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Why So Few?


Fairhill
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Friend asked me why there were so few people at the Celtic game yesterday, and my answer was that the Motherwell area is not rolling in money. But I've been away for a few years and hadn't paid much attention. So let me ask it another way. With the team having done well for the last three or four years, and right in the thick of second/third place this year, why are there so few games that attract more than 5k? I understand the ICTs ad Ross Counties attendance, but for an SP team in the central belt playing an OF, how can the crowd be so low? It seems to me the squad is playing above anything that can be expected given the money coming in, but realistically how long can we expect this level of team to survive in the top league with the kind of money 4k can generate? Just askin'.

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I didn't think the attendance was that bad yesterday. Our home attendances against the two arse cheeks are never noticeably bigger as a lot if fans can't be arsed with the grief of wading through the vermin before and after the games.

 

That said, its a long running gripe of mine, but have been shot down before on here for moaning about the non attendees at other games.

 

I appreciate that the cost, sky tv and inconvenient kick off times can play a part but the team realistically can't do anymore than they already are to encourage folk to come along. If the stay away fans aren't going to be encouraged back by the past 5 or 6 years of consistent to fantastic performances then sadly I don't think they ever will.

 

I rather naively thought that Faddy re-signing would put a fair whack on the gates....

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I didn't think the attendance was that bad yesterday. Our home attendances against the two arse cheeks are never noticeably bigger as a lot if fans can't be arsed with the grief of wading through the vermin before and after the games.

 

That said, its a long running gripe of mine, but have been shot down before on here for moaning about the non attendees at other games.

 

I appreciate that the cost, sky tv and inconvenient kick off times can play a part but the team realistically can't do anymore than they already are to encourage folk to come along. If the stay away fans aren't going to be encouraged back by the past 5 or 6 years of consistent to fantastic performances then sadly I don't think they ever will.

 

I rather naively thought that Faddy re-signing would put a fair whack on the gates....

 

I shouldn't think you were alone in that thought, pretty sure it would have crossed the minds of those who continue to fund him being here, not sure what more the club can do to increase the gate the fact we have so many leaving the area on a regular basis to watch the 2 Glasgow teams for reasons other than simply football does not help.

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Nice sunny holiday weekend, game live on TV, stupid kick off time, Celtic already champions, these 4 reasons alone cut the attendance significantly.

The poor away support was to be expected but our own support was well down on previous Celtic games, it seemed like only the hardcore ST holders were there.

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Game was televised, no need for casual punters to pay any cash out

 

terrible and quite erratic match scheduling leaving no routine to work to

 

Holiday weekend that had no fixture details available until around two weeks prior

 

£25 ticket entry

 

Generally unpleasant atmosphere portrayed by police and media around football games.

 

play the same teams, over and over and over and over again.....

 

10 goals against, 0 for in previous meetings this season

 

Split takes momentum out league

 

A lot of kids missing at old firm visits, i'm not sure if the youth academies do not get their usual allocation or if they just stay away from the unpleasant visitors

 

pretty sure the few hundred youth organisation tickets don't get allocated

 

and quite significantly as nothing can be done about the above, the positive and forward thinking season ticket policy of our club, does nothing to encourage casual punters or visiting fans to visit and return time after time

 

core support has remained similar for decades, visiting support is what has declined

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Possible their antics on their last visit to Firpark put people off too... I left my house about 10 minutes before the final whistle (just after our third goal) so I could get across Airbles Road before that mob came down it in an attempt to avoid trouble.

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Because of all the shite at the last game many said they wont be back v Cmeltic mostly season ticket holders turned up . Folk are not stupid . Why should the passing supporter pay good money to put up with these wasters. Die hards only yesterday I think

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Friend asked me why there were so few people at the Celtic game yesterday, and my answer was that the Motherwell area is not rolling in money. But I've been away for a few years and hadn't paid much attention. So let me ask it another way. With the team having done well for the last three or four years, and right in the thick of second/third place this year, why are there so few games that attract more than 5k? I understand the ICTs ad Ross Counties attendance, but for an SP team in the central belt playing an OF, how can the crowd be so low? It seems to me the squad is playing above anything that can be expected given the money coming in, but realistically how long can we expect this level of team to survive in the top league with the kind of money 4k can generate? Just askin'.

 

I think these kind of threads are a bit "weren't the old days great" rosy tinted glasses affairs.

 

I've been going to Fir Park since 1982 and in that time we've nearly always been a 4,000 - 5,000 type team. Our current average attendance is just over 5,000 so it's not much different from what you'd expect.

 

The only time I really remember when we were regularly attracting more than that was the late 90's, early 00's when the economy was booming, the SPL had re-branded Scottish football and John Boyle was promising to make Motherwell the third force. When all those things were exposed as illusions crowds normalized again.

 

We actually have the highest average attendance of any provincial club in the SPFL and it is up, marginally, on last season at the moment although that might change depending on the turn out for the next two matches.

 

Attendances may have gone down overall but they have not collapsed. Our core support has probably gone down by about 500. All things considered we aren't doing to badly.

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Why so few ? Very simple, the same reason as it has been for years. We live in Old Scum heartland, its a sad but very real fact, we are just one of many teams who suffer thanks to the presence of the ugly sisters like Accies, St Mirren, Partick to name a few, but even when you head to places like Ayrshire and Fife the streets are full of rotten mob and sevco tops. Most people just want to be part of the culture that comes with supporting those 2 and the rest of us with brains and dignity support our local teams but sadly we are few and far between in Scotland.

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I think I am right that fewer Well fans go to these games than 'normal' games. Parents don't take kids and folk are simply not wanting to put up with their scumbag element. I've been to about five 'old firm' games (last three two wins and a draw) since Skippy Sunday simply because they are chunts. Out of the usual seven of us two were there on Saturday and we're more than two season ticket holders.

How many police were there? And we are the first club to have a game with no police at all. They are there simply because of the opposition. The sooner people (the meedja) know, learn and admit this the better. They may bring fans but they take some away too.

Oh, and Lennon is an ungracious twanger of a man.

Oh oh, nice of BBC to show The Greek waiter falling in the box but not his juggling!!

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I think I am right that fewer Well fans go to these games than 'normal' games. Parents don't take kids and folk are simply not wanting to put up with their scumbag element.....Out of the usual seven of us two were there on Saturday and we're more than two season ticket holders.

How many police were there? And we are the first club to have a game with no police at all. They are there simply because of the opposition. The sooner people (the meedja) know, learn and admit this the better. They may bring fans but they take some away too.

 

That's been the case ever since I can remember and I'm going back decades. I reckon our home support was down by about 1,000 - 1,500 on Saturday. If we introduced stronger policing and banned live TV cameras or unsubscribed from the greedy TV companies then our attendances would rise considerably. That's not the full story though.

 

As for the media they know perfectly well what goes on but choose to ignore it as it pays them financially to do so.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Too fucking expensive, plain and simple

 

Price is definitely one of the factors, but if it was that simple we could could the cost to a tenner or a fiver a game and fill the ground every week.

 

The only times we have come close to capacity in recent years is when our gate prices have been a their highest.

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That's been the case ever since I can remember and I'm going back decades. I reckon our home support was down by about 1,000 - 1,500 on Saturday. If we introduced stronger policing and banned live TV cameras or unsubscribed from the greedy TV companies then our attendances would rise considerably. That's not the full story though.

 

As for the media they know perfectly well what goes on but choose to ignore it as it pays them financially to do so.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stronger policing?

 

is that a joke?

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Stronger policing?

 

is that a joke?

 

 

 

 

Sadly not. We all know its not going to happen. Even if a strong individual match commander was to take a more proactive approach it would not be supported by his / her superiors. Even if Police Scotland was to take a more robust approach that would be "frowned upon" by the Scottish establishment.

 

 

 

 

 

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Where are we expecting this robust policing policy - don't think the issue is in the ground (which as weeyin has pointed out just costs the club money) and is fairaly safe. The issue is in the approaches to the stadium and the walk to and from the game, people just won't subject themselves to their filth and bile. I know I didn't take my grandson for that very reason. F.....g hate them with a passion.

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I think he means stronger policing of Celtic fans. They get away with murder when they come to town. Pissing in the streets, drinking in the street, sectarian singing, missile throwing, damaging seats etc.

 

When we see the police do nothing about it, it obviously puts some well fans off attending these games.

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Thanks for all the comments. They all make sense, but they don't speak much to just how long we can survive with numbers like 5k. It says a lot about the manager that he's been able to keep the team as high when he can barely put a full team together on some weeks and still get results.

 

About the game being on tv ( I actually watched it in Canada), how much money does that bring in? and how many supporters would that have covered?

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