by LLS on Thu Sep 25, 2008 4:52 pm
1st time poster (and Leinster supporter).
In '05/06 Leinster had 1500 Season Ticket Holders and an average Celtic League attendance of 5.8k. Last year the number of season ticket holders was 7.5k and an average gate of 14.3k. This year the Season Tickets sales have been about 10k.
My point is that Edinburgh isn't that far behind in terms of what is achievable and given the simalarities in cities (size, rugby tradition, capital cities) there should be no reason that Edinburgh wouldn't attract the same supporter base.
From my own perspective there were 2 real turning points with the support of Leinster:
1. The quality of the stadium. Donnybrook was too small and cramped and Lansdowne Road was too big. The move to the RDS (capacity 18.5k) made the whole match day experience inifinitely better.
2. The loss to Munster in the HC Semi Final at Lansdowne Road in May 06. The pain felt in that defeat helped to forge an identify that hadn't existied previously. Up till that point many Leinster people would have supporter Munster just as much as Leinster (as Munster had much better track record). But the fact the stadium was 3/4 full of Munster supporters, who clearly had a much more singular support for their own team had a big impact.
As we look forward in the Magners League, you would have to believe that in 3 years time there will be a number of teams (Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leinster, Munster, Ospreys and Ulster) that will have average gates in excess of 10k. While it is more difficult to see how Glasgow, Dragons and particurly Connaught will manage to keep up.
For what its worth, my perdiction is an increase in Edinburghs average Magners League from 2,681 last year to 4500 this year.