woeful attendance

[citizenDJ]

Is the term 'fairweather fan' of any use in this debate?

[Clampy]

What term would you use for a fan that only goes during the good times and stops going during the bad times?
What is your definition of a gloryhunter?

Someone who has chosen to stop going this season I can totally understand and I gdon't think they've done anything wrong at all.

I agree, it's their money and their choice, although by the same token, they'll be wanting a ticket for Wembley if we reach a cup final.

[hilts_coolerking]

Is the term 'fairweather fan' of any use in this debate?

Or part-time supporters, as Dave Cooper has pointed out, which is more accurate and non-disparaging.

[CBAV06]

What term would you use for a fan that only goes during the good times and stops going during the bad times?
What is your definition of a gloryhunter?

A gloryhunter is someone who chooses to support a given team because they routinely win trophies.  I don't think any Villa supporter could be described a gloryhunter.

Someone who has chosen to stop going this season I can totally understand and I don't think they've done anything wrong at all.

What term would you use for a fan that only goes during the good times and stops going during the bad times?
What is your definition of a gloryhunter?

A gloryhunter is someone who chooses to support a given team because they routinely win trophies.  I don't think any Villa supporter could be described a gloryhunter.

Someone who has chosen to stop going this season I can totally understand and I don't think they've done anything wrong at all.

There are glory hunters in sports that have no trophies. From my experience it is used to describe people that just follow teams that win.

[hilts_coolerking]

What term would you use for a fan that only goes during the good times and stops going during the bad times?
What is your definition of a gloryhunter?

A gloryhunter is someone who chooses to support a given team because they routinely win trophies.  I don't think any Villa supporter could be described a gloryhunter.

Someone who has chosen to stop going this season I can totally understand and I don't think they've done anything wrong at all.

What term would you use for a fan that only goes during the good times and stops going during the bad times?
What is your definition of a gloryhunter?

A gloryhunter is someone who chooses to support a given team because they routinely win trophies.  I don't think any Villa supporter could be described a gloryhunter.

Someone who has chosen to stop going this season I can totally understand and I don't think they've done anything wrong at all.

There are glory hunters in sports that have no trophies. From my experience it is used to describe people that just follow teams that win.

If we're talking about Man United, Chelsea and so on, it amounts to the same thing.  I certainly don't think it could be applied to anyone who supports Villa.

[Whiney MacWhineface]

I already stated that I hate the 'real fan' discussion but I believe someone that follows a team only in the good times is pretty much accepted as the definition of a gloryhunter. Not attaching the term to anyone, of course.

This is far too simplistic. There are a lot of people out there who see football as an entertainment and that Villa are their chosen source of entertainment. If the entertainment is no longer seen to be a) entertaining enough or b) just not worth the cost, then they'll find entertainment elsewhere. They're not gloryhunters as such - these are, in my mind, Brummie Reds who support Man Utd simply because they're successful or percived to be glamourous.

The above are different from "fans" in the strictest sense of the word (fanatic) who will turn up whether they're being entertained or not. It's easy for the latter group to sneer at the former and not without a lot of good reason (I have nothing but admiration for those who go to all the games, distance, cost and time no object to their devotion), but the fact is without the former group we're boned, becasue we don't have enough of the latter.

[PeterWithesShin]

What term would you use for a fan that only goes during the good times and stops going during the bad times?
What is your definition of a gloryhunter?

A gloryhunter is someone who chooses to support a given team because they routinely win trophies.  I don't think any Villa supporter could be described a gloryhunter.

Someone who has chosen to stop going this season I can totally understand and I don't think they've done anything wrong at all.

What if I was choosing not to go to VP at the moment because things look shit, but then if we found ourselves near the top of the league come Christmas and bought a half season ticket? We haven't won anything at Xmas, but surely i'd fall into the gloryhunter category?

[Whiney MacWhineface]

What term would you use for a fan that only goes during the good times and stops going during the bad times?
What is your definition of a gloryhunter?

A gloryhunter is someone who chooses to support a given team because they routinely win trophies.  I don't think any Villa supporter could be described a gloryhunter.

Someone who has chosen to stop going this season I can totally understand and I don't think they've done anything wrong at all.

What if I was choosing not to go to VP at the moment because things look shit, but then if we found ourselves near the top of the league come Christmas and bought a half season ticket? We haven't won anything at Xmas, but surely i'd fall into the gloryhunter category?

I'd say you were someone who thought that the entertainment was worth the price of half-season ticket.

[CBAV06]

If we're talking about Man United, Chelsea and so on, it amounts to the same thing.  I certainly don't think it could be applied to anyone who supports Villa.

Not arguing your opinion, because it is your opinion. However you are telling people they are wrong because your opinion of the word doesn't match everyone else s.

You only sing when your winning...

[richard moore]

What term would you use for a fan that only goes during the good times and stops going during the bad times?
What is your definition of a gloryhunter?

A gloryhunter is someone who chooses to support a given team because they routinely win trophies.  I don't think any Villa supporter could be described a gloryhunter.

Someone who has chosen to stop going this season I can totally understand and I don't think they've done anything wrong at all.

What if I was choosing not to go to VP at the moment because things look shit, but then if we found ourselves near the top of the league come Christmas and bought a half season ticket? We haven't won anything at Xmas, but surely i'd fall into the gloryhunter category?

I'd call you very sensible.....but then I knew that already ;-)

[KRS]

I've just done a bit of digging on attendances for all this weekends fixtures and corresponding fixtures last season. The list of factors possibly affecting attendance have been well documented numerous times in this thread, so are most of these factors consistent with other teams or just down at Villa Park? Heres the attendance figures:

Fixture - Att. 2011 - (Att. 2010) [+/-]
Aston Villa vs Wolves - 30,776 (38,965) [-8000]
Blackburn vs Everton - 22,826 (25,869) [-3000]
Liverpool vs Bolton - 44,725 (35,400) [+9000]
Newcastle vs Fulham - 42,684 (44,686) [-2000]
Tottenham vs Man City - 36,150 (35,928) [-]   
West Brom vs Stoke - 22,909 (24,164) [-1000]         
Man Utd vs Arsenal - 75,448 (75,227) [-]   

Quite clearly the largest attendance drop this weekend was at Villa Park with over 8000 lower than last season (over 20% drop). Even if you factor in the early kick-off and third home game, this is far excessive compared to the other 3 games that had a reduced attendance given all the other consistent factors.

In my opinion, the performance of the club off the pitch this summer in terms of appointing AM and transfer activity are clearly having a negative affect on attendance as seen so far this season and it cannot be ignored or denied with any kind of positive spin. Obviously further evidence with forthcoming fixtures will prove this to be true or false, but I think it would be a safe bet to say that we will see similar or lower attendances for Newcastle, Wigan and Baggies.

I'd say Saturday's attendance was nothing out of the ordinary.

Sorry, not read all the thread but go back to 2009,  you'll see the attendance for the bank holiday weekend was 32,917. I'm guessing Fulham brought as many fans as Wolves. This was, not that you'll need reminding, under the management of MON, a top six finish and qualification to the Europa League, after our highest spending summer window ever, a 3-1 win at Anfield and not a lunchtime kick off or live on TV.

Fair comment but all that merely suggests that Villa fans may be less likely to attend on a bank holiday weekend than supporters of other clubs, and to make it valid you would also have to compare attendances for all other games played on that weekend compared to previous season.

Like I said, we will see over the next few home games whether or not the August bank holiday weekend, early kick-off time, 3 home games and other factors mentioned had a major impact on the low attendance against Wolves, however I'm pretty sure fans are voting with their feet right now more than some people are acknowledging...for me, the bank holiday, early kick off and 3rd home game does not account for a drop of over 8000 for a Midlands derby game even if you factor in the cost issues which affect supporters of every club up and down the country.

Obviously if AM makes a few decent signings this week then we could actually see a rise in attendance...and I have all my fingers crossed that this will be the case.

[hilts_coolerking]

I've said it before but football fans are no different from any other social group in that they need someone they feel they can look down on.  If you have a season ticket, you might get looked down if you don't go to away games.  Or you might not sing, or you might sit in the 'wrong' part of the ground, or whatever.  This discussion is the same as those, and basically a bit ridiculous.

So there are people who pick and choose when they go to games, perhaps as others have said on the basis of whether they think it'll be entertaining.  So what.  If you have a need to feel superior to them then so be it, but you have to realise it's a bit silly for grown men to act that way.

[Chipsticks]

So apparently it was fancy dress day last Saturday,

10,000 Villa fans decided to go as seats.




...

[hilts_coolerking]

Not arguing your opinion, because it is your opinion. However you are telling people they are wrong because your opinion of the word doesn't match everyone else s.

You only sing when your winning...

Well Chris asked for my definition and I gave it.  My point really was that the phrase is, in football terms, disparaging and offensive.  Which is precisely why people use it.

[CBAV06]

I already stated that I hate the 'real fan' discussion but I believe someone that follows a team only in the good times is pretty much accepted as the definition of a gloryhunter. Not attaching the term to anyone, of course.

This is far too simplistic. There are a lot of people out there who see football as an entertainment and that Villa are their chosen source of entertainment. If the entertainment is no longer seen to be a) entertaining enough or b) just not worth the cost, then they'll find entertainment elsewhere. They're not gloryhunters as such - these are, in my mind, Brummie Reds who support Man Utd simply because they're successful or percived to be glamourous.

The above are different from "fans" in the strictest sense of the word (fanatic) who will turn up whether they're being entertained or not. It's easy for the latter group to sneer at the former and not without a lot of good reason (I have nothing but admiration for those who go to all the games, distance, cost and time no object to their devotion), but the fact is without the former group we're boned, becasue we don't have enough of the latter.

Now that opens the 'better fan' debate though. Is a better fan one who loves Villa and supports them regardless, or one who thinks that winning is great and will try and go only when they win? If we discuss which is better for Villa, I'd be willing. But otherwise I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole.