Our fanbase from the City of Cardiff (again)

[horse_face]

Afternoon all

I know it's posted every year but I'm genuinely intrigued as to why there's a lack of support for the club in the City of Cardiff itself? Wandering around you'd never know there was a match on and that's reflected in the attendances. Can't think of any other cities of a similar size which struggle as much as we do. Is it a lack of identity? Are the people of Cardiff not arsed?

I do understand the generational element of people moving out (I left Cathays 20 years ago) but I still can't put my finger on it, particularly as people travel from further afield to the games?

I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts..?

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Very poor crowd again last night

I could understand it we were near the basement

Our fans are incredibly fickle and that's the ones that go

Whole sections of the cardiff and south wales public are not interested or would rather watch united on the TV

It's absolutely pathetic

The fans that support us home and away are fantastic and up there among the best

The problem is there simply isn't enough of them

The football club , the trust , the fans have all tried to increase the gates but its a waste of time and always has been

South Wales will support Cardiff City if we are doing well but these days that means being in the Premier league

We are capable of huge support but not on a regular basis and that's why we are where we are

One week the excuse is Xmas shopping , the weather , boring football , the next is its too expensive despite us being very cheap to watch compared to others

Or there's more to do in Cardiff on a Wednesday night than in Stoke or Plymouth

[horse_face]

The same issues apply to most clubs with more games on TV than ever and there's definitely an identity and connection issue after years of Dalman meddling after the f*cking rebrand.

However Ipswich averaged 26k last year in League one, now around 28K. Last night was piss poor, I don't understand why it's such a vacuum in the city itself? Last season our average was less than the Wurzels and Stoke.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

The same issues apply to most clubs with more games on TV than ever and there's definitely an identity and connection issue after years of Dalman meddling after the f*cking rebrand.

However Ipswich averaged 26k last year in League one, now around 28K. Last night was piss poor, I don't understand why it's such a vacuum in the city itself? Last season our average was less than the Wurzels and Stoke.

The support for Cardiff City and Cardiff Blues isn't what it should be let's be honest

[horse_face]

I agree Sludge, but I don't understand the reasons why .

One of the best sociological university faculties in Europe in the City and I don't think any work has ever been done?

The Capital City, no teams nearby, yet the city of Cardiff and it's boroughs are dead on a match day.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

The same issues apply to most clubs with more games on TV than ever and there's definitely an identity and connection issue after years of Dalman meddling after the f*cking rebrand.

However Ipswich averaged 26k last year in League one, now around 28K. Last night was piss poor, I don't understand why it's such a vacuum in the city itself? Last season our average was less than the Wurzels and Stoke.

My view is the truth is identity means nothing

If Cardiff City were in the Premier league people would be climbing over each other to get into the ground

Until that happens and we stay there for a long time that's the way it is

Xmas shopping , it's too expensive , I don't like the style of football and all that other excuses crap will be forgotten about

[Robin Friday's Ghost]

I agree Sludge, but I don't understand the reasons why .

One of the best sociological university faculties in Europe in the City and I don't think any work has ever been done?

The Capital City, no teams nearby, yet the city of Cardiff and it's boroughs are dead on a match day.

There's no interest in sport in the social science department of Cardiff University. Martin Johnes at Swansea University has written some really good stuff. He's a Jack but he has written about City too. A very good bloke and a superb historian.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

I agree Sludge, but I don't understand the reasons why .

One of the best sociological university faculties in Europe in the City and I don't think any work has ever been done?

The Capital City, no teams nearby, yet the city of Cardiff and it's boroughs are dead on a match day.

I don't think the capital city status means we should have good support but we should have bigger crowds than we do

It's more to do with the population which is easily big enough to sustain a top flight football club

The main reason is a lack of success over the years but even then people would find some excuse not to bother

I think the word bullshitters describes them

[horse_face]

True, but there's teams in the French second division with higher attendances.

The national sport, the capital city, no connection. General apathy.

[horse_face]

He seems like a good bloke, is the piece about Cardiff online? As I mentioned would love to know why the city of Cardiff seems non plussed about CCFC

[D. Advocaat]

The support for Cardiff City and Cardiff Blues isn't what it should be let's be honest

I've never lived in Cardiff or South Wales so speak as an outsider but it appears to me that the club is not embedded in the local psyche as in some other cities, and never has been. There is also very little football culture in Cardiff as a city. Our yo-yo crowds go back as long as the club has been around as far as I'm aware.

There is certainly an 'event' culture in Cardiff hence big matches in either rugby or football will always be well attended, but for the most part these are interested spectators rather than committed supporters.

[horse_face]

Agree, it's definitely not culturally rooted in the nearby areas in Grange or Canton. Never mind further out.

The event culture is definitely a broader social attraction in Wales, an excuse to have a jolly.

[A Quiet Monkfish]

Sometimes, certainly in the Championship, it isn't just a question of where you are in the league. I think the general perception of the club at present amongst our large fanbase is that despite reaching the heady heights of 6th place, we are a struggling club. No money for players, a squad full of non-league signings, players with no previous league experience, players from lower leagues, and one over-rated 'starlet'. I certainly feel like that I'm following a club that has ceased to be 'on the up'..

[Robin Friday's Ghost]

He seems like a good bloke, is the piece about Cardiff online? As I mentioned would love to know why the city of Cardiff seems non plussed about CCFC

He has a book called Soccer and Society which is a history of football in Wales. It's not exclusively about City. He apologies for calling it soccer and for focusing on us more than the Jacks 😁 He did a very good two part (I think) series too called Wales:England's Last Colony. Not football related but well worth a watch and I'm sure available online.

[horse_face]

Good point but even in our first promotion we were getting about 22k average. When we were on the up so to speak.

For a City of over 360k people it's mind blowing.

[horse_face]

Thanks.

Makes you wonder why the marketing team at the club have never cracked it or made efforts to affect the people who live in the city itself.

[goats]

Afternoon all

I know it's posted every year but I'm genuinely intrigued as to why there's a lack of support for the club in the City of Cardiff itself? Wandering around you'd never know there was a match on and that's reflected in the attendances. Can't think of any other cities of a similar size which struggle as much as we do. Is it a lack of identity? Are the people of Cardiff not arsed?

I do understand the generational element of people moving out (I left Cathays 20 years ago) but I still can't put my finger on it, particularly as people travel from further afield to the games?

I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts..?

Been mentioned many times a city approaching 400,000 people, half a million if you throw in penarth and Barry, how many regularly go? 10,000 max. It’s. Shocker but I’m not surprised. The club are useless. Will think of an initiative to attract new fans, let’s run a bus from somewhere else in the valleys? Somewhere people are skint and life’s tough….Meanwhile 1000’s of people who can afford it choose to do other things within 5 miles of the ground.

[horse_face]

Exactly Goats, it's mind blowing that potentially 1000s of fans could walk home easily from the ground or get a bus back up to Ely or Roath.

[TWGL1]

Been mentioned many times a city approaching 400,000 people, half a million if you throw in penarth and Barry, how many regularly go? 10,000 max. It’s. Shocker but I’m not surprised. The club are useless. Will think of an initiative to attract new fans, let’s run a bus from somewhere else in the valleys? Somewhere people are skint and life’s tough….Meanwhile 1000’s of people who can afford it choose to do other things within 5 miles of the ground.

The general attitude of the club’s employees towards its customers leaves a lot to be desired if you ask me. Puts floaters off from what I’ve been told.

[Stanmore Bluebird]

The football we play is often very dull, all this playing out from the back and passing to one another amongst the back four. It is so tedious; the first half v Millwall was akin to watching paint dry.

Too much of each game we play in our defensive third near our own goal. More attacking football and less passing between the defenders would make us more exciting and possibly encourage more fans to attend.

For myself living in London, I don’t want to pay for a hotel and meals especially when the games are so poor. If the trains ran later out of Cardiff Central, then I would come to every game. The last train leave too early; expect it is the same travelling to other locations after 10pm from Cardiff on the Tuesday/Wednesday night. As it is at present, I can only make the Saturday fixtures. There must be lots of other season ticket holders like myself whose absence mid week makes the stadium look so bare.

Primarily though, more exciting football is needed before supporters show up in their droves, plus better music in the ground pre match and at half time and just an improved atmosphere from the marketing side of the club in general.

[Canton Kev]

Plenty of reasons that don’t require a sociological degree.

Up until 15-20 years ago we were awful and had a horrible hooligan reputation. There are plenty of people in their 30’s and 40’s who weren’t raised as Cardiff fans and subsequently aren’t raising their children as fans. Most people are hooked as children. It takes a lot more effort to convert an adult into a fan than a child.

We were very very late to the Premier League party and the explosion in national exposure to football for the casual fan. Just look at some of the crowds the big teams were getting before 1992. In the 32 years since the PL’s conception we have only been there twice. And for the first 15 years we were in the lower leagues so weren’t even in the peripheral as promotion contenders.

We are not historically a big or successful club. The 2010’s has arguably been our most successful period since the 1920’s. In the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s most other clubs can at least boast league titles, cup wins or a sustained top flight status.

Success brings fans, which is why we’re now getting average attendances of ~20k each season compared to the 90’s when we were averaging 3k-5k.

And on top of all that you can chuck in the fact that Wales simply isn’t into football as much as England.

[horse_face]

Plenty of reasons that don’t require a sociological degree.

Up until 15-20 years ago we were awful and had a horrible hooligan reputation. There are plenty of people in their 30’s and 40’s who weren’t raised as Cardiff fans and subsequently aren’t raising their children as fans. Most people are hooked as children. It takes a lot more effort to convert an adult into a fan than a child.

We were very very late to the Premier League party and the explosion in national exposure to football for the casual fan. Just look at some of the crowds the big teams were getting before 1992. In the 32 years since the PL’s conception we have only been there twice. And for the first 15 years we were in the lower leagues so weren’t even in the peripheral as promotion contenders.

We are not historically a big or successful club. The 2010’s has arguably been our most successful period since the 1920’s. In the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s most other clubs can at least boast league titles, cup wins or a sustained top flight status.

Success brings fans, which is why we’re now getting average attendances of ~20k each season compared to the 90’s when we were averaging 3k-5k.

And on top of all that you can chuck in the fact that Wales simply isn’t into football as much as England.

Some valid points but we had bumper crowds in the 60s and 70s: My family all from Cardiff can recount excitement around games.

We also aren’t the only club who’ve recovered from a reputational issue or lack of success

There is no other club in the UK where the city with one club doesn’t follow the team.

It’s a unique and strictly Cardiff problem.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Plenty of reasons that don’t require a sociological degree.

Up until 15-20 years ago we were awful and had a horrible hooligan reputation. There are plenty of people in their 30’s and 40’s who weren’t raised as Cardiff fans and subsequently aren’t raising their children as fans. Most people are hooked as children. It takes a lot more effort to convert an adult into a fan than a child.

We were very very late to the Premier League party and the explosion in national exposure to football for the casual fan. Just look at some of the crowds the big teams were getting before 1992. In the 32 years since the PL’s conception we have only been there twice. And for the first 15 years we were in the lower leagues so weren’t even in the peripheral as promotion contenders.

We are not historically a big or successful club. The 2010’s has arguably been our most successful period since the 1920’s. In the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s most other clubs can at least boast league titles, cup wins or a sustained top flight status.

Success brings fans, which is why we’re now getting average attendances of ~20k each season compared to the 90’s when we were averaging 3k-5k.

And on top of all that you can chuck in the fact that Wales simply isn’t into football as much as England.

The Welsh are definitely into football

The problem for us is that they like success so they are more likely to support Liverpool or Man United than Cardiff City , Swansea , County etc

It's fecking pathetic to see adults poncing around in Liverpool tops but the only way to change it is for ccfc to be in the top flight and to stay there

It's absolutely incredible that Bournemouth, Brentford etc make a fist of it but we screw it up

If we did get successful people would be lining up to get in and the weather, traffic , shopping , the wife's sisters got flu and all the other nonsense wouldn't even be mentioned

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Some valid points but we had bumper crowds in the 60s and 70s: My family all from Cardiff can recount excitement around games.

We also aren’t the only club who’ve recovered from a reputational issue or lack of success

There is no other club in the UK where the city with one club doesn’t follow the team.

It’s a unique and strictly Cardiff problem.

We had big crowds and we have always been able to pull big numbers

But they don't stick around

And that's our problem

[Canton Kev]

Some valid points but we had bumper crowds in the 60s and 70s: My family all from Cardiff can recount excitement around games.

We also aren’t the only club who’ve recovered from a reputational issue or lack of success

There is no other club in the UK where the city with one club doesn’t follow the team.

It’s a unique and strictly Cardiff problem.

The 60’s and 70’s saw bumper crowds all across the UK and up and down the pyramid.

Avg attendance in Division 1
1960 - 1970 was ~31k.
1970 - 1980 was ~27k
1980 - 1990 was ~ 20k

Then in 1992, the first year of the Premier League, the average attendance was 21,600. A decade later the average was 35,500. Last season the average hit 40,000+ for the first time ever.

If you compare that first decade of the PL with the rest of the pyramid you can see why we lagged behind.

1st tier. 21,400 > 35,500
2nd tier. 10,500 > 15,400
3rd tier. 5,400 > 7,000
4th tier. 3,400 > 4,500

Premier League teams on average saw their crowds grow by 2/3rds. 3rd and 4th tier teams by less than 1/3rd.

We missed out and have been stuck playing catch-up.