Irish League Attendances

[Feckitt]

Can someone please help me out here, I really don't want to have to go to a match to find out.
What would the average saturday afternoon attendances be for NI clubs, such as Newry Town etc?

[SammyG]

Can someone please help me out here, I really don't want to have to go to a match to find out.
What would the average saturday afternoon attendances be for NI clubs, such as Newry Town etc?

Anywhere from 3-400 to 6 or 7000 depending on who's playing, ime of year etc.

[T Fearon]

Sammy bawahahahahahhahahha

More like 200-300. You might if you're lucky get 7000 at a Linfield Glentoran game if it was a boxing Day Derby or Irish Cup Final. Never at any other occasion.

By the way Derry City are by far the best supported side in the 6 counties

[Rick O Shea]

More like 200-300. You might if you're lucky get 7000 at a Linfield Glentoran game if it was a boxing Day Derby or Irish Cup Final. Never at any other occasion.

Na Tony, i think Sammy is more accurate with his estimate of 3-400, that is between 3 people & 400 people   

[Bacon]

I was at a match in Newry Showgrounds about 3 years ago. A relative was playing and we went along to see him. It was a league game v Distillery and there was no more than 50 watching the match. There was a few more in the clubhouse watch an English match on RTE. I was surprised there were so few given its high profile on BBCNI.

Newry are doing quite well now so maybe they attract more than they did when I went along.

[Norf Tyrone]

I would've went to Limavady and Omagh games the odd time. Obviously both are/were poorly supported, but at Omagh there was about 10-20 home supporters plus whatever away time brought a following.
Limavady would've havd 100-150 I'd guess.

[snatter]

From an earlier discussion with Sammy:

2005 Ulster Teams Championship attendances.
(NOTE that these exclude the qualifier series matches).

USFC: Armagh V Tyrone	61000
USFC: Replay Armagh V Tyrone	32000
USFC: Derry V Armagh	27633
USFC: Donegal V Armagh	25622
USFC: Tyrone V Cavan	23441
USFC: Armagh V Fermanagh	23107
USFC: Replay Armagh V Donegal	18227
USFC: Tyrone V Down	18200
USFC: Replay Tyrone V Cavan	16492
USFC: Monaghan V Derry	16314
USFC: Cavan V Antrim	10500
USFC: Replay Cavan V Antrim	3865
AIQF: Tyrone V Dublin	78514
AIQF: Armagh V Laois	32187
AISF: Tyrone V Armagh	65858
AIF: Tyrone V Kerry	82112

Note that these are official figures.
Earlier round games in particular will probably show figures lower than the real attendances - Non-paying kids aren't taken into account.

--------------------------------

JJB Irish Cup Final 2005 Portadown V Larne  5,431

[deiseach]

It was a league game v Distillery and there was no more than 50 watching the match.

Of whom at least one was a reporter from the BBC

[Bogball XV]

USFC: Replay Cavan V Antrim

3865

What happened here???

[corn02]

Its funny Tyrone Armagh semi was the loudest I have ever heard a crowd and there was only 68,000 at it.

I use to go to Newry matches about 8 or 9 years ago and they gtot big crowds. It has seemed to dwindle and on a staurday match I hear 200 would now be a good crowd. I believe two years agio they played nearly all their games on a Friday night and attendances doubled.

[T Fearon]

An obvious factor in the farcically low attendances at Irish League soccer, apart from the shite football, ongoing sectarianism, is that they compete directly with Junior Football in the six counties, and the throngs that go across each Saturday to watch Celtic Rangers, Man Ure, Liverpool etc. The obvious way to boost attendances would be to play senior football on Sundays, or junior football on Sundays, but will the IFA lift its ridiculous ban on Sunday soccer? Not on your nelly.

[Gnevin]

An obvious factor in the farcically low attendances at Irish League soccer, apart from the shite football, ongoing sectarianism, is that they compete directly with Junior Football in the six counties, and the throngs that go across each Saturday to watch Celtic Rangers, Man Ure, Liverpool etc. The obvious way to boost attendances would be to play senior football on Sundays, or junior football on Sundays, but will the IFA lift its ridiculous ban on Sunday soccer? Not on your nelly.

If Sunday football is the issue when the is the LOI crowds not much better?

[nifan]

An obvious factor in the farcically low attendances at Irish League soccer, apart from the shite football, ongoing sectarianism, is that they compete directly with Junior Football in the six counties, and the throngs that go across each Saturday to watch Celtic Rangers, Man Ure, Liverpool etc. The obvious way to boost attendances would be to play senior football on Sundays, or junior football on Sundays, but will the IFA lift its ridiculous ban on Sunday soccer? Not on your nelly.

I agree with you on the removal of the ridiculous ban being good for Irish League.

[Hardy]

two years ago they played nearly all their games on a Friday night ...

The players must have been knackered on the Saturday morning.

[MW]

An obvious factor in the farcically low attendances at Irish League soccer..is that they compete directly with Junior Football in the six counties

I agree with something Tony said

That's why I can't get to most of Glentoran's matches.

Must go for a lie down