U20 World Cup - Why aren't YOU going

2.5% is not a story - they are selling Monteiths 'mid strength' beer for the World Cup - its 3% or whatever it is. And its terrible. And I never actually said I wasn't going - just pointing out factors that I hate when I watch football there. And even when the stadium is fuller the atmosphere is still poor - being far away from the pitch is the main reason for this. 

Yeah realise they are all valid points but I guess my point is people seem to look for reasons to not go rather than reasons to go. Maybe it is just me and I am deluded, but the opportunity to watch football of the quality I have seen in New Plymouth and Wellington trumps what are, in my deluded opinion, minor inconveniences

I agree but 5000 people per game here seem to disagree with that and I'm trying to work out why.

I feel like this is going in circles. People have a bunch of reasons for not going, many of which look BS to committed fans who are going. However, those reasons are valid for the people whose reasons they are. Trying to get more people along is difficult given the variety of reasons people have for not coming. 

threaten people into going?  football (or any sport) can be pretty boring without any emotional involvement - I usually don't watch sport purely for the entertainment of it (except for baseball, but that's more a novelty for me at the moment and I don't really have "my" teams decided yet)

Going to see sport for the "spectacle" doesn't really appeal, although I may go to the NFL match in Wellington if it happens.

Can confirm. Was having a yarn with an "Alcohol Warden" at North Harbour last night, said nothing is above 3%.

The wine is ;)

I'm of the belief that most people are ignorant idiots who don't know what they're missing out on

Attendances at these tournaments aren't often great, so don't think it'd cost us in future. 

I think most people would pick a game or two and go to that. With games every few days, the crouds probably tend to get spread thinly. It also makes the weather effect greater as people are more likely to skip todays game due to weather figuring they'll make it to one of the other games. 

I'm not overly disappointed or surprised by the crouds, especially given the contempt the media have treated the tournament with. 

Remember when journalism used to be about reporting on stories instead of who paid who the right money?

If Fairfax had put the space they have put into ill-researched FIFA 'scandal' stories and opinion pieces duplicating what serious journalists wrote a decade ago Joe lunchpail might know this massive showpiece for our country is on.

pre FIFA scandal:

NZ herald football stories outnumber stuffs by 4:1

FIFA scandal breaks:

Stuff match the herald for articles. 99% of the articles by stuff are about FIFA (and slow world cup ticket sales), while herald keep up their U20 coverage. 

Since: 

herald outnumber stuff about 2:1

Good thread HN, for my 2 cents worth, I havent gone, not because of shifts, not because the price of tickets nor even the shark stadium food etc. 

My excuse is money - something I do not have a lot of, and priorities. I have yet to buy my season ticket and although she who must be obeyed will be okay with that but it is winter and the wife and kids need winter things and I like making expensive donations to Genisis.

No ones fault but my own. One I do regret.

Ps: Would "Stuff" please stop with the excessive coverage of the tournament. Oooooops, sorry, there's  been very little if any but there is a lot more about "Prancing with the never was stars" and lots of recaps on the first 2 episodes.

the crap mid strength beer is actually quite a motivating factor not to go to two games this friday

+1 

I have had tickets to both last Saturdays games and Tuesday night and I went to neither.

It has been a combination of factors for me.

I have a newborn baby, so it's hard to just take off for games I'm not overly that in to. If it were the Phoenix I would make a real effort but with these games, while I'd love to be there - both to watch the football and socialise with other football peeps - I just don't have the same amount of spare time as previously so I've ended up watching at home. The weather has certainly been a factor. Hard to get motivated to rug up and leave when I'm comfy at home next to fire and with tasty food and beverage accessible.

Plus last night the Junior All Whites were playing at the same time.

On the social side of things I also haven't had the usual bunch of mates all organised and keen to get amongst and make a good time of it. Usually I'd receive a text or two from people who are going to Nix to catch up for a beer but haven't had that for these games so it's been easy to not bother. If I had a mate who was fired up and trying to convince me I'd probably have gone.

And in terms of the football - I'm definitely interested - hence watching on TV, but knowing it would be a small croud has also made it easy to not bother. I enjoy the atmosphere of a passionate croud so knowing that might not be likely it again hasn't convinced me to make the effort. In saying that, the Ghana game last night sounded like a hell of a lot of fun so I'm a little gutted I missed that.

Definitely going on Friday though - much easier when your team is playing.

according to wikipedia - attendance so far is 131,626 (7,313 per match)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_FIFA_U-20_World_Cup

For me it's pretty much down to time of life. My kids who like going aren't old enough to stay for the 7pm games, so all the ticket money (which adds up!) is spent on the 4pm game. We've done that once, but will probably watch from home on Friday. The officious ticket sales lady who insisted allocated seating would be enforced when trying to buy extra kids tickets didn't help either. I've also heard from some that they didn't want to line Sepp Blatter's pockets. I wonder if that will change now.

I think lack of promotion/coverage has been a big factor. I've heard plenty of radio ads  over the last 6 months (or longer) but very little on TV. 

I was at Trax watching NZ v Ukraine ahead of Saturday's games. A guy there asked where the NZ games being played, then asked what was going on the stadium, & was surprised when I told him.

I got a group of 10 together with venue packs for Wellington (3 of whom haven't shown), but the general feeling amongst those of us who have been going, is that no-one really seems to know the tournament's going on

I actually enjoy watching the games without having any emotional attachment to the teams.  I cheer for the underdog but appreciate good football played by either team (and dislike any cynical play).

It's great pantomime without the despair of losing.

But I would like to see Nixie and Woolliam have a cage fight in between games.

I think Nixie would take that stupid sheep thing.

lack of emotional attachment influences why i don't go, in the same way i can't ever get excited by A league.

yes, if you're a diehard football fan, you don't need emotional attachment.

If you're a casual fan of American Football, you're only going to watch the NFL, you're not going to bother with college football, for instance. I know the under-20s are rising stars and really talented, but people are never going to relate to it like the real World Cup, which is more about the high drama.

Look at how many people watch NZ in the yachting - I mean, who could watch yachting if you didn't have a dog in the fight...

I'm not saying it's not a good tournament, just my 2c as to why lots of people wouldn't be too bothered, and I'm not surprised by the c.rowds

you're a minority (not racist)

Have tickets but currently working full time nights, commuting in on a bike with no granny gears, doing weights, core exercises and running 24 km a week also.

I'm just knackered.

*takes ForteanTimes to the vets and has him put down*

Good points.

Out of interest does anyone know the Cricket WC crouds in Wgtn for games not involving the NZ team ("the darkly hued head coverings or something or other")?

For me it was initially lack of emotional attachment. As an England fan, prior to the tournament I saw England didn't qualify and then it didn't really interest me much. However now it's started I've realised it's still a World Cup and would be mad to miss out so will be going to the Wellington games this Friday. I can't leave work early enough for the start of the first game but will try and get up there for the 2nd half at least. Would have liked to go on Saturday too but had something else already on.

I feel it's time to call the New Zealand Cricket team....the New Zealand Cricket team.

And for people to spell croud properly!

Junior82's 4 steps to happiness:

1. Keep working.  Money is useful.
2. Get a car.
3. Cut out all that running and weights malarky, embrace being older.  Drink herbal tea instead (water boiled under a pyramid) if it makes you feel better.
4. Watch some live football.

You're welcome

Buono estente

[Un messago sponsoro]: Beneres? Niko fuerto tipomagico - te bai-by-gizmo. Novello proboscis - molto molto kin agrophos. Vo, tidiaka mit functioni moronico. Te facilos action-pumpo! Zo, nea shopping, nea collo, te "bai-by-gizmo"

There were only 4 games in Wellington. Both NZ games sold out (or basically anyway). Sri Lanka vs England had 18k on a Sunday and Zimbabwe vs South Africa was on the Thursday and was definitely under 10k.

Why don't you go to the rugby or the AFL or the league? Probably because those things don't interest you. (maybe you did go but I think the point still stands). There just aren't that many people who want to go to 13 Phoenix games, every All Whites games, U-20's games. I think people like having events in Wellington but people aren't very good at committing themselves to going week in week out. 

I'll be honest and say that I don't want to go to 5 U-20 match days in a 3 week period. It is too much money to spend and not worth it for me. I am going on Friday and will be there for the Ro16 and QF. So personally, I'm doing 3 out of 5 which is enough for me.

I don't think the crouds for the event have been horrible. 9k was a good number for the first lost of matches in Wellington. If you look at the crouds we got in 2008 for the u-17 women's and some of them were incredibly poor (3k for a New Zealand game in Wellington).

I presume we were only allowed to have 7 venues by FIFA? If we wanted to maximise crouds we would have played in a lot more centres. Tauranga, Napier, Invercargill, Nelson, Rotorua could all have got good crouds if they only had one match in the tournament.

I love watching world cup talent in our own back yard from all the teams, the flair, skills etc.. It's been an awesome week so far. It can only get better. Has there been any updates on ticket sales as before the WC started it was said 200 000 tickets were sold. Be interesting to see what it's up to now.. 

This latest round of games have had very low turn outs...just as I feared in an earlier comment, the night games mixed with the cold and rain hasn't helped with that at all...hopefully the last round of games with some better weather will get some bigger crouds...especially Christchurch who have Brazil and Germany this Sunday.  Mexico vs Serbia and Colombia vs Portugal in Dunedin better fill that stadium, or what will?  How's tickets for Wellington...Argentina vs Austria and of course the locals NZ vs Myanmar...would hope with some fine weather to get over 20,000 for that.

 don't think that FIFA limited the venues. If we had played in more venues then there would have been none left in the country for thugby.

Plus the cost for setting up a venue for 1 day would be quite high I would imagine.

I know Dadbods are in but my gut was getting out of hand a my lack of fitness appalling. I fully intended to go but a colleague was desperate for time off and there's not many folk around who cover that postion.

Like LG I need the money, tight leather jeans and hair pieces awaits!

Instead of a toupee, try hair looming. 

Last night  I think I heard the attendance as 3903... If true  that is a shameful effort Chch. Need 15000  for Sunday.

Should be a big day.CL final then Ferns then the double header.phew!.

Just got a ticket for tonight and PAX is 15633.

  Difference is I don't really give a flying fark about AFL or League although I have attended games at the Stadium.  My biggest gripe with the crouds is the number of "football people" who are clearly not supporting the event for a number of legitimate reasons. The casual punters should really be the cream on the top.