Dot Counting Bolton 10k - 28 November

[Scrongo]

I can imagine there are some good old arguments going on in some households tonight:-
Little Johnny - Mum, can I go to football tomorrow night
Mum - NO! it's school the next day
LJ - But daddy says I can go!
Mum - (Shouting upstairs) DAD, HAVE YOU SAID JOHNNY CAN GO TO FOOTBALL?
Dad - Err, Err (mumbling) I said ask mum
Mum - You know he can't go to football midweek
Dad - Err he is old enough now, we'll be back just after ten (slight exaggeration of some thing like 10.45pm)
LJ - Mum ...... I want to go to football, Jake is going .... (Even though Jake may not be going!!)

Hahaha sounds about right , you've got to keep up with the Joneses...

 

[bdodwell]

Yes & I was part of that 5000 & the record lowest ..

I was at the record lowest too. Wonder how many of the 2526 are going tomorrow?

 

[CCYellow]

Those hoping for 10K+ are clearly being unrealistic, what with it being a school night, the public transport not being great, the traffic in Oxford etc. You'd only have to look at our home weekday attendances this year to know it's unrealistic.

03Oct23 Shrewsbury: 7212
25Apr23 Cheltenham: 7757
18Apr23 Portsmouth: 8345
14Feb23 Plymouth: 8242
01Feb23 Barnsley: 7381
09Jan23 Arsenal: 11538 7862

 

[Sarge]

I was at the record lowest too. Wonder how many of the 2526 are going tomorrow?

i am

 

[Colin B]

Just shy of 6,900 at midnight, so still sluggish sales.

I think the best we can hope for now is 8,000 home fans plus the 1,200 from Bolton. I don't think this was ever likely to get to 10,000 but a win on Saturday might have seen us go over 9,500 total. Most areas are similar, or marginally below, our recent Saturday game sales, but the North Stand (apart from the block next to the away fans) is about 500 down. At the risk of repeating myself, it's clear that midweek, winter, games are a hard sell to families, when you play at a freezing cold soulless shithole with nowhere to shelter your kids and nothing for them to do pre game.

I've gone a bit early on the midnight count tonight, but good sales of about 350 today.

SSU and East Stand are actually slightly up, while SSL is only down by about 50, but North Stand remains down in the family area by several hundred, with the other blocks only slightly down.

It'll be interesting to see how the daytime sales go tomorrow, before the walk ups and boxes are added on at kick off. I still think we'll end up at about 9,200 total, but live in hope that it could be a little higher.

 

[Oxford84]

Largest midweek home attendance v Bolton,7508.

We are a county team which means getting back home early for school aged fans when you could spend an hour getting out of the car park is a problem.

 

[Callum93]

Funny the whole "midweek schoolnight" excuse doesn't exist when we play a big prem team in the cup though...

 

[Oxford84]

Funny the whole "midweek schoolnight" excuse doesn't exist when we play a big prem team in the cup though...

bit of a one off game there though.

 

[holdsteady]

Funny the whole "midweek schoolnight" excuse doesn't exist when we play a big prem team in the cup though...

Well people make the odd exception to rules don’t they? It’s strange to slag off people for doing what they think is right for their kids. Whether they decide to take them or not then that’s the parents choice not some random on an obscure third division football forum.

 

[bdodwell]

The thing is. Our loyal base would walk through treacle to make any game. I once went to Wimbledon away at Selhurst, knowing I'd only get there for the 2nd half. I knew it wouldn't be worth it, but had bad FOMO.
It's the fans who game select and new fans that increase attendances. To incease loyal fan base is cultural, where Newground will facilitate.
Decision by these fans to go or not will be influenced by:
Cold tuesday night. Traffic. Parking .School night. Shite facilities. Xmas and COL Crisis.
The on field product and ticket prices are generally fantastc IMO. But until we undergo culture change, and hook the above fans in, 8 to 9000 for a game such as this is where we are at.
I wish people would stop the negative comments. If people just go to big games great cuz when we blow them away in Newground we gonna Hook Em In!

 

[Scotchegg]

Funny the whole "midweek schoolnight" excuse doesn't exist when we play a big prem team in the cup though...

The fact that we're attracting several hundred young families to Saturday games is a fantastic thing and helping to build our future fanbase. Some won't be able to make every evening game, but that's a fairly small cost in what is hopefully a longer term gain.

Tonight we will see neatly 1000 more than we had at any midweek league game in the last year and should see our average exceed 9000 for the season so far. There is a lot to be positive about without the need to have a dig at kids not going to a cold and miserable stadium on a cold and miserable night.

 

[TailsWeWin]

Funny the whole "midweek schoolnight" excuse doesn't exist when we play a big prem team in the cup though...

It would be interesting to know what other responsibilities you have - including family - that allows you to make these comments.
I speak as a season ticket holder who also goes to most away matches. As a retiree i now have the time and I’m very lucky to do so. But when I had a young family at home and a working wife there were plenty of “midweek schoolnight” valid excuses which prevented me from attending every match (much as I would have liked to!).
Much as I admire your enthusiasm, perhaps you could give a thought to those who literally CANNOT turn out on a cold Tuesday evening in mid-November. And why.

 

[Gregortheox]

This is all a bit weird.

9k vs Bolton on a Tuesday night in November in the third tier!!! By OUFC standards that's pretty good isn't it? Now i know that our transfer window in the summer was pretty good and we have had a strong start to the season but Oxford United haven't suddenly morphed in to Dortmund. Our crowds are on an upward curve...and you don't measure the size of your club based on attendances alone. Its all good. Try and enjoy the moment!

 

[m]

This is all a bit weird.

9k vs Bolton on a Tuesday night in November in the third tier!!! By OUFC standards that's pretty good isn't it? Now i know that our transfer window in the summer was pretty good and we have had a strong start to the season but Oxford United haven't suddenly morphed in to Dortmund. Our crowds are on an upward curve...and you don't measure the size of your club based on attendances alone. Its all good. Try and enjoy the moment!

Yeah, bonkers isn't it?

We should always be pushing and hoping for more, but things are improving

 

[holdsteady]

This is all a bit weird.

9k vs Bolton on a Tuesday night in November in the third tier!!! By OUFC standards that's pretty good isn't it? Now i know that our transfer window in the summer was pretty good and we have had a strong start to the season but Oxford United haven't suddenly morphed in to Dortmund. Our crowds are on an upward curve...and you don't measure the size of your club based on attendances alone. Its all good. Try and enjoy the moment!

At the moment we have people on here suggesting we are going to lose 7 nil tonight and that no one will be there, we are third in the league and having our best crowds since we were in the top flight nearly 40 years ago, what were these people doing 10/11 months ago when we absolutely imploded under a manager who had basically given up?

 

[Colin B]

I've gone a bit early on the midnight count tonight, but good sales of about 350 today.

SSU and East Stand are actually slightly up, while SSL is only down by about 50, but North Stand remains down in the family area by several hundred, with the other blocks only slightly down.

It'll be interesting to see how the daytime sales go tomorrow, before the walk ups and boxes are added on at kick off. I still think we'll end up at about 9,200 total, but live in hope that it could be a little higher.

Last post before leaving for the game shortly.

Another 200 sales so far today, taking us up to about 7,400. I'd say with boxes, walk ups and sales this afternoon/evening my 8,000 plus what Bolton bring won't be far out.

So that's 9,200 total. In my opinion that's not bad for a cold midweek game in November. It'll be interesting to compare with other League One and Two attendances tonight.

 

[Bitter]

How many other clubs in league one on a Tuesday night are getting 10,000. Bolton, Pompey, Derby, perhaps Charlton and Barnsley? That's about it I reckon. So if over 8,500 turn up tonight, well done I say.

 

[RgYellows]

At the moment we have people on here suggesting we are going to lose 7 nil tonight and that no one will be there, we are third in the league and having our best crowds since we were in the top flight nearly 40 years ago, what were these people doing 10/11 months ago when we absolutely imploded under a manager who had basically given up?

You’re right about the mood on here this week. But, to be fair, the mood back then was every bit as bad as you’re suggesting it might have been. And you know that, because you refused to say the managers name, because you know what happens when you say those words on this forum.

 

[Sarge]

was it 8800 ish?

travelling from basically green rd roundabout and parking on BBLeys took me an hour!

5 mins to the slip rd to Tesco roundabout by BMW, 50 mins from the start of the slip road to TheSwan, the 5mind to BBleys inc parking up

fully understand why on a baltic night at the breeze block some from further afield opted for ifollow & avoided the utterly s**t, snail pace, traffic in East Oxford

 

[Northstandboy]

was it 8800 ish?

travelling from basically green rd roundabout and parking on BBLeys took me an hour!

5 mins to the slip rd to Tesco roundabout by BMW, 50 mins from the start of the slip road to TheSwan, the 5mind to BBleys inc parking up

fully understand why on a baltic night at the breeze block some from further afield opted for ifollow & avoided the utterly s**t, snail pace, traffic in East Oxford

8899 I think