Crowds - The thread of Australian whining

What's that park near Te Papa? I can't tell what it's used for on Google maps, but it would be a kick arse location for a 15,000 boutique football stadium. Over to you, Terry...make it happen!

The one where we had the kick-around before the Phoenix first game ?  Or were you so boozed you've forgotten it ?

Oh yeah! That's the one! Would be awesome, although the conditions may require it to have a roof...as for that kick around, the term "shooting fish in a barrel" springs to mind...tired,wretchedly  hungover fish...

True.

So what is that park used for when not for kick abouts and whatever that rugby team was doing?
kiwi pie2009-09-30 11:21:18

You must have missed the two games we had away after the Perth win.
I'll remind you - we drew in Brissy and then lost 2-0 to Sydney. If you want flawed, then you've just out flawed me.
I can't say it would be 1000 per game, but it's a good start and a pretty good figure based on how the games have gone. Our base seems to sit at 6-6500.
I'm counting a draw as a no result which doesn't help people outside the base. Many fairweather followers do not consider draws, especially 5 of them, good enough to keep coming back. We all want to see wins, but it's just the faithfull that hang on longer and keep rolling up.

Again - win!
Royal2009-09-30 11:28:31

i think people would just lose interest. We need all the fans we can get,so does the A league. So whether thats a TV audience or by spectators it doesnt matter.

Great know you want to kick old people out there homes.Thats bound to win us some fans

No TV = No shirt sponors = poorer clubs

it wouldnt be no TV,just not in the wellington region.

Steve-O2009-09-30 16:07:59

Of course it's not ideal, but it's near the trains and it's near the BB and it's our home, I've had the same seat for 3 seasons. The friggin Rugby fans don't feel the same way about it I'm sure.

Also a fair amount of stadiums do other events these days.

I'd love a 12000 purpose built stadium but it ain't going to happen anytime soon, and who knows we may end up filling the ring of fire again when the nix play.

How can you say that?

I'm sure many rugby fans have a liking of the ground.

Again, I don't understand how 1000 is a "pretty good figure based on how games have gone".

I'd say home games have a much bigger impact on how the team is perceived, since they're more likely to be seen by casual fans rather than away games which I'd guess are only watched by fans (and some general football fans). So don't think that the 2-0 loss to Sydney had such a big impact in the crowd drop, just like I don't think we dropped the 3000 between the last two home games because of the 1-1 draw with NQF.

Obviously winning would get more media coverage, and would have a positive impact on the crowds, but to try to quantify it would be an extremely difficult exercise, since a lot of other factors tend to contribute than just 'winning'. We actually have one of the higher crowd averages this season compared to some of the other teams in the league, and if 'winning' was the sole (or most important) basis on which people attended games, that wouldn't be the case.

No really, I know a fair few passionate rugby fans, a few ex-players, (most at the lower club levels) and a couple of coaches and I can guarantee they don't turn up to half as many home games, (canes/lions), as an average YF fan does to a Nix match. It is just does not seem the same going to support a home Rugby team as it does the Phoenix.

Might have something to do with the higher season ticket prices they used to pay (not sure what it is currently).

... or maybe it's just a boring game.

Results are everything. Yes weather, days, time does has some effect as it does on everything, but nowhere near as much as a simple result. There were over 10,000 at the first game. If the results since had swung our way, I would bet my lunch that crowds would be the same at the very worst. Dont let yourself think that just because the team plays away that the casuals aren't aware, some people that came to the first game with me seemed very aware of the 2-0 loss in Sydey and these people come to 3-4 games a season. They haven't been back yet because they don't want to see a draw, but they will be back.

Remember the joke last year about games at 5 pm on a Sunday affecting families? Didn't make any difference at all. We stayed at the base of 6-6500 because of results in a below average year, nothing else.

Win and they will come. Have a look at this years crowd numbers for each game and the results that preceeded them before you can argue against it. To be fair the crowd rose slightly for the Fury match but is was fine and a certain player drew a few.
Royal2009-09-30 20:37:43

Perth game  -  10,004
draw 1-1
loss 0-2
Adelaide game (draw) - 7,523 (windy, freezing)
draw 1-1
Fury game (draw) - 9,713 (Fine, Fowler factor)
CCM Game 6,769

from 10,000 we didn't win the next two games and dropped 2500 for the Adelaide game. We grew for the Fury game, but that game was always targeted for a lot of people sothey could see Robbie.
The CCM game continued the trend after the draw by being 800 below the Adelaide game.
I cant see it going below 6,500 but if we do well on Friday but more importantly win at NQ then I reckon we could get 10,000 again for the match against New Bling, hopefully more.

Winning is everything for getting about the usual 6500 crowd,but i think what hes saying is you cant really quantify it like you're trying to do.

I'm not. It's a trend that stood out last season and has shown up again.
Season one was very different.
Royal2009-09-30 21:30:37

So after every win we pick up exactly 1000 fans?

is there not any rectangle stadium that could be ok with an upgrade in wellington? ive heard a couple bandied about. For example in christchurch rugby league park would be idea there must be some old run down ground round somewhere.

I prefer the stadium that has good facilities etc,and is easy for people to get to. Rather than a rectangular one that neutral people wont bother going to

Location, location, location is the problem.

Basin Reserve would be amazing, image that filling up with the banks full etc.

But the lines would be a bitch. They struggle to get people through the gates fast when its a test match.

And parking would be another problem.HarryPeters2009-10-01 23:09:25

I thought people wanted a rectangular stadium though...

Oh yeah...

Awkward....

 

Amazed to hear the crowd size last night... Top team and couldn't pull any more punters than in the four thousands.. Once the Marshmellow man goes there won't be another GGU..

4,000 people? Nick Ward has more people in his bed than that.

Basin Reserve would be awful. There's been plenty of football matches played there over the years and it's sh*te. Apart from all the other problems the pitch at the Basin is a lot bigger than Westpac Stadium so you're even more removed from the action.

Westpac Stadium might be a bit big and the wrong shape but apart from that it's great.

Re-vamp Newtown Park imo.

...needs more Light rail to get there and no running track.

Spent yesterday watching junior teams from accross Oz & NZ in a big tournament in Qld. Spoke to many people re the A league. Bottom line is that most of them used to go but they are watching their money at the moment.Pretty smart I would think.
Brisbane v Sydney last week 7500, the same game last year 20000.
Engage brain before openning mouth.(in this case-before typing)

fun to talk about but nothing wrong with the stadium for my money.  Which is what it's really about. I  just don't see it's practical in a small town like welly to talk about a tailor made stadium for football.  Even Terry would wince at forking out for that. 

look at Brisbane - they've put up ticket prices because they are paying wooping fees at the stadium.  And everybody is complaining about the price.  we get to share costs in a multi use venue and OK put up with a few compromises to make it all viable

Good facilities, good access, quality pitch.  Avoiding a white elephant on our rates bills.  Caketin.

Either that or wop up the rates a ton, and/or ticket prices, just so we can have the perfect venue and sit a bit closer to the pitch and not have many gaps in the stand. just not realistic chaps

Isn't Ms. Kerry building a new sports facility in Kilbirnie? 

Indoor sports.
Current stadium is good, let's keep it.