View Full Version : Crowd today?
20,000 geez we really are a rabble..
Couple more terrible seasons like this one will be in hugeeee trouble.
PAFCsince1870
21 Jun 2008, 18:53
Yep, I'm in Melbourne for the weekend but it looked absolutely terrible.
Agree with the sentiment too.
The thing is... i never understand it either? Perfect day.. may not be playing well but we have 34,000 members or whatever yet we will never see the day we get that amount on gameday. We must have the most bandwagoners in the comp i reckon. Pathetic.
crazyman27
21 Jun 2008, 19:10
Gotta remember a lot of footy fans actually play footy Saturday arvo. I probably would've tried to get over there if I didn't have footy finishing at 1.00.
But in saying that, it's still a piss-weak crowd and another 5,000 probably would've got the boys over the line.
It is a saturday afternoon, the current game plan is crap and most of the players are passengers so why bother going? BTW it was not a perfect day it was drizzling on and off.
But in saying that, it's still a piss-weak crowd and another 5,000 probably would've got the boys over the line.
Rubbish, the club is playing crap footy atm and thus 100,000 people wouldn't have got them over the line.
MotlopRules
21 Jun 2008, 19:19
There's just no real inspiration to go to the game when you know your team is going to serve up another gut-wrenching loss.
Twisted over backwards to get to the Carlton game, and then had to sit and watch us throw it all away...damned if I'm doing it again for Richmond.
In all honesty, though, I would have gone today except I have mid-years next week. But seriously...how can we expect big crowds when this keeps happening?
Capital Power
21 Jun 2008, 19:20
I don't live in Adelaide but if I did I think even my resolve would be tested. One from seven at home is appalling, whatever spin you put on it. We don't seem to be even addressing the problems
crazyman27
21 Jun 2008, 19:20
It is a saturday afternoon, the current game plan is crap and most of the players are passengers so why bother going? BTW it was not a perfect day it was drizzling on and off.
Yea and it was pretty cold. I've got to admit the travel-time is a real put-off for me. If home games were in the city (like Adelaide Oval) I would probably buy a membership and attend a majority of the games.
At the moment I would be more likely to go to a Redbacks Pura Cup match because of the added convenience. Catch a bus into town, look in some shops, grab something to eat and then walk down to Adelaide Oval. For me, AAMI is in the middle of nowhere and it's really not tempting to sit on a bus for 80 minutes, watch a piss-weak effort from the boys and then have to endure the bus-ride home.
Just my opinion and I'm sure a lot of people actually prefer AAMI's location.
FishingRick04
21 Jun 2008, 19:23
Yea and it was pretty cold. I've got to admit the travel-time is a real put-off for me. If home games were in the city (like Adelaide Oval) I would probably buy a membership and attend a majority of the games.
At the moment I would be more likely to go to a Redbacks Pura Cup match because of the added convenience. Catch a bus into town, look in some shops, grab something to eat and then walk down to Adelaide Oval. For me, AAMI is in the middle of nowhere and it's really not tempting to sit on a bus for 80 minutes, watch a piss-weak effort from the boys and then have to endure the bus-ride home.
Just my opinion and I'm sure a lot of people actually prefer AAMI's location.
Simple live against the gate
crazyman27
21 Jun 2008, 19:25
Simple live against the gate
Not worth it atm :)
birdmanptr
21 Jun 2008, 19:28
Gotta remember a lot of footy fans actually play footy Saturday arvo. I probably would've tried to get over there if I didn't have footy finishing at 1.00.
But in saying that, it's still a piss-weak crowd and another 5,000 probably would've got the boys over the line.
Not just play but watch weather it be your Son Daughter Cousin or whatever fanily member i personally would watch them play their sport before going to ANY A.F.L or SANFL Game.Their is no perfect time for footy now people of today live totally different life styles to what we used to .Work more and more are in Casual situations are not in a postion to go Saturday Arvo any more.The good old days as most of us knew it are gone where even if we did work in say retail and work Saturdays the shops used to shut at 11 or 12-30 the only total day of for some now are Sundays and even then some are lucky to get that.I used to poke fun at Ports crowd size but that was just a Crow Port thing i feel for the people who for what ever reason cant get to a game does not matter what day or time that may be.
I worked it out the other day in this house we have 4 Cat 1 Memberships and they heve been used not only more by others in the last year and a half but they have seen more Port games than Crows and that does not look like changing
Sure Crowd sizes are a concern for All clubs not as much for some than others BUT it aint going to change
i worked today, but in all honesty, its getting hard to care enough to bother to support players when they wont even support each other.
Capital Power
21 Jun 2008, 19:32
Simple live against the gate
Yeah dunno about this one - when I was a kid it didn't matter about the telly - we just had to get to the game. I'm guessing most real fans today are the same.
The coverage might keep casual observers at home (especially when it's cold) but how many of those would we get anyway?
Shane_Mag
21 Jun 2008, 19:52
Was horrible but was expected.
P.A.F.C
21 Jun 2008, 19:55
I was there and dragged someone who wasn't going to go along, that's all I can do. It's dissapointing but I'm not going to get worked up over something I can't change.
dyertribe
21 Jun 2008, 20:20
The thing is... i never understand it either? Perfect day.. may not be playing well but we have 34,000 members or whatever yet we will never see the day we get that amount on gameday. We must have the most bandwagoners in the comp i reckon. Pathetic.
Adelaide have the same problem. 50000+ members and AAMI always sold out, yet have got between 35-45k this year, with the high-end totals being the Showdown and the Hawks game. Low end was Melbourne with 35k. West Coast was 38k, Freo was 39k, Essendon was 42k, North was 42k.
Whether it's AAMI itself, unfriendly timeslots, poor drawing teams or the live against the gate issue, both SA clubs have a black hole of 8-12k members who don't rock up.
To say we're alone here or have a severe bandwagon element is misguided.
gopower
21 Jun 2008, 20:47
After sitting in front of about 5 little kids, one of which was repeatedly waving his flag in my face, hitting me with the flag and kicking my seat throughout the game, to watch last year's Grand Finalists get dominated by last year's wooden spooners at home, with everyone whose last name doesn't end in Ogan putting in next to no effort, and a group full of soft players who don't attack the ball, and the season now over, I am giving my ticket to someone else so they can go watch us get smashed until Thomson and Stewart are back in the side. If that's next week, I'm coming to the Kangas game to watch us get smashed again. If that's never, then I'm giving up footy for the season.
Forzaport
21 Jun 2008, 21:53
We're getting down to the die hard supporters. I will always go, no matter how bad we are, but i noticed those around me were starting to thin. And i sit in bay 130! Smack bang in to the middle of the outer.
dyertribe
22 Jun 2008, 01:45
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,23901956-5006301,00.html
What a nice, balanced article complete with nice, balanced poll.
Pinepower
22 Jun 2008, 09:30
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,23901956-5006301,00.html
What a nice, balanced article complete with nice, balanced poll.
Notice that there is never an option "live too far away"
I know a lot of people who just cannot afford the petrol to get to Adelaide
Black 18
22 Jun 2008, 09:36
I don't think any supporter should be questioned if they decided against going to watch us play.
If your fav band started playing crap music - people would stop attending their gigs, if your shares start to slide - people will take their cash and look elsewhere. You can't keep serving up the same crap and expect people to sit through it time after time and keep going back for more. There comes a time when people have just had enough, and obviously many Port supporters have had enough.
Unless the club can show some sort of light at the end of the tunnel then by about this time next year I would say 20,000 will be a damn good crowd for us.
Our footy is just plain wrong.
Hats off and all the rest to all that do attend. However, if a supporter decides against going because of what they don't like seeing then I think it's out of line to have a go at that supporter.
I personally wouldn't pay a cent to watch that trash being served up at present. I think Choco and most of the players should give back their juicy pay packets and refund the supporters some cash.
Forzaport
22 Jun 2008, 10:25
If your fav band started playing crap music - people would stop attending their gigs, if your shares start to slide - people will take their cash and look elsewhere. You can't keep serving up the same crap and expect people to sit through it time after time and keep going back for more. There comes a time when people have just had enough, and obviously many Port supporters have had enough.
Unless the club can show some sort of light at the end of the tunnel then by about this time next year I would say 20,000 will be a damn good crowd for us.
I don't think these examples quite capture what it is to be a footy fan. You wouldn't stop going to your child's sports game every weekend even if they were really bad...
The sad thing is you're right though. People don't want to spend their money and time getting to the footy unless we are at least competitive.
Geoffa32
22 Jun 2008, 11:48
Times like these seperate those supporters who love their club and those who only want to be associated with winners.
Due to Ports history there are plenty of the later and most Port "supporters" have never been tested.
Might be time for some to learn what it is to follow "real" football, where you experience both highs, and lows.
Great effort for 21k who went, those who did not you could of missed out on a good come back win. You also costed your club financially.
bomberclifford
22 Jun 2008, 11:52
Whatever the reasons for people not coming, my personal experience has been that I cannot even give my spare tickets away. Great undercover seats in Bay 231 at no cost and people still can't be bothered.
It's piss weak really.
On the other side of the coin, there were a few people around us who left halfway through the the last quarter and when they were questioned, they responded, "We've got to get to work!"
Geoffa32
22 Jun 2008, 12:00
Whatever the reasons for people not coming, my personal experience has been that I cannot even give my spare tickets away. Great undercover seats in Bay 231 at no cost and people still can't be bothered.
It's piss weak really.
On the other side of the coin, there were a few people around us who left halfway through the the last quarter and when they were questioned, they responded, "We've got to get to work!"
Last quarter was best part of game. On TV, It was quite exciting.
I never get those that leave early. Even if getting flogged, you might miss something good. Like mark of year or a great passage of play.
Our level of attendances are a never-ending argument and there are too many sensitivities to discuss in detail, but like it or not, what yesterday's crowd says with certainty is that collectively we have the biggest proportion of fickle and bandwagon supporters in the AFL.
This is extremely disappointing and will only compound our problems in the short and long term.
Looked like there was a fairly solid contingent of Richmond fans there? Anyone at the game notice this?
Macca19
22 Jun 2008, 15:46
Wasnt the fact there was only 20,000 people there today, for me, it was the fact that apart from the last 5 minutes, it felt like I was a monk. Quietest crowd ive heard at a Port game. As I said in the review thread, you could have heard an ant fart today it was that quiet.
And of course theres the excuses. Saturday sport, the weather, live on FTA, live on Fox, shit gameplan, the tides, petrol prices, the lack of water in the murray, im sick of the excuses. We like to bag Crows supporters for being fairweather etc, but the fact is we are 10 times worse, and dont have the weight of supporters to cover it.
hereselmo1
22 Jun 2008, 16:11
Wasnt the fact there was only 20,000 people there today, for me, it was the fact that apart from the last 5 minutes, it felt like I was a monk. Quietest crowd ive heard at a Port game. As I said in the review thread, you could have heard an ant fart today it was that quiet.
And of course theres the excuses. Saturday sport, the weather, live on FTA, live on Fox, shit gameplan, the tides, petrol prices, the lack of water in the murray, im sick of the excuses. We like to bag Crows supporters for being fairweather etc, but the fact is we are 10 times worse, and dont have the weight of supporters to cover it.
Yeah I agree Macca, several times during the game I tried to get a chant going to fire up the boys but to no avail. To be honest I cant blame people, they screamed their lungs out at the brissie game and look at the response, did the same at teh Carlton game and...
What I would like to have seen is when they brought the boys to the outer I would have liked thm to bring them right to the fence for 5 mins. Then the crowd would have gone nuts and the boys would have been given some home truths. Then they could have moved further away again so that they could hear the coaches. But coming half way over to teh outer was a token effort much like some of the token chases and token attempts that we made during the game.
FishingRick04
22 Jun 2008, 16:37
Yeah dunno about this one - when I was a kid it didn't matter about the telly - we just had to get to the game. I'm guessing most real fans today are the same.
The coverage might keep casual observers at home (especially when it's cold) but how many of those would we get anyway?
If you are like me and a teenager in the mid to late 80's the times were different. The only way to see the footy was to go, otherwise it was the radio or KG's post game show.
Now however alot of people's lifes styles have changed, both parents work, kids play sport, alot of people are now more stressed and busier, which means less time. If a person lives North East with three kids, it can take an hour either way to get to the game plus 3 hours there, it's just too difficult, when it's LIVE on TV. So not only is it costly it's time costly and live or 20 minute delay makes easier I am sure for alot to say stuff it, watch em on TV.
dyertribe
22 Jun 2008, 17:02
We like to bag Crows supporters for being fairweather etc, but the fact is we are 10 times worse, and dont have the weight of supporters to cover it.
As I said in my earlier post - I don't think we're worse, but you're right, we simply don't have the numbers to cover it.
Adelaide got 35000 at home to play Melbourne. 35000! 39000 to see West Coast - and this with their 50000+ members and 1.89 billion supporters.
I don't necessarily think it's a bandwagon issue - it's a combination of factors - and it's not limited to our side of the fence.
Paralowiepower
22 Jun 2008, 18:53
Wasnt the fact there was only 20,000 people there today, for me, it was the fact that apart from the last 5 minutes, it felt like I was a monk. Quietest crowd ive heard at a Port game. As I said in the review thread, you could have heard an ant fart today it was that quiet.
I was down the Southern End and the Richmond supporters were superb, I was sick of how quiet the Port crowd was so moved down the Northern End in the last quarter. Northern End was a lot better but It was only because Port were coming back.
Time to get behind the team from the start no matter if 20,000 are there or 30,000. How times have changed over the years.
portentous
22 Jun 2008, 20:21
Had to make a choice between watching my kids' sport (for free) and seeing them 100%committed to their team, against blokes twice their size or paying heaps to see a bunch of overpaid prima donnas sooking their way to the bottom 4.
Easy choice to make really.
BTW both kids won their matches against far bigger,stronger opposition. Maybe I should get the AFL footballers out to a few hockey matches to see what G & D is about. I've seen tougher junior sports' matches than AFL this season by far.
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,23901956-5006301,00.html
wow, the poll on that site is just down right offensive
Alberton_Magpie
22 Jun 2008, 21:12
Had to make a choice between watching my kids' sport (for free) and seeing them 100%committed to their team, against blokes twice their size or paying heaps to see a bunch of overpaid prima donnas sooking their way to the bottom 4.
Easy choice to make really.
BTW both kids won their matches against far bigger,stronger opposition. Maybe I should get the AFL footballers out to a few hockey matches to see what G & D is about. I've seen tougher junior sports' matches than AFL this season by far.
Fairly good point, Port Adelaide players are really playing for the $$$ at the moment!!
Killer Power
22 Jun 2008, 22:14
I was there and dragged someone who wasn't going to go along, that's all I can do. It's dissapointing but I'm not going to get worked up over something I can't change.
P.A.F.C. - love your new avatar, in a completely hetero way! :thumbsu:
birdmanptr
23 Jun 2008, 19:53
As I said in my earlier post - I don't think we're worse, but you're right, we simply don't have the numbers to cover it.
Adelaide got 35000 at home to play Melbourne. 35000! 39000 to see West Coast - and this with their 50000+ members and 1.89 billion supporters.
I don't necessarily think it's a bandwagon issue - it's a combination of factors - and it's not limited to our side of the fence.
Crowd sizes are critisized not cause of bums on seats but how many$$$$ those numbers generate
I agree 35000 to any home game for us is poor very poor but what that equates to in Dollars is the only issue clubs are interested in.
I dont know how many people both clubs need to games before they make money but that is rightly or wrongly the issue,and as long as those Dollars can be made else where then i guess there is no real problem to clubs HOWEVER when those Dollars cant be made else where thats when clubs will have concerns
MrMeaner
25 Jun 2008, 11:02
I know that it seems like another excuse but surely petrol prices have to have some influence on crown numbers for both South Australian teams.
The price of taking a family to the footy is already through the roof. SA's public transport system is directed towards the city. Thus, petrol price rises flow directly into the cost of attending a game.
In relation to Port, add the fact that we have been playing ugly, mostly ineffective footy over the past few seasons and going to a game becomes very bad value for money.
There is probably some 'bandwagon' effect in that too. However, I'm not sure that it is as great as some suggest.
Ford Fairlane
25 Jun 2008, 11:54
I know that it seems like another excuse but surely petrol prices have to have some influence on crown numbers for both South Australian teams.
The price of taking a family to the footy is already through the roof. SA's public transport system is directed towards the city. Thus, petrol price rises flow directly into the cost of attending a game.
In relation to Port, add the fact that we have been playing ugly, mostly ineffective footy over the past few seasons and going to a game becomes very bad value for money.
There is probably some 'bandwagon' effect in that too. However, I'm not sure that it is as great as some suggest.
The infratsructure base of the 2008-09 state budget underpinned by the extension of the tram system, electrification of the rail system, and introduction of Transit Oriented Developments (TODs - in a nutshell these are are neighbourhoods offering a mix of high-density, high-quality housing located with employment, mass transit connections, services and recreational activities) will see the decentralisation of metropolitan Adelaide. Contrary to what some believe, the tram spur to West Lakes was not dedicated to Football Park, but because West Lakes has been identified as a TOD hub. The benefit to Footy Park attendees is a spillover effect.
This is obviously going to take time to take effect, but expands the thinking of Adelaide being a modern city beyond the boundaries of North, West, South Terrace etc.
MrMeaner
25 Jun 2008, 12:25
Thanks Ford. Having been OS recently I had missed all that. Living outside of SA means that I have not really caught up. It makes a lot of sense.
Ford Fairlane
25 Jun 2008, 12:30
No probs. This TOD concept has been running strongly in a number of international cities for many years. I believe the government will also give itself planning approval powers over councils in these areas, so as to get development up and running. This may also pressure the ACC to be more responsive as forward thinking industries locate to the TODs rather than the city centre.
Just to clarify, I think West Lakes has been identified as a significant centre for potential development, and that the current 11 proposed TOD locations are Elizabeth, Mawson Lakes, Modbury/TTP, Glanville/Newport Quays, Bowden/Hindmarsh (Clipsal), Mitcham, Bedford Park/Tonsley, Oaklands/Marion Centre, Noarlunga, Plympton, Cheltenham (TBC).