Replying To tearintom: "I absolutely hate the current intercounty season as it stands.
Rush everything through, get it out kf the way as soon as possible. People talk about promoting the games particularly hurling yet you don't even get to see the majority of the games so how the hell are they going to get promoted. We don't get the build up to big games anymore or even proper analysis or reflection because the time isn't there, I mean we can't even do a proper build up to our All Ireland finals.
Something has to change, has giving a club player more certainty been worth all this? Not even close imho.
But that doesn't change the fact that the first thing that has to give is the amount of games at intercounty level and in certain counties also at club level. That doesn't mean straight knockout should return but a reduction across the board league and championship.
The GAA needs to reclaim the summer before other sports make hay with the fact we decided to sacrifice the best months of the year something we had a monopoly over. But sacrifices need to be made, fhe GAA mantra of the last few years that more is better is flawed and it's the first thing that needs to be rectified."
its all about GAA Corporate now, all key decisions are being made by paid officials. The cost that the GAA is levelling on families and suppoters in general who want to support their counties is criminal, before the condensed season the cost could be spread out. Ticket prices have increased and then there is GAA plus. there is no such thing as free to air in Ireland as the TV licence fee takes care of that, no need to put games behind a pay wall as well. It's all about packaging the "Product". years ago I would have held every position in my home club before work took me away, now I just have a sense of disillusionment at where our once great organisation is heading.
It's time the clubs started to reclaim our games from these people. Attendances are falling at football matches because of the condensed season and the cost is becoming prohibitive.
@OpenStand you love nothing more than showing how great the crowds are in Munster, do you? Its not so long ago that there was 20k at a Munster semi finals. Indeed, a quick wikipedia search shows that in 2017, the year before the Limerick bandwagon got going, there was only 19,168 at Limerick v Clare in the Munster Championship. 4:00 on a Sunday afternoon in June.
Replying To ExiledInWex: "@OpenStand you love nothing more than showing how great the crowds are in Munster, do you? Its not so long ago that there was 20k at a Munster semi finals. Indeed, a quick wikipedia search shows that in 2017, the year before the Limerick bandwagon got going, there was only 19,168 at Limerick v Clare in the Munster Championship. 4:00 on a Sunday afternoon in June."
I don't really watch hurling and sure how could I get the chance now as they're always clashing with football matches bar the ai semi final and final but you cannot knock the Munster hurling championship and it's showing the right approach to a successful competition.
Each team gets two home games guaranteed and two away every single season and know months in advance when those games are on for forward planning for fans etc.
Real jeopardy as each side is evenly matched and rivalry is well established.
You could complain I suppose when your week off comes but overall it's currently the best competition in either codes and the fans know it.
Whereas football now have no certainty on games, have mismatches, lack of jeopardy and obsess with neutral grounds for semi finals and finals.
Replying To tearintom: "I absolutely hate the current intercounty season as it stands.
Rush everything through, get it out kf the way as soon as possible. People talk about promoting the games particularly hurling yet you don't even get to see the majority of the games so how the hell are they going to get promoted. We don't get the build up to big games anymore or even proper analysis or reflection because the time isn't there, I mean we can't even do a proper build up to our All Ireland finals.
Something has to change, has giving a club player more certainty been worth all this? Not even close imho.
But that doesn't change the fact that the first thing that has to give is the amount of games at intercounty level and in certain counties also at club level. That doesn't mean straight knockout should return but a reduction across the board league and championship.
The GAA needs to reclaim the summer before other sports make hay with the fact we decided to sacrifice the best months of the year something we had a monopoly over. But sacrifices need to be made, fhe GAA mantra of the last few years that more is better is flawed and it's the first thing that needs to be rectified."
I agree with most of this.
Certainty for the club player can be arrived without the split season.
Replying To shaggykev: "I don't really watch hurling and sure how could I get the chance now as they're always clashing with football matches bar the ai semi final and final but you cannot knock the Munster hurling championship and it's showing the right approach to a successful competition.
Each team gets two home games guaranteed and two away every single season and know months in advance when those games are on for forward planning for fans etc.
Real jeopardy as each side is evenly matched and rivalry is well established.
You could complain I suppose when your week off comes but overall it's currently the best competition in either codes and the fans know it.
Whereas football now have no certainty on games, have mismatches, lack of jeopardy and obsess with neutral grounds for semi finals and finals."
And ironically, Munster hurling arrived at this successful formula reluctantly and by chance. These extra games were introduced as a reaction to the extra games brought about by the backdoor system in football. It was felt that hurling would get swamped by the plethora of games in football and would struggle to get sufficient media coverage. It was the last thing the Munster hurling counties wanted to do as they feared that moving from a knockout system would undermine the importance of winning the Munster championship!