resk Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 There's also a huge number of folk based in the area who identify as Dons fans but very rarely go along to games. I reckon we have heaps more of them than Hibs or Hearts. Even when we were top of the league a few times in the last two seasons, we'd still get 11-12,000 at normal home games.I can understand the people with kids not being able to go along but I can think of quite a lot of kidless people I know who would have been in the shops, watching the rugby, or whatever else yesterday. Frustrating but that's the way it is. I honestly don't think we need 20,000 seats. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Cort's Hamstring Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 My memory of living in Aberdeen is that almost everyone I met from the city 'supported' them, but wouldn't ever actually go to games. Apart from winning the Scottish Cup, where we are now is as good as we're realistically going to get domestically, so 10,000 is pretty awful. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resk Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 My memory of living in Aberdeen is that almost everyone I met from the city 'supported' them, but wouldn't ever actually go to games. Apart from winning the Scottish Cup, where we are now is as good as we're realistically going to get domestically, so 10,000 is pretty awful. Exactly this. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
logie skid boys Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 well we obviously need 20k seat stadium as we sell out least couple times year and that sort revenue we cant turn down. but our average gate is always going to be the same. just way it is , shite away supports travelling up here does not help either. personally think moving will increase our support if we are still playing at the same level we are now. pittodrie for me died soon as we built the dick Donald stand, so as much as I have great memories fae the 70s onwards a move is for the best. .. and the design and facilities of the new ground will make it a better match day experience. which I think will increase average gate.. time will tell 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmothecat Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 My memory of living in Aberdeen is that almost everyone I met from the city 'supported' them, but wouldn't ever actually go to games. Apart from winning the Scottish Cup, where we are now is as good as we're realistically going to get domestically, so 10,000 is pretty awful. Yeah, sounds like half my year at school. Aberdeen fans, follow the results, have an opinion on Ryan Jack, but ask them what games they've been to and for a lot of them it's Parkred and Bayern Munich. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RussellAnderson Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 My school pals were all Chelsea, Liverpool and Man U fans, they were Aberdeen fans in the sense that they didn't support the Old Firm, but they would never be at games. My interest in football didn't really spike until I left to go to uni in Edinburgh, where I started going to away games. If I'm home visiting I'll make sure to catch a match if we're playing at home, but primarily its away games to me. I'd like to think that when I'm finished studying and have a proper job I'll be able to spend a little more money in returning to Pittodrie/Kingsford, but I'm unsure. Since moving to Glasgow I've been to Partick Thistle and Queen's Park games (a student ticket to Hampden is £2!) and whenever Aberdeen are in the area, it's satisfying my football craving for now. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 It is infuriating I had a season ticket throughout the Paterson/Calderwood/McGhee/Brown years and crowds fluctuated a lot but it's disappointing to see we can barely scrape 10,000 for run of the mill league games considering how consistent we've been over the last few years The local economy is still in the toilet and a lot of people have moved away (myself included) but it's still piss poor, the Club must be wondering what they can do 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dons_1988 Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 4 minutes ago, Karl Fletcher said: It is infuriating I had a season ticket throughout the Paterson/Calderwood/McGhee/Brown years and crowds fluctuated a lot but it's disappointing to see we can barely scrape 10,000 for run of the mill league games considering how consistent we've been over the last few years The local economy is still in the toilet and a lot of people have moved away (myself included) but it's still piss poor, the Club must be wondering what they can do I agree and I am in the same boat. I live in Edinburgh and have had a season ticket through all the eras you mentioned. I can honestly say these last few years I have never looked forward to going to see the Dons as much as I do at the moment. Players of real quality for the Scottish leagues and a consistency of result/performance that I just haven't seen in my time. I have old school friends that would call themselves Dons fans but they are only in name. At the risk of sounding like an old man (I'm 28) I am growing increasingly irritated by the modern Aberdeen/football fan. I know people who at two separate points this season have wanted to see a change of manager because "it's gone stale", "he can't take us any further", "he's run out of ideas". No, it's called form FFS. We play around 50 games a season and during that time we play well, indifferent and very poorly in some games. The modern fan seems to have lost the resilience for poor runs of form, despite the fact they happen every single season regardless of how good a side any team has (apart from maybe Celtic). I've mentioned it on here before but I think it is due to the modern supporter now seeing themself as a 'consumer' more than a supporter. This attitude of 'I didn't pay 25 quid to see us lose!'. The most infuriating part is that on good runs of form the praise for the team is non-existent. It is expected. Of course we should beat Partick, Dundee etc, that's what I paid to see. When you look at players like Mcginn etc, out of contract at the end of the season, when he thinks about it, and thinks about the last few seasons, the cup win, 2nd place 2 years running (maybe 3), having us even think about a title challenge, and yet the crowds are still a little over 10k, he may well feel that he's better served getting a fresh challenge down South. Mcinnes will probably feel the same soon enough. It's depressing to be honest. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootingboots Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 (edited) I don't blame people for not going to be honest. £25 and it was fucking freezing on Saturday. Wish we were 2-0 up earlier so I could have fucked off then. Edited February 6, 2017 by shootingboots 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiG Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 Obviously as I an ICT fan I am in no position to slag off other teams crowds but given that the Dons support hasn't really risen to the same heights that the team has in recent seasons is there a possibility that this could be exacerbated by the potential move to Kingswells? Agree with the poster who said a lot of people in the city support Aberdeen but don't go. When I was there a lot of Dons fans I knew never went to games despite the relative ease of getting to Pittodrie. An out of town stadium is surely only going to send attendances down one the initial curiosity subsides. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dons_1988 Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 14 minutes ago, RiG said: Obviously as I an ICT fan I am in no position to slag off other teams crowds but given that the Dons support hasn't really risen to the same heights that the team has in recent seasons is there a possibility that this could be exacerbated by the potential move to Kingswells? Agree with the poster who said a lot of people in the city support Aberdeen but don't go. When I was there a lot of Dons fans I knew never went to games despite the relative ease of getting to Pittodrie. An out of town stadium is surely only going to send attendances down one the initial curiosity subsides. Quite possibly. However, I can only assume a Kingswells enclosed stadium won't be as cold as Pittodrie during winter. As stupid as it sounds I do know plenty of people who are put off by the temperatures during winter. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmothecat Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 Pittodrie when it's packed for a big game is great, but for run of the mill league games it's like a morgue. Probably doesn't help with pulling fans in when there is other stuff going on. Alex Ferguson's quote about being able to tell when Dons fans are unhappy by the sound of sweetie packets rustling is probably just as true now. Not really sure what can be done as all other attempts at improving the Pittodrie atmosphere (and 'match day experience') seem to have failed. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kneetrembler Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 There is an excellent book called "Soccernomics " that gives a lot of detailed information on why people attend football matches. It was recommended on another thread by one of the Fermers. It's a very interesting read.Aberdeen are the only club whose fans beat themselves up about their own attendances. Some folk I know attended Gothenburg, travelled all over Europe etc, but don't even go to home games now. Their lives have changed and now Saturday is for golf, or shopping or spending time with kids or grandkids. Priorities change and some spectators are lost whilst others come back or are introduced. I went to games with a group of about 8 to 10 lads in the eighties, now I'm the only one going regularly. The rest of them are still Dons fans, but they will only come out for big games. No matter how well the team are doing. They just have other priorities for their time.Many folk would love to be like Milners or Bucksburn Dandy, going to every game, home and away, but they can't spare the time or money. Hard core devotees are rare and are a small minority in all clubs. I can see myself going less. I feel the cold more now, it's tiring going to midweek games with work early next day and away days take up so much time. It's nothing to do with how the team perform, it's just that things change. We can fill Pittodrie for important matches and have a great atmosphere there. However, run of the mill games the place is half full and very quiet. It was the exact same in the eighties. As for moaning Dons fans, some of the worst for berating the team are also the most devoted. Some folk who sit near me shout abuse at our players almost non stop when we're not winning. Yet they are there every week season after season and I usually see them at away games. When I asked an old friend why he wouldn't come back to the games again, he replied " because most Aberdeen fans are p***ks". Its not the first time I heard it. Good news is Kingford is likely to increase gates. The number one factor the book mentioned in motivating people to go to football is the quality of the stadium. Comfort and ease of access will improve dramatically and this should get more people coming. SF** 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthernLights Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 Just listening to Soccer FM podcast and there is an interview with Lee Miller. He was very positive about his time with us. Although he was talking about the day he signed for us which was deadline day. He arrived at Pittodrie and was meeting everyone and asked when Jimmy Calderwood. He wasn't there as he'd gone to Magaluf. Highlights the professionalism of the man that he'd rather be topping up his tan then being there to deal with transfer business in person. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 Jimmy was such a strange one at Pittodrie After every home game he insisted all the players and staff had to stay for at least an hour post-match and booze in one of the bars at Pittodrie An absolute dinosaur of a man 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiG Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 8 minutes ago, Karl Fletcher said: Jimmy was such a strange one at Pittodrie After every home game he insisted all the players and staff had to stay for at least an hour post-match and booze in one of the bars at Pittodrie An absolute dinosaur of a man And he wonders why he can't get a job in Scottish football!? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy. Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 Just listening to Soccer FM podcast and there is an interview with Lee Miller. He was very positive about his time with us. Although he was talking about the day he signed for us which was deadline day. He arrived at Pittodrie and was meeting everyone and asked when Jimmy Calderwood. He wasn't there as he'd gone to Magaluf. Highlights the professionalism of the man that he'd rather be topping up his tan then being there to deal with transfer business in person. He signed when the SPL season had already started. You genuinely believe Calderwood wouldn't be there, slap bang in the middle of two matchdays, on a weekday? Genuinely? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milnzo Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 40 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said: He signed when the SPL season had already started. You genuinely believe Calderwood wouldn't be there, slap bang in the middle of two matchdays, on a weekday? Genuinely? Quite possible it was an International break. JC was known to climb aboard the first flight to Majorca as soon as their was a break in the domestic calendar. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2pac Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 O 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootingboots Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 15 hours ago, StandFree03 said: I think that might be slightly harsh on the fat orange cunt TBH. There's a lot to criticise him for but not sure that's particularly bad. Eh? Surely the manager should be there for new signings? Anyway, he's an absolute cretin and I'm delighted he's been found out. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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