Average Attendance down again in 2015

[Dorsey]

Could be any number of reasons plus the ones already mentioned, don't know if you get to hear more about what's going on with the club if you live in Wigan although I suspect not so not getting regular updates from the club as to who will actually be on the team next year, the long period of no home games in months when weather is traditionally good, one 'home' game being shifted to London, Thursday night games turning into the norm and some very iffy form last year - we may not have lost at home last season but God knows how, I still have nightmares about the game against Salford for one.
Unless you are a diehard fan like most on here seem to be there will always be fickleness if a team isn't winning every game but I do think the club itself have a lot to answer for in just seemingly assuming that because we are Wigan fans and are loyal to the team that we'll just turn up no matter what. Some more interaction with the fanbase, especially in the off season months, is desperately needed

[jackoh]

Well Whelley W I was around in the 70`s which when Lindsey and Whelan was in charge of the Club . We had a good ground at Central park and a good crowd . and was a Wigan fan Even then !
If you would like to look at the post regarding falling attendances which I was commenting on , and read it .

I was aware that the work was being carried on the pitch , when we were beaten By HULL KR .

I was also aware that we hadn`t won anything for 2 years even though we have no god given right to win anything .

So stop trolling and read , everyone has their views , even though you don t know what your writing .

[Mike]

IL is not bothered about the drop in attendances . Has anyone heard him . We play on Thursday night so he gets the sky money .

He plays a home game at Millwall , and gets commercial benefits .

He plays a home at Leigh in the cup and gets knocked out by Hull KR .

We see an increase in the East Stand season ticket prices .

And for what , another barren season for the fans , but IL is looking at the commercial side .

It may look good to you Ian but not for the fans .

What a load of nonsense.!

Evidently not a supporter who was around when we did have real barren seasons like in the seventies and in the time of Dave Whelan owning the club.

The reason we played at Leigh was not to do with IL, but more Dave Whelan not allowing us to play at the DW Stadium because of the pitch being relayed.

And we do not have a divine right to win a trophy every season as some seemed to think.

Plus IL has stated many times that the *only* way the club has to increase revenues in a meaningful way is to increase attendances. So if he only cares about the commercial side then attendances will be a very major priority for him.

[cpwigan]

It would be interesting to see how many of our games are covered by SKY particularly at the DW compared to other teams.

The club have tried many initiatives to boost attendances. Personally, I think their biggest shortcoming is getting into schools more, a more than simply a coaching week. I believe if a son/daughters says they would like to go watching Wigan, you then get child + mum or dad or both parents. More links with amateur clubs? Personally, I would have a Wigan/Leigh Development Amateur Club each game but also an outside say Cumbria, non RL Lancashire areas, even a London club / week Or Wales

[ian.birchall]

Grandsons live in Horsforth which must be no more than 5 miles from Headingly and the 6 year old thinks Ronnie the Rhino is absolutely wonderful as Ronnie has been to his primary school at least 3 times in the last year and he goes around when his grandad picks him up at 'skule' chanting Rhinos Rhinos. Shaming but there again I'm not sure that Max would have the same magic effect.

[Dorsey]

You make a good point Ian. Lead and they will follow type idea. Certainly if the schoolchildren get interested they will then badger parents to take them and it would start a tidal wave of sorts but can't see the kids getting excited about Mad Max with his clod hopping great feet and looking like Shrek in drag. Someone at the club needs to get a bit creative and come up with a warrior that the kids want to look like themselves or that they can at least be proud of. Whilst it's all down to personal taste I reckon we have the worst looking mascot in the league, those with animal heads are probably most appealing to kids and not a head mask that looks like it belongs in the home for the bewildered

[Fan4Fifty]

I think most of the issues - Thursday games, signings (lack of), style of play - affecting attendance have been nailed.An average of 1900 less fans, compared to 2011, across 14 games at, say an average of £15 lost revenue per fan per game (taking account of concessions/freebies) is approx £400,000 lost revenue plus no income from CC and GF success. It's significant and that's despite the marketing people doing a pretty good job in "branding" different games and the flexibility added to season tickets. However the biggest problem for me is just a general lack of flair, excitement and anticipation around the club; we're competent but boring! As others have posted, some of the games last season were absolutely dismal and I'm still trying to work out how we came within 5 seconds of winning the LLS and 2 points of winning GF!!

[cpwigan]

Attract kids and attendances will be sustained perhaps even grow. However, there is a limit to what attendances Wigan can attract from purely Wiganers attending. The lack of away support actually harms Wigan significantly because ironical we boost other clubs attendances with probably the best away following in RL.

[Owd Codger]

Well Whelley W I was around in the 70`s which when Lindsey and Whelan was in charge of the Club . We had a good ground at Central park and a good crowd . and was a Wigan fan Even then !
If you would like to look at the post regarding falling attendances which I was commenting on , and read it .

I was aware that the work was being carried on the pitch , when we were beaten By HULL KR .

I was also aware that we hadn`t won anything for 2 years even though we have no god given right to win anything .

So stop trolling and read , everyone has their views , even though you don t know what your writing .

First of all, Lindsay and the gang of four only gained control of the club as we entered the eighties and Whelan show no interest in our club or indeed the Latic's.

The attendances in the mid/late seventies under the ten man board of Directors led by Baxendale and Gostellow dwindled to as low as 2,500 with many games against poor clubs like Batley and Swinton in a one division league

Yes, at the time in question, Central Park was a good ground. but as new modern stadia came on the scene, it became more and more obvious that it was out of date, especially where toilet and refreshment facilities were concerned.

As for Whelan, he only showed a interest in our club when it went into debt as a result of spending more that you have coming in and he saw a opportunity of getting his hands on the balance of the 12.5 million Tesco money after the debt of 6.5 million had been paid off and which could then be put towards the cost of his dream of a joint new Stadium.

Finally, I suggest that you look at the level of the clubs playing strengths during the time that Whelan owned the club and the real lack of success, not to mention he season when we were nearly relegated. On another thread, supporters have mentioned some of the 'Star Signings' during his ownership.

Not trolling, just stating facts!

[No straw damn us]

Wigans attendances now are comparable and generally better than in the 1980's and 90's

http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... age_id=489