Crowds: What does it take?

I must say I find it disappointing to look around the stadium and see vast areas with empty seats. Not sure what the attendance was last night but thought with the team doing so well this season and playing some delightful football we would be getting regular 20,000+ crowds, I know some of the opposition are not household names but it's now mid Feb and we're banging the goals in have great local young prospects in our team we're top of the league and have a fantastic young manager, there's not much more the manager and players could do to get people off their butts and come and join the revolution.
Lower promo prices for the less attractive games maybe.

When the sun comes out the fair weather fans (literally) will return. We’re just not as big a club as some think. The only way to increase crowds is success but I hated every second of the premier league season so I’m not the one to talk to about that haha

I honestly dont know.the tickets were discounted for barnsley on a tuesday and the crowd actually went down 2000 from the previous saturday. Crowds are generally downthough especially mid week bristol city v wrexham was only 22k last night

Well I think I will get lagged off now, but I think there are still fans who won't go because of the red shirts thing. In my opinion, yes that pissed most fans off, but that was /any years ago. Yes we've had several years of shocking managers and teams, but come on we've got a manager who is performing miracles with young local players, playing great football, they deserve better than we are giving them. We've scored 42 goals in 17 matches at home, that's more than we have scored in the last 2 seasons at home, and we still have 6 games left at home. So get over yourselves and support the club, you don't have to think about Tan until the end of the season.

I must say I find it disappointing to look around the stadium and see vast areas with empty seats. Not sure what the attendance was last night but thought with the team doing so well this season and playing some delightful football we would be getting regular 20,000+ crowds, I know some of the opposition are not household names but it's now mid Feb and we're banging the goals in have great local young prospects in our team we're top of the league and have a fantastic young manager, there's not much more the manager and players could do to get people off their butts and come and join the revolution.
Lower promo prices for the less attractive games maybe.

How many more times do we need a different thread saying the same thing. We not a big club. And that is fine I’d rather be us than an Arsenal, Liverpool Man U etc. I don’t understand the obsession with attendance. Am I missing something.
I’m with underhill the premier league was shit full of glory supporters who were there to watch the opposition why would we want them?

I think it’s a combination of things ….years of poor entertainment, losing team, got out of the habit of going to games as games are streamed on tv ( legally and illegally) so no need to leave home or pub!
Our home form is outstanding, scoring lots of goals and playing good football so if they don’t come now when will they !! We need the youngsters to follow their local team and take our place on the terraces !!!

I must say I find it disappointing to look around the stadium and see vast areas with empty seats. Not sure what the attendance was last night but thought with the team doing so well this season and playing some delightful football we would be getting regular 20,000+ crowds, I know some of the opposition are not household names but it's now mid Feb and we're banging the goals in have great local young prospects in our team we're top of the league and have a fantastic young manager, there's not much more the manager and players could do to get people off their butts and come and join the revolution.
Lower promo prices for the less attractive games maybe.

How many more times do we need a different thread saying the same thing. We not a big club. And that is fine I’d rather be us than an Arsenal, Liverpool Man U etc. I don’t understand the obsession with attendance. Am I missing something.
I’m with underhill the premier league was shit full of glory supporters who were there to watch the opposition why would we want them?

Yeah I agree. We are who we are and our attendances reflect that and have done over the 50 years that I've been supporting my club and I wouldn't have it any other way. I don't like the premier league and if we get promoted this year I'll celebrate bigger than when we got promoted to the prem. I love the championship.

When we went up under Warnock we had just over 16,000 on a Tuesday night in February and just under 19000 on the Saturday against Boro.
You could argue are crowds have been very good for the 3rd tier.
Sky showing ever midweek game and so many 12.30 kick offs in Saturday doesn't help It's not just us it effects you can see 80% of stadiums look emptier on the highlights when they have midweek/early kickoffs

Success

Swansea spent 7 years in the premier league

We spent 2 years in 2 spells

This year our crowds havnt been boosted as much by big away followings

In the championship there are 8 or 9 clubs who would bring 2000 plus

But all that said considering our catchment area we are poorly supported

And our away support isnt what it used to be

We only took 1300 to Rotherham on a Saturday .....Wimbledon brought 900 to us on a tuesday night !

When we went up under Warnock we had just over 16,000 on a Tuesday night in February and just under 19000 on the Saturday against Boro.
You could argue are crowds have been very good for the 3rd tier.
Sky showing ever midweek game and so many 12.30 kick offs in Saturday doesn't help It's not just us it effects you can see 80% of stadiums look emptier on the highlights when they have midweek/early kickoffs

Our crowds have been ok but not as good as Bolton , Bradford

If the likes of Derby , Wednesday etc were in league one with us that would show that we are a big club by league one standards but not massive like those clubs are

The only thing thats going to increase our following is to get into the championship and compete and then get up and stay up in the premier league

Thats just the way it is

After relegation low ST sales. Walk up cost is too high and it’s on tv. The cost for non ST’s is not worth it.

There be 22k ISH Vs Lincoln I assume as the sometimes will show up irrelevant of weather then no doubt

Having a 33,000 stadium has its draw backs if you cannot fill it,

when looking on the tv at the family stand and Wayne nashes segregation it looks awful,
but I looked at a blog from the wimbeldon end and from there camera it looks a different stadium the ninian looks full lower section,and the canton looks full.

You have to remember what fans had to endure last season .Crap manager crap football crap .Peopls saying the manager was no good but tan and board insisted to stick with him .People don’t forget when they are spending their well earns money and giving their time

Tan to sell and a new owner in place who is actually interested in the clubs success and not just profit.
Communication from the board ref a future roadmap specifically around financial backing.
Lower prices and promotions
And while we are at it, remove the red seats. We need the feel good factor back, League 1 promotion will help but the dark red cloud still hangs over the club.
Tan out!

We simply haven’t had the success to draw crowds.

For example, if we are in the Premiership, we will likely draw 30k plus. Maybe because of the opposition, but life long Man Ure and Liverpool fans will take their kids. If we have a sustained 10 years minimum of that kind of competition, the younger fans are likely to be Cardiff fans with a soft spot for the bigger teams.

Then it’s about competing higher, if we win something, European football, something, that will draw a bigger following.

As a 39 year old, I was maybe one of 5 fans of Cardiff in my school as a kid. The rest were Leeds, Liverpool, Man Ure with a few arsenal. We had large crowds, we also had prolonged success during those times to create the adults some of which we have now, or like myself the son of one of those adults.

I was there in division 3, and there’s no chance of me starting to follow the likes of Tranmere when I was going. It simply is what it is, prolonged success is what will bring a crowd. Until then, big game nights when a bigger team come to town

People are just obsessed with attendances. I wonder if Brentford and Bournemouth are as obsessed.

We have the catchment to be a big club we just don't have the links to the community to be a big club in lower divisions.

I bleat on about how some clubs are at the heart of their community with fewer additional entertainment streams to take their money.

We suffer from our success and position as city and capital. Bristol is by far a larger city than Cardiff but our capital status affords us elite sport in many genres and amenities like the Principality Stadium, a bay area, an international cricket venue, historical civic centre and castle to name just a few.

Our success as a football club is hampered by our success as a city and the historical rugby issue.

That said top flight football will push football to the top of the list of "things to do" in Cardiff of an afternoon or evening.

Our potential fans (with success) are more akin to a Fulham or a Chelsea than a Sunderland or a Bradford.

I don't get the obsession either about who goes and who doesn't go, its down to the individual if they want to go or not. They have paid for their own season ticket and if we go by some on here then nobody should be going on holiday during the football season or to other events if there's a game on.

If people want to go they will go, I don't need someone advising how I should attend the games because another club have travelled to an away game. I must say though that the space between Wimbledon fans and the Ninian and family stand was well over the top, it looked terrible and while I am here, what's the score with them now not selling food until half time, since when has that changed and why?

I'm not sure why this needs a post every week we are what we are, potential to be big but that's it. I'm also disappointed with the attendance, we'll probably get a big showing for Lincoln and Bolton and by big I mean just over 20k and we'll get a big crowd for the inevitable promotion game, that's it though.

People are just obsessed with attendances. I wonder if Brentford and Bournemouth are as obsessed.

We have the catchment to be a big club we just don't have the links to the community to be a big club in lower divisions.

I bleat on about how some clubs are at the heart of their community with fewer additional entertainment streams to take their money.

We suffer from our success and position as city and capital. Bristol is by far a larger city than Cardiff but our capital status affords us elite sport in many genres and amenities like the Principality Stadium, a bay area, an international cricket venue, historical civic centre and castle to name just a few.

Our success as a football club is hampered by our success as a city and the historical rugby issue.

That said top flight football will push football to the top of the list of "things to do" in Cardiff of an afternoon or evening.

Our potential fans (with success) are more akin to a Fulham or a Chelsea than a Sunderland or a Bradford.

Bristol is bigger than Cardiff but not by much , 80000 or so

And it's got two teams

Our support is poor given our catchment area it's as simple as that

Bournemouth and Brentford don't go on about their crowds because they are punching above their weight

We are a smaller club than Bolton and a lot of clubs in the championship

The reason why we have always been a selling club has been to.cover the books

People are just obsessed with attendances. I wonder if Brentford and Bournemouth are as obsessed.

We have the catchment to be a big club we just don't have the links to the community to be a big club in lower divisions.

I bleat on about how some clubs are at the heart of their community with fewer additional entertainment streams to take their money.

We suffer from our success and position as city and capital. Bristol is by far a larger city than Cardiff but our capital status affords us elite sport in many genres and amenities like the Principality Stadium, a bay area, an international cricket venue, historical civic centre and castle to name just a few.

Our success as a football club is hampered by our success as a city and the historical rugby issue.

That said top flight football will push football to the top of the list of "things to do" in Cardiff of an afternoon or evening.

Our potential fans (with success) are more akin to a Fulham or a Chelsea than a Sunderland or a Bradford.

Bristol is bigger than Cardiff but not by much , 80000 or so

And it's got two teams

Our support is poor given our catchment area it's as simple as that

Bournemouth and Brentford don't go on about their crowds because they are punching above their weight

We are a smaller club than Bolton and a lot of clubs in the championship

The reason why we have always been a selling club has been to.cover the books

Every club are a selling club apart from the five biggest in Europe - Real Madrid, Barcelona, Man Utd, Liverpool and Bayern Munich.

That's just the reality of being any other club, best players will leave. Man City have only kept hold of their players because of Pep. That will change when he leaves.

I must say I find it disappointing to look around the stadium and see vast areas with empty seats. Not sure what the attendance was last night but thought with the team doing so well this season and playing some delightful football we would be getting regular 20,000+ crowds, I know some of the opposition are not household names but it's now mid Feb and we're banging the goals in have great local young prospects in our team we're top of the league and have a fantastic young manager, there's not much more the manager and players could do to get people off their butts and come and join the revolution.
Lower promo prices for the less attractive games maybe.

How many more times do we need a different thread saying the same thing. We not a big club. And that is fine I’d rather be us than an Arsenal, Liverpool Man U etc. I don’t understand the obsession with attendance. Am I missing something.
I’m with underhill the premier league was shit full of glory supporters who were there to watch the opposition why would we want them?

Who mentioned the Prem? not me. My point is that we have a winning team playing attractive football with plenty of local young players who have come up through the academy plus other young players, we have a great young manager who's turned around the way the team plays, we're scoring for fun at times and we are top the league with breathing space to the chasing pack from 3rd sown.
Don't know about you but I never watch match of the day and I didn't attend the Chelsea game down here.
It's a breath of fresh air down the CCS atm so what's not to like? I just believe what's currently on offer down the CCS at the moment deserves a bit more local support.
Not a glory supporter either just enjoying some good football as opposed to what's been on offer for years before.

I must say I find it disappointing to look around the stadium and see vast areas with empty seats. Not sure what the attendance was last night but thought with the team doing so well this season and playing some delightful football we would be getting regular 20,000+ crowds, I know some of the opposition are not household names but it's now mid Feb and we're banging the goals in have great local young prospects in our team we're top of the league and have a fantastic young manager, there's not much more the manager and players could do to get people off their butts and come and join the revolution.
Lower promo prices for the less attractive games maybe.

Historically, we are in a pretty good place regarding crowds

If there is a ‘problem’, it is that we are hosting above average crowds in an ‘international’ stadium that holds 33k+ but whose resident team play in the third tier!

It’s bound to look ‘empty’ when more than a third of the stadium is unused

Of course, we would like more to attend; particularly when the team are doing so well. This season alone, we (as a support group) have shown we can ‘turn up’ when we have the mind to, but sadly.we are in the times of ‘pick and choose’ and it will take Premier League football to make the fake ‘loyalists’ to become regulars

On the plus side, the seats in front of me are unoccupied outside the ‘big’ games, so I get an unrestricted view and can sit down when I want to!

At the start of season we were all thinking 14k would be decent crowds. Now we’re around the 20k mark people are still grizzling ffs.
Let’s not forget there’s been so much empathy surrounding our club for many years. People don’t suddenly forget about Tan and his cronies just because we’re playing decent football.
Let’s enjoy things and stop whining and grizling

I personally believe Tan and all the other excuses only have a very small impact on our crowds. The steady decline really comes down to the absolute dross football we’ve played over the past three years. People have simply found other things to do and now probably attend occasionally rather than committing to a season ticket.

I also think the fact that most games (especially early kick-offs and midweek fixtures) are live streamed plays a part. Fans can watch from their armchair and avoid the rain and cold.

Did we actually average that much more during Neil Warnock’s promotion-winning season? I remember some very low midweek attendances back then too.

As others have said, the run-in, particularly the Lincoln and Bolton games will draw big crowds. And if we end up with a title-deciding home match, you’ll see something close to a sell-out from the fans who love the big occasions.

I think a lot on the forum are trying to drum up more support and trying to encourage more support,
as a lot have said a 33,000 capacity is still going to look bleak even with 20,000 it's something which I am slowly coming to terms with,
but it would help the look if our segregation did not look so redclious,
which makes it look a lot worse.
Perhaps when the season ends something can be done to address Heir Nashes ruling at our stadium ,I have yet to see any other stadium in the football league with such an exagerated segragation

I think a lot on the forum are trying to drum up more support and trying to encourage more support,
as a lot have said a 33,000 capacity is still going to look bleak even with 20,000 it's something which I am slowly coming to terms with,
but it would help the look if our segregation did not look so redclious,
which makes it look a lot worse.
Perhaps when the season ends something can be done to address Heir Nashes ruling at our stadium ,I have yet to see any other stadium in the football league with such an exagerated segragation

It's preaching to the choir, the most hardcore fans are in here. Probably attending every game that they are able to.

I think a lot on the forum are trying to drum up more support and trying to encourage more support,
as a lot have said a 33,000 capacity is still going to look bleak even with 20,000 it's something which I am slowly coming to terms with,
but it would help the look if our segregation did not look so redclious,
which makes it look a lot worse.
Perhaps when the season ends something can be done to address Heir Nashes ruling at our stadium ,I have yet to see any other stadium in the football league with such an exagerated segragation

It's preaching to the choir, the most hardcore fans are in here. Probably attending every game that they are able to.

Agree ,a lot has been said on attendances, I think it's also a release to sound off about it ,as it is a forum for discussion, but take your point perhaps Wayne Nash should be on another post.

South Wales, but probably Wales as a whole, are just armchair fans. Billy know alls who never leave their living rooms.

This has nothing to do with Tan or red shirts over a decade ago, the shit football of the previous managers. We are an events crowd apart from the devotees. I love reading the Ospreys crowd blaming everyone but the 700K people in "their" region who can't be arsed attending, really supporting. Its not the WRU's fault they get 4k-5k for the "national" game!!!

20k in the 3rd tier is brilliant. People stop for all reasons. Rocking up and watching us losing more often than not has been draining, so some may be returning because you may actually enjoy the experience.

I don't think we get any more in the championship unless the floaters think we may have a chance for a promotion run, but may wait until they see how we do.

Its a fickle crowd as the rugger bosses are now finding out

There used to be a league table of attendances that took into account the distance each club's fans have to travel. This influences the amount of away fans that attend games.
Both Bradford (Huddersfield Town) and Bolton (Wigan Athletic) have big local Derbies this season.
Cardiff City do not currently have a local rival to play.
Also, both Bradford & Bolton have other local-ish to play e.g. Doncaster & Barnsley are not far from Bradford.
I forecast the City will average around 20,000 at the end of the season, as more fans return to see us hopefully get promoted...