finals do pick up a lot of neutrals - be that other LOI fans (I go most years as an example) but also I know several people who don't have an LOI club and go to the final every year. It doesn't explain the boost to numbers in the last few years of course but I think that's becoming a bit of a snowball down a hill now too - people go, have a great day with a genuine athmosphere and are more inclined to repeat the experience.

While I do agree with most of what you say, you must remember. The stadiums of most LOI clubs have small capacity, restricted capacity or a combination of both so many supporters can't get tickets to games. I know of Bohs supporters who just can't get tickets week in week out. My son tried about 6 or 7 times last season and never got one, albeit they were derby games. So for many who support clubs the Cup final is seen as an opportunity to show support and avail of the atmosphere. I'm not saying for one minute Bohs would attract 12-15 thousand every week at Dalymount but I do believe they would be in the 8-10 thousand bracket if the facility was there. As for the IL clubs they are not in the same position as they can't get anywhere near the capacity at their league games. So the chances of filling Windsor for the final are very slim. If they went to summer football it would improve crowd number as most junior and intermediate games kick off at 2pm on Saturdays so anyone who plays can't go to support their local or favourite team.

**EalingGreen** · 12/05/2023, 3:19 PM

Originally Posted by Shinkicker

As for the IL clubs they are not in the same position as they can't get anywhere near the capacity at their league games.

There are some IL clubs who do suffer from capacity constraints for certain games, for away fans at least (maximum numbers, all-ticket in advance, restricted concessions etc), though I take your point generally.

Originally Posted by Shinkicker

So the chances of filling Windsor for the final are very slim.

Maybe not filling it, but I do believe that with proper promotion by the IFA and sensible ticket prices, they could normally achieve well into five figures, for the bigger clubs at least. (Remember, they managed it for the last two League Cup finals, staged at WP in March, it being a lesser event.)

Originally Posted by Shinkicker

If they went to summer football it would improve crowd number as most junior and intermediate games kick off at 2pm on Saturdays so anyone who plays can't go to support their local or favourite team.

Except that moving to summer football would create an insurmountable barrier to ambitious clubs playing winter football at Junior and Intermediate level who want eventually to move up to Senior football eg Ballinamallard, Warrenpoint, Annagh, Loughgall. And would also stymie relegation from Senior football for the likes of Distillery, Newry or Bangor, effectively meaning they might never rise back up again. While even with a summer season, there still remains a clash with the winter season during Feb/Mar/Apr/May and Sep/Oct. Plus we would lose the big Boxing Day and NYD derbies, often the best attended games each season.

Now granted the clash with Junior football probably does hurt crowds at Senior, even Intermediate level, but clever scheduling of league games by some clubs on Friday evenings or Sundays might mitigate this to some extent, also for the IC Final. Though I don't expect to see Sunday morning leagues at Junior level in NI as they have in GB - at least not any time soon!

**sadloserkid** · 12/05/2023, 5:35 PM

Originally Posted by Shinkicker

While I do agree with most of what you say, you must remember. The stadiums of most LOI clubs have small capacity, restricted capacity or a combination of both so many supporters can't get tickets to games.

Sure but that's a VERY new development for any club and still a rare or unheard of happening for the majority of clubs.

**pineapple stu** · 12/05/2023, 9:45 PM

1673 at the Bowl

It seems that's about capacity even though we had higher crowds last season. Don't know why that is

**2 Year Contract** · 12/05/2023, 10:18 PM

4,011 at Pats Drogheda, another home sellout, around 200 Drogheda fans down

**SPXcyan** · 12/05/2023, 10:43 PM

2,071 at the RSC.

**Nesta99** · 12/05/2023, 10:55 PM

Originally Posted by JC_GUFC

Definitely think this is a factor. I've gone to a few Irish Cup finals but as you say going to Windsor isn't particularly special for me because that's also where I go for Linfield games,

Not overstated at all! Ireland is an incredible nation of bandwagon jumpers. GAA fans are probably the most loyal in the country but for inter-county games there are only a handful of away trips a year. All-Ireland semi-finals never sell out but for finals tickets can be like hen's teeth!

There definitely does seem to be a thing that NIFL are promoting the League Cup much better than the IFA promote the cup final. On Social Media in the fortnight up to the League Cup final I was seeing ads every day. Very little for the Cup Final.

A couple of other points... Probably the FAI have been lucky enough with recent finalists, quite often the top teams in the league (so support has been big during the season) and quite a few Dublin clubs, Bohs, Pat's, Shels and Rovers have all been at recent cup finals.

I think if you ended up with a Dundalk v Galway United final this year, for example, the crowd may only just go beyond 15k.

Finally the cheap tickets really seem to have worked out well. I think it's still only a tenner (maybe it was 15 last year) to go to it. I usually go to the Premium tickets and you see fans of all teams and loads of players there. It's kind of a real celebration of the end of the season really. To be fair to the FAI they have done a great job on that (and that goes back to the 'old' leadership).

May just be an example but an odd one imo JC, looking at the attendance of Cork v Dundalk finals, Cork fans notoriosly poor at leaving the confines of Cork, then coompare with St Pats v Derry. Surely the novelty factor of GUFC in a cup final would pique interest too. Im not precious on figures with Dundalk involvement just that there is tangible evidence on why projections can be higher than 15k. It should also be noted that novelty didnt wear off with Dundalk in the annual showpiece so many years running with attendances increasing each year.

**kksaints** · 12/05/2023, 11:31 PM

Originally Posted by Nesta99

May just be an example but an odd one imo JC, looking at the attendance of Cork v Dundalk finals, Cork fans notoriosly poor at leaving the confines of Cork, then coompare with St Pats v Derry. Surely the novelty factor of GUFC in a cup final would pique interest too. Im not precious on figures with Dundalk involvement just that there is tangible evidence on why projections can be higher than 15k. It should also be noted that novelty didnt wear off with Dundalk in the annual showpiece so many years running with attendances increasing each year.

I'd have said Galway and most of the city or large town clubs would be capable of getting a bandwagon if they got to the final and that a Dundalk v Galway final would bring more than 15k. The only teams I'd question the ability to generate fans for the final would be UCD, Cobh (small town which isn't the only club in the county so wouldn't generate that county pride style bandwagon) and Athlone (seems to be a disconnect between fans and club although they did get a decent crowd for the Women's Final last year so it's possible they could generate more interest than I'd think).

**Jd2793** · 12/05/2023, 11:35 PM

Originally Posted by Nesta99

May just be an example but an odd one imo JC, looking at the attendance of Cork v Dundalk finals, Cork fans notoriosly poor at leaving the confines of Cork, then coompare with St Pats v Derry. Surely the novelty factor of GUFC in a cup final would pique interest too. Im not precious on figures with Dundalk involvement just that there is tangible evidence on why projections can be higher than 15k. It should also be noted that novelty didnt wear off with Dundalk in the annual showpiece so many years running with attendances increasing each year.

for league games mostly yes. for a cup semi/final absolutely not.

**Nesta99** · 13/05/2023, 12:14 AM

Originally Posted by Jd2793

for league games mostly yes. for a cup semi/final absolutely not.

Self professed issues with a Sunday final, school night, reluctance at leaving Cork, and train scheduling problems post match all leading to average at best travelling support from Cork at cup finals for the 2nd most populated urban centre in the country. Dont sweat it, it is what it is!

**Shearer** · 15/05/2023, 4:17 PM

452 at Longford vs Treaty

**JC_GUFC** · 15/05/2023, 4:27 PM

Originally Posted by Nesta99

May just be an example but an odd one imo JC, looking at the attendance of Cork v Dundalk finals, Cork fans notoriosly poor at leaving the confines of Cork, then coompare with St Pats v Derry. Surely the novelty factor of GUFC in a cup final would pique interest too. Im not precious on figures with Dundalk involvement just that there is tangible evidence on why projections can be higher than 15k. It should also be noted that novelty didnt wear off with Dundalk in the annual showpiece so many years running with attendances increasing each year.

Well I used United for obvious reasons and then I was looking at realistic potential cup final opponents from outside Dublin. Like Cobh v Galway United would obviously attract a smaller crowd but there's no chance of that happening. To be fair we brought about 1,500 to last season's playoff loss in Waterford so year maybe I'm underestimating our ability to get 10k fans for the day, so probably 15k would be on the low side.

**sulywaterfordfc** · 15/05/2023, 9:45 PM

Originally Posted by JC_GUFC

Well I used United for obvious reasons and then I was looking at realistic potential cup final opponents from outside Dublin. Like Cobh v Galway United would obviously attract a smaller crowd but there's no chance of that happening. To be fair we brought about 1,500 to last season's playoff loss in Waterford so year maybe I'm underestimating our ability to get 10k fans for the day, so probably 15k would be on the low side.

The play off against Waterford was down in Limerick, which is about an hour to hour and a quarter. Surely for a club of Galway’s side that’s the expected numbers for such a big game?

**Philosophizer** · 15/05/2023, 9:59 PM

Record Monday night attendance tonight in Tallaght announced over the tannoy. I didn’t catch the exact number but I was was six thousand, 2 hundred and something.

**2 Year Contract** · 15/05/2023, 10:13 PM

Originally Posted by Philosophizer

Record Monday night attendance tonight in Tallaght announced over the tannoy. I didn’t catch the exact number but I was was six thousand, 2 hundred and something.

6,212 was the attendance, 1,200 Pats fans