January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Where have all the fans gone?
The Soap Box
BDA SUN: Are local rivalries more important to Bermuda sports fans than their national teams?
Bermuda's national cricket team (or at least a Bermuda select team) just played it's first home matches in almost two years (excluding the classic) , yet virtually nobody turned up to watch.
At the national stadium on Thursday there were less than 20 supporters. At one stage there were more players on the pitch than there were fans in the bleachers.
Football, too, seems to suffer from poor attendances when the national team gets a rare opportunity to play at home.
The New England tour attracted less than 500 fans. At the game against Jamaica under-23s there were more fans there in the green, gold and black of the reggae boys than there were cheering on Bermuda.
Cup Match, the County Games, the local football league are comparatively well supported.
Can anyone think of a reason for this?
What could we be doing to encourage more people to support their national teams?
Do we give enough credit to our national team stars?
Will the new United Soccer League team attract a decent fan base?
Don Burgess (BDA Sun): You really couldn't blame the fans for not getting excited about a Select team that included only three players (Kwame Tucker, Dean Minors and Ryan Steede) with any real shot of representing Bermuda at the Cricket World Cup in 2007. Added to that Bermuda was playing a club side. It wasn't like they were playing the Windies.
Roderick Spencer (National Basketball Coach): Bermudians love a winner and MOST of our national teams just don't win many games locally. When Bermuda was in their World Cup run for football the turnout was great until they got knocked out.
The national Basketball team played two games versus currant and ex-NBA players last summer after winning the gold at the Island Games and we had to turn people away because the gym was packed.
To encourage people to support their national teams, maybe we should have weekly who's who in the papers with profiles of various National team members and what they go through to make the team.
We are not even close to giving enough credit to our national team stars, these guys and girls are usually in the top one per cent - five per cent in their chosen sport that isn't by accident
Will the new United Soccer League team attract a decent fan base? If they win, see point 1. At the start there might be.
Cal Blankendal (BFA youth co-ordinator): To be perfectly honest, when all of our players feel that it is a honour to represent Bermuda, then all Bermudians will feel that is a honour to watch them.
A national team is supposed to consist of the best players in any particular country and until that happens, the turn out will be average. Also, when matches are scheduled, better promotion must be done to inform the public. We cannot take the consumer for granted when there is Test Cricket, Champions League, Premier League/Spanish La Liga on TV.
RS: I agree with everything said here except that a national team should consist of the best players BUT it should be the players that makeup the best TEAM. The best players are usually not the best TEAM.
CB: Agreed
George Holdipp: I must agree with Don, the national team just returned victorious from Toronto with the Americas Cup, in less than six months they will be playing in the World Cup and yet they don't play against credible opposition in Clico Preysal - at present they are the major drawing card, the decision not to play them was in my opinion just plain stupid! Also, I don't know who is responsible for marketing at Board level but they are doing an atrocious job. If it wasn't for the newspapers one wouldn't think Bermuda was about to play in its first World Cup. Quite frankly I don't think the country is really benefiting the way it should from the team's World Cup qualification.
CB: As a small island do we really know what the general or sporting public expects from any of our national teams?
Do fans attend an international match to see our team(s) win or just participate.
If it is to see them win then the opponents we bring in, must be of the same level or just a little more advanced. If it is to see our teams participate, then it all comes down to who we bring to our shores. We should ask the public who they want to see and provide a list of five teams that may be interested in coming to Bermuda.
I also think that Bermuda is being confronted by a strange phenomenon. We may have more people who watch Arsenal, Manchester United or Liverpool every weekend on Cable, then who attend a domestic league match. If we do not support our local teams, then you will not be able to identify or feel any allegiance to our national teams.
DB: George, It wasn't the board's fault that the Clico tour wasn't promoted because they weren't the ones who brought them in. However, both cricket and football could do a better job of marketing their sports. And by marketing I mean the whole enchilada - posters, souvenirs, game programmes, scheduled press conferences. They miss out on opportunities to help build enthusiasm and make a few extra dollars.
GH: I wasn't really referring to Clico Don, I was referring to our World Cup campaign, promotion as far as I am concerned has been non-existent!
Cal, quite frankly I believe local football fans are frustrated with the level of football from our local teams and get a vicarious thrill from watching the Premiership. If our standard of play was at the standard it should be then I am certain most local fans would give it the priority it deserves. For instance I am an Arsenal fan but if Bermuda was playing decent football I would put a match between say Bermuda and Jamaica way ahead of an FA Cup final between United and Arsenal.
CB: If we wait for our teams to be like the Premiership then we will all be old and gone. We must improve our infrastructure, technical skills and marketing capabilities. While we are doing that the sport or sports we play/attend can only grow if we continue to support them. The real matter is what do we want and what can we do. We need a real open sports debate in this country to move ahead.
Robert Calderon: In Bermuda there is a huge problem attempting to win simultaneously on the field and in the stands. The primary reason for this can be attributed to the lack of a sustained youth development program, both domestically and internationally. In short, If we don't produce excellent players in numbers we won't have excellent local and national teams, which in turn results in poor results on the field and in the stands.
RS: For all the football guys out there. What impact do you think the spike in violence at various football matches a few years ago has on local interest if any?
I used to go to every PHC game if I was able, and often take my daughter, but when all that stuff started I stayed away because of her more than my fears.
RC: I am positive that it has had an impact, as was the case in the U.K. until they sorted out their hooligans and I have no doubt there has been some negative impact on crowds throughout Europe where violence and racism remains an issue.
The problem in Bermuda is a bit more difficult to resolve as managing this aspect of the game is expensive. Having said that, I believe that the BFA and the clubs have made significant improvements fighting what is in reality a national issue.
GH: Cal, no one is suggesting that our teams must reach Premiership level in order to appeal to local fans but standards must be raised, I think of the national team under Burkhardt Ziese or that Youth team under Kenny Thompson, both sides played good football and were well supported by the public, that's all Bermuda fans want to see a good standard of football - the kind that Ralph 'Gumbo' Bean, Gary Darrell, George Brangman, Dale Russell and others of that era played!!!
Jon Beard: I think that the lack of support for international friendly games is simply dependent on the opposition, and how well it is marketed. I remember years ago Leyton (as it was then) Orient coming here on tour in the summer. They played the national team, and there was basically two men and a dog watching. Similarly, this year, Southend and New England drew poor crowds as, I guess, people were not interested, or the games were poorly marketed. Games that involved top English sides some years ago drew terrific crowds and were well marketed.
The advent of top games live on cable has definitely affected the spectator dynamics, as people expect see local (especially national level) football played at the same level they see on the TV. It is an unrealistic bar, but it is nevertheless there.
However, I feel that if there is a competition we tend to get greater support - and if we are successful people really come out in force. This is the same the world over! Look at the numbers who came out for 20/20 compared to those who watched the recent games. Or, the crowds that packed the stadium when we had a terrific World Cup run some years ago - the crowds were sparse for the initial games, but once we had some success we had over 10 per cent of the population out there.
With regards to the comments about violence in sport affecting levels of spectators - as others have said it is indeed a fact. It adversely affected the game in the UK as it provided a place for violence to fester. Consequently the family type atmosphere was lost as the silent majority simply left the game in droves. We have to make both the level of the game and the environment one in which people want to come to be entertained.
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