Calling The Residents Of Inverness

[TopSix]

Fully agree with what Charles has said above.

[Sneckboy]

Have included the 'split' fixtures this time - although, as Charles suggested, there are only minor changes.

 

[ICTRoughi]

Have included the 'split' fixtures this time - although, as Charles suggested, there are only minor changes.

 

Attendances.jpg

 

Christ, that's some drop for Partick Thistle - must be second season syndrome!

[TopSix]

Decent article about crowds from one of the DR journalists http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/david-mccarthy-gates-hell--4737398

[Charles Bannerman]

Fully agree with what Charles has said above.

You mean that Spotty could be Scotty's adolescent lovechild?

[Charles Bannerman]

Decent article about crowds from one of the DR journalists http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/david-mccarthy-gates-hell--4737398

To a large extent I think this angle, highlighting the cup, is slightly old news since the Scottish Cup seems to have been a lost cause for a few years now. The current issue in Scotland is the now declining SPFL where I see the present retreat simply as an extension of what started some time ago in the cup. Quite simply the Scottish Cup hasn't been "sexy" for some time now and that malaise seems to be spreading to the league.

 

It all makes the SPL's vanity project of 10,000 all seater stadia look even more ridiculous than it did at the time,

[CaleyD]

Let's see how these sports are doing a few years down the line when the novelty wears off.  Basketball in England went through a popular phase a few years ago and then went bust over night....ice hockey did similar.

 

About the only thing that article tells us....and you have to read between the lines because the journalist totally misses the point....is that people like a bit of novelty.  The "lesson" to be learned is that Scottish football currently provides the exact opposite with teams playing each other 3/4/5/6 times a season.  As I pointed out on Twitter to someone yesterday....the cinema is expensive, yet people still go time and again (some people go every week).  Why? because there's variety and they don't go along to watch the same movie over and over.  That's not something that's within the clubs control....and thanks to St Mirren and Ross County who veto'd proposals for reconstruction that would have allowed a shift in the right direction....it's now going to be even more difficult to achieve agreement for.

 

I had a discussion with someone recently who said they never bought a season ticket this year because the price had gone up again....they "had to go" when I pointed out that prices hadn't increased in the last 4 seasons.

 

People need to stop lapping up the garbage spouted by the media (not all, but a large majority) who, in my opinion, are doing more to damage the game with their constant negativity.  I stopped buying newspapers years ago because there's less and less about the actual matches and more and more negative BS about non match stuff. I witness it nearly every week where (some) journalists don't want to speak to goal scorers and guys who've had a great game...they want to speak to the guys who maybe had a bit of handbags with someone or made a couple of errors during a match.

 

Anyway, back to attendances....one small (positive) factoid which I've not seen any journalist or reporter pick up on...

 

Our average attendance is holding up for this season....despite a huge drop in away fan numbers.  Conclusion : Home fan numbers must be on the up.

 

Also, last nights attendance was par for the course given the recent history of attendances for midweek cup replays (not just with us)....in fact, it was about 25% more than was predicted/expected.

[Spotty]

 

Fully agree with what Charles has said above.

You mean that Spotty could be Scotty's adolescent lovechild?

 

Lol, yes probably wasnt the best thought through username in hindsight : )

Delighted to confirm that there is no lovechildness afoot.

 

A story i was boring a colleague with earlier:

Me and my mate went to every home game in the 3rd, 2nd and as many 1st div games as we could. The idea of being in the Premier was amazing, every team had a known star, keith wright and michael o neill at hibs, jess, booth shearer at aberdeen, even tommy coyne at motherwell!

Sadly, these days, its hard to get excited about any of the teams players, whether this is right or wrong isnt the point, but it must have some impact on peoples decision making when it comes to attending home games. 

Bringing back drinking at games and standing would make a difference, but will never happen sadly.  

 

[Laurence]

_{To be realistic the reason for what is perceived to be  poor attendance is difficult if not impossible to quantify}

 

_{From where I am sitting for a start people have to be interested in football wild horses won't get them to a game if they are not.}

_{Most people are not. Those that are are quite happy to watch it it on TV}

_{It may be the cost is a factor then this can be tested by having a cheap week, but I don't think it would make a lot of difference.}

_{People work all week and Saturday afternoons are a premium, family life comes before sport these days, most ladies do not want their husbands to disappear every Saturday afternoon.}

_{The stadium is adequate, the facilities are  adequate, but are not good.  The catering facilities are a pest, People getting up and down throughout the game , blocking the view , and if you watch some of the fans they seem more interested in food and drink than the game.}

_{Lack of atmosphere at the ground is also a factor. Cat calling  the Ref. seems to be the order of the day, but it is very boring and not funny after  twenty minutes  of it.}

_{When I watched Bury or Wimbledon in my former lives, the singing never stopped.  At Inverness it seldom starts.  I am in my seventies and I will join in if others start it.}

_{How about keeping it simple with  " Oh Caley we do  -Oh Caley we love you"  - " or walking  in a Watkins/Christy wonderland",  There is nothing like singing to get the fans involved.   Shouting at the Ref is so boring.}

_{Kingsmill shouted me down when I mentioned a scoreboard, but one of the usage of a scoreboard, is to to put up a message " crowd noise". They do it all the time in the NFL and it works.}

_{The location of the ground may be a factor, die hard fans don't care , but new fans might.  Some thing could be done about traffic control, I don't know what, but to take your care to the ground is no joke. having to drive right round town to get to the A9 is no fun at all.}

_{I am a football aolic  fan so I put up with all the above but most people of a good age like me won't.}

[PerfICT]

Just a point about midweek attendances - some clubs will be hit harder than others if they play a match in midweek.

 

First, there's a distance issue: it is almost impossible for away fans to travel large distances midweek because of work/other commitments. This will disproportionately affect home games at RC, us and Aberdire.

 

Second, there's a supporters' demographic issue: I think it is fair to say that we have an unusual ratio of older people and young children compared to most clubs - we lack the stereotypical 20-40 age bracket. It is young kids and older folk who are less likely to be able/allowed to go to evening matches on a "school night" in the middle of winter.

 

So, no surprise at all that last night's attendance was ~1700 less than the average Saturday afternoon gate. On this occasion, I don't think there is anything that could be done to help this because it was a replay. However, I think midweek league games should be completely avoided, except in very rare circumstances when bad weather might play a part.

 

SUMMER FOOTBALL!

[Scotty]

To be realistic the reason for what is perceived to be  poor attendance is difficult if not impossible to quantify

 

Dont think it is impossible to quantify the reasons themselves. I think you have hit a fair few of them on the head below .. what IS impossible to quantify is the percentage weighting of each one for any individual fan as everyone is different and some fans may have more than one reason.

 

 

From where I am sitting for a start people have to be interested in football wild horses won't get them to a game if they are not.

Most people are not. Those that are are quite happy to watch it it on TV

Agree

 

It may be the cost is a factor then this can be tested by having a cheap week, but I don't think it would make a lot of difference. 

Cost is a factor for some but not for others. Your TV watchers above are still not going to come to a game even if it is PWYW

 

 

People work all week and Saturday afternoons are a premium, family life comes before sport these days, most ladies do not want their husbands to disappear every Saturday afternoon.

Agree and have found myself giving up a few Toronto FC games this past summer when stuff I wanted to do with my little boy clashed .... On other occasions I took him and the missus with me so actually swelled the crowd instead of reducing it !!!

 

 

The stadium is adequate, the facilities are  adequate, but are not good.  The catering facilities are a pest, People getting up and down throughout the game , blocking the view , and if you watch some of the fans they seem more interested in food and drink than the game.

Adequate is about the right description I think. As for the serveries, even as a season ticket holder many years ago I stopped using them as the queues and the product were both s*** ! On trips back this seems to be one area that has never improved so I seldom if ever sample the wares. As for people getting up and down throughout a game its no different than the cinema where folk - who always have a seat in the middle of the row - feel the need to go get an industrial size bucket of popcorn and gallons of melted ooze part way through the film instead of at the start. Its annoying but its not the fault of the club (or the cinema).  

 

 

Lack of atmosphere at the ground is also a factor. Cat calling  the Ref. seems to be the order of the day, but it is very boring and not funny after  twenty minutes  of it.

When I watched Bury or Wimbledon in my former lives, the singing never stopped.  At Inverness it seldom starts.  I am in my seventies and I will join in if others start it. How about keeping it simple with  " Oh Caley we do  -Oh Caley we love you"  - " or walking  in a Watkins/Christy wonderland",  There is nothing like singing to get the fans involved.   Shouting at the Ref is so boring.

I agree about a lack of atmosphere but my experience is somewhat different.

 

Back when I was a season ticket holder you were allowed to shout what would probably now be called "abuse" at the opposing manager, players, or the ref provided it wasnt offensive (ie not racist, homophobic etc) which is fair enough. I engaged in my fair share of 'banter' over the years with my favourite episode being when a certain Mr J. Hughes was in the Ayr United dugout. He took the banter with great relish and dished it back out to our amusement rather than outrage (we saved that for Ian McCall at the time). The banter we engaged in often led to chants (as opposed to songs) so I think that this can actually enhance the atmosphere.

 

What has killed the little atmosphere that was present (and yes I know our stadium has never had a lot of it due to the lack of cover and its open-ness) was the stewarding and policing that basically sees all fans treated as hooligans before a ball is kicked rather than as customers. The threat of the offensive behaviour act, and the power to impose a banning order is a big stick that is being used indiscriminately rather than where it is actually needed. Until fans are allowed to enjoy the game once more there will be no more atmosphere, and in my own opinion (not backed up by any facts) I firmly believe this potential criminalisation and discrimination against football fans can also be a huge detriment to crowds. I know that I have not felt comfortable starting any chants or even joining in on my last few trips home as it just doesnt feel like it would be tolerated ... especially from the centre of the main stand.       

 

 

Kingsmill shouted me down when I mentioned a scoreboard, but one of the usage of a scoreboard, is to to put up a message " crowd noise". They do it all the time in the NFL and it works.

Oh god please no !!!! thats a North American monstrosity typically seen in the MLB, NBA or NHL. Not sure the NFL need to do it as they have pretty boistrous and large crowds but perhaps some teams do. There is NOTHING worse than being at a baseball game and hearing the organ music play a few notes then entice the crowd to chant a single word.

 

MLS football (soccer) does not use scoreboards for that, at least not in any game I have been at. In Toronto it shows action replays (including goals, live footage, and dodgy calls the ref got wrong) and at half-time it shows adverts and stuff. the right side of the screen also shows the score and the time although interestingly, once it goes into injury time the clock has to stay at 90:00 and it is not allowed to show how far into injury time we are .... (MLS rule apparently)

 

MLS fans are vehemently against using scoreboards for these kinds of chants and typically prefer the chants or singing to start organically ... like it should !  

 

 

The location of the ground may be a factor, die hard fans don't care , but new fans might.  Some thing could be done about traffic control, I don't know what, but to take your care to the ground is no joke. having to drive right round town to get to the A9 is no fun at all. I am a football aolic  fan so I put up with all the above but most people of a good age like me won't.

I agree about the infrastructure surrounding the ground and thetraffic issues. Pretty much what I said in a previous post. 

[+Fraz]

I didn't make the game as I was at work. Was pretty straightforward for me tbh.

As for others I think for some folk they'd still not be happy if there game was in a climate controlled arena 2mins from their house, served the finest cuisine and cost a tenner.