Thought on low attendances (2 Viewers)

[Voice_of_Reason]

The Ricoh is Souless and the match day experience is nothing compared to that at Highfield Road. It has nothing to do with results although of course "big" games will attract more.
The Ricoh has no history like Highfield Road did. The Ricoh experience is not inviting and it is too far out of the City.. Nearly in Bedworth. Just a thought and I stand to be corrected.

 

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[pastythegreat]

The Ricoh is Souless and the match day experience is nothing compared to that at Highfield Road. It has nothing to do with results although of course "big" games will attract more.
The Ricoh has no history like Highfield Road did. The Ricoh experience is not inviting and it is too far out of the City.. Nearly in Bedworth. Just a thought and I stand to be corrected.

Completely agree. And it's not just city fans.
An away fans group put a pic up on twitter the other day of HR and said retweet if you ever went to HR. Hundreds of comments on it, from fans from clubs all across the country, Leeds, Forest, Derby, Cardiff, Newcastle. All reminiscing of away days they enjoyed at HR. None of them had a good word to say of the Ricoh and all said they thought we should still be at HR.

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[Mild-Mannered Janitor]

I don't think it matters where the ground is (as long as just in Coventry) and as for match day experience, never going to be great at 20-25% capacity, even with fans closer together now.
Fundamentally, its league 2 football, owners who have alienated a fan base so gives an easy excuse not to go as demonstrated by MK when they do choose to go. Fans wont come back until the football is greater and at a higher level.
Pricing is always a factor, even the Brighton fans are saying they may not sell out their cup game if its priced at £25 so for our level, it will always exclude a few people.
Choice - People have other options to spend their hard earned money on and some of that will be spread around a mix of some games and other social activities with them and their families. Refer to the MK point and Brighton and checkatrade final, if the game is right and the excitement there, people will find the money or cancel another activity.

Personally, when reasonably full and an entertaining game and you have a reasonable number of away fans then the atmosphere is great.

 

[pastythegreat]

I don't think it matters where the ground is (as long as just in Coventry) and as for match day experience, never going to be great at 20-25% capacity, even with fans closer together now.
Fundamentally, its league 2 football, owners who have alienated a fan base so gives an easy excuse not to go as demonstrated by MK when they do choose to go. Fans wont come back until the football is greater and at a higher level.
Pricing is always a factor, even the Brighton fans are saying they may not sell out their cup game if its priced at £25 so for our level, it will always exclude a few people.
Choice - People have other options to spend their hard earned money on and some of that will be spread around a mix of some games and other social activities with them and their families. Refer to the MK point and Brighton and checkatrade final, if the game is right and the excitement there, people will find the money or cancel another activity.

Personally, when reasonably full and an entertaining game and you have a reasonable number of away fans then the atmosphere is great.

Brighton fans won't sell out anyway! Regardless of price.

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[Nick]

The Ricoh is Souless and the match day experience is nothing compared to that at Highfield Road. It has nothing to do with results although of course "big" games will attract more.
The Ricoh has no history like Highfield Road did. The Ricoh experience is not inviting and it is too far out of the City.. Nearly in Bedworth. Just a thought and I stand to be corrected.

I much preferred hr, many more memories there as a kid. Don't really see it as a reason not to bother though.

Fans can improve the soulless side of it if they really wanted to, had some decent atmospheres this season.

 

[ajsccfc]

If big games attract more, not sure how you can say it has nothing to do with results. The better the results, the higher up the league you go, the more people turn up. Highfield Road will have had no history at one point also, it's made by what happens inside.

 

[Londonccfcfan]

S

The Ricoh is Souless and the match day experience is nothing compared to that at Highfield Road. It has nothing to do with results although of course "big" games will attract more.
The Ricoh has no history like Highfield Road did. The Ricoh experience is not inviting and it is too far out of the City.. Nearly in Bedworth. Just a thought and I stand to be corrected.

Sorry i just dont buy that.

Any ground in england can seem souless on damp miserable night vs Cambridge.

The Emirates would have seemed souless vs cambridge.

Ive been Highfield road on many an occasion when it felt just as drab.

 

[NortonSkyBlue]

The Ricoh is Souless and the match day experience is nothing compared to that at Highfield Road. It has nothing to do with results although of course "big" games will attract more.
The Ricoh has no history like Highfield Road did. The Ricoh experience is not inviting and it is too far out of the City.. Nearly in Bedworth. Just a thought and I stand to be corrected.

Couldn't disagree more. It's in Coventry, we are Coventry City. If they built the Ricoh on Broadgate fans would find an excuse not to go
Excuses, excuses, it's a great stadium which if more fans could be arsed to attend would have a great atmosphere. I offer you a tiny crowd v Wycombe in December that had a good vibe, nothing to do with the stadium.
We have a winning team that deserves more than we are giving them. I have no issue with fans that can't make it and the football hasn't been great but let's call it what it is.
It's the same pitch whether you are in Carlisle or Swindon or the Ricoh and our team is doing well and our city is just not buying in to it.

 

[Liquid Gold]

The Ricoh needs more pubs within touching distance of the ground to create that pre match atmosphere that you get elsewhere.

 

[clint van damme]

The Ricoh needs more pubs within touching distance of the ground to create that pre match atmosphere that you get elsewhere.

the problem is they probably wouldn't be financially viable. Be great if there were more.

 

[Nick]

the problem is they probably wouldn't be financially viable. Be great if there were more.

Thats the thing, so many have closed down. Rowleys, Black Horse, Lord Raglan etc.

 

[matesx]

a massive Wetherspoons on the old Rowleys club would be ideal

 

[italiahorse]

The Ricoh is Souless and the match day experience is nothing compared to that at Highfield Road. It has nothing to do with results although of course "big" games will attract more.
The Ricoh has no history like Highfield Road did. The Ricoh experience is not inviting and it is too far out of the City.. Nearly in Bedworth. Just a thought and I stand to be corrected.

I think it relates to nostalgia.
Highfield road was a nightmare to park, particular for local residents (Sister was one).
The facilities (at the end) were poor in 3 stands.
The Ricoh was planned for us in the Premier League, something we have yet to see.
Where it failed was the drain on the club financially, when we failed to actually keep ownership of it and then having to give away half of the incomes.
The problem seed was set but I'm afraid Sisu have watered it made the option of getting back into it almost impossible.

 

[clint van damme]

Thats the thing, so many have closed down. Rowleys, Black Horse, Lord Raglan etc.

I might start hiring out those booze bikes and people can just do laps round the Ricoh for an hour or two!

 

[Nick]

a massive Wetherspoons on the old Rowleys club would be ideal

Would be dead on non matchdays though

 

[shmmeee]

Alternative theory: most clubs in our division top out around 7k.

Sky Bet League Two | Attendances

We are third in the attendance league table and fourth in the league so if anything are over performing in terms of crowds.

People get grumpy about it because we have an oversized stadium and because we used to be a bigger club, but for where we are and what’s on offer we are doing OK. The idea that we should be pulling in 20k a game in L2 is frankly ludicrous.

 

[ajsccfc]

If you build a Spoons, he will come at 11am and drink all day

- Field of Dreams, 1989

 

[Esoterica]

When negative comparisons are made to HR, what is really being described is 'socio-emotional selectivity' theory - the older we get the more we surround ourselves with our positive memories. It's a natural and subconscious response to realising that life is short. Our brains are also hardwired with something called a 'reward system' contained within that are 'pleasure centers' resulting in most of us being driven by the unconscious pursuit of reward/pleasure again making us bias when recalling the old days. Good and bad memories are also stored in different areas of the brain with the good ones at the front where they're easier to recall, to aid this.
So when we compare HR to the Ricoh it really isn't a level playing field (literally at the moment!). 20,000+ people celebrating promotion over the last 3 or 4 home games of this season will help to readdress that balance.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

If big games attract more, not sure how you can say it has nothing to do with results. The better the results, the higher up the league you go, the more people turn up. Highfield Road will have had no history at one point also, it's made by what happens inside.

Hmmm.

Don't get me wrong, I don't like the Ricoh, wished we'd stayed at HR. There's definitely an argument to be made that staying in your traditional home helps the 'brand' too, and it makes people more loyal. Without going into the arguments why, the Ricoh's never really been 'ours' in terms of how it's been presented, and that doesn't help either. Can't help but think the rush to new grounds could cause issues for a number of clubs down the line, if they all end up flat-pack.

We've kind of plunged the divisions though, and that really doesn't help. Ricoh definitely is soulless with next to nobody in it... and although it might be fairweather fans if we were successful, they'd still be there, and the ground would still be full, and that'd definitely help. The bigger gates have still been a decent atmosphere, especially the night ones.

 

[Liquid Gold]

We just need one of those pop up shipping container places that only opens match days and has cheaper business rates because of it.

 

[Esoterica]

I might start hiring out those booze bikes and people can just do laps round the Ricoh for an hour or two!

We have a beer tram here!

 

[italiahorse]

The Ricoh needs more pubs within touching distance of the ground to create that pre match atmosphere that you get elsewhere.

Yes we could do with a few more options for prematch drink, but there are options available be it slightly further afield.
To name a few - Bull and Anchor, The Hub, Hollybush, Cherry Tree, Several on Foleshill road.
You have a couple of mini breweries opened up and then of course Chiquito and Pizza Hut.
Personally I enjoy the casino pre match and post match (Adults).
Most fans don't include a pre match drink outside the stadium. Shame we can't buy more into the Ricoh incomes on the day.
The fans village is a great idea, but as with Wasps it is for the bigger games. Hopefully CCFC can provide similar facilities and get players down there.
Could do with someone to open up the derelict club in Burbages Lane as that would be perfect for a prematch drink.
I guess in years to come with Car Park C getting developed a it might be cost effect to put a pub there. The daily footfall is increasing at the Ricoh with exhibitions so may help.

 

[Nick]

Yes we could do with a few more options for prematch drink, but there are options available be it slightly further afield.
To name a few - Bull and Anchor, The Hub, Hollybush, Cherry Tree, Several on Foleshill road.
You have a couple of mini breweries opened up and then of course Chiquito and Pizza Hut.
Personally I enjoy the casino pre match and post match (Adults).
Most fans don't include a pre match drink outside the stadium. Shame we can't buy more into the Ricoh incomes on the day.
The fans village is a great idea, but as with Wasps it is for the bigger games. Hopefully CCFC can provide similar facilities and get players down there.
Could do with someone to open up the derelict club in Burbages Lane as that would be perfect for a prematch drink.
I guess in years to come with Car Park C getting developed a it might be cost effect to put a pub there. The daily footfall is increasing at the Ricoh with exhibitions so may help.

Players go down to the normal JSB zone so cant see why they wouldnt go in there?

Do many drink in Cov Welsh pre game? Rowleys was ideal, nice and cheap too from what I remember.

 

[italiahorse]

Players go down to the normal JSB zone so cant see why they wouldnt go in there?

Do many drink in Cov Welsh pre game? Rowleys was ideal, nice and cheap too from what I remember.

I guess they will move to the fans village for the Accrington game.
They could do both of course.
Coventry Welsh is great option to park and drink (passengers only of course) H&S advisory

 

[peace ndlovu]

We have a beer tram here!

Why isn't it serving Gambrinus, Staropramen etc!?

 

[Liquid Gold]

Why isn't it serving Gambrinus, Staropramen etc!?

I prefer Kozel

 

[matesx]

Would be dead on non matchdays though

Hell of alot of passing traffic, could do well on food.

 

[peace ndlovu]

I can only go once a season now because I live overseas.
I have two reactions to this debate.
In the context of the late 90s/early noughties, a move seemed really sensible...then we got relegated at the worst possible moment. Our relegation coincided with the collapse of ITV digital and it was pre-parachute payments. Man City and Bradford went down with us. Man City are not comparable (much bigger club, fan base etc and they had a big injection of Thai cash and then an obscenely huge injection of Arab cash). Bradford have faired pretty similar to us.
Also, I love a good dose of nostalgia and have some brilliant memories of Highfield Road. But my last game there was a drab 1-0 win over Watford in the last season at HR. The atmosphere was shite.
My first game at the Ricoh was a win against Sunderland in the second season there. The atmosphere was relatively superb.
I agree with those who say we just haven't created enough happy memories of the place to feel good about it. Hope that changes.

 

[Esoterica]

Why isn't it serving Gambrinus, Staropramen etc!?

Starobrno is the local brewery here in Brno although they were bought out by Heineken in 2009. No-one drinks Gambrinus (affectionately known as Sport Beer!), it's water compared to it's more famous sister beer - Pilsner Urquell which is a whopping £1.75 a pint these days in the city centre!!
Staropramen is a Prague based brewer, which makes it a big no no to drink here in Moravia - it's Molson Coors owned so heavily exported but never had a nice pint of it in the UK.
Truth is there are many many fantastic lager breweries here, many of which you'll never have heard of - Poutnik (Pilgrim) and Policka beer being 2 of my favourite. If you are a beer lover, Czech is incredible for it's choice, price and standard of beer.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

The idea that we should be pulling in 20k a game in L2 is frankly ludicrous.

That indeed is true.

I'd reckon if we were in competition for the title in the last three home games of the season, we'd see a substantial rise however.

Let's face it, most of the teams in this division are hardly a massive draw to the casual fan (and that's no disrespect to them, it's the same as we aren't to the casual Man Utd TV fan) so getting the armchair fans out is always going to be a challenge.

That being said if we keep winning, they will turn up!

 

[shmmeee]

That indeed is true.

I'd reckon if we were in competition for the title in the last three home games of the season, we'd see a substantial rise however.

Let's face it, most of the teams in this division are hardly a massive draw to the casual fan (and that's no disrespect to them, it's the same as we aren't to the casual Man Utd TV fan) so getting the armchair fans out is always going to be a challenge.

That being said if we keep winning, they will turn up!

I’d be very disappointed to see less than 10k a game if we remain in the top four come March-ish.

The rule of thumb I use to gage casual fan engagement isn’t how often people I know talk to me about City. We got it around the Checkatrade final, around a big cup game, and occasionally when we are doing well for a sustained period (like that half a Mowbray season) because people see the league table and if we are top 3 go “Oh, Cov are doing well”.

This season that’s only happened the last week or two after the cup games. As far as the casual knows we are mid table in L2. For some reason 4th doesn’t cut through, but top 3 does.

 

[clint van damme]

I’d be very disappointed to see less than 10k a game if we remain in the top four come March-ish.

The rule of thumb I use to gage casual fan engagement isn’t how often people I know talk to me about City. We got it around the Checkatrade final, around a big cup game, and occasionally when we are doing well for a sustained period (like that half a Mowbray season) because people see the league table and if we are top 3 go “Oh, Cov are doing well”.

This season that’s only happened the last week or two after the cup games. As far as the casual knows we are mid table in L2. For some reason 4th doesn’t cut through, but top 3 does.

I didn't expect crowds to be anywhere near 20,000 but must admit after 7 home wins on the bounce and challenging for the automatics I'm surprised that gates haven't crept up to the 10-11,000 mark.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

I didn't expect crowds to be anywhere near 20,000 but must admit after 7 home wins on the bounce and challenging for the automatics I'm surprised that gates haven't crept up to the 10-11,000 mark.

It'll take a while as much because we've been so rubbish for so long.

The Accrington game is a chance to hook a few back, mind, much as Stoke was. Keep a few each time we get a bigger gate and they see a good game, and it'll gradually rise.

Trying to sell a cold, dark Tuesday evening against Cambridge was always going to be tough, though.

 

[Earlsdon_Skyblue1]

Starobrno is the local brewery here in Brno although they were bought out by Heineken in 2009. No-one drinks Gambrinus (affectionately known as Sport Beer!), it's water compared to it's more famous sister beer - Pilsner Urquell which is a whopping £1.75 a pint these days in the city centre!!
Staropramen is a Prague based brewer, which makes it a big no no to drink here in Moravia - it's Molson Coors owned so heavily exported but never had a nice pint of it in the UK.
Truth is there are many many fantastic lager breweries here, many of which you'll never have heard of - Poutnik (Pilgrim) and Policka beer being 2 of my favourite. If you are a beer lover, Czech is incredible for it's choice, price and standard of beer.

Couldn't agree more!

 

[Earlsdon_Skyblue1]

My ten pence worth, and I know you've all heard it, but anyway...

Match day ticket prices are too much. The rise in attendances happened in the Mowbray season because if you felt like it on the day or a few days before you could grab a ticket for a decent price.

This season we are in a better position with what I would argue is a better chance of promotion. Want a ticket? £22 - £25 and it is a league below that good season we had 16/17. People are not prepared to pay the money for a one off game.

If it was more affordable you would have more people there, as we will probably see at the Accrington game.