Part Time ICT Fans.

[Alex MacLeod]

Its my experience that its mostly Celtic and Rangers fans who fill the stadium on these occassions.

[Scarlet Pimple]

"The club cannot afford to lower prices and remain in the SPL"---

Was the attendance at the last home game not about 3500?

If I am correct, how can SUCH an attendance allow the club to stay in the SPL?

I remember that was about average for Caledonian F.C.at Telford Street back in the "fifties" so for a club in the SPL with a new stadium and all kinds of modern expenses how can a crowd like that be anything but frightening--and depressing? It is dismal and must be soul destroying for the committed Directors and staff at the club.

My point about lower prices or discount incentives is simply that something must be done as a sales tool to bring in more fans. Especially youngsters to ensure that they form the nucleus of the future fan-base.

One poster stated that football is no longer fun but all about money. What if he is right, or at least on the way to being so then, in such a situation , how can the club offer ANTHING other than lower prices to get NEW fans in the door?

I am open to suggestions.

But one thing I feel may be at the root of the "less fun" aspect is that going to the football nowadays may be too over-officialised :-

e.g. Stewards--that seems to be an unnecessary expense that often succeed in irritating the fans.

Car park attendants that basically I have seen doing absolutely nothing to be pleasant or helpful but still drain the coffers by being there.

No standing--once we could roam wherever we wanted to in a stadium and only nutters got into fights but for the average fan the banter with the visiting guy alongside you was great fun. And you were happy to leave the stands to the sweetie rustlers.

And half the atmosphere was the singing and cheering from the terraces. But if there is dead silence in the stand as you hotch about in your seat as the small boy sitting behind you continues to kick the back of your seat to bits and you shout "c'mon Caley Thistle " in a loud stentorian voice you feel conspicuous and get a few slightly amused looks from some oddly bemused fans.. :thumb04: ..as if they are saying to you "oh my, where did you come from don't you now that the stand is for polite clapping and refined behaviour?" ....

Looks like this is a dead end and either prices become more reasonable and restrictions less onerous and confining

or the Boardroom investors in football clubs had better have much deeper pockets. Or see the writing on the wall like David Murray of Rangers who is already sending out signals about his intentions to quit.

Then you have Mr Peat of the SFA stating today on a video clip that the top price for getting into Hampden Park is 35

pounds ..."and that is a reasonable price,in comparitive terms" . What terms are you referring to exactly Mr peat? :018:

[Alex MacLeod]

Way back in them dark and dismal days Scarlet the record attendances at OF stadia were Parkhead 92000+, Ibrox 118,000+. as someone else said times have changed, people have changed. Prior to the advent of the casuals and football hooliganism many more people went to the game. Kids got free if they could be lifted over the barrier. Fathers duty was to take the boys, and his wee carry out, of to the match on a saturday. Mother and the girls went shopping. Those fathers stopped going when the troubles broke out. Go into a pub at lunch time on match day and your lucky if there's a dozen in. A few years ago you wouldn't get in the door.

Football attendances are down all over the country and the only way things are going to change is if we can get back to the days of the game being a saturday entertainment.

[Scarlet Pimple]

So Alex

What's the answer? It can only go up or down, things rarely stay the same.

Not looking good from my relatively long-distance neutral viewpoint I'm afraid. It is a depressing thought that the club, having come so far, may be unable to keep up in present days or conditions.

Very sad prospect....

[Kingsmills]

I fear that there will be a gradual decline from where we are now.

[CaleyHE]

Way back in them dark and dismal days Scarlet the record attendances at OF stadia were Parkhead 92000+, Ibrox 118,000+. as someone else said times have changed, people have changed. Prior to the advent of the casuals and football hooliganism many more people went to the game. Kids got free if they could be lifted over the barrier. Fathers duty was to take the boys, and his wee carry out, of to the match on a saturday. Mother and the girls went shopping. Those fathers stopped going when the troubles broke out. Go into a pub at lunch time on match day and your lucky if there's a dozen in. A few years ago you wouldn't get in the door.

Football attendances are down all over the country and the only way things are going to change is if we can get back to the days of the game being a saturday entertainment.

Nonsense, there was a lot more trouble at the football before casuals came along, there were boot boys from late 60's early 70's and there has been high scale unrest at football matches going back over 100 years.

The reasons that crowds have dwindled is that in this day and age, there is more to do on a saturday afternoon that go and watch football. Due to travel being more accessable and plenty other new pastimes, that is what has brought down football crowds.

To say that the crowds have stopped due to casuals is just laughable.

Look back in the history books, you will find riots at football in the UK back to the late 19th early 20th century.

[Alex MacLeod]

Your right. There has been violence between opposing teams ever since the game was invented mostly between players and officials but sometimes spilling into the terracing as well. There wasn't indiscriminate hooliganism and violence, aimed at anyone in the vicinity, until the advent of casuals.

I stopped going to games in the late 70's when it became unsafe to walk in the streets on a saturday because of pitched battles between rival factions of casuals. And many many others did as well.

[Kingsmills]

Violence may have been a leading factor in turning people away from the game in the 70s but I don't think it's much of a factor these days. Certainly not compared to the sheer cost of taking a family to a football match especially if paying "walk up" prices.

[DALNEIGHCALEY]

Your right. There has been violence between opposing teams ever since the game was invented mostly between players and officials but sometimes spilling into the terracing as well. There wasn't indiscriminate hooliganism and violence, aimed at anyone in the vicinity, until the advent of casuals.

I stopped going to games in the late 70's when it became unsafe to walk in the streets on a saturday because of pitched battles between rival factions of casuals. And many many others did as well.

Bullsh1t. The casual movement in Scotland is an 80's phenomena.

[SMEE]

Casual...Hooligan....thug...whats in a name?

Edited October 13, 2008 by SMEE

[DALNEIGHCALEY]

Casual...Hooligan....thug...whats in a name?

I was replying to Alex when he stated he stopped going to the football because of casuals in the 70s. The casuals only appeared in 1980 at Aberdeen. Here ends todays history lesson.

[Alex MacLeod]

Your right. There has been violence between opposing teams ever since the game was invented mostly between players and officials but sometimes spilling into the terracing as well. There wasn't indiscriminate hooliganism and violence, aimed at anyone in the vicinity, until the advent of casuals.

I stopped going to games in the late 70's when it became unsafe to walk in the streets on a saturday because of pitched battles between rival factions of casuals. And many many others did as well.

Bullsh1t. The casual movement in Scotland is an 80's phenomena.

Where in my post do I mention Scotland?

Disputedly the casuals started in Liverpool in 77. Aberdeen were the first Scottish faction. DC says 80, I thought 82 or 83

Edited October 13, 2008 by Alex MacLeod

[DALNEIGHCALEY]

Point taken Alex I wrongly assumed you were meaning Scotland.

Please accept my apologies.

[Div1309]

just because you dont go to every game doesnt make you any less of a fan than someone who does, you will both have the same interests in the club. i may be part time in terms of the amount of games i manage to attend but not part time in following the team.

[reefinweedallday]

Your right. There has been violence between opposing teams ever since the game was invented mostly between players and officials but sometimes spilling into the terracing as well. There wasn't indiscriminate hooliganism and violence, aimed at anyone in the vicinity, until the advent of casuals.

I stopped going to games in the late 70's when it became unsafe to walk in the streets on a saturday because of pitched battles between rival factions of casuals. And many many others did as well.

Bullsh1t. The casual movement in Scotland is an 80's phenomena.

Where in my post do I mention Scotland?

Disputedly the casuals started in Liverpool in 77. Aberdeen were the first Scottish faction. DC says 80, I thought 82 or 83

Aberdeen definitely were the first scottish Casuals in 1980,As for the Scousers they were 79/80

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Funnily enuff I used to love walking around the streets in the 70's - of course the casuals came around in the 80's and that was the beginning of organisation. Most of the decent battles were in the 70's when it was a case of the skinhead or the bovver boy culture. There was far more "violence" when you could walk down the street and on to the terrace with a feckin carry oot and throw yer empties at the opposition. In those days ya didnt talk to each other on mobiles or make arrangements - if ya wanted a scrap you knew exactly where to go for it or wait for it - but you made sure that you had as much feckin boys behind you before ya did it. And I mean before, during or after a game.

Plus the cops usually let ya get on with it.

[Guest rab]

Iam not a part time fan. i live in dornoch which is 50 miles away from inverness. i never missed a home game last season, or this season. an the season before i missed one cos i went to austrailia. plus i go to most away games.

[chris123]

People choose to enjoy football whatever way they please. Some people prefer only going to the odd game and checking the score at 6 o'clock on a Saturday evening, others prefer to go to as many games as they can and keep up to date with the club's news on a daily basis. Football is to be enjoyed, no more no less, and as much as I personally would prefer it to be a full house every week, It's not my place to tell people how they should follow football.