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Falling Football Attendances

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Replying To realdub: "That's human nature for you. Doens't matter what county it is, the edge wears off when excitement goes missing. We have a huge bandwagon support also which doesn't help. But its those bandwagoners that keep the GAA alive come summer so what are ya gonna do!" Right now read the paper! thelongridge (Offaly) - Posts: 1741 - 08/02/2019 12:20:51 2163433 Link
Going to Croke Park is very expensive. Travel tickets food etc. It is also not so much of a novelty any more for many teams who play early round matches there. Not that I've been there for a while though... sponger (Wicklow) - Posts: 2676 - 2/6/19 5:45:29 PMis it really that expensive. For me travelling from Nenagh. If im going to game and want a few drinks i'll take the bus. Its €20 return to Dublin from Nenagh. I walk out to Croke Park from city centre. I'll have 7/8 pints over the day. Have a dinner somewhere and then probably a burger etc at game. so if ticket is €40/50 then its 150/160 for the day. there's a lot more things i could attend like concert and would be paying same or more likely more. its not that expensive compared to other activities So its injury time and Mayo Leitrim is a draw. Its a qualifier and defeated team are out of the Championship! Which team gets the favorable decision off the ref? Considering the ref has aspirations to get the call for the All-Ireland final! Ban (Westmeath) - Posts: 937 - 2/7/19 10:50:39 AMno self respecting ref thinks like that especially if they have aspirations of reffing a higher level The constant whinging by most of the Irish media does not help the GAA especially Gaelic football. We had a thread here last year- "Can football survive the Rugby onslaught". Check it out. galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 1398 - 2/7/19 12:07:46 PMi feel sorry for someone as bitter as you.... I really do not think that an intercounty ref would give Mayo a decision at the expense of Leitrim so that the GAA get better attendances. I do not think anyone in the higher echelons would appoint a referee for a final on the back of a call like this. Seriously who directly benefits from what you suggest to be motivated to do this. Why would it be worth the potential reputational risk for the individuals or association should it get out. Statements like that are beyond the realms of being likely in the real world. Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 2211 - 2/7/19 1:58:46 PMspot on... DonaldDuck (Tipperary) - Posts: 544 - 08/02/2019 13:29:20 2163455 Link
Replying To arock: "No nothing to do with Dublin, since many point out time and again Dublin contribute zilch to the GAA. Maybe its also to do with playing Super 8 games in grounds with severely restricted capacity. But hurling is flying, fast, exciting game unlike Gaelic medicine ball." Leinster Final with Dublin in Croke Park attended by 52,000 people. Not much problem with restricted capacity there. 2 Super 8s games with Dublin in Croke Park, poorly attended as well. I don't think the big picture problem is the provincial grounds. Not getting at Dublin, just saying when the capacity is there the crowds still aren't coming. The GAA has a severe problem with Gaelic football, as you pointed out, unlike hurling which is putting football to shame these days. Much more attractive game to watch. kildare73 (Kildare) - Posts: 854 - 09/02/2019 03:18:03 2163616 Link
Replying To GeniusGerry: "They've been falling for about a decade or more there was a thread on it a while back with all the figures. The financial statements only compare with the previous year and I'm not going digging out all the figures for a decade. That's a very sharp fall last year though, over 20% in gate receipts and roughly 15% attendances overall. I'd expect it will steady somewhat this year. GAA are in a great position financially so no need to panic but it's something they will want to arrest ASAP" The Gaa's healthy financial position has a good chunk to do with sponsorship deals and tv rights but both of these will suffer badly if attendances keep falling, even if the rate that they are falling slows down. Television companies won't be keen on showing games coming from half empty, atmosphere suffering grounds with virtually no buzz transferring through the television screen. And sponsors won't want to spend money putting their name to these games either. The GAA needs to do something soon, the super 8s don't look like they are the cure either in their present format. Attendances in the league are usually strong and it's the championship that sees the decline. Next time the GAA sit down to work on the next reshaping of the championship they will have to look closely at the league and why it works. Very few one sided games played around the country. That's what gets people excited. kildare73 (Kildare) - Posts: 854 - 09/02/2019 03:34:39 2163617 Link
Replying To PoolSturgeon: "We wouldn't be Irish unless we believed that people in authority, whether it be referees in sport or people in other facets of life, are corrupt, always on the make, and full of bad intentions." Really, are you saying that Irish people unduly mistrust authorities. Acceptance of corruption in this country is shocking! jonno (Kildare) - Posts: 260 - 09/02/2019 09:31:34 2163633 Link
There is a sell out in Tralee tonight for Kerry V Dublin. Let us shout this out and to hell with the negativity. It is also on RTE. Cluiche an mhaith anocht. galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 2519 - 09/02/2019 11:26:01 2163650 Link
Are Tipp good at Gaelic football Donald Duck? Quack Quack LOL galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 2519 - 09/02/2019 11:26:47 2163652 Link
Some lad with a strange accent from Cahir in Tipperary speaking about it on Prime Time the other night. Never heard of him before. gaelicgab (USA) - Posts: 878 - 09/02/2019 11:52:20 2163658 Link
Replying To galwayford: "Are Tipp good at Gaelic football Donald Duck? Quack Quack LOL" Good enough to hammer the sh#te out of our present team 2 years ago in the quarter finals in Croke Park by 9 points, giving us a lesson on skills & attacking football on the day. Michael Quinlavan gave an exhibition on how football should be played that day. Uimhir.a.3. (Galway) - Posts: 409 - 09/02/2019 13:30:47 2163680 Link
Replying To kildare73: "Leinster Final with Dublin in Croke Park attended by 52,000 people. Not much problem with restricted capacity there. 2 Super 8s games with Dublin in Croke Park, poorly attended as well. I don't think the big picture problem is the provincial grounds. Not getting at Dublin, just saying when the capacity is there the crowds still aren't coming. The GAA has a severe problem with Gaelic football, as you pointed out, unlike hurling which is putting football to shame these days. Much more attractive game to watch." 52,000, at Dubs Leinster final. There was 55,000 at the Rugby last week. Has there ever been a League of Ireland match with 52K at it? Answer no. Has there ever been a Pro 14 rugby match with that crowd, maybe once or twice. So moan, moan, moan- what a crowd of moaners on here! galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 2519 - 09/02/2019 14:27:16 2163691 Link
Martin Breheny puts the issue into perspective in an article in today's Independent. He explains that the figures are inaccurate in that they don't include provincial council attendance figures. lilywhite1 (Kildare) - Posts: 2990 - 09/02/2019 16:25:18 2163708 Link
Replying To galwayford: "52,000, at Dubs Leinster final. There was 55,000 at the Rugby last week. Has there ever been a League of Ireland match with 52K at it? Answer no. Has there ever been a Pro 14 rugby match with that crowd, maybe once or twice. So moan, moan, moan- what a crowd of moaners on here!" Comparing regular League of Ireland and Pro 14 matches to what should be a showpiece event in the GAA calendar is like comparing apples and something that very much aren't apples!! The rugby last week was a sell out if you want to make that comparison. Leinster v Munster matches regularly get huge crowds. Attendances are falling at GAA matches, if you ever get to take your head out of that huge pile of sand you will see it. kildare73 (Kildare) - Posts: 854 - 09/02/2019 18:31:17 2163725 Link
Surely this isnt a debate. We're all adults of the 21st century, surely its absolutely obvious why people arent watching as much anymore or going to games. Its uncompetetive, the GAA has seen to that over a prolonged period of maybe 20 years with a skewed conveyer of money to Dublin. Other counties havent the opportunities. There's a nationwide player drain. The provincial system in the championships were always predictable but the floor has fallen through on them gradually and roughly since the turn of the millenium. The brand and style of play is hard to watch on TV and even harder to watch in person. The cynical play that has led to the invention of the black card, and the sin bin and so on. In fact the constant meddling with the rules shows that the identity of the game is in repute. The days of fairytales are over, and people seem to know it. Its become a technical, tactical game where there's rarely any surprises after the 70 minutes. 2018 also saw a great FIFA world cup and a great season for Irish rugby. Both were also circumstantial to the poor showing of Football. Imo as someone who still loves the game, it needs an enormous overhaul. Young_gael (Meath) - Posts: 587 - 09/02/2019 19:36:40 2163733 Link
Replying To Young_gael: "Surely this isnt a debate. We're all adults of the 21st century, surely its absolutely obvious why people arent watching as much anymore or going to games. Its uncompetetive, the GAA has seen to that over a prolonged period of maybe 20 years with a skewed conveyer of money to Dublin. Other counties havent the opportunities. There's a nationwide player drain. The provincial system in the championships were always predictable but the floor has fallen through on them gradually and roughly since the turn of the millenium. The brand and style of play is hard to watch on TV and even harder to watch in person. The cynical play that has led to the invention of the black card, and the sin bin and so on. In fact the constant meddling with the rules shows that the identity of the game is in repute. The days of fairytales are over, and people seem to know it. Its become a technical, tactical game where there's rarely any surprises after the 70 minutes. 2018 also saw a great FIFA world cup and a great season for Irish rugby. Both were also circumstantial to the poor showing of Football. Imo as someone who still loves the game, it needs an enormous overhaul." A great match in Tralee tonight, also Cavan Mayo top quality. Melee at end of Kerry match was not good though. But overall great stuff. You are from Meath- Meath are not a top team. They are second rate, like you if you ask me. A bitter bitter Meath man. galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 2519 - 09/02/2019 21:46:27 2163815 Link
If every GAA match was sold out, there would still be complaints. Complaints about the pitch surface, the reffing, the melees, the quality of sandwiches, the traffic, the colour of jerseys blah blah blah. A lot of posters on here are from second rate counties, and are also not GAA fans really. Slán galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 2519 - 09/02/2019 21:48:31 2163818 Link
empty seats means i get my pick and get a better view. All good. FOB (Dublin) - Posts: 912 - 09/02/2019 22:51:45 2163845 Link
Replying To MesAmis: "What was the comparison to 2010-2016 and not just 2017." Income for 2018 was the third largest over the last ten seasons . Income for 2017 was €4 million more than any other season over the last ten years . Income and attendances for football in 2018 were significantly down on their 2017 equivalents . There are several reasons for this one of which is the dominance of an outstanding Dublin team . Leinster is no longer a competitive competition . Three games in particular saw massive reductions in attendance . One was the Leinster football final which recorded a drop of 25,000 on it's 2017 equivalent . The other was Dublin's All Ireland semi final which saw a drop of almost 30,000 on it's 2017 equivalent. Lastly the All Ireland semi final and replay between Kerry and Mayo had a combined attendance of 119.227. The equivalent semi final this year between Monaghan and Tyrone drew an attendance of 49,696 which is very close to 70,000 less than the attendance for the Kerry Mayo games . Add those three fixtures up and you are looking at a reduction of 123,000 people . That's a huge amount of people and an awful amount of money . Take out the Leinster final and you are still looking at a reduction of 98,000 people . Take an average admittance fee of €35 and you are looking at a total reduction of €3,430,000 on the two football semi finals alone . Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 09/02/2019 23:11:17 2163852 Link
Replying To galwayford: "If every GAA match was sold out, there would still be complaints. Complaints about the pitch surface, the reffing, the melees, the quality of sandwiches, the traffic, the colour of jerseys blah blah blah. A lot of posters on here are from second rate counties, and are also not GAA fans really. Slán" Do your opinion doesn't count unless you have a recent All Ireland in the bag? Actually we do!! You?? Slán. kildare73 (Kildare) - Posts: 854 - 10/02/2019 02:40:08 2163873 Link
Replying To galwayford: "A great match in Tralee tonight, also Cavan Mayo top quality. Melee at end of Kerry match was not good though. But overall great stuff. You are from Meath- Meath are not a top team. They are second rate, like you if you ask me. A bitter bitter Meath man." It wouldn't matter if I was from Alaska or Timbuktu. The statistics are the statistics. The facts are the facts. I'd be naive to pretend that Meath haven't fallen down a lot and they are a casualty of the way the game has evolved but there is a much bigger picture then your insular, tribal view. If I'm a player from Carlow or Antrim (for example) I should be able to realistically compete and showcase my potential. Same as the counties you'd consider "second rate", the current structure is elitist and is also a part of the waning interest around the country. Your attitude stinks and it permeates a lot of what you write here, and there isn't much of a point aside from "you're just a bitter loser from a place in Ireland I don't rate." That tribalism will do nobody any favors in a genuine situation. Young_gael (Meath) - Posts: 587 - 10/02/2019 09:54:05 2163906 Link
Replying To kildare73: "Do your opinion doesn't count unless you have a recent All Ireland in the bag? Actually we do!! You?? Slán." Absolutely. I hate to slip down to anyone's level but Galway's last senior AI was 2001. Meath's was 1999, yet Meath are magically second rate? Young_gael (Meath) - Posts: 587 - 10/02/2019 10:24:59 2163911 Link