CPL 2022 Season Attendance

[Ansem]

On 5/17/2022 at 7:35 PM, Macksam said:

So many markets to get at least 5,000, Sask, Regina, KW, London, Windsor, QC. We will be fine. No need for MLS reserve sides.

Messi is coming to Miami now, this should drive the 2023 media deal to something higher than what the Prem gets in the US. MLS will be taking the next step in its evolution and the fans will come back in all the struggling markets. Screencap this.

You can say I'm the soccer optimist on this forum, I can see in a few years TFC drawing 40,000 spectators next to a Forge drawing 15,000 - 20,000 on the very same date. All the ships will rise with the tide eventually. Cheer up everyone.

A certain Pele burned a certain North American league and that certain league no longer exists...😂

[shermanator]

The league's website has now updated all attendances for week 4 on their match reports. Attendances are as follows:

• Forge vs Ottawa - 4127
• Pacific vs Edmonton - 3424
• Halifax vs Cavalry - 5244
• Valour vs York - 2416

Attendance compared to last year is as follows:

• Atletico Ottawa -2%
• Cavalry +65%
• Edmonton -20%
• Forge +8%
• HFX Wanderers +10%
• Pacific +23%
• Valour +8%
• York +11%
• CPL +14%

[K Edgar]

[PegCityCam]

On 5/15/2022 at 8:27 PM, PegCityCam said:

My guess is 2600 in attendance at IG Field today. Nice weather, decent start time, but yeah, it's an absolute cavern in there. Home opener in 2019 had 10G and that was enough to really make it fun. I'd say 5 to 10G is the goal or it's just pretty sad. There is no other option in Winnipeg. The University "stadium" down the street could definitely work but it would take a major investment and the Bombers to give up the free advertising (and whatever else they get) by having Valour games at IG. IG is also a taxpayers nightmare in this town as the old Bombers stadium grounds were supposed to be sold and the tax revenue used to pay off the loan to build IG. Those old grounds are STILL 80% empty and cant even put a dent in the interest, let alone begin to pay off the actual loan. Now Winnipeg has pretty much forgiven any loan payments from the Bombers for the foreseeable future...and guess who's stuck with the bill? Anyways, I don't see anything changing for at least a decade.

At least I can be satisfied in knowing I have a decent eye for crowd size at IG😅 2400 though? That's pretty sad. To add to the topic of what the possible issues are in Winnipeg, I'd say it's different for different people (cliché I know🙃). What i will say is that for the majority of the hard-core as well as the casual fan, I think it boils down to the quality of the product on the field. We can all tell when the quality of the game is substandard. Winnipeggers have attended enough sporting events at all levels to know what shite looks like, no matter how you flush it. And Valour have been shite, pure and simple. Defensively not terrible, but when it comes to goals, and more importantly (imo anyways), creating multiple chances in multiple ways, Valour has been severely lacking. 

You tell me why people go watch sports? The atmosphere and comeraderie? Sure. Supporting local talent and sporting culture? Hell yeah! For the simple love of the game? Undeniable. But deep down we all want to see goals, or even just chances at goals. We want to see those flashes of brilliance. We want to be excited and - fuck it - turned on by something we all know would be impossible for us and our buddies to create on our own. We want to see pros doing pro things. 

It would be great if Valour could compete for a playoff spot again this year, like they did in the last month of 2021. It's important that we eventually get a quality home pitch in a little more vibrant and diverse community (not holding my breath on this one😬). The local media - and Canadian media in general - need to step up and get behind this movement. And SOON. There is an opportunity right now, like never before in our history, to appeal to an entire new generation of fans as well as corral some of the skeptics...and keeping the old heads doesnt take a whole lot lol.

But they NEED that excitement on the pitch. Win or lose. This is the issue. Period.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

21 minutes ago, PegCityCam said:

At least I can be satisfied in knowing I have a decent eye for crowd size at IG😅 2400 though? ...

Not having a go at your ability to judge the number that will appear online but bear in mind that's an announced attendance number. 2400 translates to about 35% of the active sections being filled. Even allowing for some people being up on the concourse that looks generous in terms of the highlights. Winnipeg has seen a more drastic drop in fan interest since the 2019 spring season than what has been happening elsewhere around the league. Hopefully 5244 is a weather related aberration in Halifax and we'll be seeing sellouts there again soon.

[Haligonian#1]

3 hours ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

Not having a go at your ability to judge the number that will appear online but bear in mind that's an announced attendance number. 2400 translates to about 35% of the active sections being filled. Even allowing for some people being up on the concourse that looks generous in terms of the highlights. Winnipeg has seen a more drastic drop in fan interest since the 2019 spring season than what has been happening elsewhere around the league. Hopefully 5244 is a weather related aberration in Halifax and we'll be seeing sellouts there again soon.

The lower attendance at the last match at the Wanderers Ground was definitely related to the weather. My wife and I were freezing, and I almost suggested leaving before the match was over.

[PegCityCam]

4 hours ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

Not having a go at your ability to judge the number that will appear online but bear in mind that's an announced attendance number. 2400 translates to about 35% of the active sections being filled. Even allowing for some people being up on the concourse that looks generous in terms of the highlights. Winnipeg has seen a more drastic drop in fan interest since the 2019 spring season than what has been happening elsewhere around the league. Hopefully 5244 is a weather related aberration in Halifax and we'll be seeing sellouts there again soon.

I'm just happy you read my post! Jokes jokes. However, I'm going to have to mention that I was right about the opening day attendance as well. I'd say being within a few hundred isn't so bad for these old eyes. So, for the next game at IG I'll try my luck again...loser will give 2K to a local charity of their choice? Or how about this, I stop posting on this attendance thread if i lose, and you wear an MLS jersey for a day at work if you lose?

Edited May 20, 2022 by PegCityCam

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

I have no idea what any of that has to do with what I just posted.

[Unnamed Trialist]

1 hour ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

I have no idea what any of that has to do with what I just posted.

Voyageurs Board: this is a public park.

Ozzie: Get off my lawn.

[Lurker]

It’s nice in Halifax today… but it’s also the start of a long weekend.  I’m going but I know others who aren’t because they’re taking off for the weekend.  So brace for impact haha. 😉

Edited May 20, 2022 by Lurker

[PegCityCam]

2 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Voyageurs Board: this is a public park.

Ozzie: Get off my lawn.

Also Voyageurs Board: It's called The Eye Test 

OTP: So what I'm hearing is...

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

1 hour ago, Lurker said:

It’s nice in Halifax today… but it’s also the start of a long weekend.  I’m going but I know others who aren’t because they’re taking off for the weekend.  So brace for impact haha. 😉

Guess it makes sense to play on a Friday evening on long weekends from an attendance standpoint. Will be interesting to see what sort of crowd shows up in Calgary tomorrow. Onesoccer spacing out the games probably means only two out of four fixtures could receive the Friday evening kick off so they appear to have drawn the short straw. FCE is league owned so they were no doubt always going to have to do what's best for the rest.

[Aird25]

2 hours ago, Lurker said:

It’s nice in Halifax today… but it’s also the start of a long weekend.  I’m going but I know others who aren’t because they’re taking off for the weekend.  So brace for impact haha. 😉

Everyone flees Victoria for long weekends. I'm not expecting a great crowd tonight even though the weather is finally decent. I expect to see a pretty heavily rotated lineup as well

[grasshopper1917]

In terms of Halifax I suspect 5000 will be about the median level of support. That is in line with what the Mooseheads draw. This is year 3 of very mediocre on field product. Most of the people I talk to locally have heard of the Wanderers and know I go to the games, however they have no idea what the league is. Commonly 'Who do you guys play against? Other Nova Scotia teams'?

Another thing in play Halifax has literally seen rent prices and home prices double in 5 years. Things are getting really tight for many people. 30$+ a ticket and 25$ for 2 cans of beer to watch a mediocre team with virtually no reckonizeable players becomes a hard sell at some point.

Wanderers ae an amazing success story - but at some point we need a decent side on field and a league that gets at least some coverage.

[Lurker]

There was 5800+ there tonight if anyone is wondering, they mentioned it at the end.

[Stanley]

52 minutes ago, grasshopper1917 said:

25$ for 2 cans of beer

Holy crap.

[RS]

9 minutes ago, Stanley said:

Holy crap.

[Lurker]

It's $9-10 for a can I think, depending on what you buy.  Half price up to 30 minutes before the game... still expensive for sure.  Just trying to stem the, "I heard it's $25 for 2 cans of beer in Halifax rumors" before they take off. 😁

Hang in there @grasshopper1917.  It was an ugly night.  The Kitchen kept it going strong regardless, the boys still walked around we gave them a clap.  The cities love for the team is still in first place.

P.S. Haven't you skipped the last two home games, bad things happen when you don't show up, you better get back out there!

[grasshopper1917]

3 minutes ago, Lurker said:

It's $9-10 for a can I think, depending on what you buy.  Half price up to 30 minutes before the game... still expensive for sure.  Just trying to stem the, "I heard it's $25 for 2 cans of beer in Halifax rumors" before they take off. 😁

Hang in there @grasshopper1917.  It was an ugly night.  The Kitchen kept it going strong regardless, the boys still walked around we gave them a clap.  The cities love for the team is still in first place.

P.S. Haven't you skipped the last two home games, bad things happen when you don't show up, you better get back out there!

Don't worry i'm back for the TFC match - pencil it in for a win!   lol

[Stanley]

16 minutes ago, RS said:

Been over a decade since I bought beer at a game.  I wouldn't have made such legendary posts over all the soccer boards had I been sober.

[longlugan]

On 5/20/2022 at 9:45 AM, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

I have no idea what any of that has to do with what I just posted.

That is because you are a mental midget.

[masster]

On 5/20/2022 at 5:57 PM, Lurker said:

It's $9-10 for a can I think, depending on what you buy.  Half price up to 30 minutes before the game... still expensive for sure.  Just trying to stem the, "I heard it's $25 for 2 cans of beer in Halifax rumors" before they take off. 😁

Hang in there @grasshopper1917.  It was an ugly night.  The Kitchen kept it going strong regardless, the boys still walked around we gave them a clap.  The cities love for the team is still in first place.

P.S. Haven't you skipped the last two home games, bad things happen when you don't show up, you better get back out there!

They deserved a clap after that performance?

[shermanator]

2945 in Calgary yesterday. Decent crowd for a May long weekend. 

[Lurker]

4 hours ago, masster said:

They deserved a clap after that performance?

When they blew the final whistle all the Wanderers were visibly dejected, which was completely understandable, perhaps the worst home performance in franchise history.  I hadn't intended to stick around nor did I expect them to walk around for a clap which is something they always do to thank the fans.  People had been filing out sooner than usual so it was backed up in the stands, I decided to wait a minute and then took my son to the far end where it was easier to get out.  As we were coming down there were a bunch of young kids at the bottom of the stands yelling "come on you boys in blue".  Low and behold Schaale led the team over to the kids.  Clapping but definitely cast down I decided the right thing to do was have my son toss up the scarf and I started clapping with the few that were left around me as did most of the others who were still there.

This is really what it's all about, they played a stinker, we knew it, they knew it but you could tell that they were still appreciative of the fans and borderline apologetic for what happened.  You live and die with your team, even if they don't bring it every time.  Hopefully the modest show of support at the end will help a bit on Tuesday, I'm sure they can't wait to make amends.

TL;DR Yes

Edited May 22, 2022 by Lurker

[Ftduck]

4 hours ago, Lurker said:

Low and behold Schaale led the team over to the kids. 

And that's why, win or lose, you always clap for your team.