A CLUB IS FOR LIFE (Not Christmas or a cup run)

Looking at the amazing scenes at Villa Park last night it was great to see a club from the fourth tier of English football make a major final for the first time in 50 years. Having a history of Exeter City over the last two decades I know what it's like to achieve even the smallest amount of fame (a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford in

the FA Cup in 2005 was as good as it got!) with what was essentially a non-league club at the time.

But one thing struck me (as it has with you in a League of Ireland term I'm sure) that people who don't support your club, or you see once in a very blue moon, will always come out when the club are on the crest of a wave or about to win something. Now I'm not saying you have to be a die-hard fan. Indeed there could

 be many reasons for a smaller attendance (bringing a family to a game, shift-work, nagging wife who hates footy) but although it swells the coughers, it does grate some of the dyed-in-wool brigade.

Bradford City's situation is a prime example.

When the West Yorkshire outfit started off on their Capital One Cup campaign, 4178 of the Bantam's faithful came out to watch Phil Parkinson's side see off Burton Albion. Little did the Valley Parade outfit know exactly where it would lead them; however it was substantially down on their home attendances which average just under 9,000 - a solid number for a club in the fourth tier. 

Valley Parade itself has hosted Premiership action and had most of its 25,186 seats filled during the clubs flirtation with the top table in the early 2000's. By 100%  faithful fans? Hmmm, maybe not. After all when Valley Parade tragically went up in smoke on 11th of May 1985, City had a home support of 5,000 in a ground that technically held 10,000. But who cares, you could say. The club, committee or chairman most certainly didn't. Another reason for trebling attendances came not just with playing Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs, but the magnificent work done on the stadium to bring it up to a ground in fitting with the teams around it. Football was more family friendly and the tills rang pretty loud for Bradford City's short few seasons in the premiership sun.

And then the fall from grace. In Bradford City's case pretty spectacularly, as the club found themselves with a Premiership stadium in the fourth tier of English football pretty quick. And the 25,000 fans? Well yes. 

Was it too much to keep even half that attendance when you're facing off against Macclesfield instead of Manchester United? Could the club keep at least five figured crowds despite their fall from grace? The teams where certainly different and therefore so where the crowds. The romantics among us would like to have seen the majority of fans stay faithful as your club works their way back up, but in truth when the shit really hits the fan...its the faithful who stick around to shovel it up.

And that's why I went onto a Bradford City forum this morning - all delighted with their Wembley date, but a wee bit of begrudgery from some. Begrudgery that the fans who came when times were good, who professed their love for the Bantams , but disappeared when Chelsea became Crewe, would possibly get a better seat allocation at Wembley then a regular patron of Valley Parade. That the supporters who left the club behind with every fall of a league suddenly rekindled their love for the West Yorkshire outfit , went out and got the replica shirt and professed his love for city - yet continue to avoid Valley Parade like the plague every second Saturday.

I'm writing this piece because it's something that should hit home to many League of Ireland clubs. Every one of us must know a handful of people who swear allegiance to your club...an allegiance that manifests itself with a good cup run and a sniff of the Aviva. Depending on your stand-point you can look at it two ways.

1. Its great these people have come back as it's more money through the turnstiles

2. I can't stand a person sitting alongside me with his new replica shirt on and asking what colour we play in.

                                                   Whatever the case clubs certainly can't turn people away, though I'm not for a minute suggesting that. When my home club Waterford United played at Kilcohan in the 80's/early 90's the crowds were very sparse. However on a cup run you'd get the old guard coming out - regaling stories from

 the sixties, then lamenting that time as United went out of the cup at the first attempt.

Do you know how frustrating it is when they stand on the terrace, moan about the current crop, instead of supporting them, then sneering 'Waste of a Sunday that was - typical'. Bradford fans were making the point that tickets for their Wembley showpiece should only be available from the club and only if the person attended a League Two game beforehand (i.e.- they could buy it at an upcoming game v Gillingham or Dagenham & Redbridge. You could see the sentiment, but in

truth Bradford will want to sell out a 30,000 allocation (which they will) to anyone from the town or beyond that wants to see them.

So League of Ireland fans, I'm sure you've experienced it....what's your view?