I know I've missed more matches this year than all other years combined (probably). Still, sad to see attendances down so much.

i know a few on and off Connacht supporters that would go to Friday evening games but due to family commitments can't go on Saturdays

I wonder are the crowds down due the Saturday afternoon kick off's certainly I know people that did not renew their season tickets because of this reason plus ,others who only occasionally make it to a game.

Gates Numbers 2012-13 vs 2013-14= Difference

Zebre 4856........4,084== DOWN 772
Ulster 6,463......5,485== DOWN 978
Ospreys 4680......3,888== DOWN 792
Glasgow 6081......4,185== DOWN 1,896
Scarlets 4074.....4,172== UP 98
Dragons 4958......4,033== DOWN 925
Leinster 5813.....7,210== UP 1,397
Edinburgh 4930....
Treviso 4112......
Munster 7789......
Cardiff 3869......

DOWN 3,868 from the same games last season.

So far this season 33,057 average 4,722
2012-13 total 57,625 average 5,238

Heineken Cup 2012-2013
biarritz (tier 1) ......6,583
harlequins (tier 2) .... 8,199
zebre (tier 4).......... 5,803

total 20,585 average 6,861

Heineken Cup 2013-2014
Toulouse (tier 1).....7,210
Saracens (tier 2)..... 7,546
Zebre (tier 4)........

Gates Numbers 2012-13 vs 2013-14= Difference

Zebre 4856........4,084== DOWN 772
Ulster 6,463......5,485== DOWN 978
Ospreys 4680......3,888== DOWN 792
Glasgow 6081......4,185== DOWN 1,896
Scarlets 4074.....4,172== UP 98
Dragons 4958......
Leinster 5813.....
Edinburgh 4930....
Treviso 4112......
Munster 7789......
Cardiff 3869......

DOWN 4,340 from the same games last season.

So far this season 21,814 average 4,362
2012-13 total 57,625 average 5,238

Heineken Cup 2012-2013
biarritz (tier 1) ......6,583
harlequins (tier 2) .... 8,199
zebre (tier 4).......... 5,803

total 20,585 average 6,861

Heineken Cup 2013-2014
Toulouse (tier 1).....
Saracens (tier 2)..... 7,546
Zebre (tier 4)........

They have been doing that for the last few years. Partly as a reponse to the slick marketing employed by Leinster. Munster branch were guilty of resting on their laurels in recent times and are now responding accordingly.
In addition the away support in both directions has been affected for this one as it can be something of a phoney war with Heineken cup the week after.

Just a note on attendences in general, Munster are having to engage in a serious push to sell tickets for their game against Leinster this weekend. Ads in every segment I caught on Matt Cooper yesterday and this a game where all available internationals and Lions will be playing.

We should be getting 7,000 plus for the Saracens game if it's sold properly. Its a bloody massive game

And I hope everyone brings their voices

There is no major mystery why attendances are so poor
1) We have been in the main poor this season and supporters want a winning / competitive side

2) It is too dear. Get rid of this ridiculous surcharge. Looking at how much the IRFU have reduced some tickets for the Autumn Internationals shows they are finally in tune with the reality of supporters' budgets. Its too dear to watch Connacht if you are not a season ticket holder and if the branch don't cop on to it they'll be seeing the sort of attendances that were commonplace 3/4 years ago. I've said it 100 times but behind the posts should be a much reduced price. There isn't more than about 50 people behind the posts for most games. Get people back in by any which means before gate receipts dries up completely.

3) Ospreys game coinciding with the hurling was a disaster. Easily the smallest crowd I've seen in the Sportsground since the Clan Stand appeared. Even the 2,500 Fourdogs is talking about is stretching things.

4) While the Ospreys game was a poor attendance, ironically it was probably one of the better atmospheres of late which says it all. The place has turned into a graveyard again. The atmosphere was buzzing for a lot of games in the first season of the clan stand even for non-glamorous games but its gone steadily downhill since.

5) 5pm kick offs. I know its family friendly and good for supporters outside the immediate environs of Galway city. It also doesn't coincide with the dogs etc but its a bit of a flat time for the match especially in September while the weather is still bright. I think 6.30 is a reasonable compromise. Packed up before the dogs and no-one should be home too late. I know the Ulster game was a bit later and the atmosphere was poor but as a whole I think a later time would work better.

Most of us remember the bad old days of a couple of hundred attending some matches. We don't want to go back to that.

while I agree with a lot of the above RE prices and have been shocked at some of the attendances, we have to remember that we have had almost a perfect storm here.

1st match was against Zebre who we will be playing 4 times this year and the last 2 games, admittedly against top class opposition, have been on all ireland weekends.

Good attendance for Saracens should be a priority for the branch particularly with all the HEC rubbish flying around. We cannot be creating a stick for others to beat us with. We should have an idea what the attendance will be like now and should be discounting & promoting like mad to fill the place.

swift4prez wrote: gates numbers 2012-13 vs 2013-14=difference

Zebre 4856........4,084==DOWN 772
Ulster 6,463......5,485==DOWN 978
Ospreys 4680......3,888==DOWN 792

Lots of comments about pricing etc, but my take is that crowds will continue to fall if the team keeps losing. The only way they will go up, is with some wins.

Only 1 win this year from 7 starts (4 Pro 12 and 3 Friendly). Apart from Zebre, the last home win was against Zebre also, on 1 March.

So many good points here.

connachtexile wrote: I think they're questions that need to be passed on to the branch. I know they probably don't have a huge say with T.V. etc but any change has to be welcome to try and get up numbers.

with 7 home games till the end of january (pro12) only are on tv. ulster game, and vs leinster january 4th 7.15.
if it the dogs coming in the way, 700 people X €20 =€14,000. im sure the branch and the dogs could do some golden handshake on that.

rossie wrote: The charging for kids and the 3 euro surcharge at gate should not be dismissed either. That's an 8 euro increase for a father and son from last season. I wud normally have been to 2 of the 3 but haven't because of this and only intend on attending once this season.
It no longer represents value to me and I love live sport.

i had put it out on twitter too and this is what people are saying. its the slyness of the extra €3 and when your bringing a kid or two, its alot more and well over priced.

imf wrote: Or to look at it a different way we are only 299 down from last season when you look at the first three home games of the season instead of the same opposition.

nah i think people come to watch some players or certain teams rather then the time of the year it is.

shelflife wrote: All the clubs/provinces do this and Connacht did it last year so we are comparing like with like.

One of the problems is the price, lets be honest here, €23 for a walk up is a lot of cash, €28 for an interpro will get you a decent early bird dinner in a good restaurant.

While still been honest we are Connacht not Toulouse or Leinster or any of the big teams, if we finish 6th this year we would be over the moon. our prices should reflect that. I had two spare tickets for the opsreys game and found it hard to give them away.

rossie wrote: Its cheaper now to go to Thomond Park than the sports ground for all games bar Leinster. I include the Heineken cup.

both these points. its crazy, branch should meet tomorrow morning and try to fill the place for non interpro's and heineken cup. first all, scrap the €3 charge, max €2 for kids. €10 for unemployed/oap/student and €15 for adults.
its not like hotels, when they charge €40 and cost of power, cleaning, food etc makes them busy but there busy fools.
completely unlike connacht, it doesnt cost connacht anything (much) between 2000 standing there and 7000 standing there apart from the ink on the ticket which is pennys.

if there is 3800 season tickets and if another 1200 show up at normal price, average €20, that €24,000 for the branch.
if they cut the price and another 3200 show up with the 3800 season tickets at average €12.50 then thats an extra €47,500 for the branch. most match programmes sold, more pints sold, good press for big crowds, better experience for fans and players. win win.

do what ryanair do, get rich by having lots of customers rather then ripping of the few that show up, as i said, little cost if few thousand extra show up.

Its cheaper now to go to Thomond Park than the sports ground for all games bar Leinster. I include the Heineken cup.

Fourdogs wrote: Need to keep in mind that these attendance numbers include all ST holders irrespective or whether or not they were actually at the game. Was told by reliable source that there was less then 2,500 actual bodies in the ground on Sat.

All the clubs/provinces do this and Connacht did it last year so we are comparing like with like.

One of the problems is the price, lets be honest here, €23 for a walk up is a lot of cash, €28 for an interpro will get you a decent early bird dinner in a good restaurant.

While still been honest we are Connacht not Toulouse or Leinster or any of the big teams, if we finish 6th this year we would be over the moon. our prices should reflect that. I had two spare tickets for the opsreys game and found it hard to give them away.

swift4prez wrote: gates numbers 2012-13 vs 2013-14=difference

Zebre 4856........4,084==DOWN 772
Ulster 6,463......5,485==DOWN 978
Ospreys 4680......3,888==DOWN 792

DOWN 2,542 from the same games last season.

This won't matter unless the overall takings are down. Whatever the numbers are they're not the net numbers after ST totals etc are factored in.

in other words, people will spin this.

Need to keep in mind that these attendance numbers include all ST holders irrespective or whether or not they were actually at the game. Was told by reliable source that there was less then 2,500 actual bodies in the ground on Sat.