The secret of crowd support

[Freak]

It was very dissppointing to see our crowd figures last year.
Parra is renouned for their crowd support and last year we looked like a club who only follow our boys when their winning. :x
I do not want this mentality created and I think we all need to make that little bit of effort to get to as many games as possible in 2004.

Anyway I believe there were plenty of reasons why our average crowd numbers were down substantially but I thought I would raise the question; which timeslot do you like going to the footy in?
Myself I am a traditionalist and will always love my Sunday afternoon football at the Stadium. Not sure if you can beat it!!

Anyway thoughts peoples?????

 

[half]

i voted sunday afternoon

it's the only time i turn up to the games

 

[slippery eel]

Definitely saturday night. Night games have a better atmosphere.... especially if your drinking knowing that you dont have to work the next day. Also you can party on afterwards somewhere after the eels have won. I hate Sunday games cause I hate Sunday. The worst day of the week.

 

[PB]

Hate saturday arv/night games. Can never get to them cause there is often a family birthday or a mates 21st, or wedding. not to mention one's own sporting commitments.

A quality friday night game occaisionally is good, but give me sunday arvo's everytime.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Definately a beautifull sunday afternoon for me!.....i like Saturday nights aswell but i also am a traditionalist & quite frankly we don't see enough Sunday games anymore.

The best games i've seen have been on a Sunday arvo

Parra vs St George (93) Saint George won 14-12

Parra vs Balmain (89) Balmain won 22-18

Parra vs Brisbane (90) Brisbane won 24-22

Parra vs Newcastle (97) Parra won 30-24

Parra vs Penrith (98) Parra won 19-18

Alot of these games Parra lost but they where classic matches in front of capacity crowds.

 

[half]

don't forget parra vs penrith last year

best match i've ever been to

 

[Stagger eel]

I found it disgusting how our crowd average dropped the way it did and I'm ashamed to say it, if you take into account the average in 01 there are approx 1 in 3 of us that are regarded as fairweather supporters. I thought Tigers, Raiders, Panthers and Roosters fans we're fairweathers, but unfortunatly we're the pick of them whether you guys like it or not.

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

bandwagoners, mate, that's what themajority of Parra fans are, no doubt.

 

[Nikki]

Yup! Our club has the fiercest reputation for fairweather supporters around. Anyways, I picked Saturday night games coz you can go out and get on the drink afterwards (plus, i dont finish work until 7.30 on Friday night now days )

 

[Redback71]

that maybe so but theres alot of fans who cant get there for one reason or another like distantce im sure parra has one of the far reaching fan base around.

especially up here on the tweed and gold coasts.

at the trial games the stadium is alway packed with mostly parra fans.

but i do agree last year was tragic on crowd figures espcially when it dipped bellow 10,000 and on a copule of ocassions bellow 9,000 very dissapointing in deed.

 

[Suitman]

Sunday afternoons for me. I grew up with it during the old Cumberland Oval days.

Then, Saturday nights. Plenty of time for a drink beforehand.

As for Bandwagoners, we have our fair share, but so does every club.

Remember the old adage - "You only sing when your'e winning".

Suity

 

[Suitman]

I'm going to get on my high horse again but I don't give a rats.

The secret to crowd support is to encourage it.
Theme days, heavily promoted are a success. Look at the Bulldogs Multi-cultural days in the 80's/90's. Others could be Flag days/ scarf days, where the club sells these items heavily discounted to encourage more colour and excitement.

The club has never really pushed hard for a seperate Parra supporters Bay where singing, drums or horns etc.... are encouraged. This creates noise and excitement, not to mention extra support for the team.

Hire the odd decent rock band. I'm sure a Pwderfinger performance would attract a couple of thousand extra fans, and who knows, some of these blow ins might become permanent fans. Imagine what Nikki Webster could achieve!! ;-)
$2 kids entry days. Most of them will bring a parent anyway. Another couple of thousand through the gate.
Finally, get security off the roids and prescribe them chill out pills.

There must be loads of ideas to boost our crowds.
Maybe some others here have other ideas.

I know most of the above will be poo-pooed because Parramatta Stadium these days has become the "House of no fun".

Suity

 

[bartman]

Unfortunately a winning football team is probably the key factor in lifting crowd numbers.

I also think building a culture is important - ie having games at a regular time, people knowing what entertainment etc to expect and when. (And something better than just under 8 matches week in and week out - or as we refer to it, th "Pedophile Cup".)

We have lost a lot of our older/elderly supporters since Dennis has been so ultra keen to bid for night scheduling of games and TV rights $$ over crowd figures.

For me there will be nothing like a Sunday arvo spent at the footy watching all three grades play!

 

[Nikki]

Actually I think that the new security and maybe the new set up at Parra Stadium this year might have driven a few fans away. I know that if I wasnt as dedicated as I was to my boys I would not be returning after the way I was treated by security. Lucky I am a 1st class bitch and dont take any crap from anyone :x :lol: :lol:

 

[MystikEel]

I reckon, Nikki. You stand up to them more than just about anyone

Another secret of crowd support - EVERYONE CHEERING whether we're winning or not ... i mean... last year, yes it wasnt all that good, but when everyone had the Parra chant going around it really was very good... and even when there was a little bit of a thing going around the nth hill, it was better than sittin there in almost silence.... not saying it was silent all the time, just a lot more cheering i think would be good...

Oh, and more signs/flags/banners...

 

[di luvs parra]

I voted for Saturday night , I love the atmosphere,just ahead of Sunday afternoon....but I don't care when they play,I'll be there cheering the boys on 8)

 

[Misty Bee]

Bit hard to expect a crowd to turn up when the team doesn't!

Eradicate cynicism. Get the team playing well. That'll pack em in.

Advertising is a big isue. Market placing. Get a vibe happening.

For me, Sunday arvos were great, as is Friday night. I think Saturday is a bit of a loss - too much on for a lot of people.

Eitehr way, the game has to be promoted, and the team FIRING!!!!

 

[Twizzle]

Remember the old adage - "You only sing when your'e winning".

Suity

Well you should visit Parraeels official site and turn your speakers up loud.

I can't believe how lame their site has become.

 

[Parra_Eels]

most official sites are lame. also sunday arvo is the best

 

[redeel]

personally im completley pissed off with the "parra, parra "chant ive suggested a few on the parra board but no interest was shown