Week 45 - 2022 BJK Cup Finals - Glasgow, UK, Indoor Hard

wolf · Tennis legend

Week 45 - 2022 BJK Cup Finals - Glasgow, UK, Indoor Hard

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Switzerland took the title rather comfortably in the end. They had a strong team, is that their first title.

Crowds for 6 days totalled 13,100 according to Russell Fuller but he suggests the lta will bid for the finals again, decision due before the April qualifiers. Whoever does get to host, they will also decide if they play their qualifier tie, presumably not? There was apparently no or little competition to host this years; crowds of 13,100 wont encourage many bidders.

dodrade · Satellite level

JonH comes home wrote:
Switzerland took the title rather comfortably in the end. They had a strong team, is that their first title.

Crowds for 6 days totalled 13,100 according to Russell Fuller but he suggests the lta will bid for the finals again, decision due before the April qualifiers. Whoever does get to host, they will also decide if they play their qualifier tie, presumably not? There was apparently no or little competition to host this years; crowds of 13,100 wont encourage many bidders.

If GB host again I would expect better crowds on the back of the team's performance this time round. A change of venue might also help.

goldfish · Futures qualifying

These finals came fairly soon after the Davis Cup finals in the same venue. Whilst supporters may not necessarily follow both the men and women, many do and it was pretty costly to attend the Davis Cup if you are not local. I cant remember when the venue was announced for the BJK Cup but if you were already committed to the DC then Im sure the expense of a second major week would have put many off. It certainly did me. Next year Id think it unlikely that wed be in the same position.

Bagel · Lower Club Player

I went to Glasgow for Wed-Fri. The tennis was predictably good but the overall environment was pretty awful. I guess the LTA (or ITF) are attempting to attract a younger clientele. This can be the only explanation for employing presenters who manically scream at the audience to 'Make More Noise' and DJ's who play excessively loud music whenever possible. Add to this the inexplicable decision to allow supporters in with drums and trumpets. This noise pollution wrecked my enjoyment of the tennis and I believe that of a significant percentage of the crowd. Add in the most limited catering facilities which I have ever come across at a major sports event and there is no chance of my returning in 2023!

PaulM · Tennis legend

Disagree on the bands, music and so on. That didn't bother me at all. And you'll find it at every ATP/WTA tennis event nowadays as well, having the arena half empty and sitting in silence at every change of ends is going to eliminate whatever small atmosphere might have been trying to exist - the 100 times hearing about the winner's jackets was getting ok my nerves though!

Catering facilities were diabolical - absolutely agree. £9 for a fish supper out a van a couple of min walk outside of the venue. No thanks.

paulisi · Tennis legend

Bagel has obviously never been to a DC or Fed Cup match - bands and loud music between points are the norm.

emmsie69 · ATP level

PaulM wrote:
Disagree on the bands, music and so on. That didn't bother me at all. And you'll find it at every ATP/WTA tennis event nowadays as well, having the arena half empty and sitting in silence at every change of ends is going to eliminate whatever small atmosphere might have been trying to exist - the 100 times hearing about the winner's jackets was getting ok my nerves though!

Catering facilities were diabolical - absolutely agree. £9 for a fish supper out a van a couple of min walk outside of the venue. No thanks.

Out of interest, if it was a pizza van would you be happy to pay £9 for a pizza, possibly more? or is it Fish and Chips you don't want to pay £9 for

PaulM · Tennis legend

No I wouldn't pay £9 for a slice of a pizza (a whole pizza that would obviously be a bit more of a bargain). There were burgers and stuff available too all for that price. But then I am Glaswegian and we are famously tight with our money!

Maybe £9 for a fish supper is cheap down south biggrin

-- Edited by PaulM on Monday 14th of November 2022 09:12:28 PM

emmsie69 · ATP level

PaulM wrote:
No I wouldn't pay £9 for a slice of a pizza (a whole pizza that would obviously be a bit more of a bargain). There were burgers and stuff available too all for that price. But then I am Glaswegian and we are famously tight with our money!
Maybe £9 for a fish supper is cheap down south

-- Edited by PaulM on Monday 14th of November 2022 09:12:28 PM

Food costs have gone up for caterers too. £9 is a pretty fair price IMO, try Wembley for an absolute p***take. I asked about the Pizza because it has one of the highest margins in food yet people will willingly spend £12+ on a Pizza

telstar · Strong Club Player

It wasn't the price of the food which bothered me-it was the poor quality, the lack of variety and the fact that you had to go outside the arena to get it!

telstar · Strong Club Player

paulisi wrote:
Bagel has obviously never been to a DC or Fed Cup match - bands and loud music between points are the norm.

If it is the norm then that's probably the reason why attendances are so low.

indiana · Tennis legend

telstar wrote:
paulisi wrote:
Bagel has obviously never been to a DC or Fed Cup match - bands and loud music between points are the norm.
If it is the norm then that's probably the reason why attendances are so low.

I think it's probably not.

I just think it was always unlikely to attract really big attendances.

Great for Glasgow and of course we look to a spread of events away from the South. But this event would almost certainly have attracted a much greater audience in London and was always going to be reliant on how many folk were going to travel up I couldn't see a big local audience.

Andy helps sell the Davis Cup in Glasgow ( which as discussed elsewhere the LTA and Leon are maybe too well aware of ).

Be interesting how much this week's heroics might effect any repeat Glasgow Finals or elsewhere in the UK.

Bagel · Lower Club Player

The core audience for tennis is middle-aged and older. By trying (in vain) to attract a younger audience the core audience is being alienated by the dreadful noise!

Shhh · Challenger level

Bagel wrote:
The core audience for tennis is middle-aged and older. By trying (in vain) to attract a younger audience the core audience is being alienated by the dreadful noise!

I agree Bagel. All the trumpet playing, drum beating ra-ra is not for me. I accept that we are all different and others will think it great but to me it just feels an attempt to manufacture atmosphere rather than genuine passion.