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Why Do Kerry "Supporters" Not Go To Support There Team In Croke Park?

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Simple question that has always perplexed me. Why do Kerry fans not travel to Croke park to support their team. Absolutely no talk of the Munster final been changed to CP. I find this strange, depressing in a way. Can they not be bothered? The_Fridge (Tyrone) - Posts: 2088 - 23/07/2021 21:04:09 2363282 Link
Replying To The_Fridge: "Simple question that has always perplexed me. Why do Kerry fans not travel to Croke park to support their team. Absolutely no talk of the Munster final been changed to CP. I find this strange, depressing in a way. Can they not be bothered?" a culture of plenty breeds complacency and entitlement, other counties who historically have had far less success would see a trip to Croker as far more special, more rare, For example if Leitrim reached an all Ireland semi, probably 3/4 of the county would go to support them, far more per head of population than a galway or a tyrone,who get there more often. Galway9801 (Galway) - Posts: 1708 - 23/07/2021 21:39:44 2363292 Link
Replying To The_Fridge: "Simple question that has always perplexed me. Why do Kerry fans not travel to Croke park to support their team. Absolutely no talk of the Munster final been changed to CP. I find this strange, depressing in a way. Can they not be bothered?" Distance/Expense/ GreenAndGold74 (Kerry) - Posts: 194 - 23/07/2021 21:53:35 2363296 Link
Replying To GreenAndGold74: "Distance/Expense/" Cop out. Mayo travel in their droves and it's roughly the same distance. I actually feel sorry for the team because they could do with the support. No fair on the players The_Fridge (Tyrone) - Posts: 2088 - 23/07/2021 22:23:38 2363301 Link
Simple - they're used to it! Traditionally, Kerry fans will also look at the quality of the opposition. If it someone that Kerry expect to beat handily enough, there won't be a massive turnout. The real Kerry fan will however show up for the opposition that they respect, when there is a chance of a close match. In Kerry, not all All Ireland medals are created equal … Different for the rest of us of course : ) essmac (Tyrone) - Posts: 1141 - 23/07/2021 22:41:30 2363305 Link
Replying To Galway9801: "a culture of plenty breeds complacency and entitlement, other counties who historically have had far less success would see a trip to Croker as far more special, more rare, For example if Leitrim reached an all Ireland semi, probably 3/4 of the county would go to support them, far more per head of population than a galway or a tyrone,who get there more often." Again, disagree. It shouldn't. Not many teams in sports just give up on them. If it's a generational thing surely the younger generation would get behind their team. It also ingrained in them not to support their team. Strange I can't get my head around it. The_Fridge (Tyrone) - Posts: 2088 - 23/07/2021 23:05:52 2363313 Link
Replying To Galway9801: "a culture of plenty breeds complacency and entitlement, other counties who historically have had far less success would see a trip to Croker as far more special, more rare, For example if Leitrim reached an all Ireland semi, probably 3/4 of the county would go to support them, far more per head of population than a galway or a tyrone,who get there more often." Cork hurlers get far more support than the footballers despite the fact that the hurlers are much more successful than the footballers. I go to Croke Park for nearly all of Kerry's championship matches. They have their fair share of supporters there. Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 23/07/2021 23:21:33 2363316 Link
Replying To The_Fridge: "Cop out. Mayo travel in their droves and it's roughly the same distance. I actually feel sorry for the team because they could do with the support. No fair on the players" Fair point but it is a long way. Maybe 12 hour return journey for some. Mayo supporters are best nó doubt but maybe its because of chasing the Holy grail. What about Dublin. They have no travel and yet in 2019 v Cork in super 8s the crowd was only 30 000 or thereabouts. That's the equivalent of Kerry having about 250 supporters at a game per head of population and its on their doorstep. Yes the Northern teams bring great support I have to say. Kerry s support is poor I will admit but per capita not too bad. CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 3676 - 23/07/2021 23:41:21 2363320 Link
price of tickets might be an issue, not that Offaly get there now as in the past, but I had to pull the plug on it almost 20 years ago..its a rich mans game almost now..lads around where I live go with very well off people and are taggers on as I call them, and probably leaving themselves skint for the week, each to their own, but going to Croke Park or any big game now is serious money all included..dont give me this ould mullarkey that they go no where else and this is their outing, it is for some, but the peopl I see going are driving brand new cars, holiday abroad regularly (outside of current Covid situation) and have both cloth and colour as they say...I work all week and cannot do what they do, maybe I dont want to either, but its a serious outlay now going to a match...if its down to going and bringing tea and sandwiches stay where you are... Fairplayalways (Offaly) - Posts: 1034 - 24/07/2021 01:22:01 2363333 Link
I'll grab the popcorn. Dubsfan28 (Dublin) - Posts: 2509 - 24/07/2021 02:01:46 2363335 Link
Replying To The_Fridge: "Simple question that has always perplexed me. Why do Kerry fans not travel to Croke park to support their team. Absolutely no talk of the Munster final been changed to CP. I find this strange, depressing in a way. Can they not be bothered?" For large parts of their county Croke Park and Dublin is a long journey. However I don't think that is the reason; I've seen big Kerry support in Croke Park, 1997 jumps out. I'd imagine when you grow up watching All Ireland winning captain after All Ireland winning captain from your own county and an almost yearly trip to Croke Park it does dilute the add on's that every county experience when they're successful; the genuine fan will always be there. Tyrone got to their first Senior All Ireland Final in 1986, there isn't the same long generational history of Tyrone teams in Croke Park. Kerry had won dozens of All Ireland's before Tyrone got to a final, for counties it is all new or is when their team have some success; Tyrone for their success don't put a dot on Kerry's history which would impact on the mindset of the two sets of fans. For Kerry it is just the norm, yes there are periods they fall away from winning the actual All Ireland, but it never lasts long and they know that, whilst they don't win it, it's unusual for them not to be in Croke Park at least once a season, the Kerry mindset and history shows that Croke Park is for the All Ireland, I doubt there'd be much interest there for moving a Munster Final upto to CP. sam1884 (UK) - Posts: 999 - 24/07/2021 08:15:57 2363340 Link
Replying To The_Fridge: "Cop out. Mayo travel in their droves and it's roughly the same distance. I actually feel sorry for the team because they could do with the support. No fair on the players" I'm not sure you have your geography correct there. The average Kerry supporter has close to 1 hour further to travel each way than the average Mayo supporter when going to Croke Park. Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 24/07/2021 09:19:09 2363350 Link
Maybe it has to do with their success: 37 All-Irelands. Success breeds complacency among fans. Expense is another issue. If Kerry get to a final, many fans like to stay in Dublin for the night. IN the past many Kerry fans rightly assumed they'd be in the final so saved their money for that big occasion. It's a long drive up from Kerry too. Many Kerry fans are farmers. Farmers don't work office hours. Many have to make arrangements to look after cattle, etc. It's a a lot different for many Dubs who can be sitting at home 3 hours before the throw eating a nice dinner then toddle down to Fairview for a few pints before a leisurely stroll up Clonliffe Road avonali (Dublin) - Posts: 1974 - 24/07/2021 10:07:00 2363357 Link
Replying To Soma: "I'm not sure you have your geography correct there. The average Kerry supporter has close to 1 hour further to travel each way than the average Mayo supporter when going to Croke Park." Depends where you live in Mayo. I'm in south Mayo. 20mins from Tuam where we have motorway all the way to Dublin. 2hrs 30mins. Someone in west or north mayo would be looking at close to 4hrs. Kerry is a bit further though. Dingle is a whoore of a journey: yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11231 - 24/07/2021 10:08:01 2363358 Link
Replying To Soma: "I'm not sure you have your geography correct there. The average Kerry supporter has close to 1 hour further to travel each way than the average Mayo supporter when going to Croke Park." My point is distance shouldn't make a difference if it's less than an hour……not as if it's an extra half a day travelling. Since the 2000's Tyrone have played in CP plenty and would outnumber Kerry 4 to 1. Most counties would. Just can't get my head around it The_Fridge (Tyrone) - Posts: 2088 - 24/07/2021 10:23:01 2363364 Link
Replying To The_Fridge: "My point is distance shouldn't make a difference if it's less than an hour……not as if it's an extra half a day travelling. Since the 2000's Tyrone have played in CP plenty and would outnumber Kerry 4 to 1. Most counties would. Just can't get my head around it" Yes but how many of those "Tyrone" "fans" you talk of would be seen at a national league game, first or even semi final of the Ulster Championship? I don't recall Omagh being a full house too often during the league, so my point from earlier is all counties have "extra's, "bandwagon jumpers" and for a county like Tyrone who are still fairly new to success they would have thousands more than Kerry; a county with generations of success, the same excitement doesn't exist when you've been so successful However look at Kerry's games, they still have the genuine fan but just less of the extra's than you'd expect Tyrone to have, it doesn't really surprise me. sam1884 (UK) - Posts: 999 - 24/07/2021 10:51:02 2363369 Link
Replying To The_Fridge: "My point is distance shouldn't make a difference if it's less than an hour……not as if it's an extra half a day travelling. Since the 2000's Tyrone have played in CP plenty and would outnumber Kerry 4 to 1. Most counties would. Just can't get my head around it" Less than an hour on top of what though, as the crow flies Croke Park is closer to Glasgow than Portmagee in Kerry. Doesn't seem to have done Kerry any harm over the years, they know their county are behind them in every corner of the world whereas a team like Tyrone are relatively newcomers. By the time Tyrone won even their first provincial title which is less than 20 years ago, Kerry had probably around 70 provincial titles won and over 30 All-Irelands won at that stage so I wouldn't be getting too worried about them. AfricanGael (UK) - Posts: 1947 - 24/07/2021 11:19:54 2363377 Link
GAA is to Croke Park centric in my opinion. Absolutely no reason quarter finals and Semi finals cant be played around the country. Id love a crack of Kerry in a Quarter, Semi or Final in Killarney, love it. TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 24/07/2021 11:20:14 2363378 Link
Replying To TheUsername: "GAA is to Croke Park centric in my opinion. Absolutely no reason quarter finals and Semi finals cant be played around the country. Id love a crack of Kerry in a Quarter, Semi or Final in Killarney, love it." Every team wants to play there though. You ask any player or manager. Ask P Joyce and Horan and I'm sure both are happy to be playing in Croker. The winner will have had a run out there before trying to give the dubs a rattle yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11231 - 24/07/2021 11:51:15 2363384 Link
Replying To TheUsername: "GAA is to Croke Park centric in my opinion. Absolutely no reason quarter finals and Semi finals cant be played around the country. Id love a crack of Kerry in a Quarter, Semi or Final in Killarney, love it." Play your biggest games in your biggest and best stadium. Where do Leinster play their big Champions Cup games? It's not in the RDS. Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 24/07/2021 11:54:12 2363385 Link