Attendance At Stadiums

[Tosiek]

Now I'm watching a match (on EUROSPORT 2) between Wisła Kraków (current champions of Poland) and GKS Bełchatów (an average team) at brand new stadium (just for the record; the stadium has been rebuilt). It has over 30,000 seats, fulfills most of the required standards and looks decent. But what I see? I see an empty stadium with less than 10,000 spectators watching the game. I say what the ****? Through so many years Polish fans have been complained about the lack of stadiums, infrastucture etc. but when they have it, they do not use it at all.

We have lived in the Medieval times so many years, thanks to the communists but now everything's changed. We are co-organising the EURO 2012, building new sport venues and stuff. Every town has a brand new stadium or is building it or will build it in the near future. So why poeple do not come to their dream stadiums? To tell the truth, the new stadiums aren't full even on the opening games. Then what's wrong; are the tickets so expensive? Or perhaps people thought, that, along with changing infrastucture also level of Polish teams will change? Were they that stupid? I'm really worried about the big cities with the largest population of people; their stadiums are also half empty and do not attract fans even on the classics, there are a lot of people but stadiums are not full. Everywhere I go I hear that people are excited about football, talk about it all the time but when you look at the attendance it's different.

It makes me think; did supporting football club become second or even third choice way of spending free time with family, friends? Or, we live in era of gloryhunteres; where people come to stadiums when their team is on top, but, when it's not so good they lose interest. How does it look like in your countries/cities; or is it only Poland?

 

[Back Door Skip]

I think part of it is the globalization of the game. You can order a set of channels and watch Man U, Chelsea and PL games... or R. Madrid and Barça. So for smaller countries with developing leagues, it doesn't seem quite as appealing as staying home and watching the big teams play. Of course, it could just be that it might be out of their budget as well.

 

[clash]

Many different things cause this and IMHO it varies by the country...

I used to go to the stadium quite a lot, but the way things are organized in Estonia is too terrible to bear.

We got the second worst attendace ratio in Europe, if I remember correctly - second worse only to San ******* Marino.

The teams don't give a **** about advertizing their games and the FA is ran by the owner of one of best teams in the league - biased and corrupted.

Our NT has only 2 players from the local league.

There's only 1,3 million people, from those, around 3000-7000 (our biggest stadiums max attendance is 10 500) usually attend the NT matches, we get full house only when Cristiano comes over.

In the league we usually have 50 - 350 people coming to the matches.

Clubs are without any traditions and it's hard to have any connection with them.

10 000 people at a league here? Not gonna ******* happen. I've seen some highlights from the Polish leauge, because of Pareiko playing for Wisla and the atmosphere is 10x better than what it is here.

 

[Tosiek]

Perhaps the atmosphere is better but it doesn't change the fact it's not enough, though. Everybody claims that football in their first choice sport but when you look at number of spectators it's a tragedy. Speedway attracts thousands of people and stadiums are always full, despite the fact that we have the best league in the world of course.

I don't know how it's in other countries but here in Poland Ultras fans pretty often come up with protests. One of the forms of expression their protest is to be quiet during the game or even boycott the whole event and then the attendance is like 5,000. A few years back Legia fans were in a conflict with the board; the atmosphere during the match was similar to that at a funeral, literally.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Why didn't you go to the game? Also, I know this is a problem that goes back pretty far, but HDTV doesn't help; makes watching on TV perhaps even better than going in person.

 

[Tosiek]

I'm not a fan of Wisła. My team plays in second division.

 

[nor-rbk]

We have the same problem here in Norway. 2007 was a record year with an average attendance at 10 555 which is very high considering inhabitants, I actually think it was one of the highest ratios in the world. This year we are currently at 7 991, which includes all sold tickets and not the actual attendance (would be maybe around 5000 then).

There are several reason why this has happened here. One is that everything is broadcasted on television and the weather in Norway sucks. But it did that in 2007 too, the difference is that the league now consists of 16 teams to 14 in 2007, which means the season is extended at the both ends and we therefore play in winter conditions. A lot choose TV instead of stadium when it's -10*C and snowing.

Many games are also played at stupid days, like Mondays, which makes it difficult for people who need to travel to get to the stadium.

In 2007 we also had many new stadiums and the most popluar teams were all fighting in the top. Today, they are all ****, even Rosenborg.

There are no profiles in the league, no players that people really want to see in action. There are only randoms. Luckily Solskjær has returned, which brings some extra attention, but he is a manager and managers don't play.

Horrible international results is another factor. No teams in any of the group stages for years (except Rosenborg in EL last year). The national team also never qualifies for any tournaments.

And Norwegians are also very indifferent for almost everything, we just don't give a damn unless it's on Facebook.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

I'm not a fan of Wisła. My team plays in second division.

Fair enough.

There are no profiles in the league, no players that people really want to see in action. There are only randoms. Luckily Solskjær has returned, which brings some extra attention, but he is a manager and managers don't play.

I'm actually really surprised by this, the Norwegian League has seemed to do a very good job at scouting African players, namely:

Obi Mikel, Mohammed Abdellaoue, and Chinedu Obasi, but I know there are others.

 

[Tosiek]

A lot choose TV instead of stadium when it's -10*C and snowing.

I do not accept weather as a reason not to go to the stadium. It could be a problem a few years ago but now, all of the new stadiums have roofs, comfortable seats and place where you can buy something to eat.

Many games are also played at stupid days, like Mondays, which makes it difficult for people who need to travel to get to the stadium.

Since this season we also have one game on Monday evening. It's a disaster indeed.

There are no profiles in the league, no players that people really want to see in action. There are only randoms. Luckily Solskjær has returned, which brings some extra attention, but he is a manager and managers don't play.

Horrible international results is another factor. No teams in any of the group stages for years (except Rosenborg in EL last year). The national team also never qualifies for any tournaments.

People should keep traditions alive; father takes his son to the game and then after years he has own children and do the same. It works at every sport, though. But that's how it was in my case.

 

[mrromaniac]

I think it's because of the opposing team. Nowadays, people are attracted to derbies only. I noticed that in Romania too (of course, not in Bucharest). Once this season Ceahlaul played at home against a mid-table team (Ceahlaul is newly promoted). There were like 200 people on a 18000 places stadium. But when Ceahlaul plays against a Bucharest team, the tickets are almost sold out.

 

[nor-rbk]

I'm actually really surprised by this, the Norwegian League has seemed to do a very good job at scouting African players, namely:

Obi Mikel, Mohammed Abdellaoue, and Chinedu Obasi, but I know there are others.

We do have had some great players in the league the last years, but there are so few of them. And the overall quality is awful, the Norwegian league is currently ranked as 25th in Europe, and it seems like more and more people are getting aware of this. We can see EPL, La Liga, CL and Serie A every week on TV and when we then swap over to the Norwegian league it's like changing from a Ferrari to a moped.

And Abdellaoue is Norwegian btw, not African.

I do not accept weather as a reason not to go to the stadium. It could be a problem a few years ago but now, all of the new stadiums have roofs, comfortable seats and place where you can buy something to eat.

It's still damn freezing. And the seats aren't that comfortable, they are so small and close to each other that you feel almost squeezed between the people you sit between. But I do agree, this shouldn't be a reason not to go. The reason is simple, they just don't want to go.

Other reasons here in Norway is high ticket prices. A few years ago tickets to all sports events had to add vat, which they didn't earlier. This means that the prices almost increased with 25%.

Also having a 16 teams league is not good for us imo. This brings to many games which doesn't mean anything.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

And Abdellaoue is Norwegian btw, not African.

Ahh, my bad. Guess I didn't check. Well, replace him on my list with that Diouf guy at Manchester United.

 

[Tosiek]

It's still damn freezing. And the seats aren't that comfortable, they are so small and close to each other that you feel almost squeezed between the people you sit between. But I do agree, this shouldn't be a reason not to go. The reason is simple, they just don't want to go.

Other reasons here in Norway is high ticket prices. A few years ago tickets to all sports events had to add vat, which they didn't earlier. This means that the prices almost increased with 25%.

Also having a 16 teams league is not good for us imo. This brings to many games which doesn't mean anything.

In Norway you really care that much about the seats and weather?


Take a look at stadium of my team

Disgusting, isn't it? But even if there's freezing cold outside, and I have to seat where I have to seat, nothing can make me not go to the game, unless it's ticket price (but in the second division prices aren't high, really). During the game I can talk to others about my team, I can throw insults at the referee and the opponents. Things like that, do not let me think about cold and uncomfortable seats. The atmosphere at the game is unique and nothing can change.

Now, we have a brand new stadium. But we are still waiting for the opening game. Looking into my wallet seems that I may be able to afford the season ticket.

 

[theo]

it's mainly the lack of a football culture I reckon. take the English for example, the smaller teams there have better fans, if I can put it like that. it's just how they were raised, being taken to the stadium since kids, growing to identify with the club and its town/area. you can also add the lack of investment (generally speaking, I know you've mentioned a new stadium), the poor level of football and the league as a whole. it's pretty much the same everywhere except the top leagues. hell if my local club was in a league like the EPL and was as professional as the teams there, plus the culture they got, I know I'd be a die-hard fan, even going to the away matches, with a big fat tattoo on my back. but instead it's rotting in the second league, near bankruptcy.

 

[nor-rbk]

In Norway you really care that much about the seats and weather?

The weather is the Norwegian's favourite topic. Not joking, it actually is.

I personally don't care about the weather at games, I always go (season card) regardless of the weather. I didn't go the EL game against Leverkusen last year though, but then it was -20*C and I had an exam the day after.

 

[Tosiek]

The weather is the Norwegian's favourite topic. Not joking, it actually is.

So you always have a topic to discuss with a newly met girl.

 

[clash]

The weather is terrible here too. We've got 10 teams in the top flight, 36 rounds. The season starts early March and ends in early November. The beginning and the ending of the season is not football, it's just running on a frozen pitch chasing a ball, trying to stay alive in minus degrees and snow.

Most stadiums don't have roofs and only two have under-soil heating systems, meaning that all the games from the beginning and the end are held in the two stadiums that have heating. And with a dead - or rather, unborn fan culture, this means that no one will travel from 200-300 kilometers to the capital, to see their home team play their home match, away from home.

That's especially so if you look at the table. Top 4 teams are pretty even, but only one is outside Tallinn (the capital). Than we have 5 teams from other parts of the country that can finish anywhere from 4th to 9th and than we have Ajax...they've scored 8 goals in 29 matches at the moment but conceeded 128 goals. Four draws and no wins. They have pitched a 52-year old coach once this season, cause they didn't have enough players...

You don't really bother paying to see a league like that and sadly, I can't see things improving. Our national team is at its best right now - ranked 58th in the FIFA bull**** rankings but it's all downwards for the club football.