No Asain Oldham fans - BBC news story

[ajjovek]

I think O Heck's point here is really valid. We don't have attendance from critical mass of the entire local population, so it's always going to be hard to attract a section of that community who have a significantly lower propensity to attend football matches (anywhere).

 

I wrote 15000 words on this subject on behalf of Sean Jarvis back in 2003/4, for my uni dissertation, if anyone wants some bedtime reading ;)

[spadam]

I hate the term Asian when talking about Pakistan and Bangladesh. As Asian refers to the whole of Asia. I think we should have more Japanese support aswell. Anyway to the original point does it really matter if they don't want to come.

[Midsblue]

Black, white, brown, yellow, green or whatever...skin colour is irrelevant when it comes to supporting a football club. If we were much more successful then we would entice more through the turnstiles and I'm confident it wouldn't be 100% white representing that increase.

 

Man United have a fair proportion of non-white fans because they're successful. Was it Bury who had an Asian player but I don't recall the Asian contingent increasing.

 

There's no harm in actively targeting non-white fans because the greater number of fans the better in supporting our club both financially and for an greater atmosphere.

 

We should look beyond skin colour but the left wing media are quick to infer things....

[Magic Mikey]

The "journalist" uses statistics and hearsay to try to prove the point they set out to, rather than write a researched and balanced article. She doesn't define what she means by support a club, in the context of the article it has to mean attend matches, do the Premier League "supporting" Oldham Asians attend their matches? She hasn't bothered to research that , but I very much doubt it. So the article could be about why they don't attend football matches. She picks out 3 northern towns, where are the counter examples of similar towns elsewhere where it is different and why? Or could it have been written about why Asians in England don't attend.

As a maths teacher the use of the statistics appalls me, safe to say I deal with primary school children who wouldn't make those errors.

Edited March 24, 2013 by Magic Mikey

[Magic Mikey]

I hate the term Asian when talking about Pakistan and Bangladesh. As Asian refers to the whole of Asia. I think we should have more Japanese support aswell. Anyway to the original point does it really matter if they don't want to come.

Absolutely, I used to live near the Japanese district, just outside Lees, there is a wealth of untapped support there. He is a nice lad as well.

[LaticsSideOfLife]

I hate the term Asian when talking about Pakistan and Bangladesh. As Asian refers to the whole of Asia. I think we should have more Japanese support aswell. Anyway to the original point does it really matter if they don't want to come.

 

It really does matter if they come. If they do come which means more fans at games, more merchandise bought etc etc. much needed money for the club.

[Magic Mikey]

There's very few Asian players because they simply aren't good enough.

There are plenty of kids who are good enough, the reasons why they don't develop as footballers is a whole other discussion.

[LaticsSideOfLife]

 

There are plenty of kids who are good enough, the reasons why they don't develop as footballers is a whole other discussion.

 

Are they though? I play against some VERY skilful Pakistani lads but you do as much as stand next to them they go flying. That happens with around 99% of them. They don't develop because more than likely their heart is not in it.

[another fan]

Not Asian but in a similar vein did we have an increase in Poles following the team when one played for us?

[LaticsSideOfLife]

Not Asian but in a similar vein did we have an increase in Poles following the team when one played for us?

 

Nope. Did Bradford have one when their captain was an Asian?

[Magic Mikey]

Edit - in response to LaticsSideOfLife

 

You don't become good at anything without practice, you don't become very good without very high quality practice. Talent is a myth. Many footballers' sons become good players because, if they are interested, they are exposed to the opportunity to get that type of practice. It makes me laugh when Andy Murray is described as a talented tennis player, bollocks. There are thousands of lads who given the same upbringing would be just as successful, statistically probably more successful.

Very few of the asian lads will have the encouragement to go down the professional footballing route, they won't get the high quality practice required.

Edited March 24, 2013 by Magic Mikey

[Stainrod]

3 percent of the population go to Latics, if 20 percent of the population are Asian then pro rata you would expect 3 percent of 20 percent to support the team. So, 100,000 x 20 percent gives 20,000 x 3 percent gives 600 that we would expect to make up our support, clearly it Doesnt.

Just saying.

[rudemedic]

3 percent of the population go to Latics, if 20 percent of the population are Asian then pro rata you would expect 3 percent of 20 percent to support the team. So, 100,000 x 20 percent gives 20,000 x 3 percent gives 600 that we would expect to make up our support, clearly it Doesnt.

Just saying.

Except not everyone who goes to Latics is from Oldham. 3% of Oldham's population doesn't go to Latics.

[rudemedic]

I hate the term Asian when talking about Pakistan and Bangladesh. As Asian refers to the whole of Asia. I think we should have more Japanese support aswell. Anyway to the original point does it really matter if they don't want to come.

I agree with you but this is a report on the BBC Asian network; which I don't think covers much of the non Indian sub-continent bit of Asia.

[real]

3 percent of the population go to Latics, if 20 percent of the population are Asian then pro rata you would expect 3 percent of 20 percent to support the team. So, 100,000 x 20 percent gives 20,000 x 3 percent gives 600 that we would expect to make up our support, clearly it Doesnt.

Just saying.

 

You wouldn't expect that at all.

This sort of statistical analysis works on random events, not on events which are driven by other factors.

People are not dots on a dice.

 

Even on a statistcial level it's flawed - the 100,000 approximation is just for the wards which are "Oldham" ie. not including Chad, Royton, Shaw, Failsworth, Saddleworth.

 

The borough population - which might reasonably include (at a guess - subjective and all that) 95% of the attendees - is 218,000. So there's less than 1.5% of the population. The asian population is 12% of that.

 

But the reasons that people go to watch Latics are not "because they live in Oldham" - population movements into Oldham from central Manchester and other areas will have driven the geographical influence down.

Then you have to look at the real reasons people go - as others have said - taken by dads / uncles / with mates.

As there are few Asian people coming now, and given the historical problems / cultural limitations, it's really no surprise that numbers are so low.

Add to that the ease of access by remote control to the most popular teams in the country and you have a reasonably clear explanation that has little to do with any direct race influence.

[LaticsSideOfLife]

I live in middleton which is technically not Oldham. I also know a fair few who come from midd and go latics too.

[mikeroyboy]

The report covers an anomaly that is more cultural than racial. Why are English and Chinese fast food and restaurant establishments rarely patronised by, Asians? It is also rare to see any 'Asian' fast food outlets patronised by Asians, why, there’s not a hygiene issue, is there?

 

A couple of years ago I visited an Asian festival in Oldham park with my wife. We felt perfectly comfortable amongst a predominantly Asian gathering. But, we couldn’t help noticing that the Asian fast food bar, run by Asians was doing a roaring trade but the White run outlets, staff were leaning on their elbows? Just another anomaly, I guess!

 

Oldham and Burnley were headlined in the article with a zero percentage quota of Asian fans. There was no comparison quote from any club that was doing better, even from the Premiership, why?

 

“Abdul Hamid, a member of Red Star Bengal, believes Oldham are doing a lot of good work with the community, but he has thrown out a challenge to the bosses who run the game.”

 

"One day, when we have an Asian player at Latics, a lot of Asian people will flock to the club to support him." Where is the evidence, Abdul?

The Football League is awash with black players but the terraces aren’t awash with black fans.

 

Cultural anomalies across the board cut both ways and is a a fact of life.

Edited March 24, 2013 by mikeroyboy

[SavageTheBeast]

It didn't stop them from coming to the Liverpool game it was full of them because most of them support them. They don't know who oldham athletic this is just a pointless article trying to brand football clubs racist. It clearly states they rather cook a bebab or get in their taxi then come so the argument is flawed.

[singe]

How did you get into football?

 

Your dad took you didn't he?

 

You tagged along with your mates?

 

It's a cultural thing. Only the more recent generations of British Asians have been into football. Our way of football is a whole drink, football, drink thing. Not something a primarily muslim culture would embrace.

 

Plus there is a money thing. Asian communities tend to be poor and family orientated. Usually meaning that £20 for a football game on a Saturday isn't the ideal way to spend their money.

 

It is the same across all sports and not just Football and certainly isn't exclusive to Oldham.

excellent points Roger.And for similar reasons, Oldham rugby, and most rugby teams I would expect,have similarly disproportionately comprised crowds.

And extending Rogers point about fatherly influence, the cricket scene is probably over proportionately represented I suspect.

 

[MaskedOwl]

I used to work at Robin Hill youth centre in coldhurst which was used 100% by asian young people. The lads were mad on football but not one of them supported Oldham. Every one supported a premier league club and they couldn't understand why i supported oldham. I got the impression that the older members of their families were not interested in football so there is no encouragement to support a local team.

Edited March 24, 2013 by MaskedOwl

[Guest Scratch2000uk]

Not really a S.E Asian tradition going to football matches at boundary park is it? never has been, never will.

[Guest Scratch2000uk]

An study from the Ashram agency here, for those interested http://ashramha.org.uk/filemanager/resources//Ashram%20-%20Unveiling%20Football.pdf,

[jimsleftfoot]

I hate the term Asian when talking about Pakistan and Bangladesh. As Asian refers to the whole of Asia. I think we should have more Japanese support aswell. Anyway to the original point does it really matter if they don't want to come.

 

It's still accurate to call someone from South Asia Asian. They also use the term themselves e.g. Asian Sound Radio.

[opinions4u]

Let us imagine that £100,000 landed on the desk of Simon Corney that could only be used for marketing activity to attract fans in to Boundary Park.

 

Where would you spend that money to get the best results?

 

1) Asian community projects?

2) Recontacting lapsed season ticket holders?

3) Freebies for school kids?

4) Something else?

 

For me, number one is flogging a dead horse.

Edited March 24, 2013 by opinions4u

[LaticsSideOfLife]

Let us imagine that £100,000 landed on the desk of Simon Corney that could only be used for marketing activity to attract fans in to Boundary Park.

 

Where would you spend that money to get the best results?

 

1) Asian community projects?

2) Recontacting lapsed season ticket holders?

3) Freebies for school kids?

4) Something else?

 

For me, number one is flogging a dead horse.

 

For me it would have to be number 2.