Hyundai A-League :: Finals Week Two

[Big Sam]

RBB are going to be in the Cove end.

RBB allocated 7 bays at the Northern (Cove) End of Allianz:
http://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=ALEAGUEF13#.UWqTr7VgdqU

(Bloody hell those tickets are expensive! Should get +40k though and the FFA will make a motza).

 

[Timmah]

Directly up against a VFL match that draw 55k though. Mariners don't have that level of competition.

Interesting point you make there. So you can use a competing AFL match as an excuse, but CCM fans can't point out the fact their population is a fraction of that available to draw on in other areas?

Either way we're in the Grand Final, and I couldn't be happier.

 

[Misanthrope]

I don't hate the Mariners. I just think their 'fans' are pathetic and fickle. There's always a ready excuse for their paltry crowds.

 

[Big Sam]

Interesting point you make there. So you can use a competing AFL match as an excuse, but CCM fans can't point out the fact their population is a fraction of that available to draw on in other areas?

The whole reason you guys are copping shit for your crowds from us is because you've gone from averaging 13k five years ago to barely cracking 10k for an elimination semi. And that's despite three straight seasons of finishing in the top 2.

Cmon Timmah, has the Central Coast's population shrunk in the last 5 years? Of course not. The opposite in fact.

 

[Haffa]

This year I'm not sure what the go is as im not on the coast, Sunday night fixtures and hardly ever on a Friday wouldnt help.

Last years crowds are 100% on the weather, it rained or threatened to at 8 home games. Bluetongue is a miserable place if its raining. The game with sydney in April was the coldest game I've ever been to in Australia.

There is still some resentment from some people about their decision to take games to Canberra, when we were pulling decent crowds.

More games at home against NSW teams would help also. But that would mean Football Australia assisting the mariners. 10k average is pretty good when that's 5ish% of your population. It felt like more than 10k yesterday.

Still we are in the GF.

 

[Mong]

:lol:

So Mariners can't blame a Sunday evening kickoff (as opposed to a much more feesible and popular 7:30 saturday night kickoff) for their attendance but if it's any other club (from an area with over double the Coasts' population) then any excuse will do?

Geeze..

I hope the mariners win for their fans sake... KM will squeal like a little bitch for years if they don't... Kind of like he still is about their last great GF choke..

 

[Timmah]

The whole reason you guys are copping shit for your crowds from us is because you've gone from averaging 13k five years ago to barely cracking 10k for an elimination semi. And that's despite three straight seasons of finishing in the top 2.

Cmon Timmah, has the Central Coast's population shrunk in the last 5 years? Of course not. The opposite in fact.

If you go through the stats, that season you refer to (2007/08) was 12,738 average (jacked up to 15k if you include finals). It's an outlier. All the other seasons were a fair bit lower.

Season 1 - 7,899 (7th/8)
Season 2 - 9,828 (6th/8)
Season 3 - 12,738 (4th/8)
Season 4 - 10,465 (5th/8)
Season 5 - 7,388 (7th/11)
Season 6 - 8,076 (7th/11)
Season 7 - 9,628 (5th/10)
Season 8 - 9,969 (6th/10)

As for the elimination semi argument, last night's 10,651 was a 3,079 improvement on the corresponding fixture last year (7,572, which we lost to Perth).

I'd love us to be getting better crowds but I'm also realistic about our market.

IMO there needs to be more focus on why teams like Adelaide, Heart and Wellington aren't performing crowd-wise. Far bigger issues for mine - major cities with big populations drawing less than little old CCM.

 

[ME SO HORNBY!]

Yes Adelaide, Wellington and Heart are major issues. But there own failures can't be used as a constant justification for the Mariners poor crowds.

 

[Timmah]

What justification?

I'm suggesting they are a bigger issue than CCM crowds but receive zero airtime among media or fans.

 

[Misanthrope]

IMO there needs to be more focus on why teams like Adelaide, Heart and Wellington aren't performing crowd-wise. Far bigger issues for mine - major cities with big populations drawing less than little old CCM.

We already know the reasons for their failings.

- Wellington: Shit performance consistently.
- Heart: Most poorly created club ever. Represent nothing and nobody.
- Adelaide: Horribly mismanaged

Of those, only Adelaide's failings stand out as above Central Coast's as far as crowds go. They've been modestly successful and have a bigger population to draw on - but do seem to have a history of being a shambles behind the scenes and in terms of their community model.

 

[Timmah]

So we accept their reasons/excuses/concessions, but not CCM's?

:lol:

 

[Big Sam]

So we accept their reasons/excuses/concessions, but not CCM's?

:lol:

You've had 3 straight seasons of finishing in the Top 2. Success normally = popularity but not on the Central Coast it seems.

 

[Jobdog]

You've had 3 straight seasons of finishing in the Top 2. Success normally = popularity but not on the Central Coast it seems.

I think that's why most people just can't understand why CCM's crowds continually suck. There's no reason for them to.

 

[Timmah]

But do they really suck?

The population the region has to draw from is far smaller than all other clubs in the league, yet they outrank anywhere from four to six teams in average crowds every season.

Attendance figures have increased year on year for three seasons now if my figures on the page prior are correct.

We're now not far from breaking through the 10k average barrier (almost certain if we're champions, you'd think) - something some NRL clubs in major cities sometimes struggle to achieve!


I get that the crowds aren't big. I get that it's easy to have a go at them. I get that I bite at every bait you're putting out there, but if it's the only thing you can criticise the club for, then seriously, get over it.

 

[Misanthrope]

But do they really suck?

The population the region has to draw from is far smaller than all other clubs in the league, yet they outrank anywhere from four to six teams in average crowds every season.

Attendance figures have increased year on year for three seasons now if my figures on the page prior are correct.

We're now not far from breaking through the 10k average barrier (almost certain if we're champions, you'd think) - something some NRL clubs in major cities sometimes struggle to achieve!


I get that the crowds aren't big. I get that it's easy to have a go at them. I get that I bite at every bait you're putting out there, but if it's the only thing you can criticise the club for, then seriously, get over it.

It's not the only thing. Your tight ass recruitment policy means you're also almost impossible to attract fans to when you're playing away. Michael McGlinchy, Nick Montgomery, Daniel McBreen, and Mat Ryan aren't exactly names to put bums on seats.

Marinators is also a f**king stupid name for a supporter's group.

 

[Haffa]

It's not the only thing. Your tight ass recruitment policy means you're also almost impossible to attract fans to when you're playing away. Michael McGlinchy, Nick Montgomery, Daniel McBreen, and Mat Ryan aren't exactly names to put bums on seats.

Marinators is also a f**king stupid name for a supporter's group.

The Marinators haven't existed since season 2. Been Yellow Army for a loooong time.

 

[Misanthrope]

The Marinators haven't existed since season 2. Been Yellow Army for a loooong time.

The fact they ever existed is a sad indictment of the club and their fans.

 

[Jobdog]

But do they really suck?

The population the region has to draw from is far smaller than all other clubs in the league, yet they outrank anywhere from four to six teams in average crowds every season.

Attendance figures have increased year on year for three seasons now if my figures on the page prior are correct.

We're now not far from breaking through the 10k average barrier (almost certain if we're champions, you'd think) - something some NRL clubs in major cities sometimes struggle to achieve!


I get that the crowds aren't big. I get that it's easy to have a go at them. I get that I bite at every bait you're putting out there, but if it's the only thing you can criticise the club for, then seriously, get over it.

I think it's more to do with everyone trying to figure out why a team that's been in the top two for three successive years struggles to get consistent crowds in excess of 10k.

I get the Central Coast has a smaller population to draw from, but surely it shouldn't be the norm for them not to be getting 13-15k regularly. Maybe people on the Coast don't care, maybe people on the Coast aren't allowed the opportunity to care. I'm guessing no one really knows.

 

[Haffa]

The fact they ever existed is a sad indictment of the club and their fans.

:lol: Sure thing.

 

[Timmah]

I think it's more to do with everyone trying to figure out why a team that's been in the top two for three successive years struggles to get consistent crowds in excess of 10k.

I get the Central Coast has a smaller population to draw from, but surely it shouldn't be the norm for them not to be getting 13-15k regularly. Maybe people on the Coast don't care, maybe people on the Coast aren't allowed the opportunity to care. I'm guessing no one really knows.

I really get sick of the "maybe people on the Coast don't care" line.

There are clearly a core of 9-10k that do care. Many fanbases have survived on that or less in this league for a long time, why are we any different?