CCM Fans and the club

[FFC Mariner]

The scanning thing started happening later.

 

[Rowdy]

In the wake of Wellington sweating on whether they were going to have their licence extended, with the FFA citing low crowd figures as just one amongst a gamut of reasons for them NOT to renew the Nix's licence - guessing the days of 'skimming' are long gone.

 

[Timmah]

If it's a well accepted piece of Central Coast folklore I'd like to think I'd have heard about it. Not sold on that.

 

[Gratis]

If it's a well accepted piece of Central Coast folklore I'd like to think I'd have heard about it. Not sold on that.

it's true, this had been a regular discussion point.

People get good at guessing crowd figures when you go to season after season of games and at one point the numbers reported just didn't match what people were seeing at the ground (reported 1 or 2 thousand less than it looked like)

May have been people seating differently and so effecting the look of the crowd size, or who knows why, but it's definitely come up a number of times on this forum

 

[pjennings]

It has definitely happened that our reported crowds have been less than what has turned up. It would usually happen at derbies and NYE games. I'm not saying it is by design. However, they often let may people thru through the gate because tickets don't scan properly. I suspect it happens at larger games because they are short staffed and are trying to get people through the gate for the game.

There was a game this season against SFC where the crowd was put down at 10,030 (capacity 20059). The western side was basically full, the northern maybe 1/3 and the eastern at least 1/2 - 2/3. My guess would have been 8000 + 1000 + 4500 = 13,500 at a minimum.

 

[FFC Mariner]

If it's a well accepted piece of Central Coast folklore I'd like to think I'd have heard about it. Not sold on that.

 

[dibo]

I don't get why we'd ever have understated crowds.

Overstating makes perfect sense. You want to talk yourself up as a popular side, you want to claim as big a support as possible.

Understating only makes sense if you're trying to minimise your income. But we've been making losses for all bar two seasons, so for the vast number of years we've not actually had income to minimise.

People used to talk about crowds being understated back in the NSL days, as if the clubs were making money and they had to dodge the taxman. It has always smelt of bullshit.

I think the more reasonable expectation is that people can't believe (or can't bring themselves to believe) that we really did only draw a certain crowd on a certain day.

The SFC crowd earlier in the year is a good example. The ground wasn't heaving, it was just a decent crowd. Nothing special. It's not in the club's interests. They'd want to talk up their numbers in a shit year, rather than add to the manufactured sense of crisis that some folks are pushing as hard as possible.

On the overstating, and with particular reference to the scanning bit, there are other reasons why someone might be scanning.

For example, corporates etc. might be ushered through without ever scanning an actual ticket. The club's going to know that they have ~100 (I'm truly pulling a number out of the air here) in the boxes, so they'll go and scan all of those tickets manually. What surprises me is that they apparently don't have a mobile scanner to do that.

Another example is that there might be a number of venue pickup tickets that don't get picked up. They've been bought and paid for; the purchasers aren't in attendance but I can see why the club would want to count them.

Frankly, if you're looking to manipulate the numbers, instead of sending a venue staffer to the gates in full public view, wouldn't you just make the number up? Add 10%, 15%, whatever you want.

It's much more plausible than having Bev or Shazza or whoever go down and scan up a storm.

 

[Rowdy]

Whether under CCM instruction or someone else's, it's def. the Stadium staff that do the scanning

 

[pjennings]

I don't get why we'd ever have understated crowds.

Overstating makes perfect sense. You want to talk yourself up as a popular side, you want to claim as big a support as possible.

Understating only makes sense if you're trying to minimise your income. But we've been making losses for all bar two seasons, so for the vast number of years we've not actually had income to minimise.

People used to talk about crowds being understated back in the NSL days, as if the clubs were making money and they had to dodge the taxman. It has always smelt of bullshit.

I think the more reasonable expectation is that people can't believe (or can't bring themselves to believe) that we really did only draw a certain crowd on a certain day.

The SFC crowd earlier in the year is a good example. The ground wasn't heaving, it was just a decent crowd. Nothing special. It's not in the club's interests. They'd want to talk up their numbers in a shit year, rather than add to the manufactured sense of crisis that some folks are pushing as hard as possible.

On the overstating, and with particular reference to the scanning bit, there are other reasons why someone might be scanning.

For example, corporates etc. might be ushered through without ever scanning an actual ticket. The club's going to know that they have ~100 (I'm truly pulling a number out of the air here) in the boxes, so they'll go and scan all of those tickets manually. What surprises me is that they apparently don't have a mobile scanner to do that.

Another example is that there might be a number of venue pickup tickets that don't get picked up. They've been bought and paid for; the purchasers aren't in attendance but I can see why the club would want to count them.

Frankly, if you're looking to manipulate the numbers, instead of sending a venue staffer to the gates in full public view, wouldn't you just make the number up? Add 10%, 15%, whatever you want.

It's much more plausible than having Bev or Shazza or whoever go down and scan up a storm.

I agree that the ground at the SFC game was not heaving but the ground figure quoted was capacity/2 + 1. There is no way that we could have added an extra 10029 on that day. As I said earlier I suspect it happens at larger games because they are short staffed and are trying to get people through the gate for the game. If the ticket doesn't scan the staff just usher you through the gate. Remember we also had problems with the tickets early in the season and the game was only in round 4.

 

[Gratis]

The only reason I could ever think of for under stating would be if you were justifying a move of games to north Sydney...

That said I'm not convinced it really happened on purpose or all that much

 

[Ancient Mariner]

 

[dibo]

I agree that the ground at the SFC game was not heaving but the ground figure quoted was capacity/2 + 1. There is no way that we could have added an extra 10029 on that day. As I said earlier I suspect it happens at larger games because they are short staffed and are trying to get people through the gate for the game. If the ticket doesn't scan the staff just usher you through the gate. Remember we also had problems with the tickets early in the season and the game was only in round 4.

The gates not working is entirely believable. What I don't get is the idea that we were 'skimming' numbers at some point.

I love the saying "between a conspiracy and a f**kup, believe the f**kup every time".

 

[Wombat]

It always seamed to be the top 6 semi final series games that they fudged.
Like we had to give a percentage to the FFA?
Its not all that surprising....same as any small business underestimating the cash they take on a good week.
Obviously no Coasties would ever do that.

 

[Rowdy]

All these rainbows Wombat !!! What's going on mate ???

I cant figure if your having a sugar hypo because you've had one too many Skittles whilst 'tasting the rainbow'

OR

You're just gearing up for next years Mardi Gras.

 

[Wombat]

It's me trying to tactful.
That, and they don't have some of the icons I would like to use.
Mardi Gras.....I'll leave to you Aussie boys to enjoy.

 

[Rowdy]

I'll nibble on a Skittle.

& most definitely pass on option b.

Yes, we do need more emojis.

 

[adz]

... they don't have some of the icons I would like to use.

Mmmmmmm? Might be able to do something about that.... might not...

 

[dibo]

It always seamed to be the top 6 semi final series games that they fudged.
Like we had to give a percentage to the FFA?

FFA hire the ground, seek the tickets and take the cash. Nothing to withhold.

More likely FFA report the actual number, which looks undercooked because we kept seeing 8k reported as 10k, etc.

 

[Gratis]

I'm not convinced there was ever any actual intentional fudging of numbers, just saying that it has been a thing that has been discussed many times on here

 

[Wombat]

FFA hire the ground, seek the tickets and take the cash. Nothing to withhold.

More likely FFA report the actual number, which looks undercooked because we kept seeing 8k reported as 10k, etc.

Very possible.
They often got the numbers wrong both up and down......drawing a gauge from what they say is a 8k crowd.
It possible that they are too incompetent to give an accurate crowd and we have always just assumed that they have cooked the books.