2021 Canadian Premier League Attendance

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

2 hours ago, grasshopper1917 said:

In sort of attendance news the number of people watching the Wanderers vs Valour on One Soccer YouTube peaked out at 1100. 

...which might provide a good gauge of what a Onesoccer streaming audience would normally be like. If so, a bit sobering given Halifax away with the last playoff spot still on the line is probably one of best draws for them.

Edited October 27, 2021 by Ozzie_the_parrot

[narduch]

One Soccer is stupid though. They do not plan ahead. They should be promoting these free Youtube streams days in advance.

Instead you usually find out minutes before the match.

Edited October 27, 2021 by narduch

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

5388 announced for Forge vs Montreal:

https://canpl.ca/matchcentre/4eohhx0xbun95fh9v0f0nllas/highlights

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

 

[narduch]

11 hours ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

5388 announced for Forge vs Montreal:

https://canpl.ca/matchcentre/4eohhx0xbun95fh9v0f0nllas/highlights

The big story here is that they outdrew TFC.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

There is nothing stopping you or anyone else for that matter from starting a thread about TFC attendances on the appropriate subforum.

[narduch]

5 minutes ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

There is nothing stopping you or anyone else for that matter from starting a thread about TFC attendances on the appropriate subforum.

Just noting a tidbit of info.

Don't have to be so cranky about it.

Besides the point is totally relevant for this thread.

Edited October 28, 2021 by narduch

[Bison44]

Geeze Narduch....shame on you for putting the attendance numbers in perspective.  

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

2 hours ago, narduch said:

...Besides the point is totally relevant for this thread.

If you looked at this a little deeper than the one aspect you are choosing to dwell on because it fits your preferred narrative I doubt Bob Young and Scott Mitchell are hugely thrilled that it took an MLS opponent to finally draw the sort of crowd that might actually balance the books for them rather than the 905 derby they tried to hype or a grudge game against the Cavalry or something like that. Personally if I was in Hamilton I'd be more enthused about a Forge regular season game than a cup tie against a half interested squad rotating MLS opponent but there's a sizable chunk of the local soccer community that know the team exists but are not seeing it that way and are showing up for the latter but not the former. Meanwhile in Halifax...

Edited October 28, 2021 by Ozzie_the_parrot

[narduch]

6 minutes ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

If you looked at this a little deeper than the one aspect you are choosing to dwell on because it fits your preferred narrative I doubt Bob Young and Scott Mitchell are hugely thrilled that it took an MLS opponent to finally draw the sort of crowd that might actually balance the books for them rather than the 905 derby they tried to hype or a grudge game against the Cavalry or something like that. Personally if I was in Hamilton I'd be more enthused about a Forge regular season game than a cup tie against a half interested squad rotating MLS opponent but there's a sizable chunk of the local soccer community that know the team exists but are not seeing it that way. Meanwhile in Halifax...

You are pathetic.

Only you could turn such a positive into a negative. 

Canadian soccer fans are buzzing about what a great game it was but you just want to continue to denigrate the CPL. 

Get a grip.

It's actually kind of sad that the ONLY Candian soccer topic you are interested in is CPL attendance.

Your infatuation is making you blind

 

Edited October 28, 2021 by narduch

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

What would be a positive would be the Forge drawing 5000+ consistently and TFC drawing 20000+ consistently. Neither of these things are happening at the moment. People that truly have the welfare of Canadian soccer at heart should avoid falling into the trap of having a divisive CanPL vs MLS mindset and should want both leagues to do well.

Edited October 28, 2021 by Ozzie_the_parrot

[narduch]

6 minutes ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

People that truly have the welfare of Canadian soccer at heart should avoid falling into the trap of having a divisive CanPL vs MLS mindset and should want both leagues to do well.

You are one of the biggest victims of this trap.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

Nonsense, I genuinely want all of Canadian soccer to succeed. Stop projecting your divisive mentality onto me.

[narduch]

1 minute ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

Nonsense, I genuinely want all of Canadian soccer to succeed. Stop projecting your divisive mentality onto me.

Doesn't appear so from your posting history. 

You come across as pro MLS and USSF and anti CPL.

 

[SoccMan]

5 hours ago, narduch said:

The big story here is that they outdrew TFC.

Actually hate to say it but I think right now apart from Halifax and both the Canadian men’s and women’s national teams attendances , attendance has been terrible for all pro soccer teams in Canada this season , TFC attendance is a joke right now considering what they have been drawing since they started in 2007. How the hell do you go from 20000 and more a game to seriously no more than maybe 2000 a game for most games this season . In terms of that Hamilton game versus Montreal there should have been 10000 there for that kind of game , yes it’s more than they usually get but there should have been a lot more. However, pro soccer attendance in Canada this year has been a joke no matter what league MLS or CPL this year all you see is mountains of empty seats . Let’s hope next season when everything is hopefully back to normal attendances pick up in all Canadian cities in both leagues . 

[Weng]

1 hour ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

Nonsense, I genuinely want all of Canadian soccer to succeed. Stop projecting your divisive mentality onto me.

I don’t think they are projecting.  This is the ONLY thing you come on here to talk about.  I never see you comment when Canada games are on, or CPL games are on.  Only about attendance.  Quit crying about people calling you out on this and maybe show that you are interested in Canadian soccer.

[Aird25]

Deleted 

Edited October 29, 2021 by Aird25

[Weng]

Also as a genuine question, what is the point of posting the attendance after every freaking game.  I could see posting a mid season and end of season analysis on attendance figures and such, but the way you post just saps any fun of following post match games.  
 

Anyways, I enjoyed the Montreal/Forge game.  I thought the shootout was thrilling and was good soccer throughout.

[narduch]

24 minutes ago, SoccMan said:

Actually hate to say it but I think right now apart from Halifax and both the Canadian men’s and women’s national teams attendances , attendance has been terrible for all pro soccer teams in Canada this season , TFC attendance is a joke right now considering what they have been drawing since they started in 2007. How the hell do you go from 20000 and more a game to seriously no more than maybe 2000 a game for most games this season . In terms of that Hamilton game versus Montreal there should have been 10000 there for that kind of game , yes it’s more than they usually get but there should have been a lot more. However, pro soccer attendance in Canada this year has been a joke no matter what league MLS or CPL this year all you see is mountains of empty seats . Let’s hope next season when everything is hopefully back to normal attendances pick up in all Canadian cities in both leagues . 

Yup.

I wonder if the rise of the National teams (both men and women) may have sucked some energy out of the domesitc game.

Obviously covid hasn't helped either.

Next year will be interesting.

[Watchmen]

21 hours ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

5388 announced for Forge vs Montreal:

https://canpl.ca/matchcentre/4eohhx0xbun95fh9v0f0nllas/highlights

Maybe it's just me, but I'm actually disappointed by this number.  I would have thought that the semi-final of the Voyagers Cup with a truly legitimate shot knock out an MLS team and advance to the final would have been a bigger draw.

[grasshopper1917]

1 hour ago, Watchmen said:

Maybe it's just me, but I'm actually disappointed by this number.  I would have thought that the semi-final of the Voyagers Cup with a truly legitimate shot knock out an MLS team and advance to the final would have been a bigger draw.

Yea I totally agree with you. 5000 for a chance to play for the Voyagers cup playing a MLS side. If they could have filled at least the lower half of one side would have been nice. For me this year has cast doubts on the CPL - I mean representatives of the league are invisible. Where is David Chanachan? What about Paul Beirne? Zero tv exposure, almost no mainstream exposure. No mention on sportscasts outside of market. I try to be optimistic but the concern is there for sure.

[An Observer]

5 hours ago, SoccMan said:

Actually hate to say it but I think right now apart from Halifax and both the Canadian men’s and women’s national teams attendances , attendance has been terrible for all pro soccer teams in Canada this season , TFC attendance is a joke right now considering what they have been drawing since they started in 2007. How the hell do you go from 20000 and more a game to seriously no more than maybe 2000 a game for most games this season . In terms of that Hamilton game versus Montreal there should have been 10000 there for that kind of game , yes it’s more than they usually get but there should have been a lot more. However, pro soccer attendance in Canada this year has been a joke no matter what league MLS or CPL this year all you see is mountains of empty seats . Let’s hope next season when everything is hopefully back to normal attendances pick up in all Canadian cities in both leagues . 

I haven't been following it that closely but even seems the NHL is somewhat struggling with attendance and even the Leafs were struggling to sell out.  It seems to me that people are being very judicious on where they are willing to put themselves at risk of Covid in crowds.  For things that they really care about, the reward maybe worth the risk.  Something that is not so important, the risk outweighs the reward.  I suspect this has killed off the casual fan that CPL (and even MLS) needs to depend on quite a bit.  But then you see for the men's World Cup Qualifying campaign a near sell out for Panama and likely sell outs in Edmonton as the bandwagon starts growing. 

I must admit that the thought crossed my mind a few times of not going to the Panama match due to Covid and it was going to be the only match in the qualifying calendar that I could go to live.  And I am a die hard.

All that being said, I am not that positive for 2022 as Covid will likely still be around in high enough numbers to have a similar if decreasing effect on people's decision making.  2023 is likely the time where it may be different.  

I am also starting to wonder if this is the "new normal" which could be devastating to a lot of "fringe" leagues globally where people just opt out either due to fear of Covid or to just changing behaviors related to having had to deal with Covid for so long that they have moved on to other hobbies.  I hope that is not the case but seriously starting wonder.

[Kent]

2 hours ago, Watchmen said:

Maybe it's just me, but I'm actually disappointed by this number.  I would have thought that the semi-final of the Voyagers Cup with a truly legitimate shot knock out an MLS team and advance to the final would have been a bigger draw.

Yeah, and the insistence to still have the 2020 final played at some point for the big draw of TFC makes me think Forge are probably disappointed by this relatively small crowd as well. Will they still try to keep the 2020 final alive or will they cancel it if it doesn't look like they will have a 20k packed stadium for what at this point would be a glorified friendly.

To the people from Hamilton, was there much/any promotion for the Montreal game? What has bigger buzz, the Montreal game (pre-game) or the upcoming CONCACAF League game?

[gator]

5 minutes ago, Kent said:

Yeah, and the insistence to still have the 2020 final played at some point for the big draw of TFC makes me think Forge are probably disappointed by this relatively small crowd as well. Will they still try to keep the 2020 final alive or will they cancel it if it doesn't look like they will have a 20k packed stadium for what at this point would be a glorified friendly.

To the people from Hamilton, was there much/any promotion for the Montreal game? What has bigger buzz, the Montreal game (pre-game) or the upcoming CONCACAF League game?

I think the crowd was good, we all  would have liked to see more there but not only has the team played lots of home matches in a short period of a condensed schedule but us fans can have a hard time attending all matches especially late season midweek! Credit to Forge for promoting the hell out of this and the CONCACAF match next week, Bob Young also handed out free beer tickets, there is not much more that could have been done in promotion! Attendance is down all over for reasons discussed in the CPL thread, I wouldn't have missed this match for anything, there are still lots of casuals that need convincing! I don't see the 5K crowd as a negative at all, anyone who was there will certainly talk about this match for some time and return to watch Forge!

[Ansem]

8 hours ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

Nonsense, I genuinely want all of Canadian soccer to succeed. Stop projecting your divisive mentality onto me.

Sir, why do you hate yourself?