Realistic Crowds

[Benny]

Does anyone have any realistic idea of what crowds we should expect next year?

 

I've heard some people say in excess of 400 but should we expect that many if we've dropped to the Ryman North?

 

i would of thought around 200 a home game wouldn't be asking too much

[A Non E Mouse]

Difficult question to answer and is dependent upon a number of factors.

 

If 150 people can show up and show concern for their club then 200 is not unrealistic.

 

However, if we are doing well and people want to watch the under dogs then I think it could be as high as 350 to 400. I think Hornchurch managed to keep around 350 - 400 which personally under their circumstances I thought was quite impressive but probably bolstered by their initial success.

 

I'm not convinced that we'll get over that number unless it was for a special game such as Canvey v Hornchurch or Enfield in a top of the table clash.

[ronin]

If you`re a Canvey fan then i can`t see what difference what league you are in should make to wether you attend the game or not.

 

I will be dissapointed to see crowds below 300 for any league match and if it does happen it will prove the people right who said that the people of Canvey Island don`t deserve a team.

 

There is still plenty of potential for CIFC to progress and we have to make sure that happens.

[Ribbit]

250. Might get 400 for Hornchurch, depending on how many they bring and how well they're doing at the time.

[eggy]

The away support we will get in the Ryman North is just not enough for us to hold a 350 average..

 

I reckon 250 average if we are lucky

 

Top attendance will be Hornchurch..

 

Plus nutral supporters are unlikely to watch us when we are playing team like Tilbury, Bury Town etc, they will go to either Grays & D&R etc

[Guest]

I can see us on occassions get larger crowds than last years especially if we get a good start!!

[Ribbit]

Why Bury? Of all the games neutrals may come to, that one has to be the least likely. Reason being, every other team is closer to Canvey.

[A Non E Mouse]

Quote:

ronin said:
If you`re a Canvey fan then i can`t see what difference what league you are in should make to wether you attend the game or not.

Agreed - the key word you used is "IF". Canvey fans will obviously get down to the Lane - but compared to those attendances last season a lot of those fans who were there will not be full time Canvey fans.

Quote:

ronin said: I will be dissapointed to see crowds below 300 for any league match and if it does happen it will prove the people right who said that the people of Canvey Island don`t deserve a team.

Again, I agree and those who made those original comments may finally have proved their point. I think we can maintain a 300 average. I hope I'm wrong but you may need to prepare yourself to be disappointed. Fans can be very fickled.

Quote:

ronin said:
There is still plenty of potential for CIFC to progress and we have to make sure that happens.

Yep, this is the key point - we have the potential and if we can make a concerted effort at the beginning of the season and start the season off in great form then we may just capture some of those fans who were only interested in Conf National football but potentially weren't attracted by the prospect of a season in the Ryman North. A winning side may just do that.

[A Non E Mouse]

Quote:

Ribbit said:
Why Bury? Of all the games neutrals may come to, that one has to be the least likely. Reason being, every other team is closer to Canvey.

I took this from an old post on the AFC Sudbury forum.

If the figures are roughly accurate then Bury and Sudbury will potentially be one of the better supported sides next season. Not sure about how many of their fans travel.

Re: Ryman League North 1 (baz)
Posted: 7:20:25 pm on 12/5/2006 Modified: Never


Average attendence this last season

AFC hornchurch 400
. . AFC Sudbury 275
. . Arlesey Town 136
. . Aveley 127
. . Barking & East Ham 99
. . Bury Town 205
. . Enfield 132
. . Enfield Town 324
. . Great Wakering Rovers 121
. . Harlow Town 107
. . Hendon 264
. . Ilford 84
. . Maldon Town 194
. . Potters Bar Town 120
. . Redbridge 126
. . Tilbury 60
. . Waltham Abbey 74
. . Waltham Forest 82
. . Ware 155
. . Wingate & Finchley 67
. . Witham Town 61
. . Wivenhoe Town 120

[Ribbit]

Or, to make it slightly easier on the eye:

 

AFC Hornchurch 400

 

Enfield Town 324

 

AFC Sudbury 275

Hendon 264

Bury Town 205

 

Maldon Town 194

Ware 155

Arlesey Town 136

Enfield 132

Aveley 127

Redbridge 126

Great Wakering Rovers 121

Potters Bar Town 120

Wivenhoe Town 120

Harlow Town 107

 

Barking & East Ham 99

Ilford 84

Waltham Forest 82

Waltham Abbey 74

Wingate & Finchley 67

Witham Town 61

Tilbury 60

 

It doesn't look too bad through the top five teams, plus Maldon, however after that, especially at the bottom with Tilbury, Witham and Wingate & Finchley, things just look bad.

I stand by 250 and to be honest, I don't think we'll get much above 300 if we do well.

Hopefully Hornchurch and Endfield Town will bring a few down.

[YELLOW]

I reckon just over 300 for most games.

[ronin]

Quote:

A Non E Mouse said:

Quote:

ronin said:
If you`re a Canvey fan then i can`t see what difference what league you are in should make to wether you attend the game or not.

Agreed - the key word you used is "IF". Canvey fans will obviously get down to the Lane - but compared to those attendances last season a lot of those fans who were there will not be full time Canvey fans.

Quote:

ronin said: I will be dissapointed to see crowds below 300 for any league match and if it does happen it will prove the people right who said that the people of Canvey Island don`t deserve a team.

Again, I agree and those who made those original comments may finally have proved their point. I think we can maintain a 300 average. I hope I'm wrong but you may need to prepare yourself to be disappointed. Fans can be very fickled.

Quote:

ronin said:
There is still plenty of potential for CIFC to progress and we have to make sure that happens.

Yep, this is the key point - we have the potential and if we can make a concerted effort at the beginning of the season and start the season off in great form then we may just capture some of those fans who were only interested in Conf National football but potentially weren't attracted by the prospect of a season in the Ryman North. A winning side may just do that.

I can see where you`re coming from A Non E Mouse, i wonder where the club has set the break-even attendance figure at?

The way i see it is our lowest attendance last season was 358 v Woking who brought 30 max so i would say 300 hardcore Canvey fans paid £11.50 to watch that game which was meaningless to our season on a cold Tuesday night, if it had been a Saturday i guess another 100/150 people would have attended. I can see a few of those people deserting us but not that many and i hope we can replace them with new fans and ones who have stayed away because of (in their eyes) the high entrance fee.

[Guest]

Do not even think of compareing last year to this year.

 

The wage bills do not even come close.

 

The gate will be lower and so will the unit cost!

 

I have banged together a couple of spreadsheets and financial models.

 

I think the year will start of with some real possibilties of a cash flow problem.

 

As the season progresses provided the weather is kind and we do not have any major misshapps, we will end up on a really firm financial footing!!

 

That is why we must talk up our crowds, and make sure we buy our shirts early, 50/50, programmes or whatever, lets get cash behind our club!!

 

Lots of people want to be involved, we must pay for our tickets, pay for our shirts and help the cash flow.

 

The really good thing is we now have a voice!!

[ronin]

What have wage bills got to do with the amount of people who will attend a game?

[Ribbit]

Entrance fee is still high.

[Guest]

If wage bill is low, other prices can be low, but then we have to work harder in bringing youngsters through, it gets complicated but everything is inter related.

 

Put it this way if last years wage bill was lower, so we could have charged a fiver entrance and kids for a quid, we may still have been able to retain our squad without Jeff King.

 

Basically we need to put our cash in and get our mates to come and none of the equations will relate to previous years.

[ronin]

Yes i understand that but i was discussing that i don`t think we will lose too many of our regular fans because we have dropped leagues not the entrance fee.

 

BTW, if last seasons wage bill was lower we would not have had those players in the first place.

[Ribbit]

I don't care about lowering it. I'm just saying it's still expensive. Last year I think we were about £1.50 too dear, and next, probably £3.00.

Obviously that's not realistic and we'll be bust within a month, but for the level of football, a fiver or maybe six quid is about right.

 

Think about it; Premiership clubs can command prices of £25-£50 for their games for two reasons. One is entertainment value and two is that if you don't go, someone else will (in most cases). The lower down the leagues you go, the less this applies. I don't think Southend were charging more than £15 last year and yet some of the football they played was reportadly brilliant, but it was the league they played in.

 

We may be able to justify £11.50 for a Conference match to ourselves and to other football fans, but to any neutrals, it's far too much. The Conference is the fifth tear of English football, but the prices don't drop as much as the entertainment levels do.

 

Now in the RLN we are seven levels below the Premiership. We share that mantle with about sixty other teams. The quality will be poor and the entrance fees should match it.

 

But as I say, that's not realistic, so I'm behind the £8 cost for the time being.

[greggs9]

at least if you arent paying high wages you know the players are there cos they want to play for the club. which is more than certain players were at canvey for last season

[Ribbit]

That's true.