Poor Support

[Loyal GNFC]

In view of the poor attendances to our Home matches is it any wonder we struggle. Fair do's with the close proximity to London then many locals are more interested in the London Teams. But a town of our size should surely have large attendances? To say that Gravesend is a football town is wrong as the locals can't be bothered to come down. Ironic that the one time we get a large attendance (against Canvey on a midweek game when we got 4000) we play crap and newcomers go home thinking is it worth it.

[JimGNFC]

At the beginning of the season I believe the Club budgeted for crowds of 1000 in order to break even.

 

Our average crowd this season according too confguide

(http://www.confguide.com/cgi-bin/attst2k2.mpl) is 1184 so surely this has exceeded initial expectations.

 

We may not have the support base of Aldershot Town but

Teams with the largest support base in the Conference tend to be ex-football league teams who tend to be professional and have the better equiped stadia.

 

Wound G&N get larger crowds if the team was full time?

 

Success on the field brings supporters through the gates. I'd be happy for 3 points on Saturday and worry about improving gates next season.

 

One thing for sure . . . if we are playing Rym*n's football next season we may have difficulty pursuading some of the current 1184 supporters to return next season let alone

trying to improve upon this figure next season.

 

Lots of noiseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee for Saturday please and lets keep it positive!

[Student Scum]

A lot of other Kent and Essex football followers were at that game (including Gillingham and Southend fans) because it was such a big draw. There was also no other games of note that night....but you do have a bit of a point.

 

[Nols1974]

See as ten years ago 500 was a good crowd we ve done well to get up to a regular thousand

[carjam]

It's all to do with success. There was plenty of support last season for the Canvey game. How many would be coming in now if the Fleet were in Yeovils position.

[Bully]

I must admit that Fleet’s attendance’s have disappointed me this season as well.

 

Hereford has a much smaller population than Gravesend, but are far better supported, same with Woking, which is probably about the size of Gravesend, but are also far better supported.

 

If you don’t think that Gravesend is a footballing town then just take a look around at how many people are in pubs watching the football when England are playing or when there are big domestic games.

 

This will probably annoy a few people on here, but unfortunately I think a lot of people locally think of GNFC as a bit of a joke. I must add, as a regular at Stonebridge Road I certainly don’t think this, but it is the impression I get when I suggest to mates about watching the Fleet - usually not taken seriously.

 

Obviously saying things like this is going to wind a few people up, but I’m only saying what I see – Like it or not.

 

[Nols1974]

Hereford have a football league history and Woking have been very succesful in the past , a couple of trophy wins which always bumps up the support

[David Holden]

Yup I was reading about their proposed supporters trust and they were hoping to get just 10% of the 10,000 that they took to their Trophy Finals.

[The Doctor]

re the commments about laughing stock, although most my mates are from dartford because thats where i go to school, me me supporting gnfc seems to be a laugh. I know of 2 others, thats 3 out of 180 that follow non league, one is a welling and the other a dartford(poor him). ALl the rest are either charlton, arsenal or man u.

[DJAY]

Conversely I feel the attendances are not that bad considering.

 

We must remember the effect of years of under achievement. Yes I can well recall the days of sub 500 crowds (sometimes as low as 200+ ).

 

It takes a lot to change the perception in the town. It has not helped where big games attracting large crowds have dissapointed in the past.

 

However it is not the one-off bumper gates that matter, but the steady increase that comes with consistent performances and a team that is challenging for places much further up the table.

 

I do know that we budgeted for 1200 at the season start so we are not far off that. And we do out perform other non fashionable clubs in the league such as Leigh RMI.

 

 

[Alan W (GNFC)]

I thought we budgeted for 1000 rather than 1200 (as Jim also thought) which we've exceeded.

 

Once you lose supporters its always hard to get them back - and the way that Premiership football, in particular, is promoted on TV , etc, makes it even harder to get people to watch Non League

 

Peoples expectations are too high in many cases - they attend 1 game - think "Thats pathetic" because they spend so much time watching Premiership games on TV and seem to believe that Non League will be the same standard - to those people, I say, give non league teams a chance - if the players could play to Premiership standards, they would be playing for clubs at that level.

 

In years gone by, attendances at non league games were often higher - yet, ironically, standards were often lower - many of us remember players such as Brown and Wolfe with affection, but generally the quality of the football played in the old Southern League was weaker than that played by todays team.

 

Today, however, apart from TV football, there is far greater competition for support from other leisure activities as well.

 

We also need to realise that the standard of facilities at Stonebridge Road generally doesnt encourage people to attend - if we do get major improvements to the existing stadium or even a resited new stadium as a result of Ebbsfleet/ negotiations with our landlords, I have a feling that attendances would be boosted accordingly.

 

Overriding this, however, has to be the success of the team on the pitch - had we been in the top half of the table and had we achieved better results at home, especially in the first part of the season (the first 12 home games produced just 3 wins & 3 draws), we would probably have achieved an average attendance of 100 (+) higher than we have done.

 

Lets now just make sure we get as many people as possible down at Stonebridge Road on Saturday (and indeed at Farnborough on Monday) to cheer the lads on to safety, regardless of the FA's final decision on the number of clubs to be relegated.

 

We can (and will, I am confident) survive.

[Loyal GNFC]

There are a lot of "fans" in replica Man U, Arsenal and Liverpool kits who watch games at home or in the pub. Shame they can't bring themselves down to the Fleet. The perception of the Conference for Gravesend is that we are a joke side which is wrong and i know we regulary get over 1000 but my point is not a dig at the team,fans or facilities but at the majority of ignorant people within a large borough. Maybe they feel more affinity to big clubs miles away? If anything the team and fans should be congratulated for there efforts in a very competitve Conference.

[Nols1974]

Most people start supporting their team at a young age , therefor most will support "bigger" clubs . Its only lately we ve been succesful . I know the amount of stick i used to take for being a Fleet supporter in the 80s

[Hirsty]

I'll stick my five pennyworth in ...!!

 

For a town the size of Gravesend...yes...there should be more support...but...is it a social trend ? There are a lot more alternatives to football, and sport in general. Look at the local leagues....how they have decreased in size over the last few years...because no one want's to play.....maybe they just like wearing their replica kits and posing round town/bluewater ? Which reminds me....must get my Sheff Wed shirt ironed....just in case they stay up !! (only joking !)

 

The people who post on here will be going to the game(s) anyway.....

...but we can all spread the word.

 

Yorkshire Dunx (from Yorkshire !) & No Teeth from Skipton will be in attendance

...no taxi ride that !! together with assorted friends/beer buddies from the locality...some who had never seen a game prior to this season.

So...keep the faith & spread the word.

 

Onwards & Upwards !!

 

 

...and for XXXX's sake...everyone stop moaning !! It get's on my tits !!

 

 

Cheers,

 

 

 

[DJAY]

Quote:

many of us remember players such as Brown and Wolfe with affection

Now you've got me drooling!!!

Ah! those were the days

[Alan ( GNFC )]

I still remember with sadness Woolfie being carried off against Worcester , never to be seen on the hallowed turf again .

Those far post headers and his ability to ghost past three defenders ... then fall over ,were a highlight of my youth .

[Alan W (GNFC)]

It was his wonderful pace that sticks in my mind !! ( If I recall, he had a trial with Chelsea and his lack of pace was one of the main ereasons he didnt get in??)

 

Can we start a "Where are they Now?" bit on here or add such a section in next seasons programme?

 

Would love to know where players such as Brown, Wolfe, Bostock, et al are these days.

 

Another player who seems to have been forgotten over the years was Peter Osborne, who was the "Craig Wilkins" of his time (but in reverse, I think - starting as defender and converted to striker). I remember him getting signed by Bergen and playing for them in the Cup Winners Cup the next season - what happened to him??

[Ryan.c]

Unfortunately this country is gripped by the power of the premiership. Only those people who support non-league sides take it seriously, I'm afraid the rest of the footballing population is too obsessed with Beckhams latest dress, Henrys 'Va Va Voom' or just how wonderful 'planet premiership' is. We also have a very patronising media in this country who seem to take great pleasure in mocking non-league sides (until we get to FA Cup time that is, when they suddenly remember what the cup is all about!). Take pride in where you live/come from. If we all did that a bit more then the likes of Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal etc, wouldn't be able to wield so much power over the game we all love. Respect to those who support thier local team. Rant over!!

[Guest]

i get quite a bit from people in my school only two supporters in my year

[Stu B]

He nicked my name!gnfc is SLOWLY getting more popular at my school,we've got about 10(?)regular supporters now.