Poor local attendances

[OzzieCapie]

Hardly been the expectation. No the reason is, that the majority of the people who go to live matches don't like tests.

Is that a south african trend? Here in Aus, more people watched the test series than the ODI T20 or BBL.
Close to 100,000 at MCG on boxing day and about 65,000 on the 2nd day.

I think it is just a general thing that saffers are not as keen to go to stadiums to watch games. Rugby may be the only exception, but rugby is a small profile sport here and SA crowds not that big anyway.

 

[cr@zydude]

Is that a south african trend? Here in Aus, more people watched the test series than the ODI T20 or BBL.
Close to 100,000 at MCG on boxing day and about 65,000 on the 2nd day.

I think it is just a general thing that saffers are not as keen to go to stadiums to watch games. Rugby may be the only exception, but rugby is a small profile sport here and SA crowds not that big anyway.

It's mainly apathy. Some rugby ganes draw good crowds, Super Rugby between tge Bulls, Sharks ans Stormers. The Cheetahs vs Lions was half empty and Currie Cup attendance has been on the slide for a while.

 

[bwana]

Anyone want to start a pool on attendance figures this week at St George's?

 

[DJ...]

I don't care what anyone says - attendance at Centurion today is abysmal...

 

[Wyzak]

Lack of public transport also plays a big role I'm sure.

 

[AfricanTech]

I don't care what anyone says - attendance at Centurion today is abysmal...

Agreed - take all test matches away from them - imagine, not a single person on Day 5 of a test between two top class teams

 

[Wyzak]

Agreed - take all test matches away from them - imagine, not a single person on Day 5 of a test between two top class teams

Yeah two top class teams which can't even make it a few day test

 

[Joeboy69]

Wed - Fri many people had to work, Saturday was sold out. If the team was good enough to last to day #5 the crowd would've been large if not sold out as well.

Agree with the previous comment about poor parking conditions, stopped going to Wanderers because if this, at Centurion it's more manageable.

But this test I followed on the radio at home on Fri and Sat next to the pool and the potjie, wider range of beverages available

 

[satanboy]

All the sport supporters emigrated. Simple really. Only soccer supporters left in SA.

Soccer is not a sport?

 

[Quintrix]

I don't care what anyone says - attendance at Centurion today is abysmal...

Not even the groundsmen are there - only the security

Parking at R50 @ Centurion is a just not sport

 

[BobsLawnService]

Games during the week are out because of work/school.

Toilets at Newlands are toxic waste dumps and need serious modernisation. Who wants to expose their kid to that?

Getting there (Parking.) and back after a few drinks just isn't happening. We need affordable public transport.

The national team is static despite poor performance so you're not watching good players fighting for national spots like you are with rugby.

All the Proteas are playing IPL and Aussie T20 tournaments or "resting" so you don't see them in domestic games. I remember as a young teenager it was awesome watching your heroes play international games and then going to the stadiums and watching them play local games. If the domestic leagues aren't important to your top players then why should spectators think they are important.

 

[bwana]

Port Elizabeth in line for Boxing Day Test


St George's Park in Port Elizabeth is set to regain the Boxing Day Test, Graeme Smith revealed at the post-match presentation following his team's victory over Australia.

Although not full for this Test, there was a livelier atmosphere - helped, in part, by the famous band - than Kingsmead in Durban has managed to produce when handed the Boxing Day encounter which was reinstated last year after being ditched in 2012 in favour of Twenty20 internationals.

Most recently that involved Jacques Kallis' farewell to Test cricket, against India, but there were relatively small crowds across all five days despite the final appearance of one the game's greats. Even when the gates were thrown open on the final day the crowd only reached 7000 at a venue that can hold 25,000. Across the first three days there was an average crowd of 9000, the best at Kingsmead in recent years, but still disappointing for a festive season Test.

If the switch back to Port Elizabeth is confirmed, it will be the ground's first Boxing Day Test since 2007 when it hosted West Indies in a match that the visitors won. West Indies are scheduled to tour South Africa over the Christmas period later this year.

Source: http://www.espncricinfo.com/southafrica/content/story/722153.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

 

[Electric]

good news

 

[bwana]

Rugby on the other hand...


(taken from Facebook)

 

[BobsLawnService]

The atmosphere at St. Georges is really good. I just wish the band would learn more songs.

 

[Wyzak]

The band should also be respectful towards other teams and not intentionally distract them while they are batting etc.

 

[Ecco]

I personally thought the turnout at St.Georges was lousy. Day 4 at Centurion was a sellout.

I admit you cant have a boxing day test in Gauteng though, everybody is the coast in December.

 

[bwana]

Boxing Day test seems to have been confirmed (along with a ODI) - http://www.cricket.co.za/news_article.aspx?id=3505&section=news&subsection=news_all

 

[bwana]

The newlands test match has been sold out for weeks already.

For the weekend - but there are plenty of tickets available for the other three days if you want to go.

 

[BobsLawnService]

Does anyone know if Newlands opens up the gates for free in the evening during the week? I'm working but wouldn't mind taking the kid to watch for an hour after work.