Inside LOI — Crowd Control
In his latest column, our Inside LOI columnist — an active player in the League of Ireland — discusses boosting crowd numbers in the league.
The annual debate about attendances at League Of Ireland games has become a little tiresome. But the recent report of a 17% increase in attendances this season is welcome news. I’ve seen it at my own club, and it makes a difference. You feel it when you’re playing and I just hope it can last. I suppose what we need to ask is why have attendances increased and how can we maintain the growth?
I say it’s become tiresome but it is also understandable, both from a players and a fan’s perspective. It is the highest level of football in Ireland. There are many current senior internationals who have plied their trade in this league. Even the First Division, which people talk about doing away with, has been the home to James McClean, Daryl Horgan and Andy Boyle at one point in their careers, with the latter two having recently gotten into the senior international squad.
To any player playing in the League of Ireland it must be bewildering that people don’t get down in their droves, especially with all these examples of players progressing coming out of the league. However to maintain support and build on it you must identify the issues, understand them and then tackle them head on. And from the regular League of Ireland supporters, who are brilliant, they must be wondering why people don’t want to watch football when it’s on their doorstep.
One issue I feel is how some clubs are run. Clubs here need to be relatable to the community. Most clubs don’t have the finances to recruit from outside their locality. It’s not about lacking ambition to recruit from outside of the local or surrounding areas, but also about being practical. Local lads also perhaps provide an attraction to the communities. Running the clubs in a similar vein to the GAA clubs mightn’t do any harm. Bigger clubs may have the finances to recruit elsewhere but how many of those got carried away years ago and went bust or dropped down to the first division — Cork City is one major example.
The club is now a supporters-owned entity. And it is also now an example of what can be achieved in terms of support for the club and achievements on the pitch. Other clubs need to try and emulate that. Secure the club first and build from there. To maintain and improve upon the level of support clubs enjoy and then maintaining the Friday night slot is key, as there is a drastic drop off in attendance levels with midweek games. A 7pm kick-off gives crowds a chance to go to the game after work and school and then get out for a few pints or a meal afterwards.
Ticket prices are also something to be picky with. €15 is pricey, all things considered. That’s an adult ticket. One man or woman. If they decide to bring kids, nieces or nephews along its even more expensive. The kids will most likely end up getting something at the chip van, which can cost upwards of €10. It can become quite a costly Friday night before the weekend has even started.
I understand clubs need the money, but recruit from near home, get a structure in place and rather than charge the most you can get, drop the price and incentivise people to go. Cabinteely FC have been brilliant in that regard, they’ve offered numerous deals to people to buy a ticket and get a cheaper ticket for the away game, which has paid off as they have had an increase in attendances. Also the best source of advertisement these days is social media, which is free. Getting active on that and promoting individuals and players in the club is going to be important. Cabinteely again have been brilliant at this.
These are all things I feel can improve and maintain attendance levels in the league of Ireland. But it takes time and effort and a little support from the FAI. Who undoubtedly need to do more.
Read our first installment of InsideLOI here.
