Getting bums on seats - LOI

Oat23

1,911 was the average attendance in 10/11. It was 2,464 in 12/13.

The average attendance from 05/06 - 08/09 was around 3,100, they moved to a 16 team league from 09/10 and the average dropped by 1,000.

happydayz182

http://european-football-statistics.co.uk/attn.htm

gustavo

Pete_Cavan wrote: »

I didnt say anything about change the branding. This doesnt mean saying no to sponsorship deals, just have an identity that remains even when the title sponsor changes. This would create brand awareness and over time LOI can build something sponsors are willing to pay more to be associated with. Its pretty basic marketing and is something that could help get bums on seats for not a huge cost.

You said it should have a unique branding and yet in the same post refer to the league as the LoI rather than the Aitricity League

osarusan

happydayz182 wrote: »

http://european-football-statistics.co.uk/attn.htm

Amazing that 3 of the Estonian players who started in Landsdowne for the playoff second leg play in the Estonian league, which has an average attendance of 186.

death1234567

osarusan wrote: »

Amazing that 3 of the Estonian players who started in Landsdowne for the playoff second leg play in the Estonian league, which has an average attendance of 186.

It's not really amazing at all, they only have a population of 1.2m and have a GDP per head that's much less than half ours.

premierstone

osarusan wrote: »

So why have you spent numerous posts doing that?

And why do you ask which LOI team is it 'acceptable' for you to support when you've already decided you have no affinity with any, and won't support Limerick on 'county' reasons?

Why do you imply that it's the LOI's failure to attract you to games when you are the one who has decided you are not going to go?

I merely engaged in a debate on the issue attempting to explain why I don't support a particular LOI team, if its any consolation I wish I hadn't bothered.

I merely asked which club would it have been natural for me as a Tipp man to follow, a question that has yet to be answered.

I never inplied that at all, and as I have stated I have attended quite a number of LOI games down through the years, you must have missed them posts.

premierstone

osarusan wrote: »

I was speaking about him specifically. The poster has clearly said that he won't support Limerick because from he's from Tipp and therefore GAA country rivalry makes it impossible.

He's made that decision - he can't then turn around and start complaining the LOI hasn't done enough to attract him. His decision is based on criteria that no LOI club can control.

No I never said anything of the sort, I merely pointed out that geographically Limerick would be the nearest club to me but that I would have no great love for the area/county ( thats the polite way of saying it) as I have now stated numerous times when lived in Dublin I attended many games and actually in my student days in Galway I went to Terryland on many a wet miserable night.

gustavo

Pete_Cavan wrote: »

You may well be correct but that is irrelevant and totally misses my point..

Loving the way when you make a point and it's shown to be incorrect you then claim it's irrelevant

BMMachine

making the league and teams attractive to kids is vital. as to how to do that, I have no idea. show matches against man utd where a LoI XI gets danced around aren't a good idea though. very hard to get LoI talked about anywhere except for a specific site/area of a site such as this. that i think is a big issue, the fact that it isnt talked about and when it is, its the butt of a joke by some idiot who has no idea about anything

Lawrence1895

CSF wrote: »

Is that Croatian figure definitely correct?

There is the example of the Bad Blue Boys (Dinamo Zagreb Ultras), they staged a boykott a few times, and there was maybe 600-700 in the stadium

simongurnick

leposean wrote: »

Couple of things I'd just like to point out.

Irelands latest population is just over 4.5 million.
Our average LOI Attendance is (2012) 1683

Croatia latest population is just over 4.2 million.
Their average Premier Divison attendance is (2012) 1911

For a country who we would all agree are better than us at football the average attendance is not all too different.

Ask many a European have they heard of Hajduk Split or Dynamo Zagreb, the same most likely would not be said of Bohs or Shamrock Rovers. Shels or Pats.

Look at a smaller soccer nation even.

Moldova. Population of just over 3.5million.
Average Premier Division attendance is (2013) 1667

Literally barely less than LOI.

Why are we complaining about the lack of numbers, in comparrisson to many countries with larger populations and a better footballing history we are doing pretty ok.

A huge huge problem will always be the finances.

I went to AC Milan v Arsenal in I think the 1/4 final of the Champions League in 2012, could of been last 16 and went to the game v Spurs the previous year, both i Milan. Paid €16 for SPurs game, and €14 for Arsenal game. 3 days later was asked for €15 to see UCD play.

Most European's wouldn't have a clue who the Irish teams are.

As to your main point, it is an interesting comparison, but why bother comparing ourselves to the lowest rung of the ladder?

Toughest thing in Ireland is we are mainly a bunch of event junkies who are addicted to success. Look at GAA. Barely a couple of thousand at an early league game, but get to the late stages of the All Ireland and there is 80,000 in Croker. Even Munster at their peak had a huge gap in attendances between the Celtic league and Heino cup.

overshoot

10green bottles wrote: »

The FAI realy are a laughing stock.Relegation threatened sides will be shouting for Mervue.

Enda Cunningham
‏@endacunningham
FAI reiterate Mervue Utd will not compete in either division of LoI next season despite qualifying for play-offs. See Sentinel tmrw.

https://twitter.com/endacunningham/status/389815506255228928

The tweet has prompted somewhat of an angry response on Twitter.Mervues Tom King leading the charge.
Tom King ‏@tomkingston29

FAI!!! Why bother having rules when you clearly bend them to suit your own agenda??? #Clueless]

stealing your post from another thread....
lets be honest the biggest problem is whose running the league and their derision towards it. they do things at their whim an afterthought to the consequences would be too much.

we have the simple case of facing a 7 team first division next year, with a team who could possibly be promoted simply removed from the league. do i think mervue could offer what a supported galway can? no but are they there on merit? god yes. surely just removing a team goes against all notions of fair play.

8 teams is already too small, who is going to step up when it will cost them 100k+ to run an amateur team? old youth said somewhere the waterford players havnt been paid in weeks, if they have to come begging again it will not go down well! we could end up with 6 teams!

and yet there is no indication of any movement on league structure

osarusan

premierstone wrote: »

I merely engaged in a debate on the issue attempting to explain why I don't support a particular LOI team, if its any consolation I wish I hadn't bothered.

I merely asked which club would it have been natural for me as a Tipp man to follow, a question that has yet to be answered.

I never inplied that at all, and as I have stated I have attended quite a number of LOI games down through the years, you must have missed them posts.

The answer (which you already know, as you've posted it) is that it would be natural for you to support Limerick. You won't support Limerick though, for personal reason that they can do nothing about.

You could also support any of the clubs whose games you went to when you lived in Dublin or Galway. Why, out of interest, did you stop following them?

premierstone

osarusan wrote: »

.

You could also support any of the clubs whose games you went to when you lived in Dublin or Galway. Why, out of interest, did you stop following them?

Practical reasons really, I moved from Galway to Dublin and now I'm back in North Tipp, I never followed a team per se, I'm just a sports fan in general and would attend anything tbh! Always had a soft spot for Derry City but that was mainly down to the fact that Liam Coyle was the best LOI player I have seen.

Gavin "shels"

BMMachine wrote: »

making the league and teams attractive to kids is vital. as to how to do that, I have no idea. show matches against man utd where a LoI XI gets danced around aren't a good idea though. very hard to get LoI talked about anywhere except for a specific site/area of a site such as this. that i think is a big issue, the fact that it isnt talked about and when it is, its the butt of a joke by some idiot who has no idea about anything

Well the Man Utd/LoI XI is the FAI money making tactic, players nor teams get a f**king a penny!

Pete_Cavan

simongurnick wrote: »

Toughest thing in Ireland is we are mainly a bunch of event junkies who are addicted to success. Look at GAA. Barely a couple of thousand at an early league game, but get to the late stages of the All Ireland and there is 80,000 in Croker. Even Munster at their peak had a huge gap in attendances between the Celtic league and Heino cup.

Again blaming the fans for your own shortcomings. Maybe you should look at the quality of the events. "Barely a couple of thousand" at GAA league games is quite good for a secondary competition compared to LOI attendances.

BMMachine

Gavin shels wrote: »

Well the Man Utd/LoI XI is the FAI money making tactic, players nor teams get a f**king a penny!

i know, complete shambles.
as i said though, getting the LoI talked about is pretty hard. i dunno what the solution to that would be but its what needs to happen. get it talked about, get a buzz going about it etc. its always seen as a victim in my experience "oh those poor LoI teams, no money, no fans..." i'd love to hear about the positivity of the league.

Felexicon

I'm a sports nut and more importantly a live sports nut. I will and have gone to any sporting events I can get to be it locally or events that require some travel. I've been to basketball,rugby,horse racing, Hurling, Gaelic football, international soccer and a few games I've stumbled upon in the local park and god knows whatever else over the last year.

I've never been to a LoI match. It isn't the quality keeping me away as I'll happily watch the games on TV(even got to watch the Pats game on the big screen in the local on Sunday). I just think to "outsiders" like me the LoI can seem like a bit of a closed shop for some reason. It operates as some sort of secret society whhere only the few and the privileged know when games are on.

I'd really like to give it a go and as I live in Swords now I suppose I'd have to pick Shels as my side but I'm not really sure what to expect from the whole thing.

CSF

Felexicon wrote: »

I'm a sports nut and more importantly a live sports nut. I will and have gone to any sporting events I can get to be it locally or events that require some travel. I've been to basketball,rugby,horse racing, Hurling, Gaelic football, international soccer and a few games I've stumbled upon in the local park and god knows whatever else over the last year.

I've never been to a LoI match. It isn't the quality keeping me away as I'll happily watch the games on TV(even got to watch the Pats game on the big screen in the local on Sunday). I just think to "outsiders" like me the LoI can seem like a bit of a closed shop for some reason. It operates as some sort of secret society whhere only the few and the privileged know when games are on.

I'd really like to give it a go and as I live in Swords now I suppose I'd have to pick Shels as my side but I'm not really sure what to expect from the whole thing.

Come along to the UCD match Friday week, with a bit of luck it will be a relegation decider, if not, it will be the last Premier Division home game before a First Division campaign. I'm not exactly selling the glamour of it here (no point in me lying to you) but you should still enjoy it.

10green bottles

Felexicon wrote: »

I'm a sports nut and more importantly a live sports nut. I will and have gone to any sporting events I can get to be it locally or events that require some travel. I've been to basketball,rugby,horse racing, Hurling, Gaelic football, international soccer and a few games I've stumbled upon in the local park and god knows whatever else over the last year.

I've never been to a LoI match. It isn't the quality keeping me away as I'll happily watch the games on TV(even got to watch the Pats game on the big screen in the local on Sunday). I just think to "outsiders" like me the LoI can seem like a bit of a closed shop for some reason. It operates as some sort of secret society whhere only the few and the privileged know when games are on.

I'd really like to give it a go and as I live in Swords now I suppose I'd have to pick Shels as my side but I'm not really sure what to expect from the whole thing.

Some LOI fans on F/B & Twitter esp. can come across like that ok but tbh as a regular atendee @ Oriel Park i couldnt tell you who is or isnt a REGULAR(wouldn't be keeping a look out anyway ) and i'm sure thats the same at all LOI grounds.Attend a match and i think you'll be hooked.

Quixoticelixer

Felexicon wrote: »

I just think to "outsiders" like me the LoI can seem like a bit of a closed shop for some reason. It operates as some sort of secret society where only the few and the privileged know when games are on.

It took me about ten seconds and minimal effort to find out information about Limerick FC's next fixture.

osarusan

Quixoticelixer wrote: »

It took me about ten seconds and minimal effort to find out information about Limerick FC's next fixture.

That's because you know the secret handshake though.

Felexicon

Quixoticelixer wrote: »

It took me about ten seconds and minimal effort to find out information about Limerick FC's next fixture.

You're really missing my point here tbh.

Quixoticelixer

Felexicon wrote: »

You're really missing my point here tbh.

Your reasons for not going reflect more on you and your (incorrect) perceptions and prejudices than they do on the league or the clubs or the fans.

It's not a closed shop at all.

Gavin "shels"

Felexicon wrote: »

I just think to "outsiders" like me the LoI can seem like a bit of a closed shop for some reason. It operates as some sort of secret society whhere only the few and the privileged know when games are on.

You know many diehards in England absolutely despise "outsiders", "daytrippers", etc...? They're just not heard as much because they're in the minority now.

BMMachine

Quixoticelixer wrote: »

Your reasons for not going reflect more on you and your (incorrect) perceptions and prejudices than they do on the league or the clubs or the fans.

It's not a closed shop at all.

with barking like that on an internet forum it certainly gives off that impression

gavin shels wrote:

You know many diehards in England absolutely despise "outsiders", "daytrippers", etc...? They're just not heard as much because they're in the minority now.

they dont seem nearly as vocal about it though, probably due to how much of a minority they actually are nowadays its easy to drown them out. as this thread is proving, its very easy to hear you guys loud and clear in comparison.
this is exactly what I was talking about. We should be hearing the positives about going to games and the league. not people wanting to feel better by elevating themselves above others

CSF

BMMachine wrote: »

with barking like that on an internet forum it certainly gives off that impression



they dont seem nearly as vocal about it though, probably due to how much of a minority they actually are nowadays its easy to drown them out. as this thread is proving, its very easy to hear you guys loud and clear in comparison.
this is exactly what I was talking about. We should be hearing the positives about going to games and the league. not people wanting to feel better by elevating themselves above others

I'd say you just post on less British forums than Irish ones to be fair.

BMMachine

CSF wrote: »

I'd say you just post on less British forums than Irish ones to be fair.

id say i dont post on any british forums and id also say denying a problem like the one i mentioned is also part of the problem

Pete_Cavan

Quixoticelixer wrote: »

Your reasons for not going reflect more on you and your (incorrect) perceptions and prejudices than they do on the league or the clubs or the fans.

Forget about individuals, if the public in general has a negative perception of LOI then that is a poor reflection on the league and its clubs. Perceptions dont change automatically so you have to do something to change them, this is where LOI is failing and that nobody seems to recognise this will mean such perceptions will remain for a long time to come.

But yeah, just dismiss the concerns of every individual who doesnt attend, turn it on them and ensure the closed shop perception remains, that is way better than trying to understand where the perception comes from and looking at ways to change it.

Comments like that which I have quoted above remind me of Homer when he is trying to get elected as sanitation commissioner; "I hate the public, if only they'd vote for me - then i'd make them pay".

dan1895

You do realise this perception comes about because of a couple of keyboard warriors on the net? No one is sitting in the stadium judging the other people attending.

Quixoticelixer

BMMachine wrote: »

with barking like that on an internet forum it certainly gives off that impression

"Barking"? Are you actually serious? Just for your benefit; there was no volume or tone associated with what I wrote. Or what I'm writing now, read it in your head as a softly spoken voice if you must.

There is no closed shop, I only go to a few games a year and have always been made feel welcome. It is unfair to imply that the regulars are in any way unwelcoming to outsiders, because they just aren't.

The poster I was responding to made that statement despite admitting to having never attended a game. So I am absolutely correct to say that he has formed incorrect perceptions/prejudices.

:):):) Here's some smilies just so nobody thinks I'm "barking"!!!:):):):)

Mushy

Just hearing Shane Lowry talking on Newstalk, was asked if he was going to the cup final. He didn't know when it was on, fair enough, hes away a lot. But the presenter kinda laughed saying good question.

This shows how much some advertising is needed, and thats for the showpiece event.

dundalkfc10

dan1895 wrote: »

You do realise this perception comes about because of a couple of keyboard warriors on the net? No one is sitting in the stadium judging the other people attending.

I lived in Liverpool for 2 years and Manchester for 1 and all 4 sets of fans (mainly utd and liverpool) fans regularly told me they hated all the day trippers as they add little to the atmosphere and in most cases take away from the atmosphere.

A prime example of this is when Rooney scored against Chelsea either last season or 2 years ago, he ran over to the corner and you could see loads of Asians taking photos of him while they were wearing Chelsea tops.

dan1895

Just to clarify I meant in Ireland. I've even had it said to me in Liverpool.

dundalkfc10

dan1895 wrote: »

Just to clarify I meant in Ireland. I've even had it said to me in Liverpool.

I know myself and the majority of Dundalk fans were delighted to get the extra support we got this season from lads who would have given out about how bad Dundalk were all their lives

Pighead

dan1895 wrote: »

You do realise this perception comes about because of a couple of keyboard warriors on the net? No one is sitting in the stadium judging the other people attending.

Sometimes they do. Was at the Pats Sligo match last Sunday and the hardcore fans in the stand spent 5 minutes chanting 'Where were you when we were sh1t?' to the newbie fans behind the goal.

smallerthanyou

Felexicon wrote: »

I've never been to a LoI match. It isn't the quality keeping me away as I'll happily watch the games on TV(even got to watch the Pats game on the big screen in the local on Sunday). I just think to "outsiders" like me the LoI can seem like a bit of a closed shop for some reason. It operates as some sort of secret society whhere only the few and the privileged know when games are on.

I always thought this too. It does have that closed off feel to 'outsiders'. I was brought to a match at the weekend by an insider and loved it. There really isn't that feel, if anything its opposite, welcoming of new faces. I'd recommend if you are from Dublin going to Richmond park on Friday. I figure of any game all year that'll just be a party and be great fun.

dan1895

Pighead wrote: »

Sometimes they do. Was at the Pats Sligo match last Sunday and the hardcore fans in the stand spent 5 minutes chanting 'Where were you when we were sh1t?' to the newbie fans behind the goal.

I can't be sure but they probably weren't blow ins. If your team are about to win a league for the first time since the nineties more people are going to make the effort of getting to the game. Stupid chant to be singing anyway.

drumlover22

Pighead wrote: »

Sometimes they do. Was at the Pats Sligo match last Sunday and the hardcore fans in the stand spent 5 minutes chanting 'Where were you when we were sh1t?' to the newbie fans behind the goal.

The hardcore Pats fans? I was at the match and heard nothing like that. I'm always delighted when more people make the effort to go to Richmond Park.

Corholio

All the criticism of so called intimidating of 'new fans'. I think it's quite a good reflection on LOI fans amazing ability to spot these new fans. Thats a heck of a special power to have I must say.

Must try it out at the Cross next time.

Paz-CCFC

dan1895 wrote: »

You do realise this perception comes about because of a couple of keyboard warriors on the net? No one is sitting in the stadium judging the other people attending.

And the perception doesn't exist in the real world. It exists on internet fora, this being the main one. There are a few keyboards warriors who act better than others, but there are also a few people who look hardly to try and find this perception. In real life, I've never heard anyone say that they don't go to League of Ireland matches because it's a "closed shop". You can turn up five minutes before the match and get your ticket - that sounds like the exact opposite of a closed shop to me.

happydayz182

Anyone know where to get the attendance figure for the Limerick FC match last night ? Was at the game and it looked fuller than I was expecting for a big stadium! The distance between the home and away fans obviously impacted the atmosphere though

dundalkfc10

Attendance: 1,584 according to Extratime

lala88

Out of interest how many people on here support a team financially? ie but lotto tickets etc You here alot of people saying clubs dont have enough money but do them same people give anything?

GLaDOS

lala88 wrote: »

Out of interest how many people on here support a team financially? ie but lotto tickets etc You here alot of people saying clubs dont have enough money but do them same people give anything?

I'd say most LOI fans here do. Between match tickets, merchandise, pints in the bar, various social nights, halftime raffle tickets etc, there's loads of ways to contribute.

Henlars67

lala88 wrote: »

Out of interest how many people on here support a team financially? ie but lotto tickets etc You here alot of people saying clubs dont have enough money but do them same people give anything?

Ya, used to pay €20 a month into the 400 club, but when I lost my job and went back to college unfortunately that had to stop.

I buy the club lotto every week though, and Half Time raffle tickets at every home game and buy 2-3 annual draw tickets.

I also leave my Season Ticket at home for one game a season and pay in.

I'd say that would be similar to what a lot of LOI fans would contribute outside of the admission fee or Season Ticket. Obviously some would contribute a lot more.

happydayz182

dundalkfc10 wrote: »

Attendance: 1,584 according to Extratime

Thanks for that! Anyone know is there anywhere I can source the average home gate for some of the LOI teams this year?


As for financially supporting teams I really like Sligo Rovers 500 club that seems to work quite well for them.. I wonder is it common among other clubs in the league.

Lawrence1895

lala88 wrote: »

Out of interest how many people on here support a team financially? ie but lotto tickets etc You here alot of people saying clubs dont have enough money but do them same people give anything?

Okay...I'm a member of the 1895 Trust and I volunteer as a steward in Tolka...which helps Shels in a more indirect way, as they don't have to pay for one FAI steward.

10green bottles

happydayz182 wrote: »

Thanks for that! Anyone know is there anywhere I can source the average home gate for some of the LOI teams this year? .......
..............

LOI

http://foot.ie/threads/176465-2013-Attendances?p=1708544&viewfull=1#post1708544

Dundalk

http://www.orielweb.com/dundalktalk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9199

dfx-

lala88 wrote: »

Out of interest how many people on here support a team financially? ie but lotto tickets etc You here alot of people saying clubs dont have enough money but do them same people give anything?

A lot of clubs need volunteers for matchday as well as money, contribute to programmes, turnstiles, run supporters buses which I know some here do.

I'm a Rovers member myself.