EMMA GREENWOOD GOLD COAST BULLETIN JUNE 22, 2014 6:36PM
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TITANS chief executive Graham Annesley has conceded team performance will be the major driver for crowds heading back to the club’s Robina base.
The Titans regained some ground in the battle for the Coast’s footy fans yesterday when a crowd of 12,189 turned out to watch their 19-18 loss to St George Illawarra at Cbus Super Stadium. It was almost 6000 more than the 6497 fans who turned out last Monday night — the worst home crowd in the club’s history — to a poorly scheduled Origin-affected clash against Melbourne Storm.
Poor scheduling, a lack of parking and transport options and one of the warmest winters on record aside, performance is the key to the numbers game.
After losing their past five games, the Titans had a job convincing fans to leave the comfort of their living rooms to watch two struggling teams run around yesterday.
While the Titans were pleased with the bounceback, Annesley said improved performance was the key to winning over footy fans.
“It’s great to see people come to the game to see people support the players,’’ Annesley said.
“We’d obviously like to see larger crowds but the fact that we’re on a losing streak isn’t helping that.’’
“I’ve got to be completely honest and suggest that makes it harder for the fans to get enthused when the team isn’t winning but I was obviously happy to see a much larger crowd (yesterday than last week).
“In my time in the game over 20-odd years, the only real correlation I ever saw in the growth or decline in crowds was team performance. When teams are performing well, people come out of the woodwork, when they’re not playing as well, they’re less motivated to come out and support.’’
A sixth consecutive loss should ring alarm bells for the Titans, who now face a genuine threat from the AFL’s Suns for the hearts and wallets of the Coast’s footy fans.
The Suns have had their fair share of AFL fans since the beginning — although their best crowds have tended to be against the league’s biggest sides where opposition fans often outnumbered those in the red and gold.
— with the team little more than a novelty for casual fans.
But their rapid improvement this year has led to bolstered interest, with almost 40,000 heading to Metricon Stadium for the club’s past two home matches against Sydney and Geelong.
And with the team pushing towards a maiden finals berth, those numbers are likely to continue to strengthen.
It’s not a fact lost on Coach Guy McKenna noted the AFL’s likely joy at 21,354 fans turning out to a game between non-traditional AFL powers Sydney and the Gold Coast a fortnight ago.
“The pleasing thing for the AFL I would’ve thought is 21,000 people turned up, which is fantastic for AFL on the Coast,’’ McKenna said.
“It says a lot about how we’re tracking as well because our numbers haven’t been super given our journey but you play a brand of football … and it’s worth coming to see.’’
But Annesley has faith in his team to turn things around.
“They players have got to turn it around and I’m sure they’re fully aware of that,’’ he said.
“If we are to salvage something out of the season it has to happen very quickly now.’’
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So am i reading that its the fans fault we are losing because of poor crowd numbers ,,,,,,, yet not one word about the Coach...
AFL will never sway me because i don't like the game but there are thousands of people heading to Metricon because they are Winning & their crowds will grow massively if they continue on their way of Winning themselves into the Semi's something this club has Zero chance of doing as long as Fartwright is the coach..