Record breakers

[Rotten Johnny Shawcraw]

I've just read on another site they are predicting the lowest conference crowd ever for your game against the deadbeats from FGR tomorrow <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> fame at last!! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/Rofl.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/Rofl.gif" alt="" />

 

Free vouchers for kids, the club are clearly getting desperate, but that's what you get when you rip off your fans (both of them!) <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/Rofl.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/Rofl.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/Rofl.gif" alt="" />

[Guest]

I have been ripped of my [****!!****].

 

Even when we lose we lose in style, and when we win we win with panache.

 

F*7K OFF You W$%^ker <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/yeahthat.gif" alt="" />

[cangull]

Blah, Blah, Blah, yawn yawn. Pity, I was starting to enjoy the thought of a good weekend and 'Lo and Behold' a DONK arrives on the message board!!

[Merv]

DONK. That's generous. This is the guy who booked into Runwell Hospital for a brain scan but eventually they only charged him half-price. Wonder why?

 

Nice to see you back RJS. Looking forward to reading loads and loads of your tosh and trying to find it in my Christian heart to forgive you for being such an @rsehole.

 

May God bless you my friend. Now go ahead and prove my theory that you are a brain dead to$$er. The first piece of evidence is at the top of this thread, I'm now waiting for the second.

[Staying-up]

Even though he speaks utter cr@p as ever it does raise an interesting point. What is the lowest attendance for a conference game? Does anyone know?

[YELLOW]

280 odd for a Margate game last season. Think that was against Forest Green.

[Guest]

It's considerably lower than 280 I'm sure. I think it was discussed on the Margate board last year. Fisher Athletic used to get spectacularly low crowds, as did Telford when they played at Worcester City for the opening few games a few seasons ago. If I remember correctly it was < 100, so there's no chance of the record tomorrow.

[Stu M]

Trowbridge v gateshead - 135ish I think.

[Rotten Johnny Shawcraw]

Rather a shame that only 356 islanders share that view <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/Rofl.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/Rofl.gif" alt="" />

 

Still, already relegated Leigh RMI did even wose!

 

 

Quote:

I have been ripped of my [****!!****].

 

Even when we lose we lose in style, and when we win we win with panache.

 

F*7K OFF You W$%^ker <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/yeahthat.gif" alt="" />

[Rotten Johnny Shawcraw]

Whilst others at Runwell were given free brain scans and some were still given a refund <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/Rofl.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/Rofl.gif" alt="" />

 

Perhaps you can tempt some of your flock down to Park Lane where judging by what I've read they are desperatly needed, the fourth lowest average attendance in the conf and you can guess who the other three are, thats right Leigh, FGR and Northwich <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/Rofl.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/Rofl.gif" alt="" />

 

Its a long way back down to the Essex League when JK and his money go <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/Rofl.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/Rofl.gif" alt="" />

 

Quote:

DONK. That's generous. This is the guy who booked into Runwell Hospital for a brain scan but eventually they only charged him half-price. Wonder why?

 

Nice to see you back RJS. Looking forward to reading loads and loads of your tosh and trying to find it in my Christian heart to forgive you for being such an @rsehole.

 

May God bless you my friend. Now go ahead and prove my theory that you are a brain dead to$$er. The first piece of evidence is at the top of this thread, I'm now waiting for the second.

[ken]

fair enough we have a low attendance, but its not like gravesend are smashing records with the 9th lowest in the leauge, mid table is where your gonna end up for everything isnt it

[Guest]

I don't understand why attendance is such a point of discussion. There are always going to be better and lesser supported teams, it's just life.

 

Just because we have smaller crowds than the other conference teams doesn't make us a bad side or club in general. The fans that go week in, week out enjoy what they see and those that don't attend in my eyes are missing out.

 

We'll just happily carry on supporting our club in our own way and who gives a to$$ what the bigger supported clubs think about us? I don't! Good luck to them <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/top.gif" alt="" />

[A Non E Mouse]

Quote:

I don't understand why attendance is such a point of discussion.

 

It's a point of discussion because Rotten Johnny Scrotum makes it one and fishes for a response which someone sooner or later obliges him with - derogatory or otherwise.

[Stu M]

Quote:

fair enough we have a low attendance, but its not like gravesend are smashing records with the 9th lowest in the leauge, mid table is where your gonna end up for everything isnt it

RJS is never on our forum. Is he a Gravesend fan by proxy...?

[Merv]

So let’s try to get this discussion onto a more serious level and lets think about attendance. RJS has always felt that Jeff King is personally ripping off the Canvey fans because of the relatively high admission prices at Park Lane. But because he shares his point of view in such an inflammatory way, built upon his hatred of Canvey Island in general, he only ever manages to provoke insults, jibes and put-downs and rarely any constructive discussion. Shame really because he’s not all stupid and if he were to put some of his more worthy points in a more constructive way he would probably set up quite a few interesting and intelligent debates. And that’s what discussion boards are all about, surely?

 

Underlying his acerbic reflections on our gate figures there is actually a question I have heard asked around Park Lane on many occasions myself; why such a low attendance? The point about being ripped off by Jeff King isn’t one that particularly bothers me. I am, after all, a willing volunteer to be ripped off every time I voluntarily hand over my £11. If the price went up to £12 it wouldn’t stop me going any more than a reduction to £10 would encourage me to attend on the weeks that I miss. But is that true of everyone? I felt that throughout last season if you took the admission arrangements as a package (admission cost, kid for a quid, happy hour in the bar before the KO) you had a pretty good deal.

 

I used to believe that lack of publicity was the cause of lowish crowds. But Keith Johnson set up a series of placards around the island in the lead-up to home games, 80% of the population now has access to the internet and both BBC Essex and the Evening Echo have doubled their coverage of Canvey in recent years. So it can hardly be down to poor publicity.

 

Fans like success and they like goals. Well Canvey certainly had both of those last season; more than any other team in a 30 mile radius (including north Kent). So it can’t be that.

 

I suppose, at the end of the day, CIFC315 sums it up nicely in his posting, “Just because we have smaller crowds than the other conference teams doesn't make us a bad side or club in general. The fans that go week in, week out enjoy what they see and those that don't attend in my eyes are missing out.” I realise I am leading with my chin on this one and no doubt RJS will come up with some more venom, but I still think there is a serious point here to debate.

[ken]

There is quite a simple answer. It is an island, and for many years canvey has forced itself to believe it lives in this close net little community. People off the island think of it as its own little catchment area, it’s very much a 'them and us' kind of thing. There is a definite border to the island (that little trickle of a stream is enough to scare people). There is no need to come onto the island unless you live there or know someone on there. Most people from areas like Benfleet go for months or longer without crossing the bridges onto the island. We have a very set target audience. People who live on the island and people who used to live on the island. If it was looked into I bet at least 99% of the fans we get come from these categories.

 

You aren’t going to get fans coming to an area that they don’t normally bother just to go and watch a football match, infact come to think of it most people off the island (and quite a few on the island) wont even have a clue where abouts the football ground is.

 

As far as the internet goes it will not draw fans in, it is only a tool for fans that already go.

[ronin]

A lot of people think our prices are too high, i can understand people with a couple of kids having a little moan but for the average fans point of view i`d say we get a fair deal.

 

This saturday at York it`s £13 to stand, recently at Stevenage it was £10 for kids and i believe at Barnet there are no concessions at all unless you have a special ticket obtained beforehand.

 

If the club dropped our prices how would they make up the loss of income, sell a player, put the bar prices up?

 

As the FGR match showed we have a lot of supporters who attend Park Lane when it fits in with their other plans, now if only someone could turn that round so they think about where Canvey are playing and then about their other plans! I guess every club would want the answer to that.

[A Non E Mouse]

Quote:

So let’s try to get this discussion onto a more serious level and lets think about attendance. RJS has always felt that Jeff King is personally ripping off the Canvey fans because of the relatively high admission prices at Park Lane.

 

I raised the question of attendance on a previous post - "voucher in Saturdays programme" or something and a few people responded.

 

The crux of the question that I asked was "are we to reliant on Jeff?"

 

IMHO - I think we are. Why work hard at getting new fans through the gates when Jeff must subsidise the club in some form. Whats the difference in 30 people watching CIFC or 1,000 - it's probably still going to be subsidised by Jeff - it's just to what extent. "No one makes money out of football it's a labour of love for someone - even at GNFC. The amounts are just different. The problem is that decisions made by Jeff may not be good for the club - but who is going to argue?

 

What old "Mr bitter and twisted" fails to see is that Jeff has businesses on the island, and unlike other money men in other clubs, has played for the club - how many others can say this - I'm sure the club is quite close to his heart to some extent or other. Perhaps Jeff doesn't give a rats [****!!****] how many people come through those gates. If he does worry then sooner rather than later I feel he will get demoralised and leave.

 

I wouldn't say that watching CIFC is cheap - it's cheaper than SUFC and WHU but is more expensive than 'ricay. I CHOOSE to pay this to watch CIFC and regard this as good value for the entertainment. I also CHOOSE to attend away games - not to fill another clubs coffers but to support Canvey - Jeff doesn't fleece me - he didn't fleece the guys from FGR who made their way down here on Saturday and this is why I have the utmost respect for these fans and not a dick head who spouts crap on someone elses forum - but in reality probably doesn't support his own team a great deal.

 

I found the forum, like many others, via the old website which was a great advertisement for the club. The new website has no way of "including the fans" - it is in effect p*** poor. Again - was this short sited? did key people at the club make a slightly irrational decision based on upsetting one man? why rock the boat. The club now has one less avenue to raise awareness and support.

 

As for the media - I don't listen to an "Essex" radio station (I listen to Kent Invicta), I don't really read any local papers, I don't see the adverts because I work in Kent - my route off the island doesn't take me past any adverts. I didn't know where the ground was when I first attended a game because I live up the other end of the Island and rarely went towards the Point. There are various forms of media available - but I feel the biggest one would be having a new ground at Waterside.

 

Everyone will see it and become aware of it. People travelling on the trains will see it, especially when the flodlights are on for an evening game - we can then start to make in-roads into the population of Benfleet and possibly Hadleigh. If Basildon were in a position that CIFC are currently in - would you start to attend games? I can say hand on heart that I wouldn't.

 

Success over five or so years will not suddenly make Canvey the best supported club in Essex. It is a slow and labourious task attracting new fans and getting them to pay and walk through those gates every week. It is easy to take them for granted and lose them just as quickly. Seeds need to be sewn now that will attract people to support their local club - via youth teams, kids for a quid, social club, supporters club, initiatives such as allowing anyone with a premiership season ticket to get into the club cheaper (Dagenham link with WHU and Orient)You are not going to convert a WHU supporter to a Canvey fan overnight - it has to start with the youngsters. As I've said before - someone said to me in passing last year that Canvey is an old boys club - he said it's the same old people, sitting in the same old seats - to some degree he was right - look around at the next home game and see how many 10-16 year olds there are in the crowd.

 

Sorry to ramble - but at the end of the day I reckon there is a hardcore 60 supporters, a genuine 350 supporters and an average of 750 who will attend an average game.

 

At the end of it all - I pay my money willingly and have witnessed some of the best entertaining football played by any club in the country. I feel sorry for those who have missed this treat, because they won't be able to put the clocks back and relive it......

 

The End.

[YELLOW]

Slightly off topic but I've been reading Robert Errington's History of Canvey FC in the Matchday Programme and recently he has been talking about the mid nineties when the club first starting achieving success.

 

He was talking about the great run we had to the Vase semis in 1993. Some of the crowds he quoted for them games took my interest especially as we were only Essex Senior League then and playing teams with next to no away support.

 

Last 32 v Harefield over 1,000

Last 16 v Clevedon 1,123

Quarter Finals v Bilston 2,000

Semi Finals v Tiverton 3,250

 

Following season, nearly 800 for a match in the 5th round of the Vase against Newbury.

 

What you have to ask is where have the crowds gone? We achieved these sort of figures for matches in the Vase as a Senior League club but can't get anywhere near these numbers as A Conference club (compare these figures with last season's trophy run)

 

So where have all the people dissapeared to, over the last 10-11 years?

[A Non E Mouse]

Cheers Yellow - shot my arguments to bits <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

 

In 92-93 I certainly wasn't reading about Canvey and I certainly took no interest in the club - I was looking at a club up the coast slightly. I can't even remember reading or hearing anything about Canvey.

 

Those crowd numbers do seem incredible - particularly when compared to todays figures. However, there must have been certain games and circumstance that is today not always appreciated that attracted those fans. Suppose a more recent example would be the home game against the Shots - well over 3,000, but our other home games got no where near this (I realise there was a large away support) In years to come people may not appreciate the build up and intensity to the game.

 

Perhaps in some weird way Canvey drew crowds because of it's "small" club image and now that innocence has gone slightly - although we are still a small non league club, fans and a lot of other teams, have got used to a successful hard working Canvey side and pay less attention until it is a glory game.

 

Other than that any arguements or suggestions I may have for crowd numbers dwindling from our ESL days don't stack up.

 

Slight side issue - I read the article and it did occur to me that there was a lot of names at the helm of the club who are still there today from the 92 season and have steered the club to where it is today - I think my thoughts on the previous post may have appeared a bit harsh and seem to imply that people do not care - people at the club obviously do care and still put a lot of hard work into the club (big crowds or not) and I meant no malice. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/sad.gif" alt="" />