Todays crowd & atmosphere

[Mike Blackstone]

As someone who is very much an incomer, in the 7 years I have now lived here, I am amazed at how low the attendances are at Christie.

It seems such a huge disappointment for those who do support the club and indeed finance it.

What do you reckon your hardcore support totals - 1,800? Attendances cross the Lune at the other club are appalling as well.

When you consider the population of Morecmabe/Lancaster, it points to a) people are not interested in football b) go and support other teams (which is sad!) c) like me, have no real allegiancene with the local team, but go along to the occasional match.

Is there a link with Lancaster Uni? I ask, because Exeter have strong support from the Uni. We even have an annual charity match against them at St James' Park, the last of which, earlier this season, drew a crowd of just over 3,000.

[ezz]

Or the fact that Morecambe is 50% old people who dont want to watch football, and Lancaster is 50% students who cant afford it

[ockers]

I have been reliably informed that it was too much trouble to change the date of the fixture - that I'm sure is just police talk for they cant be arsed changing shifts etc. Ah well another bad take on the gate for the club - sad really.[/quote]


Hi Mick cant disagree with your sentiments expressed but the game switch was refused by Bury Football club it had nothing to do with the police im very reliably informed shame we would have got a far better gate on a Saturday but an extra 3 days rest for the opposition could have some bearing on it...
something to ponder when we get behind the team on Tuesday night
just wanted to clear that one up
cheers sean

[Keith]

the game switch was refused by Bury Football club it had nothing to do with the police im very reliably informed.

The official site says...

With both sides now out of the FA Cup both clubs looked into the possibility into bringing the game forward to Saturday, November 28th but the short timescale made it impossible.

http://www.morecambefc.com/page/NewsDet ... 90,00.html

I'll bet Bury fans are being 'reliably informed' that we refused to change!

[sgt major]

The worst thing about this situation is that the club will miss out on valuable gate money both home and away whilst most of the apathetic folk of our town stay in and watch Man Utd (Which is even sadder )

[ockers]

who would be the one person who wouldnt want to bring his team to play this fixture four days earlier than expected then theres your answer

is that clearer for you??????????????????????????????????????????????????????

[Posh]

As someone who is very much an incomer, in the 7 years I have now lived here, I am amazed at how low the attendances are at Christie.

Hi Mike,

While I agree with your sentiments you aren't really looking at the underlying reasons.

When I started watching Morecambe regularly our crowds were lower than Lancasters, around 230 per home game. Since the early 80s we've grown our crowds tenfold. For any club that's a massive achievement.

In our promotion season 2006/07 we played Aldershot Town on the 20th of March with a serious shot at the playoffs and got a crowd of 1,165.

The underlying trend is upwards and the new ground should accelerate that. However we've not got a history of people watching Morecambe and we've got to keep creating our own destiny. The club's marketing, the football on the pitch and the atmosphere created helps obviously but its not a simple task.

[mrpotatohead]

the people on here are all morecambe fans occers, try being a bit less sarky, i used to do the turnstile behind the auxillary club in the early 80 s and do not EVER remember seeing you at cp, we cannot all be MR MORECAMBE,


NOT ENOUGH OF US

[Plain Peter]

When I started watching Morecambe regularly our crowds were lower than Lancasters, around 230 per home game. Since the early 80s we've grown our crowds tenfold. For any club that's a massive achievement.

I thinked you cherry-picked that low attendance. What was the average for that season?
Likewise, when you look back at the average for this season, you'll see it's less than that ten-fold increase. Even if it's close it'll be due to it being bolstered by 2 or 3 attractive, well attended fixtures.

The underlying trend is upwards and the new ground should accelerate that. However we've not got a history of people watching Morecambe and we've got to keep creating our own destiny. The club's marketing, the football on the pitch and the atmosphere created helps obviously but its not a simple task.

Is it really upwards? It should be, it could easily be. Agree with the rest.

[campdave]

The worst thing about this situation is that the club will miss out on valuable gate money both home and away whilst most of the apathetic folk of our town stay in and watch Man Utd (Which is even sadder )

Presumably you'll not be showing it in the York to encourage people to go to Christie?

[sgt major]

The worst thing about this situation is that the club will miss out on valuable gate money both home and away whilst most of the apathetic folk of our town stay in and watch Man Utd (Which is even sadder )

Presumably you'll not be showing it in the York to encourage people to go to Christie?

One day CampDave you will shed your disguise and we can have a deep meaningful conversation face to face.

It will be on in the York but then other games on a Saturday afternoon which are shown on ILLEGAL satellite channels are are keeping people away from Christie Park more than one game that I'm showing legally. Try hounding those establishments.

Maybe you should support the York more as we have a great record of looking after home and away fans, helping out the club to accommodate players and raising money for both the club and the players (Wayne Curtis).

Personally I will be supporting Morecambe that night and I will be at Darlington tonight - my team is Morecambe FC not any Premier Pre Madonnas.

[campdave]

One day CampDave you will shed your disguise and we can have a deep meaningful conversation face to face.

It will be on in the York but then other games on a Saturday afternoon which are shown on ILLEGAL satellite channels are are keeping people away from Christie Park more than one game that I'm showing legally. Try hounding those establishments.

Maybe you should support the York more as we have a great record of looking after home and away fans, helping out the club to accommodate players and raising money for both the club and the players (Wayne Curtis).

The York does an excellent job, no one can dispute that. I just think it's amusing how often you rail against Premier League football on here, and merrily show it in your pub,

[Keith]

When I started watching Morecambe regularly our crowds were lower than Lancasters, around 230 per home game. Since the early 80s we've grown our crowds tenfold. For any club that's a massive achievement.

I thinked you cherry-picked that low attendance. What was the average for that season?

Not sure why you 'thinked' it was "cherry picked", if asked, I would have come up with exactly the same figure as a rough average for when we were at our lowest. We even had games that were below 200. We now get more for reserve games than we got then for first team.

[Heysham_Shrimp]

As someone who is very much an incomer, in the 7 years I have now lived here, I am amazed at how low the attendances are at Christie.

It seems such a huge disappointment for those who do support the club and indeed finance it.

What do you reckon your hardcore support totals - 1,800? Attendances cross the Lune at the other club are appalling as well.

When you consider the population of Morecmabe/Lancaster, it points to a) people are not interested in football b) go and support other teams (which is sad!) c) like me, have no real allegiancene with the local team, but go along to the occasional match.

Is there a link with Lancaster Uni? I ask, because Exeter have strong support from the Uni. We even have an annual charity match against them at St James' Park, the last of which, earlier this season, drew a crowd of just over 3,000.

a charity match against Lancaster University would be a decent idea. The students would get to play against a football league side and we raise our profile with the students.

Exeter have an advantage in that they dont have Man Utd , Liverpool etc on their doorstep.

[heysham_mfc]

I am a premiership fan but I support the team I do because of family reason not because I want to watch the premiership even though it is fantastic when someone like Chelsea come to town and you stuff them 3-1!. But I would never go and watch a premiership game when there is a home game at Christie Park my main team is Morecambe and I will always put them first. I think as time goes on we will biuld up on a stronger fan base and by moving to a new ground can only help that cause.

[Mike Blackstone]

Oddly enough I am less likely to get to occasional games at the new ground, if only for the fact I use the bus from the bottom of my road to get to Christie. I have no direct bus from where I live to the new venue, so on a day/night when perhaps the weather is a bit iffy, I would think twice about going, whereas now it doesn't bother me.

[Mike Blackstone]

[
a charity match against Lancaster University would be a decent idea. The students would get to play against a football league side and we raise our profile with the students.

We also have a manned stand at the Uni during fresher week. Give out some free and some reduced priced tickets, (sometimes offers like admission two for one) and generally promote the club. After all, there must be a large number of stduents arriving at Uni each year who are football fans and that is a good market to tap into.

[Heysham_Shrimp]

[
a charity match against Lancaster University would be a decent idea. The students would get to play against a football league side and we raise our profile with the students.

We also have a manned stand at the Uni during fresher week. Give out some free and some reduced priced tickets, (sometimes offers like admission two for one) and generally promote the club. After all, there must be a large number of stduents arriving at Uni each year who are football fans and that is a good market to tap into.

I think the club already do something in Freshers week handing out tickets etc.

The new ground will be just a brisk walk for you next season, down Oxcliffe Road and across Westcliffe Drive. about 10 minutes at a guess.

[RedRedWine1]

Regarding promoting at the University, I think the club have tried numerous things that have not had much success. It does not take much for apathy to reign supreme amongst students. I think it is difficult to draw comparisons of Morecambe and Exeter. Exeter enjoys a massive catchment area and a history of playing football league, Morecambe does not.

What I find disappointing is the missing 10,000 that went to Wembley. I'm not sure what could have been done to bring them back and keep them at Christie. IMO it is this area in which the clubs attention and efforts should be focussed, especially when you think of potential long-term benefits.

[sgt major]

One day CampDave you will shed your disguise and we can have a deep meaningful conversation face to face.

It will be on in the York but then other games on a Saturday afternoon which are shown on ILLEGAL satellite channels are are keeping people away from Christie Park more than one game that I'm showing legally. Try hounding those establishments.

Maybe you should support the York more as we have a great record of looking after home and away fans, helping out the club to accommodate players and raising money for both the club and the players (Wayne Curtis).

The York does an excellent job, no one can dispute that. I just think it's amusing how often you rail against Premier League football on here, and merrily show it in your pub,

Premier League footie is shown in the York before and after the game - NOT during it on Illegal satellite.

[marky No.1]

Premier League footie is shown in the York before and after the game - NOT during it on Illegal satellite.

Dilemma for you Mick: Next Tuesday while WE are playing there will be 2 Premiership teams live on the TV playing in the League Cup

Enjoy ya tea at the Fighting Cocks

[heysham_mfc]

Oddly enough I am less likely to get to occasional games at the new ground, if only for the fact I use the bus from the bottom of my road to get to Christie. I have no direct bus from where I live to the new venue, so on a day/night when perhaps the weather is a bit iffy, I would think twice about going, whereas now it doesn't bother me.

I belive that the club are working with Satagecoach looking at having more bus services to the ground on match days. It would not take much on a match day they could run the 2 or the 2A from Heysham down Westgate and the 5 Carforth to Overton could turn down Boardway and then go down Westgate they only need do it on match days up to 1 hour before and 1 hour after the game. there is a service from Lancaster that goes to Westgate so they don't even need to add extra buses just alter a couple of routes.

[Mike Blackstone]

[
The new ground will be just a brisk walk for you next season, down Oxcliffe Road and across Westcliffe Drive. about 10 minutes at a guess.

I wish I could walk that fast! And there are no pavements down Oxcliffe Road once you reach the railway bridge. Not good on a dark night. if I walked, I would go down Balmoral Road, and right into Westgate. At the moment, on rare occasions when I walk to Christie, it takes about 35 minutes.

[Plain Peter]

Not sure why you 'thinked' it was "cherry picked", if asked, I would have come up with exactly the same figure as a rough average for when we were at our lowest. We even had games that were below 200. We now get more for reserve games than we got then for first team.

That lowest trough for MFC doesn't really matter.
It's now 2009, that's 2009 years since the lad Jesus was born.
A lot has happened since his time.
Footie is only l50 years old, so it's still new on the historical scene.
It's still evolving.
Still evolving? It's doing all it can to implode.
Any idea where the game will be in 10 years time?
We can all guess on that, I guess, can't we?

[Crooky MFC]

Now then

Let's have everyone up at the top of the north stand next Tuesday, it's going to be one hell of a night.