Biarritz stadium and supporters

Post by **fermain** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 11:35 pm

I was wondering...how come only 6000 spectators at the game? On our best days we can cram in 12000. If Biarritz are one of the top French teams, and French rugby supposedly has huge support, why was the numbers so small, Is the ground smaller than I thought? Anyone?

paddy c · Post by **paddy c** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 12:21 pm

by the horrendous noise they were making, it sounded like there were 6000 in that band alone!

cables · Post by **cables** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 1:30 pm

Ground Capacity is 12,667 and therefore similar to Ravenhill. I have read that the population (Town) is only 35000.

Over the 2 prior Heini seasons, their home attendances were:

7000 v Sale
5321 v Cardiff
8500 v Leinster
7500 v Leicester
9000 v Wasps
4832 v Calvisano

They did manage 32000 for their 2004-2005 QF v Munster enabled by a stadium shift to Estadio Anoeta but sure the difference was probably the travelling Munster support and Basques from over the border with Spain!

Cockatrice · Post by **Cockatrice** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 3:04 pm

Stand on one side was knocked down hence some earlier concern that the match may have been moved.

colinh · Post by **colinh** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 3:43 pm

paddy c wrote:by the horrendous noise they were making, it sounded like there were 6000 in that band alone!

There is always a band at french rugby games ... they create great atmosphere. As a boy I can vaguely remeber a band in the West Upper at Lansdowne Road. Not sure if they saw any of the game as they were continuously playing in that chrateristic out of tune French style. It was marvellous.

Colin

BR · Post by BR » Mon Oct 31, 2005 1:44 pm

Cockatrice wrote:Stand on one side was knocked down hence some earlier concern that the match may have been moved.

Yes - apparently they had some safety concerns with their old stand and it had to be demolished. That left only the new stand (nice, big, comfortable stand it looked too

) and the two ends behind the goals - the ends weren't exactly stuffed with people, but as they are just gentle inclines with no real terracing - I guess their official capacity has to be kept quite low. (anybody got a tape of the match?)