Why don't we see more Asian football supporters up the Ricoh? (1 Viewer)

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rob9872

rob9872

Well-Known Member
I live in Warwick and all the Asian guys I know whether Indian or Pakistani, seem to support Liverpool or Man Utd. I was commenting on a thread in the off-topic section on race issues yesterday and it got me thinking , particularly with where we are located near/in Fosehill, that there is a huge untapped market of fans. I assume an untapped market of talent too, as Asian footballers are also very scarce.

A few east Asian footballers with the most high profile probably being Ji Sung Park, but barely any Indian or Pakistani at any level. Perhaps that’s the reason as many don’t feel they have a hero that they can identify with, but it must run deeper than that.

We have quite a healthy black following and again maybe the breakthrough of black footballers over the past 30 years has helped the black society feel more in touch with the game than the Asian community, but we must do something to attract them up.

I’m not one for positive discrimination as I think it’s equally harmful, but the club must get out and target the community with a view to filling some of our vast number of empty seats. If more come and we can get a couple breaking through from the youth team it could spiral. For want of a better term "safety in numbers".
 
rob9872

rob9872

Well-Known Member
Perhaps just not near me then! What I mean was not that there aren't any, that would be silly, but proportionately for the population in and around the City, it seems a very low representation imo.
 
Marty

Marty

Well-Known Member
rob9872 said:
I live in Warwick and all the Asian guys I know whether Indian or Pakistani, seem to support Liverpool or Man Utd. I was commenting on a thread in the off-topic section on race issues yesterday and it got me thinking , particularly with where we are located near/in Fosehill, that there is a huge untapped market of fans. I assume an untapped market of talent too, as Asian footballers are also very scarce.

A few east Asian footballers with the most high profile probably being Ji Sung Park, but barely any Indian or Pakistani at any level. Perhaps that’s the reason as many don’t feel they have a hero that they can identify with, but it must run deeper than that.

We have quite a healthy black following and again maybe the breakthrough of black footballers over the past 30 years has helped the black society feel more in touch with the game than the Asian community, but we must do something to attract them up.

I’m not one for positive discrimination as I think it’s equally harmful, but the club must get out and target the community with a view to filling some of our vast number of empty seats. If more come and we can get a couple breaking through from the youth team it could spiral. For want of a better term "safety in numbers".
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If players from that region were good enough they would be picked up by european clubs, Alot of asian's are more cricket fans then football fans anyway and only pick Man U & liverpool as they have little intrest in the game and want to be associated with a club winning things.

If we can get more fans in on a saturday then thats all good but i think targeting the next generations of fans with free tickets (not sure what else the club can do) then i think this is a better route to go down.
 
rob9872

rob9872

Well-Known Member
I like Cricket too! As Al Murray says, "Football in the winter, Cricket in the summer, thems the rules" :)
 
ashbyjan

ashbyjan

Well-Known Member
I know my dad is working with the club to build links with the Polish community in Cov and Warwicks and the club have been very helpful and supportive. He interviewed Jutkiewicz for the Polish show on CWR and it turns out the kid doesnt speak a word of Polish or know anything about his heritage - youth of today!
 
Walking Bird

Walking Bird

New Member
Marty said:
If players from that region were good enough they would be picked up by european clubs, Alot of asian's are more cricket fans then football fans anyway and only pick Man U & liverpool as they have little intrest in the game and want to be associated with a club winning things.
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Remember at highfield Rd a few years back the City arranged a friendly match against the Pakistani national team to try & generate some interest.
Only about 5000 people turned up & most were longtime Cov fans.
 
Jimthor

Jimthor

New Member
It's a bit of a stereotype that Indians all support Man Utd, but it's one i've found to be true for the most part! There were absolutely piles of Indian lads at my school, and with the exception of a couple of Arsenal fans, they were all Man Utd fans!
I think when you're younger and 'picking' your football club so to speak, the influence of family is probably going to be the reason you start following Coventry City. For me, my granddad used to take me up to games at Highfield Rd, my uncle took me to some youth games, etc. If these lads have parents or grandparents that were born in India and thus don't have massive interest in either football or Coventry City, then they'll probably just start following the successful teams.
 
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M

mustaphasbeard

New Member
rob9872 said:
I live in Warwick and all the Asian guys I know whether Indian or Pakistani, seem to support Liverpool or Man Utd. I was commenting on a thread in the off-topic section on race issues yesterday and it got me thinking , particularly with where we are located near/in Fosehill, that there is a huge untapped market of fans. I assume an untapped market of talent too, as Asian footballers are also very scarce.
".
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Well, there's your answer.
 
rob9872

rob9872

Well-Known Member
Well if Hoffman or SISU are looking for global investment then we copuld do a lot worse than take on a couple of Indian or Pakistani players.

Park has turned out ok at ManUre,.but I don't think he was for one minute picked out because he was the best around but simply because of the commercial aspect of United in Asia. They go mad for them over there, so I'm sure there's an opportunity. It might seem a bit shallow to say that people will support us just because we have someone playing for us, but it could really be that simple imo
 
Houchens Head

Houchens Head

Fairly well known member from Malvern
I used to watch guys play footie down the local park and a lot of Asian lads were playing. They were damn good aswell! I also used to play against them in 5-a-side games and, once again, they were very good. Why then do they not seem to go forward in a football career? Is it just a stigma that it's a European type game and they only play cricket and hockey as National games? I would love to see more Indian and Pakistani guys in the game. Good post Rob.
 
We'll_live_and_die

We'll_live_and_die

Moderator
The Club is about history and culture. I support them because my Dads, dads dad did. An Asian fellow of my age (27), where did his dads, dads dad live and who did he support? A lot of football support is due to history and culture in the surrounding area, which is something that people that have recently (50/80 years) moved to the country do not have.
 
rob9872

rob9872

Well-Known Member
Rich said:
The Club is about history and culture. I support them because my Dads, dads dad did. An Asian fellow of my age (27), where did his dads, dads dad live and who did he support? A lot of football support is due to history and culture in the surrounding area, which is something that people that have recently (50/80 years) moved to the country do not have.
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I couldn't agree more, but that means that they are not only going to the Ricoh but not going anywhere. Therefore we should be thinking outside the box and asking what we can do to entice them up so that they can identify with the club. Because in teh same way my dad took me, I will take my daughter etc so if we can get them now before anyone else does, then they will take their sons and daughters and so on too. It all has to start somewhere in the way that it did for our ancestors.
 
1

14pls

New Member
I'm a coventry fan with parents from India, i go up to the Ricoh as much as i can and i've seen a fair few other asians about, but you're right not as many as we can attract for a stadium slap bang in the middle of mini-punjab, (having said that we dont attract enough fans in general, regardless of race) i think with the south-east asian community (pakistanis,indians) its a bit more deep rooted, when they came to the country to fit in they would have supported the big clubs of the time (explaining why many support manchester,liverpool, got some family members who even support Leeds [god bless them]. I know the clubs has programs to actively involve the local community as well, and i think last season there was talk about giving a trial to some indian footballer but didnt make the cut. (http://www.goal.com/en-india/news/1...m-can-sunils-coventry-adventure-inspire-india)
 
M

Mumford and Daughter

New Member
Because when the Indians came over, Liverpool, Man Utd were the best teams and they latched onto them, there kids nowadays probaly follow in there Parents footsteps.

You think in them days, they were too scared (Due to the skin heads) to go Cov matches etc.. so supported the big teams on the TV.
 
S

skybluesam66

Well-Known Member
went to morocco for my hols when we had hadji and chippo . They all knew about coventry city, all the club news - even told me about this Safri chap before we had signed him, that he was the next one heading our way.
Unfortunately not too many moroocans in cov

so yes, give them somebody to attach to, and whatever nationality, you will get the support
 
sw88

sw88

Chief Commentator!
I've always been of the belief that city should sign a Asian player, like utd signing park. As mentioned above, park had turned out ok. But I remember when at highfield road when cov uni put on a few double Decker busses on for students, when we playing someone who had a Japanese player (can't remember team, but the player may have been Li tie I thinkin who later went on to play for, and get sent off v us, for sheff utd???). These buses were packed because of the amount of Chinese students the uni had! Now they may not want to come to every game but I do think we are missing out on a merchandising / bums on seats opportunity. I'm not sayin go out and buy a Chinese / Japanese player just for the sake of it, but surely there's some half decent players from these areas??

We did nearly sign India's next best thing last season after he had a trial with us last season. Wonder where he ended up???
 
Sky_Blue_Daz

Sky_Blue_Daz

Well-Known Member
In my opinion we missed a trick financially when we never signed Sunil Chetri, That would have added a few thousand fans onto the gate. Also beaming games back to India could have been a very good earner, possible ownership from Indian Investers.
 
Sky_Blue_Daz

Sky_Blue_Daz

Well-Known Member
If thats the case we should Consider signing a few Polish players as well. Its all money going into the Club.
Striker like Maciejz Zuraskei, would make money on names on the back of shirts too
 
Covstu

Covstu

Well-Known Member
I see quite alot of asians up at the Ricoh and they proudly wear the colours. Yes india and pakistan is primarily a cricket nation, yes eat, sleep, breathe it similar to what Brazil do for football however you would think that there would be an up and coming indian star but sadly not, i think Chopra is Asian isnt he??
For me Ji-sung Park is one of the best midifelders Man Utd has at present. His work rate is second to none, great movement and knows where the net is. Another snip Mr Fergusson!
 
B

bishbosh

New Member
I think there is a lot in what Rich said...

The Club is about history and culture. I support them because my Dads, dads dad did.
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Here in the North Island of NZ there is a growing Indian population and cricket and hockey is their sport of choice, there is little or no interest in rugby or football and those that do have a vague passing interest in ManUre, Liverpool or Chelsea.
 
bamalamafizzfazz

bamalamafizzfazz

New Member
Great article once again Rob, one the club should really take an interest in.
This is the kind of thing that should be passed over to our friend on Twitter, this seems to be the sort of thing he takes an interest in.
Also, don't the club have a Nations matchday or something, what do they get out of this?

I have a mate from Zimbabwe and we had a long discussion about why he supports Man Utd the other day.
Maybe we could start a campaign of bring a foreign friend to a particular game (I know that sounds like a joke but there is some seriousness in it.)
 
rob9872

rob9872

Well-Known Member
He has no excuse from Zimbabwe not to support us and the Bullawayo Bullets ... walking in an Ndlovu wonderland! :)
 
bamalamafizzfazz

bamalamafizzfazz

New Member
rob9872 said:
He has no excuse from Zimbabwe not to support us and the Bullawayo Bullets ... walking in an Ndlovu wonderland! :)
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Ha ha I forgot about that need to challenge him on it, I have a feeling he moved to England pre-Ndlovu days. Knowing him he'll just laugh and say, who is Peter Ndlovu? :facepalm:
 
Disorganised1

Disorganised1

New Member
I knew a couple of talented Indian footballers - they played up to age 16, but then their fathers said "no more of this playing games - get on with your studies" One is now a doctor the other is a lawyer. (but I never liked him much anyway)
 
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