With 199 fixtures completed in the 2018 SSE Airtricity League of Ireland, the projected season totals look set to be slightly better than 2017. With only 106 games left to play (61 in the Premier and 45 in the first) the average attendances will need to keep pace with the first half of the season in order to come in slight better than last season.

With both the Premier and First Division titles, relegation places and promotion spots still very much in the mix this should be a driver to maintain current averages if not improve on them.

This article is working off 199 attendance figures of which 16 (8%) are estimated. We acquired a full set of official figures from 18 of the 20 clubs with only Derry City (11) and Limerick (5) totals containing estimates. The estimated figures have been calculated by a combination of ExtraTime.ie reporters and local media estimates. Should we acquire any of these figures in the future we will update this article.

The reason for such a comprehensive set of figures is down to club officials across the league who have put up with weekly (and sometimes daily) emails and phone calls in order to secure these numbers and their help with this task is greatly appreciated.

Highlights and Lowlights – The Facts and Figures

After 199 games (183 official attendance figures and 16 estimates), the total League of Ireland audience for 2018 to date is 288,262 with an average gate of 1,449.

Overall Attendances

Cork City’s dominance of the attendance charts has continued into 2018. Last season the Turner’s Cross crowd represented 16.9% of the overall League of Ireland attendance. So far this season, the Rebel Army accounts for 17.13%. In the eleven games, just under 50,000 people have turned up to the Cork venue (49,371).

Shamrock Rovers occupy second place with 33,532 (11.63%) in attendance at Tallaght Stadium so far this season. Dundalk took third spot with 30,036 (26,980). Both sides have had 12 home games so far this season compared to Cork’s 11.

Athlone Town sit at the bottom of the charts with 1,228 (0.43%) turning up so far this season at their home venue. Wexford fare slightly better with 1,690 (0.59%) with UCD completing the bottom three with 2,139 (0.74%).

Average Attendances

Not all sides in the league have completed the same number of home games with four Premier Division sides having completed 12 games (the rest have played 11) and five First Division teams having completed 9 games (the rest have played 8).

Despite this, there are only two changes in the chart positions when comparing averages. Cobh Ramblers slip behind UCD (252 versus 267) whilst Bray Wanderers drop below Shelbourne and Finn Harps (616 versus 660 and 651).

Cork City’s average attendance figures is 4,488. The sum of the bottom ten club’s average attendances tally to 4,000 which means 488 more people on average attend Turner’s Cross than the sum of all the crowds across TEN other League of Ireland venues (Bray Wanderers, Shelbourne, Finn Harps, Longford Town, Drogheda United, Cabinteely, Cobh Ramblers, UCD, Wexford, Athlone Town).

In 2016 and 2017 three clubs managed to have an average attendance over 2,000 (Cork City, Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk). So far in 2018, six clubs have surpassed the 2,000 mark with two more very close to breaching that number.

Over the last two seasons, there has always been one First Division side that has surged far ahead of the others regarding attendances. This hasn’t happened to far in 2018 with all sides in the lower tier averaging below 1,000. Galway United lead with an average attendance of 871 followed by Shelbourne on 660.

As with overall attendances, Athlone Town sit at the foot of the table with an average crowd of 154.

Best attended matches

Cork City’s 1-0 win over Dundalk at Turner’s Cross in April is currently the best attended league fixture with 6,672 showing up. The visit of Waterford at the start of the season to the Cork venue ranks second with 6,443 present. The corresponding fixture (Cork City 3-0 Waterford) in June takes third place with 4,834 turning the stiles.

The top ten is dominated by Cork City as they occupy seven of the ten best attended games. The only club to disrupt that is Shamrock Rovers who appear in the other three places. The Dublin derby in April against Bohemians ranks fourth with 4,512. They place 8th and 10th with the visits of St. Patrick’s Athletic (4,133) and Dundalk (4,065) respectively.

Worst attended matches

Athlone Town’s 1-0 loss against Drogheda United in May drew the smallest crowd to date. 107 people were in attendance according to officially released figures. Athlone Town occupy six places in the lowest attended fixtures. Cobh Ramblers (2), UCD (1) and Wexford (1) complete the top ten.

On TV

Ten games have been shown on television so far this season with the average attendance coming in at 3,626 which is currently higher than last season’s 3,409. The lowest attendance TV encounter was Bohemians 0-2 Cork City in April with 2,281 present. That’s still 79 more than the Gypsies average attendance this season.

Changing your Match Day

Clubs in the League of Ireland play their games on a Friday or Saturday but with the increased number of fixtures being fit into the first part of the season, the Monday or Tuesday fixture has been more commonplace. But does the day change impact attendances? Previous years have shown that it has for the most part played into a drop of numbers turning up at games. So is 2018 any different?

For the most part Monday and Tuesday games sees a decrease on the gate across the league with the exception of a number of First Division teams who seen an increase on their previous week’s attendance figures. A number of Premier Division clubs worst attendances have come on a Monday or Tuesday.

Total number of games played: 199

Total League of Ireland 2018 Attendance to date: 288,531

Average gate for the 2018 season to date: 1,450

Average gate for Premier Division: 2,212

Average gate for the First Division: 427

Total number of attendees in the Premier Division: 252,121

Total number of attendees in the First Division: 36,256

Largest Attendance: 6,672 – Cork City 1 – 0 Dundalk (27/4)

Lowest Attendance: 107 – Athlone Town 0 – 1 Drogheda United (11/5)

Average Attendance for games on TV: 3,626

2018 v 2017 v 2016 Averages 2018 Average 2017 Average 2016 Average Cork City 4,448 4,559 2,533 Shamrock Rovers 2,794 2,799 2,041 Dundalk 2,503 2,705 2,738 Derry City 2,453 1,500 1,519 Waterford 2,402 1,550 277 Bohemians 2,202 1,958 1,627 Sligo Rovers 1,908 1,717 1,752 St. Patrick's Athletic 1,722 1,583 957 Limerick 1,055 1,610 1,133 Galway United 871 1,359 1,169 Shelbourne 660 500 583 Finn Harps 651 1,269 1,210 Bray Wanderers 616 966 933 Longford Town 461 342 488 Drogheda United 438 815 583 Cabinteely 313 339 352 UCD 267 220 317 Cobh Ramblers 252 339 403 Wexford 188 340 455 Athlone Town 154 182 156

Percentage of Attendance per club Games Total Average Percent Cork City 11 49,371 4,488 17.13 Shamrock Rovers 12 33,532 2,794 11.63 Dundalk 12 30,036 2,503 10.42 Derry City 11 26,980 2,453 9.36 Waterford 11 26,423 2,402 9.17 Bohemians 11 24,371 2,202 8.45 Sligo Rovers 12 22,901 1,908 7.94 St. Patrick's Athletic 11 18,949 1,722 6.57 Limerick 12 12,665 1,055 4.39 Galway United 8 6,969 871 2.42 Bray Wanderers 11 6,778 616 2.35 Shelbourne 9 5,937 660 2.06 Finn Harps 9 5,863 651 2.03 Longford Town 9 4,148 461 1.44 Drogheda United 8 3,506 438 1.22 Cabinteely 8 2,505 313 0.87 Cobh Ramblers 9 2,271 252 0.79 UCD 8 2,139 267 0.74 Wexford 9 1,690 188 0.59 Athlone Town 8 1,228 154 0.43 TOTAL 199 288,262 1,449 100.00

Top 10 Attended games Date Home Away Att 27/04 Cork City 1 0 Dundalk 6,672 23/02 Cork City 2 0 Waterford 6,443 01/06 Cork City 3 0 Waterford 4,834 13/04 Shamrock 1 2 Bohemians 4,512 12/03 Cork City 1 0 Shamrock 4,483 13/04 Cork City 1 0 St Pats 4,402 19/03 Cork City 3 0 Bohemians 4,265 16/03 Shamrock 1 0 St Pats 4,133 18/05 Cork City 4 0 Bray 4,070 23/02 Shamrock 0 0 Dundalk 4,065

LOI GAMES ON TV Date Home H A Away Att 20/04 Bohemians 0 2 Cork City 2,281 16/02 Bohemians 3 1 Shamrock 3,640 27/04 Cork City 1 0 Dundalk 6,672 19/03 Cork City 3 0 Bohemians 4,265 30/03 Derry City 2 1 St Pats 2,460 est 06/04 Dundalk 2 1 Shamrock 3,056 09/03 Dundalk 1 0 Cork City 3,563 01/06 Shamrock 2 5 Dundalk 2,799 13/04 Shamrock 1 2 Bohemians 4,512 23/03 Waterford 2 1 Shamrock 3,010

Gameweek by Gameweek

For the purpose of this article we have created gameweeks based on date ranges that try to cover a series of matches. The date ranges are included in the graphic.

The opening weekend of the season featured only Premier Division games and, as per many season’s trends, is the highest so far this season (average: 2,892). As the Gameweeks have progressed the overall average has fluctuated but trended downwards with the final Gameweek before the break recording the lowest (average: 957) and was the only time the average dropped below 1,000 when 5 or more games were played.

In the Premier Division, the average per Gameweek was above 2,000 on 16 occasions out of 23. The midseason average for the top tier was 2,212. The First Division did not fare as well. With an average to date of 427, the opening day of the division was the best performer (average: 662) but has trended downwards as the weeks passed.

Gameweek by Gameweek W Date Range G Total Av Premier Av First Av 1 16 - 17 Feb 5 14,460 2,892 2,892 0 2 23 - 24 Feb 9 18,823 2,091 3,235 662 3 26 - 27 Feb 5 8,252 1,650 1,650 0 4 9 - 10 Mar 10 13,984 1,398 2,327 470 5 12 Mar 5 11,220 2,244 2,244 0 6 16 - 17 Mar 10 13,793 1,379 2,354 404 7 19 Mar 3 5,740 1,913 2,807 127 8 23 - 26 Mar 10 11,583 1,158 2,157 493 9 30 Mar 10 12,455 1,246 2,083 408 10 6 - 7 Apr 9 13,255 1,473 2,308 429 11 13 - 14 Apr 10 15,378 1,538 2,617 459 12 16 - 17 Apr 5 8,570 1,714 1,714 0 13 20 - 21 Apr 10 13,272 1,327 2,187 468 14 27 - 28 Apr 9 16,837 1,871 2,969 498 15 30 Apr 5 7,587 1,517 1,517 0 16 4 - 5 May 10 14,355 1,436 2,459 412 17 7 May 2 860 430 0 430 18 11 - 12 May 10 11,519 1,152 1,885 419 19 14 - 15 May 3 4,092 1,364 1,364 0 20 18 - 20 May 10 13,288 1,329 2,267 390 21 21 - 22 May 4 7,635 1,909 1,909 0 22 25 May 10 12,256 1,226 2,105 346 23 1 Jun 10 13,020 1,302 2,204 400 24 5 - 6 Jun 5 5,740 1,148 3,865 469 25 8 - 9 Jun 10 10,837 1,084 1,848 319 26 15 Jun 10 9,566 957 1,593 320 199 288,377 1,449 2,212 427

Club by Club

ATHLONE TOWN

As with the two previous seasons, Athlone Town continue to struggle to draw a crowd to Athlone Town Stadium. Last season 2,543 fans watched the Midlanders at their home ground (average: 182). To date in 2018, 1,228 have turned the stiles (average: 154) which is down on last season. Their average has dropped by 28. The most attended game of 2018 so far was the visit of Galway United as 291 spectators saw the Tribesmen win 3-0.

ATHLONE TOWN Date Home H A Away Att 08/06 Athlone Town 0 5 Shelbourne 114 25/05 Athlone Town 1 1 Longford Town 220 11/05 Athlone Town 0 1 Drogheda 107 04/05 Athlone Town 0 3 Galway Utd 291 13/04 Athlone Town 1 4 Cobh Ramblers 125 30/03 Athlone Town 1 1 Finn Harps 119 19/03 Athlone Town 1 2 Cabinteely 127 16/03 Athlone Town 1 3 UCD 125 TOTAL 1,228 Average 154

BOHEMIANS

The Gypsies may be slightly off their 5th place finish of last season but that has not stopped the fans turning up to Dalymount Park this season. As it stands, Bohemians have improved on their season average (average: 2,202) compared to last season (1,958). Their lowest crowd was a Tuesday visit of Derry City which saw 1,183 turn up with Dublin derbies still providing that attendance surge as in line with previous seasons. The two visits of Shamrock Rovers are easily Bohs best attended games (3,466 and 3,640).

BOHEMIANS Date Home H A Away Att 08/06 Bohemians 1 2 Derry City 1,722 25/05 Bohemians 1 1 Shamrock 3,466 18/05 Bohemians 0 2 Dundalk 2,421 30/04 Bohemians 0 1 Waterford 1,540 20/04 Bohemians 0 2 Cork City 2,281 06/04 Bohemians 0 1 Limerick 1,674 23/03 Bohemians 2 2 Bray 1,853 16/03 Bohemians 2 3 Sligo Rovers 1,623 09/03 Bohemians 0 1 St Pats 2,814 27/02 Bohemians 0 1 Derry City 1,183 16/02 Bohemians 3 1 Shamrock 3,640 TOTAL 24,371 Average 2,202

BRAY WANDERERS

It’s not terribly positive news for Bray so far this season. Sitting at the bottom of the Premier Division table, they have also suffered a drop in crowd numbers compared to last season. An average crowd of 616 has showed up to the Carlisle Grounds this season compared to 966 last season. Last season visits from Shamrock Rovers (2,225 v 645), Cork City (1,879 v 669), Dundalk (1,538 v 820), Pats (1,287 v 685) and Bohemians (1,193 v 911) are dramatically down this season. Bray’s lowest attended game was the visit of Derry City in May (319).

BRAY WANDERERS Date Home H A Away Att 15/06 Bray 0 0 Waterford 359 01/06 Bray 3 1 St Pats 685 14/05 Bray 2 2 Waterford 392 11/05 Bray 1 3 Bohemians 911 04/05 Bray 2 1 Derry City 319 27/04 Bray 0 1 Limerick 470 16/04 Bray 1 0 Shamrock 645 13/04 Bray 0 2 Dundalk 820 30/03 Bray 0 4 Cork City 669 12/03 Bray 1 2 Sligo Rovers 384 23/02 Bray 1 2 St Pats 1,124 TOTAL 6,778 Average 616

CABINTEELY

No major changes for the Stradbrook based Cabinteely for 2018. Last season’s average crowd of 339 is slightly higher than their current 2018 average of 313. Their best showing of the season was the visit of Shelbourne which almost doubled their average attendance (608). The visit of Athlone Town unsurprisingly drew the least numbers with 168 in attendance.

CABINTEELY Date Home H A Away Att 08/06 Cabinteely 1 0 Longford Town 301 04/06 Cabinteely 4 0 Athlone Town 168 25/05 Cabinteely 2 0 UCD 201 20/05 Cabinteely 1 2 Galway Utd 245 13/04 Cabinteely 2 0 Shelbourne 608 30/03 Cabinteely 3 2 Drogheda Utd 334 09/03 Cabinteely 0 1 Cobh 324 23/02 Cabinteely 0 1 Wexford 324 TOTAL 2,505 Average 313

COBH RAMBLERS

Cobh Ramblers are yet another First Division side whose averages are down on 2018. Last season they managed 339 per game. This season has seen that drop off to 252. Cobh’s Monday night clash against Galway United interestingly drew the largest crowd of the season (375) and then five days later their Friday encounter with Wexford drew their worst (110).

COBH RAMBLERS Date Home H A Away Att 15/06 Cobh 1 0 Athlone Town 120 09/06 Cobh 2 1 Wexford 110 04/06 Cobh 0 0 Galway Utd 375 25/05 Cobh 0 3 Shelbourne 320 12/05 Cobh 1 0 Cabinteely 246 05/05 Cobh 0 1 Longford Town 233 21/04 Cobh 1 5 Drogheda Utd 310 30/03 Cobh 0 2 UCD 278 17/03 Cobh 0 2 Finn Harps 279 TOTAL 2,271 Average 252

CORK CITY

Cork City remain the poster club for attendances in the League of Ireland. They lead the way with the highest crowd of the season (6,672) and all their home gates are within the top 20 best of the season. 49,371 people have visited Turner’s Cross this season which is over 6,000 more than the sum of the lowest 11 clubs total attendances. Their worst crowd of the season was a Tuesday evening match against Sligo Rovers with saw 3,217 in attendance.

CORK CITY Date Home H A Away Att 15/06 Cork City 1 0 Bohemians 3,604 04/06 Cork City 4 2 Derry City 3,865 01/06 Cork City 3 0 Waterford 4,834 18/05 Cork City 4 0 Bray 4,070 05/05 Cork City 2 1 Limerick 3,516 27/04 Cork City 1 0 Dundalk 6,672 17/04 Cork City 1 0 Sligo Rovers 3,217 13/04 Cork City 1 0 St Pats 4,402 19/03 Cork City 3 0 Bohemians 4,265 12/03 Cork City 1 0 Shamrock 4,483 23/02 Cork City 2 0 Waterford 6,443 TOTAL 49,371 Average 4,488

DERRY CITY

Derry City are the only club in the league not to provide official attendances. With the move back to the Brandywell, we have compiled an estimated view of the club’s crowds. We won’t spend anytime analysing these, but we will provide you with our estimates. They are all calculated from asking a number of people present to provide figures. If we happened to get the official figures we will update this article.

DERRY CITY Date Home H A Away Att 15/06 Derry City 0 4 Dundalk 2,300 01/06 Derry City 0 2 Sligo Rovers 1,600 21/05 Derry City 2 0 Bray 1,600 14/05 Derry City 1 4 Dundalk 2,500 11/05 Derry City 0 0 Cork City 3,200 27/04 Derry City 0 0 Shamrock 3,100 16/04 Derry City 3 1 Bohemians 2,650 13/04 Derry City 1 0 Waterford 2,650 30/03 Derry City 2 1 St Pats 2,460 16/03 Derry City 5 1 Bray 2,460 12/03 Derry City 5 0 Limerick 2,460 TOTAL 26,980 Average 2,753

DROGHEDA UNITED

Drogheda United switched Premier Division football for the First Division this season and, as expected, it has had an impact on their gate. Last season’s average was 815 but so far in 2018 they have averaged 438 per game. The visit of Shelbourne in April was their best attended game (580) whilst the May visit of Wexford was their lowest at 351.

DROGHEDA UNITED Date Home H A Away Att 01/06 Drogheda 2 0 Cabinteely 376 18/05 Drogheda 2 0 Wexford 351 27/04 Drogheda 1 1 Shelbourne 580 13/04 Drogheda 1 1 Longford Town 478 06/04 Drogheda 2 0 UCD 471 26/03 Drogheda 2 1 Finn Harps 382 23/03 Drogheda 2 2 Galway Utd 494 11/03 Drogheda 6 0 Athlone Town 374 TOTAL 3,506 Average 438

DUNDALK

Dundalk top the league but rank third in the attendance rankings, a position they ended last season in. Four out of the first seven games this season they passed 3,000 but as they headed towards the mid-season break their crowds settled between 1,877 to 2,276. Their average crowd this season is 2,491 which is down on their 2017 and 2016 averages of 2,705 and 2,738 respectively.

DUNDALK Date Home H A Away Att 08/06 Dundalk 4 0 Limerick 2,276 25/05 Dundalk 5 0 Bray 1,877 21/05 Dundalk 2 0 Waterford 2,041 11/05 Dundalk 2 1 Sligo Rovers 2,134 30/04 Dundalk 5 0 St Pats 2,086 20/04 Dundalk 2 2 Derry City 3,191 06/04 Dundalk 2 1 Shamrock 3,056 30/03 Dundalk 3 0 Bohemians 3,263 16/03 Dundalk 1 0 Waterford 2,215 09/03 Dundalk 1 0 Cork City 3,563 27/03 Dundalk 8 0 Limerick 1,843 16/02 Dundalk 0 0 Bray 2,491 TOTAL 30,036 Average 2,503

FINN HARPS

Finn Harps dropped to the First Division this season and their crowd totals have also taken a tumble. With an average attendance of 1,269 in 2017, they are currently averaging 651 in 2018. Their best crowd was the opening day match against Shelbourne. Since then their crowds have trended downwards with their lowest crowd of the season coming on the last game before the break. 536 were present for the 3-1 loss to UCD in June.

FINN HARPS Date Home H A Away Att 15/06 Finn Harps 1 3 UCD 536 04/06 Finn Harps 2 4 Longford Town 545 01/06 Finn Harps 4 0 Athlone Town 573 18/05 Finn Harps 0 1 Cobh 660 07/05 Finn Harps 1 0 Galway Utd 655 04/05 Finn Harps 2 1 Drogheda Utd 631 20/04 Finn Harps 1 0 Cabinteely 594 23/03 Finn Harps 1 0 Wexford 734 09/03 Finn Harps 1 1 Shelbourne 935 TOTAL 5,863 Average 651

GALWAY UNITED

Galway United were another team to face the drop. Last season their crowds in Eamon Deacy Park only dropped below 1,000 on three occasions and they had an average gate of 1,359. This season they have only passed 1,000 twice. Their opening game against Athlone Town drew 1,198 but since then they have mostly drawn crowds in the seven and eight hundreds.

GALWAY UNITED Date Home H A Away Att 08/06 Galway Utd 1 2 Finn Harps 734 25/05 Galway Utd 0 1 Drogheda 838 11/05 Galway Utd 2 0 UCD 845 27/04 Galway Utd 3 0 Cobh 753 13/04 Galway Utd 4 1 Wexford 847 30/03 Galway Utd 0 0 Longford Town 1,029 16/03 Galway Utd 3 1 Cabinteely 725 23/02 Galway Utd 4 1 Athlone Town 1,198 TOTAL 6,969 Average 871

LIMERICK

Limerick started off the season providing official attendance figures but after the first five games it became less frequent. We won’t analyse their crowds too much due to the estimates but from sources at the games their attendances have not matched last season’s impressive 1,610 average. Based on estimates we have their 2018 average at 1,055. Their opening day match against Bohemians is their highest attended game (2,225) and the only time this season they came close to passing the 2,000 mark.

LIMERICK Date Home H A Away Att 15/06 Limerick 0 2 Shamrock 700 01/06 Limerick 1 1 Bohemians 1,100 21/05 Limerick 0 2 Cork City 978 11/05 Limerick 0 1 St Pats 800 30/04 Limerick 0 3 Derry City 703 17/04 Limerick 0 3 Dundalk 700 14/04 Limerick 1 2 Sligo Rovers 700 30/03 Limerick 0 2 Waterford 1,122 19/03 Limerick 0 1 Shamrock 1,348 16/03 Limerick 1 1 Cork City 1,341 09/03 Limerick 1 0 Bray 948 24/02 Limerick 1 1 Bohemians 2,225 TOTAL 12,665 Average 1,055

LONGFORD TOWN

Longford Town have improved on their 2017 average so far this season. Last season’s average of 342 has increased to 461 in 2018. Their best showing was on the opening day of the season when Cobh Ramblers draw 2-2 in front of 575 spectators. As with a number of clubs their lowest crowd of the season was the last game before the break when 335 turned up to watch Drogheda United lose 1-0.

LONGFORD TOWN Date Home H A Away Att 15/06 Longford Town 1 0 Drogheda Utd 335 01/06 Longford Town 3 2 Galway Utd 410 19/05 Longford Town 1 1 Shelbourne 531 28/04 Longford Town 1 2 Finn Harps 458 21/04 Longford Town 0 2 UCD 472 07/04 Longford Town 3 0 Cabinteely 425 24/03 Longford Town 5 1 Athlone Town 521 10/03 Longford Town 3 0 Wexford 421 24/02 Longford Town 2 2 Cobh 575 TOTAL 4,148 Average 461

SHAMROCK ROVERS

Steady as she goes for Shamrock Rovers. Sitting in second place in the attendance charts they have almost an identical average this season compared to last (2,794 v 2,799). They haven’t matched their best showing in 2018 (5,220 for the visit of Bohemians) but the Gypsies were the opposition for their highest attendance so far this season (4,512). Notable is the impact of Monday games on the Tallaght attendances as two of their three lowest crowds attending that day.

SHAMROCK ROVERS Date Home H A Away Att 09/06 Shamrock 5 0 Bray 1,588 01/06 Shamrock 2 5 Dundalk 2,799 22/05 Shamrock 3 0 St Pats 3,016 11/05 Shamrock 1 1 Waterford 2,379 30/04 Shamrock 3 0 Cork City 1,931 20/04 Shamrock 1 1 Limerick 1,964 13/04 Shamrock 1 2 Bohemians 4,512 30/03 Shamrock 1 0 Sligo Rovers 2,900 16/03 Shamrock 1 0 St Pats 4,133 09/03 Shamrock 6 1 Derry City 2,720 26/02 Shamrock 6 0 Bray 1,525 23/02 Shamrock 0 0 Dundalk 4.065 TOTAL 33,532 Average 2,794

SHELBOURNE

Shelbourne sit third in the league table and their crowds this season have increased slightly on 2017. Their average attendance of 660 is up 160 on last season. Having regularly draw six or seven hundred to Tolka Park their was a sizable drop on the last game before the break against Cabinteely as 464 turned up. Interestingly, as with some First Division clubs, their only Monday night game was their best attended with 787 coming through the stiles. Monday night games usually have a negatve impact in the Premier Division but in the First Division a number of clubs fared best on the early week game.

SHELBOURNE Date Home H A Away Att 15/06 Shelbourne 0 0 Cabinteely 464 04/06 Shelbourne 1 1 Drogheda Utd 787 01/06 Shelbourne 4 1 Wexford 512 11/05 Shelbourne 0 0 Finn Harps 724 04/05 Shelbourne 1 1 UCD 738 20/04 Shelbourne 2 0 Galway Utd 761 06/04 Shelbourne 7 0 Athlone Town 667 23/03 Shelbourne 1 0 Cobh 602 16/03 Shelbourne 3 2 Longford Town 682 TOTAL 5.937 Average 660

SLIGO ROVERS

Sligo Rovers have also improved on their gate this season. Having averaged 1,717 last season, they now are getting 1,908 per game to the Showgrounds. The opening day visit of Limerick was their most successful crowd with 3,056 in attendance. The Monday night visit of Bray Wanderers was their poorest showing at 1,327.

SLIGO ROVERS Date Home H A Away Att 09/06 Sligo Rovers 0 2 Cork City 1,793 25/05 Sligo Rovers 0 0 Limerick 1,438 19/05 Sligo Rovers 0 0 Shamrock 1,572 05/05 Sligo Rovers 0 2 Bohemians 2,033 30/04 Sligo Rovers 2 1 Bray 1,327 21/04 Sligo Rovers 0 0 St Pats 1,473 07/04 Sligo Rovers 0 2 Derry City 1,873 24/03 Sligo Rovers 0 2 Dundalk 2,586 09/03 Sligo Rovers 1 2 Waterford 1,589 26/02 Sligo Rovers 1 4 Cork City 1,842 23/02 Sligo Rovers 2 1 Derry City 2,319 17/02 Sligo Rovers 0 1 Limerick 3,056 TOTAL 22,901 Average 1,908

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC

Attendance wise, Pats have improved once again this season. Having gone from 1,097 average per game in 2016 to 1,583 in 2017, they are now averaging 1,723 per game. Their best showing last season was the Dublin derby against Shamrock Rovers and once again that’s the case but instead of 2,543 they registered 2,918 this season. As with many other clubs the worst showing was the game before the break as 1,003 showed up for Sligo Rovers 3-0 win.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC Date Home H A Away Att 15/06 St Pats 0 3 Sligo Rovers 1,003 25/05 St Pats 1 3 Cork City 1,530 18/05 St Pats 5 2 Derry City 1,762 15/05 St Pats 2 0 Sligo Rovers 1,139 04/05 St Pats 2 0 Shamrock 2,918 27/04 St Pats 2 2 Bohemians 2,429 16/04 St Pats 1 0 Waterford 1,358 06/04 St Pats 5 0 Bray 1,252 23/03 St Pats 1 0 Limerick 1,178 12/03 St Pats 0 0 Dundalk 1,609 16/02 St Pats 2 3 Cork City 2,771 TOTAL 18,949 Average 1,723

U.C.D

UCD have traditionally had low attendances when compared to the rest of the league and that hasn’t changed but they are up on last year. 2017’s 220 per game is now 267 in 2018. As with a number of First Division teams, their best showing was at the visit of Shelbourne which saw 550 in attendance.

UCD Date Home H A Away Att 08/06 UCD 2 0 Drogheda Utd 337 01/06 UCD 3 1 Cobh 131 18/05 UCD 3 0 Athlone Town 164 27/04 UCD 3 2 Wexford 202 13/04 UCD 3 2 Finn Harps 236 23/03 UCD 3 1 Cabinteely 223 09/03 UCD 1 1 Galway Utd 296 23/02 UCD 2 1 Shelbourne 550 TOTAL 2,139 Average 267

WATERFORD

Waterford were the stand out team last year regarding attendances. From an average of 277 in 2016 then exploded upward to 1,550 in 2017. That growth has impressively continued in 2018. They have averaged 2,402 per game this season. The visits of Shamrock Rovers, Dundalk and Cork City drew 3,010, 3,508 and 3,684 respectively. Their lowest crowd so far this season was 1,743 against Derry City which is almost 200 more than their average of last season.

WATERFORD Date Home H A Away Att 08/06 Waterford 2 0 St Pats 1,862 25/05 Waterford 4 0 Derry City 1,743 18/05 Waterford 3 6 Limerick 1,774 04/05 Waterford 2 1 Dundalk 3,508 27/04 Waterford 1 1 Sligo Rovers 2,173 20/04 Waterford 3 0 Bray 2,024 06/04 Waterford 2 1 Cork City 3,684 23/03 Waterford 2 1 Shamrock 3,010 12/03 Waterford 1 0 Bohemians 2,284 26/02 Waterford 2 0 St Pats 1,859 16/02 Waterford 2 1 Derry City 2,502 TOTAL 26,423 Average 2,402

WEXFORD

Wexford have struggled this season on the pitch and unfortunately they have also suffered attendance wise. Last season’s average of 340 has dropped to 188 this season. There is not a big spread between their best and worst crowd. 281 people turned up in March for Shelbourne’s visit whilst the last game before the best ranked as their lowest crowd with 145 in attendance for Galway United’s 0-0 draw.

WEXFORD Date Home H A Away Att 15/06 Wexford 0 0 Galway Utd 145 25/05 Wexford 1 1 Finn Harps 153 11/05 Wexford 0 2 Longford Town 173 07/05 Wexford 0 8 UCD 205 04/05 Wexford 0 1 Cabinteely 168 20/04 Wexford 7 0 Athlone Town 202 06/04 Wexford 1 1 Cobh Ramblers 153 30/03 Wexford 0 1 Shelbourne 281 16/03 Wexford 1 8 Drogheda 210 TOTAL 1,690 Average 188

In Summary

The 2018 season is on track to beat the 2017 totals but the key to that will be that the Premier Division and First Division title races, European spots, and relegation/promotion places being up for grabs all the way to the end of the season. The Premier Division clubs have mostly seen improvements on numbers but the First Division loiters far behind in terms of crowds. They are growing smaller as each year passes.

If you have any comments or issues with facts and figures, you can reach me on @garethpenrose. If you spot any errors please let me know as compiling wasn’t easy with the mountain of constantly arriving figures. I'd like to thank again all the clubs and volunteers that continue to provide figures.

Please note that if you do use these figures found here further afield in print, on radio or on television, we appreciate if you would also give Extratime.ie credit as it has taken a lot of effort to source and compile this information.