Afternoon Vs Evening Matches....Jets getting screwed!

[stopper2]

With the release of the A League draw, many have voiced their concern at the lack of Evening matches at Jets home games for next season.
With 2 out of 14 matches (or 14%) in the Evening timeslot this is easily the lowest since the A League's inception for this club.
Considering that since the Breakers days and then even the Newcastle United days of the old NSL, traditionally Friday evening has been the favourite kick off time for the majority of Novocastrian football fans.
I have some old HAL match programs and from them I have been able to get some figures that indicate that even in the early days of the Jets, Evening kick-offs rather than Afternoon ones were the norm.
In 2005/06 we had 6 out of 11 Evening matches or 55%
In 2007/08 we had 8 out of 11 Evening matches or 73%

Fast forward a few years to 2013/14 and by now the Evening matches had dwindled to only 5 out of 14 matches or 36%
Interesting is that in that 2013/14 season the 5 Evening home matches averaged 13,960
while the 9 Afternoon matches averaged 10,832
A difference of over 3,000!!!

The word is that we have been allocated the Afternoon matches because our home games do not rate well on Fox.
Okay I understand from a "ratings" viewpoint this but how do the Jets improve the onfield product and attract more people to home games when they have essentially been shafted before a ball has been kicked.

I don't usually use the Knights in my discussions but I think it needs to be noted that a few years back the majority of home games were at night. Crowds were down that year as most Knights supporters prefer the Sunday afternoon timeslot. Pretty sure the NRL took on board the supporters grievances and gave them quite a few more afternoon matches the next season.

Are the FFA (and Fox) also prepared to listen to it's own fans and at least have some sort of compromise for next season or is it just all about accomodating the big city teams who rate better on TV because they have huge populations to draw from!!!

[GazFish35]

No. They won't listen, because yes, is is all about accommodating tv ratings.

Without TV money the a-league wouldn't exist.

Is sucks, but it's true.

If we start becoming known as a team people want to watch play, then things might change, but don't hold your breath.


The best we could hope for is that our home games against big city teams are at night. But the reality is us v CCM, Perth, Adelaide, Wellington aren't going to rate well enough to put on in prime time

[Hunter403]

Looks like I will try for a move to the Western stand this year to avoid the sunburn I get at those afternoon games.

[Superdylan]

Good post

I reacon no team ever in the a league has been given this amount of afternoon games ever.

Absolute joke tbh. I like a variety tbh. I'd have been happy with 7 day games & 7 nights games next season.

Its the same scenario with the knights this year (sorry to use knights as an excuse). The dates for the final 6 rounds came out earlier this week. The knights didn't get a Friday night home game at all & we haven't had a Friday night home game at home this season.

[hawk]

Winter is a very different prospect to summer. In summer people are out doing stuff till later thus for me 7.30 is great time to be at the footy. 5pm is still asscrack sweat time. 3pm? dont even bother leaving the aircon club. As for kids they wont die stayi ng up till 9pm. I did tests.
Answer, we become a top 2 club and might receive some late games or buy another shirt and follow a big club.

[sammydog]

We take two kids to the games and when it's a 7:30pm kickoff, quiet often the wife andids stay home as the kids bece a nightmare. Friday night is the worst, but you don't want the kids up late on a Sunday either.

Older kids would be ok, but taking young kids to the later kickoff often means you don't see that much of the game.

I agree that the 3pm kickoff is horrible, but if you are carting multiple kids to the ges, 5pm is pretty good.

[Jetmaster]

Could Statto do some work on attendances at the various times plz? Highest, lowest, average etc.

The only massive daytime crowds I remember were the Gypos semi in 2008 and the NY crowd the year before.

[Jeterpool]

Could Statto do some work on attendances at the various times plz? Highest, lowest, average etc.

The only massive daytime crowds I remember was the Gypos semi in 2008 and the NY crowd the year before.

Can do.

[Jetmaster]

Can do.

Ledge...Statto! Statto! Statto!

[Jeterpool]

Alright, so this is a quick look - I defined "ARVO" games as being a kick off up to 17:59 and “NIGHT” as being a kick off from 18:00 onwards

Friday
Arvo – 1 match avg 22518 (Wanderers game where they won the plate)
Night – 37 matches avg 10761

Saturday
Arvo – 22 matches average 11522
Night – 16 matches 11513

Sunday
15:00 – 8 matches @ 9863
17:00 – 27 matches @ 8958
18:00 onwards 4 matches @ 15217 but these were around New Years Eve and 2 finals in season 3. I’d discount because it’s not a normal Sunday kick off time.

Season 1 – 1 x Thursday 20:00, 4 x Friday 20:00, 2 x Saturday 17:30 and 5 x Sunday 17:00
Season 2 – 6 x Friday 20:00, 2 x Saturday 19:00, 2 x Sunday 17:00 and 1 x Monday 18:00
Season 3 – 5 x Friday 20:00, 2 x Saturday 19:00, 1 x Sunday 15:00, 2 x Sunday 17:00, 2 x Sunday 18:00 and 1 x Sunday 19:00
Season 4 - 3 x Friday 20:00, 1 x Saturday 18:30, 1 x Saturday 17:00, 4 x Sunday 17:00, 1 x Monday 15:00
Season 5 - 3 x Friday 20:00, 1 x Saturday 17:30, 3 x Sunday 15:00, 6 x Sunday 17:00
Season 6 – 2 x Friday 20:00, 2 x Saturday 17:30, 1 x Saturday 19:00, 1 x Sunday 15:00, 2 x Sunday 17:00, 1 x Sunday 19:00, 3 x Wednesday 19:00-19:30, 1 x Monday 19:30, 1 x Thursday 19:30 1 x Tuesday 19:30
Season 7 - 3 x Friday 20:00, 1 x Saturday 16:00, 6 x Saturday 17:30, 1 x Saturday 19:45, 1 x Sunday 17:00 and 1 x Wednesday 19:45
Season 8 – 1 x 17:45 Friday, 4 x 19:40 Friday, 4 x Saturday 17:30, 2 x Saturday 19:45, 2 x Sunday 15:00
Season 9 – 2 x Friday 19:30, 5 x Saturday 17:30, 2 x Saturday 19:45, 1 x Sunday 15:00, 3 x Sunday 17:30
Season 10 – 5 x Friday 19:40, 4 x Saturday 17:00, 2 x Sunday 17:00, 1 x Monday 17:00 and 1 x Tuesday 17:00
Season 11 – 2 x Friday 19:40, 6 x Saturday 17:15, 6 x Sunday 17:00


So next season isn’t the worst we’ve had for Sundays. That was Season 5. As for home matches, I think the worst was Season 6 when there were 6 mid-week matches.

At least with the kick off times on a Saturday they’ve moved them 15 minutes later than in previous years.

[Jetmaster]

Great work mate!

[plague]

I think you've all forgotten that once we get our new fighter jet shaped hats the sun won't be a problem.

Big picture and all that.

[q-money]

:rof:

[Blackmac79]

Seriously?

I wish this was the biggest problem.

[Jeterpool]

Seriously?

I wish this was the biggest problem.

I agree. At the moment we haven't got anywhere near a squad

[stopper2]

Alright, so this is a quick look - I defined "ARVO" games as being a kick off up to 17:59 and “NIGHT” as being a kick off from 18:00 onwards

Friday
Arvo – 1 match avg 22518 (Wanderers game where they won the plate)
Night – 37 matches avg 10761

Saturday
Arvo – 22 matches average 11522
Night – 16 matches 11513

Sunday
15:00 – 8 matches @ 9863
17:00 – 27 matches @ 8958
18:00 onwards 4 matches @ 15217 but these were around New Years Eve and 2 finals in season 3. I’d discount because it’s not a normal Sunday kick off time.

Season 1 – 1 x Thursday 20:00, 4 x Friday 20:00, 2 x Saturday 17:30 and 5 x Sunday 17:00
Season 2 – 6 x Friday 20:00, 2 x Saturday 19:00, 2 x Sunday 17:00 and 1 x Monday 18:00
Season 3 – 5 x Friday 20:00, 2 x Saturday 19:00, 1 x Sunday 15:00, 2 x Sunday 17:00, 2 x Sunday 18:00 and 1 x Sunday 19:00
Season 4 - 3 x Friday 20:00, 1 x Saturday 18:30, 1 x Saturday 17:00, 4 x Sunday 17:00, 1 x Monday 15:00
Season 5 - 3 x Friday 20:00, 1 x Saturday 17:30, 3 x Sunday 15:00, 6 x Sunday 17:00
Season 6 – 2 x Friday 20:00, 2 x Saturday 17:30, 1 x Saturday 19:00, 1 x Sunday 15:00, 2 x Sunday 17:00, 1 x Sunday 19:00, 3 x Wednesday 19:00-19:30, 1 x Monday 19:30, 1 x Thursday 19:30 1 x Tuesday 19:30
Season 7 - 3 x Friday 20:00, 1 x Saturday 16:00, 6 x Saturday 17:30, 1 x Saturday 19:45, 1 x Sunday 17:00 and 1 x Wednesday 19:45
Season 8 – 1 x 17:45 Friday, 4 x 19:40 Friday, 4 x Saturday 17:30, 2 x Saturday 19:45, 2 x Sunday 15:00
Season 9 – 2 x Friday 19:30, 5 x Saturday 17:30, 2 x Saturday 19:45, 1 x Sunday 15:00, 3 x Sunday 17:30
Season 10 – 5 x Friday 19:40, 4 x Saturday 17:00, 2 x Sunday 17:00, 1 x Monday 17:00 and 1 x Tuesday 17:00
Season 11 – 2 x Friday 19:40, 6 x Saturday 17:15, 6 x Sunday 17:00


So next season isn’t the worst we’ve had for Sundays. That was Season 5. As for home matches, I think the worst was Season 6 when there were 6 mid-week matches.

At least with the kick off times on a Saturday they’ve moved them 15 minutes later than in previous years.

Nice work Jeterpool!!!
Going on those stats there is not a significant difference between afternoon and evening attendances but nonetheless over the years Saturday (around 11.5k average) regardless of the kick off time is the best attended while Sunday arvo's (around 9k average) are the worst attended.
Hawk and Sammydog make some good points, I would also like to add that the fact is also that nowadays many people also work on a weekend up to 4pm or even longer, for many there is no chance of making it to a 5pm kick-off, in particular if they live out Maitland or Cessnock way etc. People also play Summer sports, particularly on a Saturday such as cricket which can be played up until the late afternoon which will also prevent them not making a 5pm kick-off.

Fully understand the evening games detering young families as I've been there when I had young kids in the Breakers/United period of the late 90's/early 2000's when all games were on a Friday night, I hardly went to any games back then and used to be frustrated at a lack of weekend arvo games.
Nowadays it's the opposite, because of my work roster I work every second weekend on a day or night shit. I have looked ahead and 4 of the arvo matches clash with my work as I finish at 5.30pm.

I just can't see why FFA/Fox have to persist with these 5pm/5.15pm starts year after year, 6pm would be much more practical and logical and you would just push the second game back to a 8pm kick-off. I'm 100% sure that you would get better attendances for this timeslot. By 6pm the shade has well and truly covered at least half the pitch and the heat from the sun has lost a bit of it's sting, which is better for both players and spectators.
Time to think outside the square FFA/Fox and listen to fans for once.....the NRL attendances have dwindled in recent years because Fox/TV has dictated the fixtures schedule and the game is packaged to favour a TV audience rather than a live audience.
I don't want our game to go down that path and anyway it would be suicidal, it is not up to a high enough standard to captivate a TV audience....yet.
That's why we should be focusing on our strengths and building on trying to get more people to live games....having 5pm kick-offs have been proven to be unfavourable in terms of a spectacle and player/fan comfort so why persist with them year after bloody year

[hawk]

Now show us the TV ratings for the corresponding times JP. TV owns our sorry asses

[Blackmac79]

Fox has ridded us of the 3pm sunday timeslot.

****ing praise be to Murdoch media.

[stopper2]

Would also lke to add when these afternoon games are played, as a spectacle for TV it looks downright terrible because 80% of the crowd are sitting in the Western stand in the shade away from the burning sun, creating the effect that there are less then 5,000 people at the game.
How many times last year when the crowd figure was announced, people commenting on social media would say that the numbers were fudged because they were obviously making their judgement on just what the cameras were showing....the crowd in the Eastern stand. Once again it creates a negative impression that there is a shit atmosphere at Jets games, people see this and it just creates a snowball effect of negativity and the club attracts the stigma of unfairly "fudging" it's crowds.
Those who think it is not an issue, okay stick your heads in the sand and pretend it isn't but I think it is a bigger issue than many realise and one that is going to be hard to break out of now that FFA/Fox have decided that our club rates low on TV and thus deserves the afternoon timeslot.

[Jeterpool]

Would also lke to add when these afternoon games are played, as a spectacle for TV it looks downright terrible because 80% of the crowd are sitting in the Western stand in the shade away from the burning sun, creating the effect that there are less then 5,000 people at the game.
How many times last year when the crowd figure was announced, people commenting on social media would say that the numbers were fudged because they were obviously making their judgement on just what the cameras were showing....the crowd in the Eastern stand. Once again it creates a negative impression that there is a shit atmosphere at Jets games, people see this and it just creates a snowball effect of negativity and the club attracts the stigma of unfairly "fudging" it's crowds.
Those who think it is not an issue, okay stick your heads in the sand and pretend it isn't but I think it is a bigger issue than many realise and one that is going to be hard to break out of now that FFA/Fox have decided that our club rates low on TV and thus deserves the afternoon timeslot.

I guess what the afternoon matches provide for the club is an additional opportunity to engage with the kids. Some parents and kids are unable to attend matches that kick off at 7:00 because it makes for a late night so the club have an opportunity to take what could be seen as a negative and put something on to draw the crowds there.

Give them a reason to go along like the run on the field last year. I would call that exercise a success.

[plague]

i just find it uncanny that the spectators want to sit on the same side as the TV cameras.
Its almost like its the best viewing area or something.

[stopper2]

I guess what the afternoon matches provide for the club is an additional opportunity to engage with the kids. Some parents and kids are unable to attend matches that kick off at 7:00 because it makes for a late night so the club have an opportunity to take what could be seen as a negative and put something on to draw the crowds there.

Give them a reason to go along like the run on the field last year. I would call that exercise a success.

Yeah mate, we've covered that previously that the 5pm slot is family friendly but I can bet you two things if it is 30 + degrees.....
1/ You will have a lot of families prefer to be at the beach and
2/ The majority of families who do go to the match, if they have season tickets in the Eastern stand will most probably find a spot in the Western stand or in the shaded areas at the ends. On hot days sitting in the Eastern lower deck the temperatures are easily around 40 degrees.
With 12 of our 14 games at home, yes Jeterpool, the club are going to have to come up with something that is going to encourage people to come to games for a timeslot that is not attractive in hot summer conditions.

[stopper2]

i just find it uncanny that the spectators want to sit on the same side as the TV cameras.
Its almost like its the best viewing area or something.

Um lets see it's 5pm and sitting in the Eastern stand looking into the afternoon sun it is about 35 degrees.
Over in the Western stand on the "same side as the TV cameras" it is totally shaded and the temperature is 25 degrees......um which stand should I take my family to watch the football for 90 minutes???

[Jeterpool]

I'm really struggling to understand what this thread is trying to achieve. Yeah we've got some arvo games. We always have. It's nothing new so people who choose to sit on the eastern side will surely know about it. And besides, don't the club make more of these seats in the cheaper range? Therefore aren't they discounted in a way when compared to the same seat on the other side?

That's what we're dealt so we deal with it and move on. At least we'll get heaps of experience playing in the heat so we should be better prepared.

This is what we get for being the least successful team over the past 5 seasons

[GazFish35]

Would also lke to add when these afternoon games are played, as a spectacle for TV it looks downright terrible because 80% of the crowd are sitting in the Western stand in the shade away from the burning sun, creating the effect that there are less then 5,000 people at the game.
How many times last year when the crowd figure was announced, people commenting on social media would say that the numbers were fudged because they were obviously making their judgement on just what the cameras were showing....the crowd in the Eastern stand. Once again it creates a negative impression that there is a shit atmosphere at Jets games, people see this and it just creates a snowball effect of negativity and the club attracts the stigma of unfairly "fudging" it's crowds.
Those who think it is not an issue, okay stick your heads in the sand and pretend it isn't but I think it is a bigger issue than many realise and one that is going to be hard to break out of now that FFA/Fox have decided that our club rates low on TV and thus deserves the afternoon timeslot.


I agree it contributes to a negative aura being portrayed on TV, but I'm not sure what you mean by ffa/fox "deciding" our games rate poorly. Those statements are based on hard data not hunches.

Bottom line is, with a smaller population than most other clubs we will struggle to get good viewing numbers unless we start playing football neutrals want to watch.

[Captain Obvious]

Um lets see it's 5pm and sitting in the Eastern stand looking into the afternoon sun it is about 35 degrees.
Over in the Western stand on the "same side as the TV cameras" it is totally shaded and the temperature is 25 degrees......um which stand should I take my family to watch the football for 90 minutes???

The Western stand.

[stopper2]

The Western stand.

Yeah the Western stand, where the sun sets??......or as the Eastern stand is officially known as the Andrew Johns stand, the Western stand should be the.....
JOEL GRIFFITHS STAND!!!

[stopper2]

Alright, so this is a quick look - I defined "ARVO" games as being a kick off up to 17:59 and “NIGHT” as being a kick off from 18:00 onwards

Friday
Arvo – 1 match avg 22518 (Wanderers game where they won the plate)
Night – 37 matches avg 10761

Saturday
Arvo – 22 matches average 11522
Night – 16 matches 11513

Sunday
15:00 – 8 matches @ 9863
17:00 – 27 matches @ 8958
18:00 onwards 4 matches @ 15217 but these were around New Years Eve and 2 finals in season 3. I’d discount because it’s not a normal Sunday kick off time.

Season 1 – 1 x Thursday 20:00, 4 x Friday 20:00, 2 x Saturday 17:30 and 5 x Sunday 17:00
Season 2 – 6 x Friday 20:00, 2 x Saturday 19:00, 2 x Sunday 17:00 and 1 x Monday 18:00
Season 3 – 5 x Friday 20:00, 2 x Saturday 19:00, 1 x Sunday 15:00, 2 x Sunday 17:00, 2 x Sunday 18:00 and 1 x Sunday 19:00
Season 4 - 3 x Friday 20:00, 1 x Saturday 18:30, 1 x Saturday 17:00, 4 x Sunday 17:00, 1 x Monday 15:00
Season 5 - 3 x Friday 20:00, 1 x Saturday 17:30, 3 x Sunday 15:00, 6 x Sunday 17:00
Season 6 – 2 x Friday 20:00, 2 x Saturday 17:30, 1 x Saturday 19:00, 1 x Sunday 15:00, 2 x Sunday 17:00, 1 x Sunday 19:00, 3 x Wednesday 19:00-19:30, 1 x Monday 19:30, 1 x Thursday 19:30 1 x Tuesday 19:30
Season 7 - 3 x Friday 20:00, 1 x Saturday 16:00, 6 x Saturday 17:30, 1 x Saturday 19:45, 1 x Sunday 17:00 and 1 x Wednesday 19:45
Season 8 – 1 x 17:45 Friday, 4 x 19:40 Friday, 4 x Saturday 17:30, 2 x Saturday 19:45, 2 x Sunday 15:00
Season 9 – 2 x Friday 19:30, 5 x Saturday 17:30, 2 x Saturday 19:45, 1 x Sunday 15:00, 3 x Sunday 17:30
Season 10 – 5 x Friday 19:40, 4 x Saturday 17:00, 2 x Sunday 17:00, 1 x Monday 17:00 and 1 x Tuesday 17:00
Season 11 – 2 x Friday 19:40, 6 x Saturday 17:15, 6 x Sunday 17:00


So next season isn’t the worst we’ve had for Sundays. That was Season 5. As for home matches, I think the worst was Season 6 when there were 6 mid-week matches.

At least with the kick off times on a Saturday they’ve moved them 15 minutes later than in previous years.

Seeing this topic has become a major talking point again, thought I would rejuvenate this thread too.

If FFA/Fox don't want to listen to supporters and put 5pm/5.15pm kick-offs back to at least 6pm at the very least have a fairer balance of evening/arvo games. Up until this season of only having 2 evening games we averaged around 5 out of 13 or 14 in recent seasons. Most supporters would probably prefer more but still 5 is a reasonable amount, 2 is just bullshit!!!

[hawk]

left out the most glaring stat 0 x Saturday 19:45

[Nou Camp]

anyone know the average evening attendance vs afternoon attendance?
im sure there is a difference

[stopper2]

Page 1 of this thread goes into more detail comparing arvo v evenings and the different days. Sunday arvos have generally over the years been our worst attended.

[Schultz]

Yeah the Western stand, where the sun sets??......or as the Eastern stand is officially known as the Andrew Johns stand, the Western stand should be the.....
JOEL GRIFFITHS STAND!!!

This.

Sunday games suck arse.

[StannyCFCJET]

wednesday night games were cool

[GazFish35]

Best thing we an do is to turn up to games and make noise so it's enjoyable to watch at home so ratings go up.

And, while at the game doing that, leave the tv on tuned in to the game so ratings go up.

[stopper2]

Best thing we an do is to turn up to games and make noise so it's enjoyable to watch at home so ratings go up.

And, while at the game doing that, leave the tv on tuned in to the game so ratings go up.

Yes Gaz, the 8 or 9,000 diehard members will turn up but the casual supporting family most probably are going to be at the beach on a hot Saturday or Sunday afternoon not frying away in 30 plus degree heat. Others will choose to watch the game from the comfort of their air conditioned home.

[hawk]

fridee nite games are best for the blue collars, getem in

[turbojetfireV8]

Friday night game, Saturday morning sleep-in, makes perfect sense to me ;)