2024 CanPL attendance

[Kent]

I never used the south end bleachers at York games, but it was probably about a 1 to 1.5 minute walk from the nearest seat to those bleachers. Very secluded. Probably at least a 2 minute walk from the bleachers to the nearest washroom. And at the moment there aren't enough supporters to get really any atmosphere from that section. You can hear them a bit, but it's not loud enough to encourage others to make some noise or anything like that. I think for now give them a section with the rest of the fans, and if attendance picks up to a high enough level, then maybe put some seats in the south end again. Ideally not so cheaply though.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

On 4/20/2024 at 3:10 AM, Kent said:

The thread you created was merged into this one before I saw it, so I don't know what your original title was, but based on the opening post that got merged here it seems like the one Kingston created aligns with your vision of the thread you created. Consider it's existence as the moderators and the community here admitting you had a good idea to create that thread, and it was a mistake to merge it with this one. Is there a particular issue you have with the title of the new one Kingston created?

No just think it would have been a lot more polite for the person who was insistent on the need for two threads to be the one to move rather than to start spewing at me about trolling when I neither wanted nor asked for the merger. 

[Kingston]

1 hour ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

No just think it would have been a lot more polite for the person who was insistent on the need for two threads to be the one to move rather than to start spewing at me about trolling when I neither wanted nor asked for the merger. 

You realize I didn't merge the threads, right?

So I started a thread about attendance.  You started one about questioning attendance.  Someone merged yours into mine.  Then I restarted your thread.  So, if we're going to be technical and talk about people somehow "owning" threads (which is stupid) both the threads are now mine.  But you want me to abandon my original thread so it can become your questioning thread and then rename my questioning thread to become what this thread already is?  Rather than you just using the two extant threads for their stated purposes?  That seems logical to you?

[Unnamed Trialist]

2 hours ago, narduch said:

In 2019, York 9 did have a decent bleacher stand at half of their North end. The other half was hospitality box type things.

Take a look at the highligts from the Voyageurs Cup highlights v Montreal. 

The south end had a bunch of track and field stuff they eventually removed.

Plus another bleacher stand at the far end.

That match v Montreal had an attendance over 5,000. Its too bad they could never convert those fans into consistent returnees.

Looks good to me.

[Unnamed Trialist]

23 minutes ago, Kingston said:

You realize I didn't merge the threads, right?

So I started a thread about attendance.  You started one about questioning attendance.  Someone merged yours into mine.  Then I restarted your thread.  So, if we're going to be technical and talk about people somehow "owning" threads (which is stupid) both the threads are now mine.  But you want me to abandon my original thread so it can become your questioning thread and then rename my questioning thread to become what this thread already is?  Rather than you just using the two extant threads for their stated purposes?  That seems logical to you?

That was nice of you to patiently attend the kid moping and whining about his threads.

 

[shermanator]

Attendance for York vs Vancouver - 843

[phil03]

10 hours ago, shermanator said:

Attendance for York vs Vancouver - 843

That is pretty terrible, the Mexican owners were supposed to turn things around and be the start of a new era, with an actual plan to make York United work off the pitch...

I know its still early and in interview they said their long term plans was to balance the book with transfers but a decline in attendance is still quite preocupying and transfer fees can only compensate for so much in term of absent ticket revenues...

[RS]

10 hours ago, shermanator said:

Attendance for York vs Vancouver - 843

Looked like more on Ticketmaster.

[shermanator]

Attendance for Cavalry vs Pacific - 4183

[BigBadBorto]

The HFX Wanderers game was a sellout.  So that means about 6,400-6,500. I was there and it was 100% full..  The fact it was a nice sunny day and +14 Celsius helped.  Also they announced earlier in the week that they have sold out of season tickets and have a wait list for next season.. only individual ticket and multi packs are now available.  I'm not sure how many season tickets that is, but if I were to guess it would be between 4,000-4,500. 

4183 for Calgary was good..  843 for the York game is a big concern..  Does anyone in the area notice a lot of marketing happening now with the new owners or engagement with local clubs?  For the Wanderers, you see their stuff on busses, billboards, and they are in the news and all over social media.  They are doing a great job at marketing it.  Obviously a challenge in Toronto vs Halifax..  maybe they should focus it on North York / Vaughan areas instead of everywhere.. 

[SoccMan]

8 hours ago, BigBadBorto said:

The HFX Wanderers game was a sellout.  So that means about 6,400-6,500. I was there and it was 100% full..  The fact it was a nice sunny day and +14 Celsius helped.  Also they announced earlier in the week that they have sold out of season tickets and have a wait list for next season.. only individual ticket and multi packs are now available.  I'm not sure how many season tickets that is, but if I were to guess it would be between 4,000-4,500. 

4183 for Calgary was good..  843 for the York game is a big concern..  Does anyone in the area notice a lot of marketing happening now with the new owners or engagement with local clubs?  For the Wanderers, you see their stuff on busses, billboards, and they are in the news and all over social media.  They are doing a great job at marketing it.  Obviously a challenge in Toronto vs Halifax..  maybe they should focus it on North York / Vaughan areas instead of everywhere.. 

No marketing that I’ve noticed for York United and I live in North York a 15 minute drive from their stadium . 

[Kent]

10 hours ago, BigBadBorto said:

The HFX Wanderers game was a sellout.  So that means about 6,400-6,500. I was there and it was 100% full..  The fact it was a nice sunny day and +14 Celsius helped.  Also they announced earlier in the week that they have sold out of season tickets and have a wait list for next season.. only individual ticket and multi packs are now available.  I'm not sure how many season tickets that is, but if I were to guess it would be between 4,000-4,500. 

4183 for Calgary was good..  843 for the York game is a big concern..  Does anyone in the area notice a lot of marketing happening now with the new owners or engagement with local clubs?  For the Wanderers, you see their stuff on busses, billboards, and they are in the news and all over social media.  They are doing a great job at marketing it.  Obviously a challenge in Toronto vs Halifax..  maybe they should focus it on North York / Vaughan areas instead of everywhere.. 

I'm closer to BMO Field than York Lions stadium, but I haven't seen or heard any marketing. However I have gotten a couple of phone calls from a ticket rep to make sure I knew about the first couple games, and their flex packs (or whatever they are called).

[Mihairokov]

York had posters up on TTC Line 1 last season marketing the team, along with some bus stop ads here and there. Most likely to see them in North York than downtown.

[Colonel Green]

On 4/27/2024 at 11:07 AM, phil03 said:

That is pretty terrible, the Mexican owners were supposed to turn things around and be the start of a new era, with an actual plan to make York United work off the pitch...

I know its still early and in interview they said their long term plans was to balance the book with transfers but a decline in attendance is still quite preocupying and transfer fees can only compensate for so much in term of absent ticket revenues...

Regarding York, I kind of think their current numbers don't actually matter much at all. That franchise is clearly awaiting some major move from the new owners that hasn't happened yet.

[Kent]

28 minutes ago, Colonel Green said:

Regarding York, I kind of think their current numbers don't actually matter much at all. That franchise is clearly awaiting some major move from the new owners that hasn't happened yet.

That's what I thought in the first couple years when they were playing outside of their stated area of representation. But they took the poor attendance in Toronto in a University stadium as meaning they would have poor attendance in a brand new stadium in the area they were promoting themselves as serving, so never built the stadium.

[jonovision]

Fwiw, regarding this weekend, from York comms guy

 

[phil03]

2 hours ago, Colonel Green said:

Regarding York, I kind of think their current numbers don't actually matter much at all. That franchise is clearly awaiting some major move from the new owners that hasn't happened yet.

I mean sure, but in the meantime they keep being an issue for the league's overall finances and quite probably taking more then their chunk of CSB deal money, preventing the league from investing the money elsewhere and/or to return it to the national teams.

Basically, IMO we need to hear what the big move is and/or when it will happen in short order...

[Kent]

1 hour ago, jonovision said:

Fwiw, regarding this weekend, from York comms guy

 

If that is accurate, that York comms guy should work on the team's communication with the league, since the league website has it listed as 843.

[jonovision]

1 hour ago, Kent said:

If that is accurate, that York comms guy should work on the team's communication with the league, since the league website has it listed as 843.

Based on how the numbers did or didn't go up on the league site in previous years, I'm not sure I'd put the blame on the clubs.

Edited May 1 by jonovision

[Kingston]

Regardless of the specific number, I think we can all agree that York's attendance is beyond poor.  I'm not sure what magic rabbit the new ownership group can pull out of their hat to turn it around.  I don't think it's as simple as "build a stadium" and suddenly their attendance increases four fold to get up to a decent number.  Most CPL teams have less than ideal venues  and still draw much better.

Edited May 1 by Kingston

[Mihairokov]

What are people's expectations? I find it difficult to want to demand more or throw the towel in on new ownership after just two matches. These things take time to turn around.

[Kingston]

9 minutes ago, Mihairokov said:

What are people's expectations? I find it difficult to want to demand more or throw the towel in on new ownership after just two matches. These things take time to turn around.

My honest expectation is that York will eventually be moved to a more suitable location outside Toronto (unless the owners are simply content to absorb losses for their own reasons of ownership pride or tax write offs).

What I'd like to see is the team humming along with a tidy five or six thousand fans per game.

Unfortunately, while I can think of possible actions that could incrementally improve attendance, the biggest one is "don't be in a city that is a death ground for second tier sports teams".

[Mihairokov]

10 minutes ago, Kingston said:

My honest expectation is that York will eventually be moved to a more suitable location outside Toronto (unless the owners are simply content to absorb losses for their own reasons of ownership pride or tax write offs).

What I'd like to see is the team humming along with a tidy five or six thousand fans per game.

Unfortunately, while I can think of possible actions that could incrementally improve attendance, the biggest one is "don't be in a city that is a death ground for second tier sports teams".

I'm convinced York's problems are due to the stadium and its location and nothing really else. Put them in a better, more suitable stadium in a better, more suitable part of town and they'll draw what they draw.

You speak about second tier sports teams in the city but I was actually at the Marlies game on Friday night - crowd of 6,596 at Exhibition! - and I understand that it's hockey but it's still second-tier. Hockey fails in the suburbs but it survives via the Marlies downtown. There's a lesson here for CPL brass (IE, move the team to Brockton/Birchmount/Monarch Park/literally anywhere more urban than a suburban university campus. For a league whose teams require community to be successful there is no community to be found at a university campus)

We'll see how The Borough fare this season, because that will be a slightly good measuring stick of what a motivated footy team can do in a somewhat better urban location.

Edited May 1 by Mihairokov

[Mihairokov]

1 minute ago, Mihairokov said:

 

delete

Edited May 1 by Mihairokov

[Watchmen]

1 hour ago, Mihairokov said:

I'm convinced York's problems are due to the stadium and its location and nothing really else. Put them in a better, more suitable stadium in a better, more suitable part of town and they'll draw what they draw.

You speak about second tier sports teams in the city but I was actually at the Marlies game on Friday night - crowd of 6,596 at Exhibition! - and I understand that it's hockey but it's still second-tier. Hockey fails in the suburbs but it survives via the Marlies downtown. There's a lesson here for CPL brass (IE, move the team to Brockton/Birchmount/Monarch Park/literally anywhere more urban than a suburban university campus. For a league whose teams require community to be successful there is no community to be found at a university campus)

We'll see how The Borough fare this season, because that will be a slightly good measuring stick of what a motivated footy team can do in a somewhat better urban location.

I've had this argument before, but the Marlies attendance is based more on "they're the Leafs farm team" than location/sport. When a different team (the Oilers, i think) had their farm team in the exact same building, attendance was much lower.