Second thread - Crowds for the Ashes in Australia

[Jono]

Having a debate with a friend right now and looking to see what you guys think.

If (and before Burgey attacks me with a crowbar, this is purely a hypothetical) Australia get absolutely hammered in the Ashes in England (say 4-0 or 5-0), will crowds in Australia for the series be affected at all? Or is the Ashes brand and contest strong enough that it won't have an impact?

There is a lot of doom about the future of cricket against other sports in Australia right now. Not just results of the national team, but also just the general interest of people. TV ratings, crowd attendances and money in the game are all being claimed to be down.

Curious to see what you guys think. Do you think if Australia cop a hiding in England that some Australian grounds (Gabba hasn't been great for tests lately) may have a reduced attendance for these Ashes tests than they'd usually have?

 

[Burgey]

What you're really asking is whether people will make their way down to the ground on their way home from the beach or the shops

Melbourne and Sydney will sell out I think, regardless of the result in England. The difficulty for cricket is there's so much more to do here in summer, as opposed to what passes for summer in England. The Sky equivalent to Lawry's famous maxim is "If you're on your way home after visiting the stones on the sea side via the respiratory ward after catching pneumonia from the arctic water, pop into the tiny ground and try and get a seat".

 

[Jono]

What you're really asking is whether people will make their way down to the ground on their way home from the beach or the shops

Will never get old.

 

[Maximas]

It won't be as good as 2006/07, but I would expect good crowds.

Brisbane is ****,I don't know why they bother keeping test cricket up there, no one ever turns up (partly because it's not the hols in November).

Adelaide is usually excellent, most days will have at least half full crowds (it will hold 50,000 odd by then).

Perth will be full most days, but the WACA only holds like 20,000 or something so that won't be a surprise.

Melbourne will get at least 80,000 on day 1 you'd think, day 2/3 will probably push 45,000 and then it peters off a lot.

Sydney will be capacity day one, before the numbers fall each day, but there is still interest in Sydney.

 

[Adders]

Crowds will turn up no matter what the result in England........and then if the Aussies aren't going so well they'll head back home quick smart just like they did in 2010/11.

December 26th 2010 - 90+K in the MCG for the start of play, about 15K left at tea.

 

[Jono]

It won't be as good as 2006/07, but I would expect good crowds.

Brisbane is ****,I don't know why they bother keeping test cricket up there, no one ever turns up (partly because it's not the hols in November).

Adelaide is usually excellent, most days will have at least half full crowds (it will hold 50,000 odd by then).

Perth will be full most days, but the WACA only holds like 20,000 or something so that won't be a surprise.

Melbourne will get at least 80,000 on day 1 you'd think, day 2/3 will probably push 45,000 and then it peters off a lot.

Sydney will be capacity day one, before the numbers fall each day, but there is still interest in Sydney.

Will this still occur if England win 4-0 or 5-0 though? Obviously the crowds will come out if its a normal Ashes series but I'm not sure if you'll necessarily get 80k in Melbourne if England won 4-0 and then are 2-0 up or something.

Then again maybe they will, not sure.

 

[Maximas]

Will this still occur if England win 4-0 or 5-0 though? Obviously the crowds will come out if its a normal Ashes series but I'm not sure if you'll necessarily get 80k in Melbourne if England won 4-0 and then are 2-0 up or something.

Then again maybe they will, not sure.

Nah if England are dominating then people won't show as much, but the die-hards will come, there is always hope...

I was banking on a close series.

 

[uvelocity]

gabba is the worst ground. worst rules. worst transport. worst prices. worst timing. worst cover

bring it to metricon

 

[GIMH]

What you're really asking is whether people will make their way down to the ground on their way home from the beach or the shops

Melbourne and Sydney will sell out I think, regardless of the result in England. The difficulty for cricket is there's so much more to do here in summer, as opposed to what passes for summer in England. The Sky equivalent to Lawry's famous maxim is "If you're on your way home after visiting the stones on the sea side via the respiratory ward after catching pneumonia from the arctic water, pop into the tiny ground and try and get a seat".

Most of the beaches round here and sandy you ****

 

[Burgey]

Bish, please. There's that gun beach in the north east that has a spectacular castle on it, can't remember it's name. But it's that cold you'd never swim there. You know it.

 

[GIMH]

Why would you want to swim in the sea, just go to a swimming pool

 

[GotSpin]

Swimming pools are so bad. What the hell do you do in them?

 

[Jono]

Why swim in a pool when you can swim in the East River?

 

[uvelocity]

Swimming pools are so bad. What the hell do you do in them?

throw a mars bar in and watch

 

[Burgey]

Why would you want to swim in the sea, just go to a swimming pool

Next thing you'll be suggesting the English bathe. Lets not get silly here.

Love an Ashes year. Really, the other series are just there to fill in time, aren't they?

 

[vic_orthdox]

Crowds will turn up no matter what the result in England........and then if the Aussies aren't going so well they'll head back home quick smart just like they did in 2010/11.

December 26th 2010 - 90+K in the MCG for the start of play, about 15K left at tea.

Natural attrition at Boxing Day anyway; usually only about 25,000 left in the stands for the last session, everyone's in the bars.

 

[Adders]

Natural attrition at Boxing Day anyway; usually only about 25,000 left in the stands for the last session, everyone's in the bars.

They weren't in the bars after tea in 2010 mate I can assure you, fastest I've ever managed to get a beer at the G.

 

[greg]

England being favourites should increase the attractiveness of the early tests to the travelling support...

 

[Adders]

England being favourites should increase the attractiveness of the early tests to the travelling support...

I think having the homes Ashes just before though might mean No's of travelling England fans will be down. Costs a fortune to watch cricket in England, how many will be able to afford to do that and travel to Oz??? These people aren't made of money.

Just depends, most of the seasoned travellers will probably miss the home series so they can come down under, but I'm sure there will be plenty who may have normally travelled that will just watch the home series instead.

Whatever way you look at it, as much as I love cricket and the Ashes is my highlight......this back to back series bollocks is a crap idea of massive proportions. The boards look at it as a cash cow and think the fans have bottomless pockets.

Only the die hards like us will still be interested at the end of 10 tests, the casual watchers will be well sick of it by then.

 

[GIMH]

I think having the homes Ashes just before though might mean No's of travelling England fans will be down. Costs a fortune to watch cricket in England, how many will be able to afford to do that and travel to Oz??? These people aren't made of money.

Just depends, most of the seasoned travellers will probably miss the home series so they can come down under, but I'm sure there will be plenty who may have normally travelled that will just watch the home series instead.

Whatever way you look at it, as much as I love cricket and the Ashes is my highlight......this back to back series bollocks is a crap idea of massive proportions. The boards look at it as a cash cow and think the fans have bottomless pockets.

Only the die hards like us will still be interested at the end of 10 tests, the casual watchers will be well sick of it by then.

The Aussies will be sick of it by lunch on day one of the series over here tbh