Rd 01 City vs Brisbane (AAMI Fri 6/10, 7.50KO)

[SF33]

I wonder what impact the closure of the Hurstbridge train line from 8:30pm tonight will have to the crowd for our first home game in umpteen years.

Presumably a huge number of members/supporters who would ordinarily cruise over from the CBD after work and then train home from Jolimont after will give it a miss, especially if they have Foxtel (me included).

I'm not sure about what came first, but I think it's very disappointing that, considering the proximity of our HQ to some of the outer Hurstbridge line stations, either the works weren't pushed back by a couple of hours to allow supporters to get home without a 40-something minute bus ride at 10pm between Clifton Hill and Macleod (then back on a train for the outer reaches of the line), or that the fixture didn't take this into account and give us a Saturday game instead.

I know people will travel further and get home later than I would if I went tonight, but the simple fact is I wouldn't have missed this game if I could get the regular train home, or if it was pretty much any time on Saturday/Sunday instead, so I could drive there and back.

In fairness, I don't know if this was out of the club's (or the league's) hands, but it's pretty disappointing that the first round 1 home game in my six years will have such clear accessibility issues for the Hurstbridge line, which is presumably considered a bit of a club heartland.

[fensaddler]

1 hour ago, SF33 said:

I wonder what impact the closure of the Hurstbridge train line from 8:30pm tonight will have to the crowd for our first home game in umpteen years.

Presumably a huge number of members/supporters who would ordinarily cruise over from the CBD after work and then train home from Jolimont after will give it a miss, especially if they have Foxtel (me included).

I'm not sure about what came first, but I think it's very disappointing that, considering the proximity of our HQ to some of the outer Hurstbridge line stations, either the works weren't pushed back by a couple of hours to allow supporters to get home without a 40-something minute bus ride at 10pm between Clifton Hill and Macleod (then back on a train for the outer reaches of the line), or that the fixture didn't take this into account and give us a Saturday game instead.

I know people will travel further and get home later than I would if I went tonight, but the simple fact is I wouldn't have missed this game if I could get the regular train home, or if it was pretty much any time on Saturday/Sunday instead, so I could drive there and back.

In fairness, I don't know if this was out of the club's (or the league's) hands, but it's pretty disappointing that the first round 1 home game in my six years will have such clear accessibility issues for the Hurstbridge line, which is presumably considered a bit of a club heartland.

These closures are always out of the club's hands.  I think last year they managed to close half the network to the eastern suburbs on the night of a Melbourne derby.  It's as if the soccer season doesn't exist for PTV/Metro...

[GreenSeater]

1 hour ago, SF33 said:

I wonder what impact the closure of the Hurstbridge train line from 8:30pm tonight will have to the crowd for our first home game in umpteen years.

Presumably a huge number of members/supporters who would ordinarily cruise over from the CBD after work and then train home from Jolimont after will give it a miss, especially if they have Foxtel (me included).

I'm not sure about what came first, but I think it's very disappointing that, considering the proximity of our HQ to some of the outer Hurstbridge line stations, either the works weren't pushed back by a couple of hours to allow supporters to get home without a 40-something minute bus ride at 10pm between Clifton Hill and Macleod (then back on a train for the outer reaches of the line), or that the fixture didn't take this into account and give us a Saturday game instead.

I know people will travel further and get home later than I would if I went tonight, but the simple fact is I wouldn't have missed this game if I could get the regular train home, or if it was pretty much any time on Saturday/Sunday instead, so I could drive there and back.

In fairness, I don't know if this was out of the club's (or the league's) hands, but it's pretty disappointing that the first round 1 home game in my six years will have such clear accessibility issues for the Hurstbridge line, which is presumably considered a bit of a club heartland.

I live on the Lilydale line and I can't count the number of times I've had to catch replacement busses during A League season on the way to and from games. Yeah it's a pain in the arse, but certainly not a reason to miss a game.

 

Anyway, IT'S GAME DAY FIRE UP FARKEN!

Edited October 5, 2017 by GreenSeater

[fensaddler]

Just now, GreenSeater said:

I live on the Lilydale line and I can't count the number of times I've had to catch replacement busses during A League season on the way to and from games. Yeah it's a pain in the arse, but certainly not a reason to miss a game.

 

Anyway, IT'S GAME DAY FIRE UP FARKEN!

I'm on the Belgrave GS. I feel your pain.

[SF33]

15 minutes ago, GreenSeater said:

I live on the Lilydale line and I can't count the number of times I've had to catch replacement busses during A League season on the way to and from games. Yeah it's a pain in the arse, but certainly not a reason to miss a game.

 

Anyway, IT'S GAME DAY FIRE UP FARKEN!

With all due respect, that's enough to be the difference between going and not going for me. A year ago, no worries, I would have got in and finished work early and just driven in at about 5:30, but with a nine month old who isn't the greatest sleeper and a toddler running around as well, the Mrs and me are running on about 4-5 hours of sleep per night and if I'm out until 11pm (if it's still the same timetable as last year, for a Hurstbridge train, you either need to leave as the final whistle is blown to make it to Jolimont in time, or wait another 20 minutes for the next train), it increases the burden on her, as well as sacrificing my one eight hour 'sleep-in' for the week (I seriously look forward to that these days).

I'm sure people would look on that as being soft for a home opener and I'm actually optimistic about the season ahead, but it is what it is. I won't be going purely because of the public transport disruptions, combined with going straight from work and I wouldn't be the only one.

[bt50]

40 minutes ago, GreenSeater said:

I live on the Lilydale line and I can't count the number of times I've had to catch replacement busses during A League season on the way to and from games. Yeah it's a pain in the arse, but certainly not a reason to miss a game.

 

Anyway, IT'S GAME DAY FIRE UP FARKEN!

How excitement. Hanging out for tonight, fingers crossed we get the choccies.

[HeartLand]

Try living on the Gippsland line. Having to race to Southern Cross straight after the game to catch a bus because the trains always get cancelled. Whats normally a 90 minute trip can be 3-4 hours.

[NuggetsMcGreggor]

58 minutes ago, GreenSeater said:

I live on the Lilydale line and I can't count the number of times I've had to catch replacement busses during A League season on the way to and from games. Yeah it's a pain in the arse, but certainly not a reason to miss a game.

 

Anyway, IT'S GAME DAY FIRE UP FARKEN!

Came on to see if someone had said “fire up farken” yet. Wasn’t disappointed 

[jw1739]

PT closures are out of the club's and League's hands. Overall I'd say that we're better off playing Friday nights than on a Saturday or Sunday and we'll experience fewer closures that way. That's based on living on the Sandy line, where Sunday is the favoured day for closures.

That said, I'd guess that PTV takes very little notice of "soccer" matches when it plans these closures. Maybe the League and clubs have to make a strong stand on the issue.

[GreenSeater]

56 minutes ago, SF33 said:

With all due respect, that's enough to be the difference between going and not going for me. A year ago, no worries, I would have got in and finished work early and just driven in at about 5:30, but with a nine month old who isn't the greatest sleeper and a toddler running around as well, the Mrs and me are running on about 4-5 hours of sleep per night and if I'm out until 11pm (if it's still the same timetable as last year, for a Hurstbridge train, you either need to leave as the final whistle is blown to make it to Jolimont in time, or wait another 20 minutes for the next train), it increases the burden on her, as well as sacrificing my one eight hour 'sleep-in' for the week (I seriously look forward to that these days).

I'm sure people would look on that as being soft for a home opener and I'm actually optimistic about the season ahead, but it is what it is. I won't be going purely because of the public transport disruptions, combined with going straight from work and I wouldn't be the only one.

Apologies if it came across as such but I wasn't having a dig at you. Obviously everyone has different situations and I don't have any kids to worry about. Was more trying to say that unfortunately these closures are a reality of following a summer sport and it is out of the club's hands. They tend to do them on weekends over summer as they expect lower crowds on the trains, which makes sense but obviously hurts us A League fans.

[SF33]

19 minutes ago, GreenSeater said:

Apologies if it came across as such but I wasn't having a dig at you. Obviously everyone has different situations and I don't have any kids to worry about. Was more trying to say that unfortunately these closures are a reality of following a summer sport and it is out of the club's hands. They tend to do them on weekends over summer as they expect lower crowds on the trains, which makes sense but obviously hurts us A League fans.

Not at all. All good.

I just think that it's important with our club, when there's such an ongoing issue with generating and maintaining public interest, to recognise that generally the type of supporters who would frequent this forum are probably not the type of supporters that we need to convince to show up on a regular basis to home games and to buy a membership. It doesn't take much for the more casual (or simply more time poor) fans to put attending a game in the too hard basket.

My understanding is that the numbers show that in general, Friday night games aren't popular with our supporters in terms of attendance either and it makes sense that a good way to build our support would be to get younger supporters along (Saturday and Sunday games, mainly afternoons). Now, I'm not sure how much sway our club has in terms of dictating what it wants when the fixture is being developed (and whether our demands are ever more sophisticated than "two home games against Victory") and in fairness, it seems like City's hands are tied with respect to these public transport issues, but I hope that the club actually thinks about this sort of stuff and how we can build our attendances over time, because it's the sort of stuff that will easily turn casual supporters and potential supporters off.

 

 

[JMSTEP123]

I am in Greensborough and generally drive in. If there are any PT closures I am always happy to get people back beyond the works which is either to Heidelberg or from there to beyond. Cant tonight, but generally able!

[SF33]

49 minutes ago, jw1739 said:

PT closures are out of the club's and League's hands. Overall I'd say that we're better off playing Friday nights than on a Saturday or Sunday and we'll experience fewer closures that way. That's based on living on the Sandy line, where Sunday is the favoured day for closures.

That said, I'd guess that PTV takes very little notice of "soccer" matches when it plans these closures. Maybe the League and clubs have to make a strong stand on the issue.

It would be interesting to see the difference for a Victory game at AAMI, or a Stars game at the MCG. I reckon they'd probably push the start time for the works back to 11pm, but that's just a guess.

[playmaker]

@SF33 why don't you just drive to another station on another line? That's what I have done in the past.

[japiedog]

will be parking at my secret spot yet again...

this has been available for every match bar derbies

always a spot if you are there half an hour before kick off

let's hope the rain keeps away

 

[SF33]

19 minutes ago, playmaker said:

@SF33 why don't you just drive to another station on another line? That's what I have done in the past.

That's potentially an option to explore in the future, but not sure that driving to Keon Park (I suppose), or maybe even Camberwell would have made the trip home any quicker tonight than the train to Victoria Park/Clifton Hill, bus to Macleod, train to Watsonia and walk home (or drive from Macleod).

I'm not saying that they've made it impossible for me to get home tonight, just that it's given me (and presumably many others, which is the real issue) an excuse to say that they CBF and just watch it at home. At the end of the day it just doesn't take as many obstacles as it used to for me to miss a home game. I didn't even take the Mrs to task when she selfishly went into labour on the afternoon of the Christmas derby last year.

Saturday/Sunday I tend to drive rather the train anyway, so I doubt it would have made a difference if it was any other time slot (although night games in general are a little iffy for me right now). It's just the Friday night combo really. 

Edited October 6, 2017 by SF33

[cadete]

8 minutes ago, playmaker said:

@SF33 why don't you just drive to another station on another line? That's what I have done in the past.

There is @playmaker your greatest and most logical post ever on here...

3 minutes ago, japiedog said:

will be parking at my secret spot yet again...

this has been available for every match bar derbies

always a spot if you are there half an hour before kick off

let's hope the rain keeps away

 

Yeah, I used to have one of those for AFL games at the MCG circa 2006 to 2009... it was under the Exhibition Street Bridge and it never failed.

Until on night after beating Collingwood to get into the 2009 Grand Final as I was just about 20 meters away from in my car when I literally almost completely dropped down an open Manhole which was so wide and deep that the only thing that saved my life was my Knee got banged on the side of the drain and stopped the fall.

The result was my knee blew up to twice its size and I had to lay in bed for a whole week... but I was able to stand at the GF. Anyway I decided to give the spot away after that... it was not being used for a reason.
 

[SF33]

15 minutes ago, japiedog said:

will be parking at my secret spot yet again...

this has been available for every match bar derbies

always a spot if you are there half an hour before kick off

let's hope the rain keeps away

 

I favour the back streets around the Precinct and East Richmond Station, personally. I like a bit of a walk to and from the game.

[Hellenic Hero]

Parking in Anderson St and surrounding backstreets usually works for me

[fensaddler]

Anyone want to talk PAX numbers?  Ours in the 10,400s buying late last night.

Edited October 6, 2017 by fensaddler

[bt50]

7 minutes ago, fensaddler said:

Anyone want to talk PAX numbers?  Ours in the 10,400s buying late last night.

Buy a membership you tightarse!! 

[Inferno]

30 minutes ago, Hellenic Hero said:

Parking in Anderson St and surrounding backstreets usually works for me

You drive?

[Tommykins]

https://www.a-league.com.au/news/warren-joyce-yarn

Quote

Injury replacement striker Ross McCormack may miss out due to visa issues

Only published 7 hours ago.

[playmaker]

53 minutes ago, cadete said:

There is @playmaker your greatest and most logical post ever on here...

Nah, there has been at least over a thousand but some people are too stupid to realise.

[bt50]

5 minutes ago, Tommykins said:

https://www.a-league.com.au/news/warren-joyce-yarn

Only published 7 hours ago.

Wazza said his visas is through so he'll start in that presser.

[Embee]

Just now, bt50 said:

Wazza said his visas is through so he'll start in that presser.

If it's not, fold the country

[playmaker]

25 minutes ago, Embee said:

If it's not, fold the country

Leave that to Ange as he is doing such a great job of doing so.

[jw1739]

1 hour ago, SF33 said:

Not at all. All good.

I just think that it's important with our club, when there's such an ongoing issue with generating and maintaining public interest, to recognise that generally the type of supporters who would frequent this forum are probably not the type of supporters that we need to convince to show up on a regular basis to home games and to buy a membership. It doesn't take much for the more casual (or simply more time poor) fans to put attending a game in the too hard basket.

My understanding is that the numbers show that in general, Friday night games aren't popular with our supporters in terms of attendance either and it makes sense that a good way to build our support would be to get younger supporters along (Saturday and Sunday games, mainly afternoons). Now, I'm not sure how much sway our club has in terms of dictating what it wants when the fixture is being developed (and whether our demands are ever more sophisticated than "two home games against Victory") and in fairness, it seems like City's hands are tied with respect to these public transport issues, but I hope that the club actually thinks about this sort of stuff and how we can build our attendances over time, because it's the sort of stuff that will easily turn casual supporters and potential supporters off.

In fact that common assertion is not borne out by the numbers.

In terms of home non-derby non-final A-League matches, we have played 23 on a Friday, 24 on a Saturday, and 24 on a Sunday.

The corresponding average attendances are 7,538, 7,339 and 7,793. I'm no statistician, but when you take into account other variables such as weather, who we're playing, etc. etc., I doubt that the differences are statistically significant.

I agree with your second point that I have highlighted. I don't know much about marketing either, so how do we reach out and get into the consciousness of the Melbourne general public? I'll be going to a birthday dinner tomorrow and I can guarantee that only one other person in the party will even know that City played the night before.

[SF33]

14 minutes ago, jw1739 said:

In fact that common assertion is not borne out by the numbers.

In terms of home non-derby non-final A-League matches, we have played 23 on a Friday, 24 on a Saturday, and 24 on a Sunday.

The corresponding average attendances are 7,538, 7,339 and 7,793. I'm no statistician, but when you take into account other variables such as weather, who we're playing, etc. etc., I doubt that the differences are statistically significant.

I agree with your second point that I have highlighted. I don't know much about marketing either, so how do we reach out and get into the consciousness of the Melbourne general public? I'll be going to a birthday dinner tomorrow and I can guarantee that only one other person in the party will even know that City played the night before.

Fair enough. I guess I was comparing it to the AFL, where Friday night is considered to be a premium time slot and 50,000 at the MCG on Friday night isn't considered the same thing as 50,000 for a 3:30pm start on Sunday. You'd expect to get significantly more on Friday night and for night games in general than Saturday/Sunday afternoon.

What it probably shows is that the natural comparison that some (including me) might make to similar start times in the AFL might be a bit simplistic and that an A-League game on Friday night might not be considered any more of a 'blockbuster' to the supporters than the same teams playing the twilight game on Saturday, all other things being equal.

[kingofhearts]

Boy am i excited, i can't fucking wait

[Jovan]

Skipping lunch and holding out for a kransky pre game.

 

[Afif Adam]

Wait tf is Ross to play or nah..7hrs ago? Who tf is this guy

[Shahanga]

Looking forward to this game for a few reasons:

1. Catch-up with a mate

2. Watch live football 

3. Start to answer a lot of questions I have about the squad and the gaffer

[n i k o]

2 minutes ago, Shahanga said:

Looking forward to this game for a few reasons:

1. Catch-up with a mate

2. Watch live football 

3. Start to answer a lot of questions I have about the squad and the gaffer

Yes agree with all especially number 3. It'll definitely reveal the truth about our preseason form. 

[jw1739]

2 hours ago, SF33 said:

Fair enough. I guess I was comparing it to the AFL, where Friday night is considered to be a premium time slot and 50,000 at the MCG on Friday night isn't considered the same thing as 50,000 for a 3:30pm start on Sunday. You'd expect to get significantly more on Friday night and for night games in general than Saturday/Sunday afternoon.

What it probably shows is that the natural comparison that some (including me) might make to similar start times in the AFL might be a bit simplistic and that an A-League game on Friday night might not be considered any more of a 'blockbuster' to the supporters than the same teams playing the twilight game on Saturday, all other things being equal.

IMO one of the key factors for us is getting our members to actually turn up. If more or less all of our current 8,500 members turned up for every match, then attendances would probably show which was the most-popular timeslot for casual attendees. But as we know, there are acres of empty seats held by members who seem to turn up to only one or two matches. It's normal to approach the ground and see plenty of people outside queuing for tickets and consequently think that there's going to be a decent crowd, and then get inside and find exactly the opposite.

[daniboi]

I would love to meet the genius who decided to schedule several games at 7:30 on a Sunday night. Couldn't make this stuff up

[n i k o]

3 minutes ago, daniboi said:

I would love to meet the genius who decided to schedule several games at 7:30 on a Sunday night. Couldn't make this stuff up

Metrics

[bt50]

3 minutes ago, daniboi said:

I would love to meet the genius who decided to schedule several games at 7:30 on a Sunday night. Couldn't make this stuff up

[Forever City]

14 minutes ago, daniboi said:

I would love to meet the genius who decided to schedule several games at 7:30 on a Sunday night. Couldn't make this stuff up

[SF33]

16 minutes ago, jw1739 said:

IMO one of the key factors for us is getting our members to actually turn up. If more or less all of our current 8,500 members turned up for every match, then attendances would probably show which was the most-popular timeslot for casual attendees. But as we know, there are acres of empty seats held by members who seem to turn up to only one or two matches. It's normal to approach the ground and see plenty of people outside queuing for tickets and consequently think that there's going to be a decent crowd, and then get inside and find exactly the opposite.

Tough to argue. Or to pass on your membership to someone else when you know that you definitely can't make it, which, while it is presumably against the rules, common sense would suggest that it's not policed too rigorously, when we routinely get a 75% empty stadium. Or for the club to offer a buyback scheme for unused seats when members know that they won't be attending.

I tried to offload my pass without success for this week, but admittedly, I could have been a bit better prepared. I was even considering a kind of timeshare arrangement with my brothers this season, so we could each attend 4-5 home games, but ultimately got one for myself. But you're right: there pretty clearly seems to be great seats that are rarely - if ever - occupied during the season