Crowds

[smalishah84]

ok Rs 250.....now that makes sense..........250 USD for the cheapest ticket sounded outrageous.

[silentstriker]

For the england game, that was for the minnows.

[Daemon]

all crowds do is make it harder for umpires to hear nicks. **** em.

[Sanz]

Originally Posted by silentstriker

On the other hand, I also found this 'New' Wankhede fails to draw crowds for World Cup matches | News | NDTVSports.com.

So I may need to take back my comment since 250 rupees is much more affordable to the general public. I have my own reasons for never going to a BCCI venue but if there are a lot of tickets available for 250 rupees at other stadiums as well, I would have hoped for a higher turnout.

Looking at Internet for Ticket Prices and the minimum looks like 500 Rs. for a Test Playing Nation. I am not sure anyone would want to spend 500 bucks for ticket to go watch cricket in such a unpleasant environment. If a family wants to go out and enjoy the game, it would be easily above 1000+ for decent tickets.

I think I have brought this before in my discussion with you that BCCI has done absolutely nothing in terms of bring the fans to the stands. Fans are treated like ****, Majority of the stadiums are horrible with almost zero facilities. And to top it all, tickets for any India game are hardly available for sale, most of the India game tickets are given to the so called VIPs.Why should the fans spend their hard earned money go to watch other teams play cricket in the stadiums when they are not given an opportunity to watch their own team play ?

I have already posted pictures of how the fans were beaten up before India-Eng Match, here is what happened during India-SA match :-

[Fusion]

Those pictures are shocking. There’s got to be a story behind them right? Why are the police beating up those fans? Did they offer up any excuses and is any action being taken against them?

[Sanz]

Originally Posted by flibbertyjibber

Considering we constantly hear how Indian fans love their cricket the crowds have been piss poor so far in the competition with grounds barely half full, very poor show if you ask me.

Is it cost, or just bad organisation by BCCI?

Being so far away it is difficult to know but the fact is the half empty stadiums do look stupid in the games major showpiece. I presume tv money is more important than filling the grounds to India.

It is mostly bad organization. There are many fans who would want to go watch cricket. As kids I know that we used to enjoy the opportunities to watch even domestic games since it would be so hard to get a ticket for International match.

BCCI has, over the years, killed that culture and basically prefers that ordinary fans do not demand tickets so that they could sell all these tickets to sponsors.

[Sanz]

Originally Posted by Fusion

Those pictures are shocking. There’s got to be a story behind them right? Why are the police beating up those fans? Did they offer up any excuses and is any action being taken against them?

Story is not enough tickets and poor organization. For India-England match they had 7000 (out of a total of 34000) and that means for 7000 tickets probably 70,000 showed up in the morning.

Police attack fans seeking tickets for India v South Africa in Nagpur | Sport | guardian.co.uk

"I have been here since last night. Many villagers who had also come here for tickets slept outside the stadium as they waited for the ticket counter to open. When the counter opened, there was a huge rush to buy the tickets. Police baton-charged the people as they tried to control the crowd. I could not get a ticket so I will have to watch the match on television."

[Sanz]

Originally Posted by benchmark00

Always get the feeling that Indians don't like following sport, they just like following India.

Originally Posted by Got_Spin

Indian fans only come to watch Indian players

Comments like these disgust me. People have no clue about certain things yet they continue to post garbage.

[Fusion]

Originally Posted by Sanz

Police attack fans seeking tickets for India v South Africa in Nagpur | Sport | guardian.co.uk

"I have been here since last night. Many villagers who had also come here for tickets slept outside the stadium as they waited for the ticket counter to open. When the counter opened, there was a huge rush to buy the tickets. Police baton-charged the people as they tried to control the crowd. I could not get a ticket so I will have to watch the match on television."

So this seems like a combination of bad planning, overzealous policing, and unruly fans. There should’ve been better organization on the part of the authorities for the fans in line. I’m not sure who’s responsibility it is to organize that (the local stadium authorities? BCCI? Police?). So that’s where the real issue lies. Now once the fans break through the lines and start to rush, it is ALMOST understandable that the police will use their sticks to hold them back. They have to control the crowd somehow otherwise a stampede may occur.

[Sanz]

Originally Posted by Fusion

So this seems like a combination of bad planning, overzealous policing, and unruly fans. There should’ve been better organization on the part of the authorities for the fans in line. I’m not sure who’s responsibility it is to organize that (the local stadium authorities? BCCI? Police?). So that’s where the real issue lies. Now once the fans break through the lines and start to rush, it is ALMOST understandable that the police will use their sticks to hold them back. They have to control the crowd somehow otherwise a stampede may occur.

May be the fans are unruly at times, but they are not there to create trouble, they just want to watch a game. It is bad planning and greed on the part of BCCI. Clearly there are not enough tickets and seats available for fans and whatever is available is held back until the last moment. Online ticketing site is not working (imagine the irony that biggest IT professional work force from India), those who bought tickets aren't getting their tickets and many other problems.

[biased indian]

Isn't ICC doing the ticketing part ??? to avoid the incidents mentioned above ICC have introduced a ballot system for awarding tickets for the SF and finals for general public

only 20% or 30% of the tickets are available for public on sale..rest are given to the sponsors.which they distribute.and most of the people who get this does not bother to turn up for the matches.

and i am sure if this was T20 tournament more people would have bothered to come and watch the games ..taking a day leave to watch Aus vs Ken and going in the evening to watch the same match is different

and as far as the stadium are considered all the venues of the world cup has been recently modified and as i understand almost all grounds now have individual seat and not the concrete benches that was there.

[benchmark00]

Originally Posted by Sanz

Comments like these disgust me. People have no clue about certain things yet they continue to post garbage.

Yep those neutral games are really getting packed out, so I can see the evidence to why I'm wrong.

[Bun]

Originally Posted by benchmark00

Yep those neutral games are really getting packed out, so I can see the evidence to why I'm wrong.

still they are better than what can be expected in other countries. for ecample the second cb series final vs india in aus, got poor crowds for a home and final game, even considering it was gillys last match.

that said, the way indian crowds are treated is pathetic.

[benchmark00]

Originally Posted by Bun

still they are better than what can be expected in other countries. for ecample the second cb series final vs india in aus, got poor crowds for a home and final game, even considering it was gillys last match.

that said, the way indian crowds are treated is pathetic.

Firstly, you're comparing a population of 20 million to 1 billion.

Secondly, you're comparing a tri series match at the end of a long summer to a World Cup.

Thirdly, the comment I made wasn't supposed to be a slight on India as a country, nor was I saying it with the intention of comparing it to another country. People take comments too personally.

For a country of 1 billion people which has a reputation of 'cricket crazy', it seems a little off to me that neutral matches are attracting very poor attendances. The argument of out pricing the locals has been raised, and whilst I acknowledge that is indeed possible (it certainly occured last WC in the Carribean), I can't help but think that it's merely an excuse, considering the most expensive games (ones involving India) are packed to the rafters.

I'm not saying attendances for neutrals would be any better in say Australia or South Africa or wherever... but those countries don't have a population of 1 billion and don't have a reputation of being absolutely obsessed with cricket.

Brings me back to my original point - I get the impression that the Indian population don't care as much about the game as is made out. Their passion for their own team can never be brought into question though.

[Jono]

Understand what you're saying, particularly with regards to population and reputation. But I reckon I care a lot about the game of cricket, and there's no way in hell I'd travel to the ground and pay to stand in the sun and watch Australia vs. Kenya or Sri Lanka vs. Zimbabwe. Just won't do it. World Cup or not.