What is it the Ospreys are blaming their fans for? Pretty much everything actually. Their way of trying to get them back to the stadium, following poor attendance figures, is to slag them off. Now that takes a special level of marketing knowledge… but I am not sure it’s going to work. OK, what I mean is ‘what a stupid idea that shows the contempt that the Ospreys seem to have for their fans’.
The Ospreys have been doing some good stuff for their fans to be fair. Regular articles and interviews on their site, highlights online, the Ian Evans interviews with people are, well, interesting anyway… all good stuff. But slagging off fans for not turning up? Genius.
If so-called fans want success from their teams, then they need to get out and support them. It’s no good them just saying they are Ospreys supporters; they need to show it.
There are many reasons why people can’t, or won’t go to games – the financial climate, difficult kick-off times, television coverage, poor form and work and other commitments. Some of these, for many, cannot be overcome, due to individual circumstances.
But the fact remains, whatever the difficulties may be in getting to matches, the regions and Welsh rugby as a whole, need the support of those who are able to get to the games, but, for whatever reason decide not to.
If we want success on the domestic and European stage for our regions and the world stage for Wales, we have to get behind our teams. There’s no point fans saying: “They’re not playing well, so I’m not wasting my money going there every week.” How on earth is withdrawing their vocal and financial support going to make things better?
And that’s not all. Did you know that them not playing well is our fault? Not Sean Holley’s, not the players, but the fans for not turning up.
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Some ask why players who have excelled for Wales and the British Lions can’t seem to reproduce quite the same level of inspiration for their regions. How’s this for a question to put to a player? “Tell me, how is it that you can produce such inspirational performances for Wales in front of 74,000 Bread of Heaven-singing people at the Millennium Stadium, or in front of 20,000 British Lions fans, who travelled half-way around the world to support you, and you don’t seem to produce quite the same intensity at a two-thirds empty Liberty Stadium?”
Now unfortunately, I have never played sport at a professional level, or even at a proficient level, but plain human nature suggests to me there’s a chance you’re going to be ever so slightly more inspired by playing in front of a full house cheering you on rather than row upon row of empty seats.
Now our friend, sitting in his armchair with his remote in one hand and his can in the other, will cry: “They’re professionals. They’re paid enough. They should perform the same in front of 7,000, or 77,000.” Fair enough, up to a point. But these guys aren’t robots. You can’t ask them to show passion on one hand, and then show steely-eyed, ice-running-through-their-veins professionalism on the other.
They need our support. Even in these days of professionalism, fervent, passionate, vocal support makes a difference. Look at the likes of Stoke City and Burnley in the Premiership. Their home support is helping them survive.
If we can get behind the Ospreys in numbers and show them our passion and commitment that will surely help them produce the rugby we are demanding on a regular basis and put the region in a position where it can compete financially with the European big boys.
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Thanks for patronising us Ospreys… but here’s an idea. Try doing something worth supporting. We have got disheartened by going along to watch O’ball week after week, disheartened by clueless performances like our capitulation vs Munster, fed up of only performing for 20 minutes and hoping that that, along with some individual moments, is enough to win.
We care, how the Ospreys perform hurts or gladdens. But after awhile we have to decide that paying £20 a game to be depressed about our performance just isn’t worth it.
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Here Here,The Dragons give na impressive and exiting 80 min performance….therefore there is a good atmosphere (despite piss poor facilities, “the poor mans ninian park”), crowds have grown, people want to see it. ticket prices arent too bad they started from £3! i dont think its about the crowd size, its the reaction of the crowd, the only way the crowd will react is by playing ‘fun’ rugby.
There has been a change in Welsh rugby habits and that’s affecting the Ospreys just like every other region/superclub whatever.
They are a plastic entity formed from a misguided regionalisation that wasn’t really wanted, just forced on Welsh fans because the WRU made a mess of its finances when building the Millennium Stadium. That change alienated more fans than many people realise. They play in a stadium that is not suited to their purpose and in a league that doesn’t have relegation.
That came about at a time when social changes are taking rugby fans away from grass roots rugby. Yes, they will support Wales in their droves but support their region or club? No.
The Magners league is a joke. Nobody takes it seriously until near the end of the season.
I think the Ospreys have reached the limit of their fan base. Many rugby supporters in the Ospreys’ region are happy to support Neath, Swansea, Aberavon or any of the clubs below them in the pyramid. Frankly, the quality of the rugby is better most of the time or at least fans can feel a part of their team.
MANY rugby supporters support teams below the in the pyramid – really? What are teh attendance figures at Neath, Swansea or Aberavon and of them how many don’t support the Ospreys?
The Ospreys have far from reached the limit of their fan base, as we see from bumper attendances in certain games. It is a case of appealing to more people, bringing in more fans.
As you rightly point out this is a NEW franchise, 8 years doesn’t breed the loyalty seen to teh clubs after 100 years of existance. But as kids grow up in the habit, and as people become more interested in the franchies, it will continue to grow.
I think there is a lot more growth potential than you suggest