Crowds - The thread of Australian whining

So does this mean that Smithy didn't get stabbed and flared over in Parramatta?

Couldn't find the fixtures thread, so meh I'll just post in here. Relevant anyway because it affects crowds.... Anyway I was thinking about how we had a big gap between the last game vs WSW and this one today, and how that combined with the Sunday 7pm kickoff time has kinda killed a chance to bring in a bigger crowd after that result. Then I realized that the game next week is a Saturday evening game but it's also a long weekend (Welly anniversary) so it's actually one of the few weekends when the Sunday night game wouldn't have affected crowd numbers that much. Sigh.

I get that we didn't have much choice over these Sunday night games because it's for tv audiences in Australia but we have two home games in consecutive weekends, one a Sunday and one a Saturday, surely someone could have said why don't we swap them around for the long weekend? We'd still play the same number of Sunday night games over the season but at least the Welly anniversary weekend one would've been before a day most people have off work.

I hope the fixtures are less retarded next year.

Shitty zone tonight. Felt like about 5-10% of people in there bothered to participate. 

Zone did seem subdued tonight and smaller than usual?

A few more people in our area - mostly adults (some with bevvies in hand).

Silent as.

Wonder if next Sat night is going to be as naff?

Actually I thought it was bigger tonight.

Seem most people can't handle anything more than clap clap phoenix. 

We look across to you - might have seemed smaller to me as there was a more than usually noticeable gap in Aisle 22, but a few more bods in aisle 23.

Hard to get excited when the game is quite so dull. Wind was drowning out all the noise too!

You need a capo and a drum.

Too early for a Victory thread but thought I better mention that there is a Huawei bay with $10 Adult tickets & $5 kids tickets for the game next Sat night.

And again Nixie stayed out in front of aisle 25 and again the kids in aisles 10, 11 & 12 missed out. Including the kids who do the half time center circle banner.

Working Nights the fixtures this year have been horrible for me. I can't understand why the couldn't have had a 17:00 start rather than a 19:00 start I mean a 15:00 television fixture is no big deal for the Aussie's surely?

FZ sounded quiet for times on TV.

No other Sunday game so 5pm KO better for Aus than 3pm. Having said that, can't imagine too many people in aus would watch CCM V us.

Delighted that's the last 7pm game. Rubbish time for a game.

Heard some people with kids moaning about about kept at the gates till 6.03,wasnt very pleasant with that bloody gale blowing.Not sure why they kept them closed till just under an hour before kick off. 

You are quite correct, they didn't open the gates till 6:03pm. Red "Fun Police" Badge at their usual fucked up selves. It was windy and unpleasant but then the Fun Police don't give a shit.

6:03pm is quite early to be getting there is it not?

Don't know when the gates are supposed to be open though as I don't think I've ever arrived earlier than about 5 mins before kick off!

I'm pretty sure the gates only ever open 1 hour before kick off. So with that in mind - lol at crying over waiting an extra 3mins.

Maybe they should try an "Adults go free" promotion next match?

Crowds won't increase this season until we are more consistently winning at home. Even in our current run of reasonable form our last two games at home have been a scratchy 1-0 against Sydney and a stratchy 1-1 with the Mariners. And our home record for the season is W 1, D 4, L2 - still not bankable enough entertainment for your average punter.

Crowds won't increase long-term until we have at least a couple of seasons back to back of top 2 or 3 finishes. A championship would do wonders in terms of converting a chunk of casual support to full-time. That's when Welnix will finally get some payback on the good community and marketing work they are doing now. I hope they can see that.

The increase in 'non-chanters' in the zone may have been because there was a Red Badge guy working aisle 23 who was enforcing everything to the letter of the law .  I'm usually with a couple of others in the top row of the bottom section of Aisle 23.  We stand and join in with the chants but sit down if we are impeding the view of any disabled people behind us.  We're foundation members who have been doing that since day 1 (my eyes aren't great so being that bit closer to the action helps) - especially when we attack the Northern end.

There were no disabled people behind us yesterday so we stood as normal but got told to sit down after 10 mins or so.   He also moved on some other people from 23 for something and was constantly staring at the YF looking for any instance of trouble.  Maybe something to do with the whole MV vs WSW?  Anyway, hopefully it was his first & last game involved otherwise I'm going to squeeze into the zone and buy tickets there next year.

Interesting comments .... wonders aloud how close you are to the truth.... 

If it was such a shitty night why did people with kids want to be in the stadium 1 hour before kick off?

Have emailed David Dome about that Red Badge knob making everyone in Aisle 22 sit down (okay, only about a dozen of us were standing anyway). Domey said he'd fix it with Westpac and Red Badge, and even gave me his mobile number, said to call if any probs on Saturday night. Good for him. Been standing in those seats just along the row from you for EVERY home game and have never been asked to sit down. What a bleeding liberty. One guy who was standing up tried arguing the toss with the Red Badge tosser but that was a no win situation. Fortunately Patrick came over from the FZ and invited the aggrieved fan to join them before things got ugly. How's that for YF diplomacy! We both got his badge number so hopefully he'll be off the family zone next week. Pillock.

Yep, that Red Badge guy was being an absolute tosser, as per Rammitalica and asomodaeus's comments. He was trying to claim that the people in wheelchairs couldn't see the game over people standing up in that little part of Aisle 23 down right next to the tunnel. The funny thing was the guy sitting in the wheelchair right behind them was trying to tell the Red Badge guy that he had no problem with people standing in front of him as it didn't block his view. 

After that, he tried to claim that nobody outside of Aisle 21/22 was allowed to stand in their seats, so I pointed out two people standing up the back of Aisle 23, among all the people sitting down and told him to stick to his own rules and tell them to sit down too. He told me that I should go and tell them, and when I replied to him saying that it is his job, not mine, he told me to grow up, trying to claim that I was being the immature one here.

I don't understand what his problem with people standing was this game, because he's the same guy that is always standing next to the Aisle 22 part of the Zone, he's there every week.

I told you - Red Badge = Fun Police (Except Marley). They are there to ensure that you are not having a good time.

Steve O - We get there early to take advantage of the $10 parking for ST Holders and you have to be there at least 30 mins before the game. Get there an hour or so early and you get the best parks.

Ballane, I agree with you 100% on this issue.

4 guys who always stand on Phoenix Lounge Balcony. Got asked to sit down by people sitting inside. They have stood behind me for some seasons.

Their response was if security say we have to move we will. Complaints response "they will do nothing" 

They had gone to security first. lol

You bet, we have a number of people sitting over there now. On stinking hot sunny days, it's the place be to avoid sunstroke.

Enforcing the no fun theory.

so what was the actual crowd on Sunday?

Apart from about 8 renditions of "Oh Wellington", the first half seemed very quiet.  Do we now only have 3 songs ("Oh Wellington" x 16, "Yellow Army" for 5 minutes from the 60th minute, and a terribly out of tune of "Stand up for the Phoenix" at 70 mins)?

7,005 Frankie

I used to sit in the shade too when my son used to come with me. I'd wager you'd get nothing over there because they want everyone on the same side of the ground while we have small numbers. 

Can't explain the lack of noise but certainly need to improve on Saturday. Also in Aisle 22 we were a bit squashed into a few rows for no apparent reason and could have spread out bit. I joined a mate in Gold zone first half to see the interplay and returned for the second half when we improved a bit. More hymn practice or YF march to the stadium to get things warmed up? And what ever happened to all the flags waving dudes?

I left my flag at home this week had 3 chubby men instead if my flag with me good compromise