National Forum

2019 Attendances

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Replying To TheUsername:  "Over 50k difference in attendances between the two games, that is quite amazing.

The Dubln and Mayo game indicates one thing for me, crowds are there, what the public wants is competitive games.

Its time for a second tier championship, with promotion and relegation.

Its the best thing for football, Croke Park is the biggest driver of revenue for the GAA, that funding if Croke Park can be filled regularly in a two tier championship is the best thing for the game and should be ploughed back in the grass roots."
I completely disagree, I think a second tier would only make things far worse.

Just look at the facts of the situation, Kerry v Tyrone, 2 division 1 teams with a recent history playing in an All-Ireland semi final only drew 33k people to Croker, now could you imagine how few people would bother turning up for a B All-Ireland semi-final?

Infact we don't even have to imagine, we had the All-Ireland B championship in the 90s and the Tommy Murphy Cup in the 00s, both of which failed miserably. I believe the year Wicklow won the B All-Ireland the handle actually fell off the cup when it was raised in triumph, that's how unbelievably prestigious that event was treated by the Gaa.

Or look at the second tier in Hurling (I say that figuratively of course as there was little or no TV coverage so you couldn't actually see it being played), how many people attended those games throughout the year, I'd imagine very few. Again I have no reference point because of the dire lack of coverage or interest, no offence to the teams who took part.

If the Gaa wants to continue to grow then they need to make good decisions, creating an even more elitist top level competition and confining the lower division teams to history is not a good decision.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 12/08/2019 13:09:31    2224615

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Replying To TheUsername:  "Over 50k difference in attendances between the two games, that is quite amazing.

The Dubln and Mayo game indicates one thing for me, crowds are there, what the public wants is competitive games.

Its time for a second tier championship, with promotion and relegation.

Its the best thing for football, Croke Park is the biggest driver of revenue for the GAA, that funding if Croke Park can be filled regularly in a two tier championship is the best thing for the game and should be ploughed back in the grass roots."
I don't think the public wants a two tier championship. We're talking about Tyrone and Kerry here. Two Division 1 teams. A league is the best format for a tiered competition but we'll need a streaming service or a dedicated channel to ensure sufficient coverage for all of the divisions.

Hawkeye9212 (Donegal) - Posts: 266 - 12/08/2019 13:16:02    2224621

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Replying To TheUsername:  "Over 50k difference in attendances between the two games, that is quite amazing.

The Dubln and Mayo game indicates one thing for me, crowds are there, what the public wants is competitive games.

Its time for a second tier championship, with promotion and relegation.

Its the best thing for football, Croke Park is the biggest driver of revenue for the GAA, that funding if Croke Park can be filled regularly in a two tier championship is the best thing for the game and should be ploughed back in the grass roots."
No offence but if you think Croke park is going to regularly filled with the introduction of a 2 tier championship then your deluding yourself.

A 2nd tier that the vast majority of players dont want, that the vast majority of fans dont want is going the be regularly filled by fans from westmeath, laois, Tipperary, Derry etc??

Its done, the interest is gone, people arent bothered anymore, Dublin cant even fill Croke Park on a regular basis anymore with a population of 1.3 million people because whats the point?

tearintom (Wexford) - Posts: 1328 - 12/08/2019 13:18:58    2224624

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Two tier will not work. A championship based on a League system with promotion and relegation may have merit but means ditching the provincials.
On the attendance yes it was poor. We got crucified for only bringing 10k ish last season for our semi final with Dublin in a crowd of 55k ish. Yet at the time our hurlers were going well and in Galway the casual supporter will always side with the code that is going better. Was the reverse in the 1998-2001 period where we brought 25k ish to all the football semi finals in that period and the hurlers got less casual support. For Kerry and Tyrone being one code counties I thought they would get 45k like in 2015. Something wrong somewhere.

kiloughter (Galway) - Posts: 1946 - 12/08/2019 13:58:18    2224647

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Replying To KillingFields:  "There isnt 20000 tickets going to sponsors, corporates or clients and the sponsors get tickets as they provide funding for the game at all levels.
Just have a season ticket not some stamp policy. Very simple. That's how super 8 can work well. Main competition needs sides playing more games and have it more streamlined to give more game time for clubs in summer"
I don't think u ever been to all ireland final trust me there are 20000 fly by night supporters talking bout game of golf they had prior match

Hitnhurl (Cork) - Posts: 92 - 12/08/2019 14:20:37    2224657

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Gaelic football as a product is struggling too with so many unentertaining fixtures and cagey tactics. The first half yesterday was not pretty either.

OpenStand (Limerick) - Posts: 671 - 12/08/2019 14:36:20    2224666

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Replying To Hitnhurl:  "I don't think u ever been to all ireland final trust me there are 20000 fly by night supporters talking bout game of golf they had prior match"
How do you define a bloody "fly by night supporter" oh wise one then?
How do you divide tickets then?
I've been to a few all Ireland hurling finals. Got tickets through my club.

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3499 - 12/08/2019 14:51:51    2224677

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Replying To Hitnhurl:  "I don't think u ever been to all ireland final trust me there are 20000 fly by night supporters talking bout game of golf they had prior match"
Been to a few hurling finals. But there isnt at all these supporters as you suggest. Where do they get tickets for that anyway.

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3499 - 12/08/2019 15:07:33    2224687

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Replying To KillingFields:  "Been to a few hurling finals. But there isnt at all these supporters as you suggest. Where do they get tickets for that anyway."
Same here. Between football and hurling I've probably been to 10 finals. Never got that feeling at all. Maybe it you were in the premium boxes but that's a very small % anyway.

Jack_Goff (Meath) - Posts: 2920 - 12/08/2019 15:12:16    2224690

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Replying To KillingFields:  "How do you define a bloody "fly by night supporter" oh wise one then?
How do you divide tickets then?
I've been to a few all Ireland hurling finals. Got tickets through my club."
Oh wise one??? Well take it from a man who probably been to one or two more finals than you that there are many corporate ticket holders do u think Guinness bank of Ireland and all these sponsors haven't in their contract a ticket policy...that very naive

Hitnhurl (Cork) - Posts: 92 - 12/08/2019 15:52:12    2224721

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Replying To Hitnhurl:  "Oh wise one??? Well take it from a man who probably been to one or two more finals than you that there are many corporate ticket holders do u think Guinness bank of Ireland and all these sponsors haven't in their contract a ticket policy...that very naive"
The Journal a few years ago had a look at the GAA accounts and a breakdown of the final tickets and where they go.

There isnt even close to 20,000 corporate/sponsors tickets, between premium and corporate there is c. 10,000 tickets for an all ireland final but a huge number of premium tickets are also not corporate, theyre owned by individuals and the vast majority of people invited to avail of these tickets in corporate boxes etc are fans

Sponsors tickets outside of corporate box were around 900.

The idea that there are 20,000 fly by night supporters talking about the game of gold they had that morning is fanciful to say the least.

tearintom (Wexford) - Posts: 1328 - 12/08/2019 16:31:47    2224747

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Replying To kiloughter:  "Two tier will not work. A championship based on a League system with promotion and relegation may have merit but means ditching the provincials.
On the attendance yes it was poor. We got crucified for only bringing 10k ish last season for our semi final with Dublin in a crowd of 55k ish. Yet at the time our hurlers were going well and in Galway the casual supporter will always side with the code that is going better. Was the reverse in the 1998-2001 period where we brought 25k ish to all the football semi finals in that period and the hurlers got less casual support. For Kerry and Tyrone being one code counties I thought they would get 45k like in 2015. Something wrong somewhere."
Know a few Tyrone lads that didnt bother because of price and the fact they saw a potential final match with Dublin as a foregone conclusion.

joeteor (Donegal) - Posts: 214 - 12/08/2019 16:41:11    2224752

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I was just thinking if Meath made the AI semi final against Tyrone instead of Kerry the attendance wouldn't have been much bigger. There probably would have been 15k Meath fans at it and the total attendance over 40k.

Why? Well nobody in Meath thinks we will beat Dublin. Certainly not the bandwagon. It's hard to get the county hyped when no matter how far we go it'll end with a drubbing to our neighbours.

Jack_Goff (Meath) - Posts: 2920 - 12/08/2019 17:00:43    2224758

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Replying To Hitnhurl:  "Oh wise one??? Well take it from a man who probably been to one or two more finals than you that there are many corporate ticket holders do u think Guinness bank of Ireland and all these sponsors haven't in their contract a ticket policy...that very naive"
Corporate tickets are those in the middle two tiers with boxes etc and not anywhere else. There
Of course the companies have tickets but you use phrase corporate so dismissively.
Most who get those tickets are "real fans" as those anywhere else in the ground. What exactly is a "real fan" anyway?

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3499 - 12/08/2019 17:31:33    2224780

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A real fan is someone who goes to the league games in winter up and down the country in all weather's the lad or woman who takes family to club games all over county and they usually the person who come September has sit at home watch game in living room cause the American colleague is over to watch the" Gaelic sports " or the son of a manger in bank of Ireland who is in town and would like to pop up for game for the craic

Hitnhurl (Cork) - Posts: 92 - 12/08/2019 17:46:40    2224794

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How do we explain the two tier attendances in the All Ireland Semi lads?

Clearly the public want competitive games, you go from a crowd of 20-30k for Dublin S8 games to 82k, Mayo bring a crowd to, but the fixture broke the system such was the demand and could have sold more tickets.

People want, drama, entertainment and spectacle, two tier championship is the only way.

Who wants to watch Dublin and Kerry thump Leinster and Munster for another 20 years, certainly not Dubs, labor of love.

History is great etc, but championship is 75% full of irrelevant fixtures now.

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 12/08/2019 17:56:35    2224803

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Replying To TheUsername:  "How do we explain the two tier attendances in the All Ireland Semi lads?

Clearly the public want competitive games, you go from a crowd of 20-30k for Dublin S8 games to 82k, Mayo bring a crowd to, but the fixture broke the system such was the demand and could have sold more tickets.

People want, drama, entertainment and spectacle, two tier championship is the only way.

Who wants to watch Dublin and Kerry thump Leinster and Munster for another 20 years, certainly not Dubs, labor of love.

History is great etc, but championship is 75% full of irrelevant fixtures now."
"who wants to watch Dublin and Kerry thump everyone else in their province".

Now take that viewpoint and apply it to Dublin vs everybody else. Who wants to see Dublin thump everybody. This is why a tiered system is irrelevant. It matters little when nobody can get close to you.

80k turned up for the mayo Dublin match as they believed it could live up to the recent battles. They know it won't now. If Dublin play mayo again next year it won't sell out.

At least in Munster Cork will catch up to kerry again and even this year gave them a right good go. Clare aren't far behind at present and if they got the special GAA money treatment they could probably close the gap further.

Jack_Goff (Meath) - Posts: 2920 - 12/08/2019 19:53:53    2224866

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Replying To TheUsername:  "How do we explain the two tier attendances in the All Ireland Semi lads?

Clearly the public want competitive games, you go from a crowd of 20-30k for Dublin S8 games to 82k, Mayo bring a crowd to, but the fixture broke the system such was the demand and could have sold more tickets.

People want, drama, entertainment and spectacle, two tier championship is the only way.

Who wants to watch Dublin and Kerry thump Leinster and Munster for another 20 years, certainly not Dubs, labor of love.

History is great etc, but championship is 75% full of irrelevant fixtures now."
We've already had a two tier championship. It failed. It will never get sufficient coverage. Besides, we already have a tiered competition. If they are serious about helping the weaker counties, they can start by elevating the League to a higher status.

Hawkeye9212 (Donegal) - Posts: 266 - 12/08/2019 20:20:53    2224878

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There was about 500 at the Duhallow Junior Football final

PyatPree (Cork) - Posts: 376 - 12/08/2019 20:28:07    2224883

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Replying To PyatPree:  "There was about 500 at the Duhallow Junior Football final"
No sure what your point is.

Hawkeye9212 (Donegal) - Posts: 266 - 12/08/2019 21:06:34    2224897

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