Floating Fans

[Rigadon]

What with the lower gates caused by a few different factors being a fairly hot topic at the moment, I've read the term 'floating fan' quite a lot lately.  It's got me thinking what this actually means?

On average I go to about 5 or 6 games every season,  generally when work allows and when family / friends can also go.  It really doesn't matter who we're playing.  I reckon I spend about £150 every season at Villa Park with tickets and refreshments etc, can't think of many other things I'd spend that much going to see - I don't go to many gigs, the theatre whatever.   

So are people like me floating fans and if so, are we who the club should be 'enticing'?  Or should we be concentrating on turning the next generation of massive amounts of local kids who wear Liverpool/ManUtd shirts but live in the West Midlands?

[Witton Warrior]

I am not sure what a floating fan is either. It sounds slightly derogatory but not as bad as a "fair weather" fan? Intermitent attenders? ;-)

We (my son and I) are attending more this season than in the last three and this has a lot to do with me getting back into the habit of match days and sorting his needs at the ground (he has autism).

We have always had a strange turnout at Villa Park. I remember in the Championship season wasn't the last home match (Boro) a 39k crowd when you would expect a full house?

[UK Redsox]

Aquarius and my name is Ralph

[Rigadon]

Indeed, Witton, it does sound faintly derogatory and is often used in those terms: "floating fans, tut".   

Erm, a bit on an airy-fairy response, but thanks Ralph

[Lambert and Payne]

I'm a 'floating fan' and I've only been to 2 games so far this season. I had a season ticket until 2010 and go about 10 games hhome or away a season. To me sometimes it does matter who were playing, I'd rather go down and have a laugh with a few mates at small heath or manure home than go on myself to norwich or wigan.
It costs too much even if I wanted to go to every game, but I can't justify the 25 pound ticket, 10 pound train, food, drink, getting picked up from the train station. Its 50 quid a game minimum for me.
I'd aim tickets at the next gen of fans, there the future

[Pete3206]

We have always had a strange turnout at Villa Park. I remember in the Championship season wasn't the last home match (Boro) a 39k crowd when you would expect a full house?

To be fair, it was raining.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

'Floating fan' sounds like someone who may switch their allegiance to another club and back again. A not impossible but very unlikely scenario. Much as a floating voter may change which party they vote for from one election to the next.
'Fair weather supporter' or 'part-time supporter' sounds even more derogatory.
More politically correct terms may be 'Intermittent attender' or from a clubs point of view 'Irregular revenue stream patron'.

Even if you go to one game a year you are still a full time fan. If you are pretty well aware when the hours are that the team is playing even if you are not following it kick by kick  because of doing something else then you are still a full time fan. Imagine almost any situation you are in - out shopping with the missus, running late rushing to the theatre, in accident and emergency, having sex, about to board a plane and emigrate to australia - you see a TV screen showing the full time results, you will always look for a few seconds and mentally register the Villa result. 

[Greg N'Ash]

A better term would be "fans with a life".  A lot of them go when they can, or when they have the money. Not even sure if who we're playing comes into it that much

[TopDeck113]

We have always had a strange turnout at Villa Park. I remember in the Championship season wasn't the last home match (Boro) a 39k crowd when you would expect a full house?

To be fair, it was raining.

And the away end that held, I think, 3000 had about 37 people in it.   The Holte was heaving.   

[willywombat]

Floating fans to me are people who will watch whichever of the local teams that are most attractive at any given time. Fortunes will always fluctuate but I suppose we can count ourselves reasonably lucky as our neighbours are sssssshite

[richard moore]

I'm a passionate Villa fan who can't get to many games because I live quite a way away, it costs me a lot to go, I am away most of the week working as it is and I have fallen out of love with much of what modern footballl represents, including matchday ticket prices predicated on disgusting wages paid to a bunch of over-paid, over-hyped people who can kick a ball around. I call myself part 'sensible', part 'realistic', part 'old git' and part 'not such a faithful fan as, say, Frank, Pauline and DC5'. I don't give one jot what anyone else wants to call me! I love the Villa, always will and if you asked any of my friends and many people I work with, the first thing that comes into their head when they hear my name mentioned, they will say 'Villa fan' with perhaps the odd expletive attached...

[DB]

Like Richard I have become disillusioned with the state of the game i.e. they only way you have a chance is with a shit load of cash. After many years as a ST holder, I've only gone to 3 so far this season - am I a floating fan now?
Maybe I'm wrong but my impression of the Villa is that we have a lots of fans who follow but don't go, but when we are doing well or have a big crunch match we could fil anywhere out. I think ove the years a lot of people have a 'meh' attitude to wanting to actually go. Unless we get a Oil tycoon in, then that won't change.

[Deano's Mullet]

To me a floating fan is someone who pisses about going from club to club - there are a lot of them down here for sure that seem to switch between Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea (more so in the last 10 years) and now Man City. Being one of the few Villa shirts seen constantly round Horsham town i do feel i fly the flag down here in the face of some  stick from some a lot of the time and quite a lot of respect from others but i never stop trying to preach the name of Aston Villa round here even if at times i do get fed up with it all. I pretty much feel the same as some of the others above  about modern football, it doesnt stop me loving the Villa but living down south on a temporary work contract i simply cant afford to come up except once in a blue moon or when it ties in with visiting the dwindling number of relatives i still have in Worcs.  I havent had a permanent job since 2008 even though i havent pretty much stopped working in that time albeit in not amazingly paid jobs.  I did three matches in 09-10 and just the one last season introducing my wife to the pleasures of Villa Park for the first time which she loved. A far cry from having a season ticket in 1991-92 and generally coming up for about 8-9 matches a season since i've been down south but no one feels it more than i assure you.  My heart and appreciation goes out to all those that go week and week, the dedication they show is without fault, particularly when the club has the tendency to kick them in the nuts like they did at Man City in the cup last season or Moscow.  I know a couple of H and V's by face but generally most of them i have conversed with more on the net than up close but its a social side of football that i  have come to relish.

[TimTheVillain]

A better term would be "fans with a life".  A lot of them go when they can, or when they have the money. Not even sure if who we're playing comes into it that much

Not sure this is true, it's pretty judgemental.

I know many fans with 'a life' who go to all home games and some away - I'm one of them !

[olaftab]

A better term would be "fans with a life". 

Now I find that offensive! I have a season ticket (3 in fact) and I go to number of away games. I go on holidays and do other things with friends and family at weekend. So  because I go to every home game and follow away when I can  do I have no life?