Crowd Watch Thread 2009

[RL1908]

26,353 @ Suncorp

There is no doubt the Swine hysteria killed the crowd at Suncorp tonight. It stripped this big match of between 10-15,000 fans.

The smallest Broncos' home crowd of the season thus far.

Presumably it was the uncertainty of the match going ahead or not that was the factor (which is what I think you were suggesting too?), rather than from a fear of being infected.

I can't believe that any stayed at home based on a fear of being exposed to infection across the touchlines and then into the stands.

If anyone in the media starts suggesting attending an open-air sports stadium is more of a risk than a theatre, shopping centre, bus or airplane, I'll point them straight to 1919 (where the govt banned indoor gatherings, but not football grounds) - in the midst of the Spanish Flu, that had a mortality rate of 10% and killed 12,000 Australians, the public rolled up to the SCG with:
NSW v NZ - 46,000 & 39,000
NSW v QLD - 35,000
"The Game Must Go On"

 

[Chook Norris]

disappointing crowd @ Suncorp
no doubt it robbed the match of a 35k+ crowd given the uncertainty of the game going ahead or not

 

[Brutus]

Presumably it was the uncertainty of the match going ahead or not that was the factor (which is what I think you were suggesting too?), rather than from a fear of being infected.

I can't believe that any stayed at home based on a fear of being exposed to infection across the touchlines and then into the stands.

"

I think it would've been a combination of both, especially on one of the coldest nights of the year so far in Brisbane. Some people are extremely precious. Probably 85% uncertainty of the game going ahead and 15% the whole swine flu rubbish. Some parents with kids could have have been turned off.

I really thought this game would get 45k a few weeks ago.

Is that the Broncos last chance for a 45k plus crowd this year? I think they've played all the the big crowd-pullers/derbies.

 

[Dr Crane]

that auckland crowd was brilliant. coming a week after a performance that saw them hammered through all of the media, then an 8:30 kickoff on a friday night after it rained constantly all day. impressive. bear in mind the rain while the game was on was light compared to what happened the rest of the day.

 

[Moffo]

Presumably it was the uncertainty of the match going ahead or not that was the factor (which is what I think you were suggesting too?), rather than from a fear of being infected.

I can't believe that any stayed at home based on a fear of being exposed to infection across the touchlines and then into the stands.

If anyone in the media starts suggesting attending an open-air sports stadium is more of a risk than a theatre, shopping centre, bus or airplane, I'll point them straight to 1919 (where the govt banned indoor gatherings, but not football grounds) - in the midst of the Spanish Flu, that had a mortality rate of 10% and killed 12,000 Australians, the public rolled up to the SCG with:
NSW v NZ - 46,000 & 39,000
NSW v QLD - 35,000
"The Game Must Go On"

to be fair, id imagine in 1919 people didn't have quite as much information about how flu can be passed from one to another

 

[Butters]

I think it would've been a combination of both, especially on one of the coldest nights of the year so far in Brisbane. Some people are extremely precious. Probably 85% uncertainty of the game going ahead and 15% the whole swine flu rubbish. Some parents with kids could have have been turned off.

I really thought this game would get 45k a few weeks ago.

Is that the Broncos last chance for a 45k plus crowd this year? I think they've played all the the big crowd-pullers/derbies.

They've got the double header after origin 3 which should probably be close to a full house. I'm considering going to it and i hate the donkeys.

 

[yakstorm]

http://www.rabbitohs.com.au/News/Club-News/Perth-Tickets-Selling-Fast.html

Over 13K worth of tickets pre-sold by yesterday...looking promising for an 17K-18K crowd.

 

[Timmah]

to be fair, id imagine in 1919 people didn't have quite as much information about how flu can be passed from one to another

They probably didn't have as much hysteria and overreaction from the media about it either.

 

[RL1908]

to be fair, id imagine in 1919 people didn't have quite as much information about how flu can be passed from one to another

They probably didn't have as much hysteria and overreaction from the media about it either.

Actually, they had in 1919 a good understanding of how it spread (the problem was treatment), and some parts of the print media "exaggerated popular fears of the new ‘plague’, while newspaper advertisements played on the public’s fears—failure to take Hearne’s Bronchitis Cure ‘may result in this dreadful Plague ravaging its way throughout the whole of Australia’ (Argus, 27 February 1919, p.8)." [ Responses to the 1918-19 flu epidemic ]

I tend to think that having just gone through WW1 put a perspective on life they we today probably can't fully appreciate.

Either way, no first RL footballer died in 1919 from playing the game (and there was a lot more scrummaging in the game then), and if the crowds are any judge, the public didn't find attending RL matches life-threatening.

 

[Billythekid]

http://www.rabbitohs.com.au/News/Club-News/Perth-Tickets-Selling-Fast.html

Over 13K worth of tickets pre-sold by yesterday...looking promising for an 17K-18K crowd.

Go Perth!

 

[Brutus]

Looking forward to the Perth game tonight.

Hopefully a big crowd so the Perth Dots on a Map can be introduced by 2013.

 

[Timmah]

Last vs an out of town team @ Bluetongue tonight, probably about 7-8k on hand at best.

 

[Brutus]

The only thing worse than an empty-looking big ground is an empty-looking smallish ground.

The Roosters should just play all their home games at the SFS in the future. Maybe explore the Perth/Adelaide option for one or two.

 

[Cumberland Throw]

Do the Roosters actually have a plan for getting home crowds through the gate... They played Manly last year on a Sunday afternoon and did a family day promotion and got 24k + at the SFS..

The plan seems to be at the moment " No one wants to watch us play at home might as well go to Gosford " how pathetic is that.

The crowds they get for the good friday game proves that there are RL fans in the eastern suburbs who want to go to games, please Steve Noyce come up with something...

 

[herbert henry1908]

Looked about 1000 people in the western stand at bluetongue. I don't care how poor the roosters are going , that's a pathetic crowd for a so called rugby league heartland supposedly crying out for a team.

Seriously , take away the stadium and the CC is a dud option IMO.

 

[Brutus]

6232 in Gosford.

Dear oh dear.

 

[GCR]

Can the Roosters please f**k off and stop making the Central Coast look bad? We got more for the local grand final last year FFS!

 

[Brutus]

15,806 @ cua

 

[Brutus]

On ABC radio they are saying Members Equity Stadium is an official sell-out!!!

A message to the NRL if I've ever seen one.

On the same night just 6k turn up at Gosford.

 

[mave]

Doesn't say a lot for the "heartland" that is the CC.