' WHERE ARE ALL THE CARDIFF CITY FANS? '

Cardiff City are almost in the play-offs and have one of the best home records around, so where are the fans?

16/12/15

BY SIMON GASKELL
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/foot ... e-10612620

Despite the Bluebirds' impressive home form and their position in the league, thousands of fans have gone missing from the Cardiff City Stadium

Cardiff City are seventh in the Championship and just a point off the play-off places following their late win against Brentford on Tuesday.



The attendance of 12,729 was the lowest for a league match at the Cardiff City Stadium since it opened its doors in 2009.

While the figure was probably not helped by the fact Brentford wouldn’t have brought as many visiting fans on the six-hour round trip from West London on a Tuesday night as they might on a weekend, it is symptomatic of an ongoing wider problem.

Despite the relative on-field success as one of the top seven teams in the division at this moment in time, Bluebirds fans simply aren’t turning up.

During the last two home games against Sheffield Wednesday and Brentford, as much has been obvious by scanning the stadium close to kick-off and seeing vast swathes of empty seats in the Ninian Stand, Grandstand and Canton and Grange Ends.




" Closer inspection reveals the full scale of the problem "

The only other top seven sides at home on Tuesday were Middlesbrough and Derby; they had attendances of 19,966 and 27,781 respectively.

Cardiff City’s highest home attendance this season was against Fulham when 15,429 fans were bathed in the August sunshine of the first day of the football season. The lowest was against Brentford and it now makes their average attendance at home 14,378.

Compare that to last season when the Bluebirds’ average Cardiff City Stadium gate was 21,146 and Brentford’s previous visit at a similar time of year when the attendance was 21,784.

It means that in the space of 12 months nearly 7,000 supporters have gone missing.

There is even more of a disparity between now and previous Championship campaigns in 2010/11, 2011/12 and 2012/13 where average attendances were 23,157, 22,129 and 23,175.

Of course, there have been well-documented reasons put forward for the dwindling numbers during this campaign.

Fans’ lack of acceptance of Russell Slade, the pragmatic but often unglamorous style of football of last season, the end of the Golden Ticket price freeze on season tickets and the legacy of the controversial rebrand to red in 2012 - eventually reversed in January - have all been offered as theories as to why there are less fans at games.

But the counter to that would be that the team is back in blue, ticket prices are reasonable - season ticket holders could bring adults and children with them against Brentford for £10 and £5 - and the Bluebirds’ record in front of their own fans is among the best in the division.

Indeed they have only been beaten once by Hull City back in September and have won five games including a victory over table-toppers Boro in October.

But some supporters think the problem goes deeper than just whether the club succeeds or fails on the field in 2015/16.



Annis Abraham, a season ticket holder for 43 years, said: “More than just wins will get Cardiff City fans back.

“The last four years have been heartbreaking to so many fans and so much has gone on both on and off the pitch. It has hurt so many fans from the fiasco with our identity to the dream of the Premier League, which you dream of all your life, which turned out to be a disaster. So for a lot of fans that dream has gone now.

“I feel it’s more than just a manager, I feel it’s from top to bottom. The feeling among people is they don’t feel the love and desire for Cardiff City anymore.”

Slade has implored fans to turn up and cited them as a factor in results if they are out in force at home games. So far, though, that call seems to be going unheeded.

So while Slade faces the notoriously difficult task of breaking into the play-offs and staying there come May, there is as big a conundrum to grapple with for the Bluebirds: Will the fans, who you would expect to be there, take their places in the Cardiff City Stadium if it happens?

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/foot ... e-10612620

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Its because Russell Slade is not called Russelio Sladeinho.

FFS we all know why!!!! Fekin Slades awful football and tactics. Slade OUT!!!!! and we may, just may come back

I think it's relative.

When we went on a run in the old fourth division under Rick Wright we had been in the doldrums for so long that the crowds were massive for us at the same time. Same again when we smashed the title. Huge following home and away. Then we went up crowds were good for a bit then receded as we started to lose more in a higher division. We went back down and even when we were back in the playoffs (when we lost to Northampton) the crowds weren't as big as that first run of success under Rick Wright.

This followed when Frank Burrows took us up. The crowds were higher but still not 17k like Rick Wright run Cardiff had. We then went back up and down again and the crowds never reached the peak they had done.

Finally returning to the dungeon apart from a few cup matches the crowds were quite low. People were used to relative success so anything less didn't pull them in.

Finally Sam took us over. Crowds increased steadily as money was spent and progress was made. We went up and made a decent fist of it. However we lost to Stoke in the play offs and the following season didn't start greatly so again the crowds went down. That season we went up via the playoffs to huge amounts of Cardiff fans at the Mill Stad. The following season, our first for ages in the second tier again saw big crowds. Expensive signings saw interest increase massively. But, as success didn't come straight away interest again diminished until Black Friday and crowds lower even than we had in the dungeon.

Racing to the top of the league under Dave Jones playing great football saw Ninian park sold out regularly. But, as the season limped to its conclusion tickets were far easier to come by. A relative quiet period of consolidation in the championship would have meant average crowds had it not been for the FA Cup Final raising our profile and enabling us to sell loads of season tickets. More trips to Wembley enabled artificially high numbers of season tickets sold in our new stadium until Tan and Malky took the now Red kitted Cardiff City to the championship title and big crowds in the CCS. This continued in the premiership where huge clubs visiting meant season tickets were sold out and sell outs every week.

The bubble was bound to burst and without a cup final or premiership football to sell season tickets for we reverted to type and the sellouts finished.

As shown in the past success is relative. Years back 7th in the championship would have meant big crowds but we have been higher so it's now a bit boring. It's not just us it's the same at most clubs. Can't get a ticket for love nor money to Leicester but last time they were in the Premiership under O Neill they hardly ever sold out.

It's the way of the world. Success will bring the fans back it will just take longer to catch on.

Firstly last seasons attendances was very misleading as we didn't really get 21000 + as this was manipulated by season tickets sold under the price freeze. I would say the average gate last season (bods through the turnstiles) was around 16k Mark.
But there is no doubt the crowds are dropping sharply but why ? My personal opinion is the after effects of the rebrand, many had lost there identity with the club and even though we are now back to blue that love we first has has been lost by many or been deminished.
There is also the Slade effect after last season many fans wasn't going to renew there season tickets to watch dross. Even now many just can't be arsed.
And the last is the club and there success in screwing up our atmosphere in the CCS. All in all the Club just ain't giving customer (Because that is how they regard us) satisfaction and the fans are voting with there feet.

Even if we did reach playoffs I think crowds would still be at a low. It's not just glory hunters staying away as many think.

Firstly last seasons attendances was very misleading as we didn't really get 21000 + as this was manipulated by season tickets sold under the price freeze. I would say the average gate last season (bods through the turnstiles) was around 16k Mark.
But there is no doubt the crowds are dropping sharply but why ? My personal opinion is the after effects of the rebrand, many had lost there identity with the club and even though we are now back to blue that love we first has has been lost by many or been deminished.
There is also the Slade effect after last season many fans wasn't going to renew there season tickets to watch dross. Even now many just can't be arsed.
And the last is the club and there success in screwing up our atmosphere in the CCS. All in all the Club just ain't giving customer (Because that is how they regard us) satisfaction and the fans are voting with there feet.

It's been the case for a while.

It's not enough pushing for promotion and being in blue now.

That's what our fans wanted before, but the goalposts have moved.

It's gotta be Brazil football and a big name manager.

It's not enough pushing for promotion and being in blue now.

That's what our fans wanted before, but the goalposts have moved.

It's gotta be Brazil football and a big name manager.

And spending money on players, but Tan gone.

And apparently not selling Brayford.

And not dire football but if we start scoring goals we want defensive solidity.

Like Annis said in the OP. Fans have lost there love for the club. Although most of the same fans will turn up if we get a top prem team in the cup or went up although the latter is a bit optimistic imo.

It's a combination of factors, cost, poor entertainment, crap manager, shite atmosphere, club taking fans for granted.

I had a season ticket for 15 yrs,have not been this season;-
Nothing to do with Slade or Tan,no work for 2 yrs,sod all off the social after 47 yrs continuous work,now sick.
So in a nutshell ,I just cannot afford to go to watch the city,I suppose there are many more like me.

What's happened is almost the perfect storm, we have a club that's committed the cardinal sin of changing a clubs colours and badge I.e ditching all tradition and what a couple of generations of attending fans believed in, then ditched a manager loved by the majority of support, gone through relegation, implemented a policy within the ground that has gone out of its way to enforce the most stringent measures in nullifying any kind of exuberance from the home support. Employed a manager, who in 20 years has not had any success or managed at this level and has a team playing nothing more than run of the mill football for almost two seasons......Its no surprise that crowds have dwindled, but I do have to say that I, personally am surprised how many real football and further more Cardiff fans there are in an area so big. The Cardiff footballing public should hang their heads in shame

Like tan said "customers" so fans will act like them, reap what you sow ccfc

I don't think the supporters have gone anywhere. We are getting the sort of crowds that we have usually had at this level over the last fifty years. We gained some spectators for a period of time for the cup run seasons, and in the run up to us getting to the PL, but they were always short term fans who were only ever going to be here during the good times. The supporters are still here, and will continue going even when things could be better. The casual spectators who have no real affinity to the club will be back when we are getting to cup finals or seriously threatening getting back to the top division.We are not as big a club as some like to think.

I don't think the supporters have gone anywhere. We are getting the sort of crowds that we have usually had at this level over the last fifty years. We gained some spectators for a period of time for the cup run seasons, and in the run up to us getting to the PL, but they were always short term fans who were only ever going to be here during the good times. The supporters are still here, and will continue going even when things could be better. The casual spectators who have no real affinity to the club will be back when we are getting to cup finals or seriously threatening getting back to the top division.We are not as big a club as some like to think.

Spot on! We were getting 12 to 15k crowds in division two in the 70s. Occasionally more, sometimes less. This is about our level.

This has been done to the death, yes the attendances are shocking but the people who want to support their team turn up and as far as I'm concerned that is all that matters.

We have always had a hard core home support of between 6k to 10k that's was our core support in the 80s/90s and 2000,s some times a lot less. So 12k now is what we should expect. We are a small club when it comes to crowd numbers, we always have been at home, and punched above our weight (quite literally) over the year in the huge numbers who use to travel away. Some times we use to get 3k at home then take 2k away the following week

We have always had a hard core home support of between 6k to 10k that's was our core support in the 80s/90s and 2000,s some times a lot less. So 12k now is what we should expect. We are a small club when it comes to crowd numbers, we always have been at home, and punched above our weight (quite literally) over the year in the huge numbers who use to travel away. Some times we use to get 3k at home then take 2k away the following week

The 80s we were hitting 2,000 quite regularly.

The hard core that went then.....well the hard bit they would want to be known as.

Its because Russell Slade is not called Russelio Sladeinho.

Or Malky!

My opinion is the red/blue divided the supporters and this has affected peoples affiliation with the club

The Football under Potato head has been shocking and for good money people want to be entertained

We built up a great fan base but for whatever reason they have gone and I can't see them returning for a long time to come

Whatever the reason, there are thousands of EMPTY seats and that won't go away.

We have always had a hard core home support of between 6k to 10k that's was our core support in the 80s/90s and 2000,s some times a lot less. So 12k now is what we should expect. We are a small club when it comes to crowd numbers, we always have been at home, and punched above our weight (quite literally) over the year in the huge numbers who use to travel away. Some times we use to get 3k at home then take 2k away the following week

The 80s we were hitting 2,000 quite regularly.

The hard core that went then.....well the hard bit they would want to be known as.

I agree as I was one of the 2000, and even the 1600 home to Halifax Town on a Tuesday evening. What we would have given for crowds of 12,500 then. We have never been well supported at home on a regular basis, just the odd glamour match. That's the South Wales football public for you, fickle at best

We averaged less in the 07/08 season. That season we reached the FA cup final which lead to fans buying ST's to qualify for a cup final ticket. Since then theres been promotion pushes etc and now we didn't start this season looking likely for a promotion push the glory fans have fucked off and we're just left with our true support. The rebrand didn't help either with fans like myself losing heart in the club.

We averaged less in the 07/08 season. That season we reached the FA cup final which lead to fans buying ST's to qualify for a cup final ticket. Since then theres been promotion pushes etc and now we didn't start this season looking likely for a promotion push the glory fans have fucked off and we're just left with our true support. The rebrand didn't help either with fans like myself losing heart in the club.

These that left due to rebrand have been replaced.

As you said lack of success is the real reason for our lack of support. We get to the top fans will flock back.

Malky messed it up. Thousands of fans got behind him and the team, and he messed it up big time, accepting praise from fans who he then let down with his boorish behaviour towards his boss. How can we trust anyone who does that to us? Its easier to ignore your own team and watch Skysports at home - far less emotionally stressful.

Firstly last seasons attendances was very misleading as we didn't really get 21000 + as this was manipulated by season tickets sold under the price freeze. I would say the average gate last season (bods through the turnstiles) was around 16k Mark.
But there is no doubt the crowds are dropping sharply but why ? My personal opinion is the after effects of the rebrand, many had lost there identity with the club and even though we are now back to blue that love we first has has been lost by many or been deminished.
There is also the Slade effect after last season many fans wasn't going to renew there season tickets to watch dross. Even now many just can't be arsed.
And the last is the club and there success in screwing up our atmosphere in the CCS. All in all the Club just ain't giving customer (Because that is how they regard us) satisfaction and the fans are voting with there feet.

Spot on

Me is in the sun (Antigua) missing 3 games back in Jan!!

Seriously its a general football problem not just city's