Yeah Doublehop, everyone lives on that rail line! Getting a bus/two buses to get a train isn't viable if you have three kids ya numpty! And Kavanaghs and Bus Eireann are gonna cater for such a masssive crowd!? Exactly.....!!!!

Again, you Kildare lads, get back in your box. Go do some weights in your new gym!

JayP (Dublin) - Posts: 1772 - 04/06/2014 19:03:29    1598217

Waterford v cork was played in a 2/3 empty semple stadium
Last weekend Tipp v limerick was played in a half empty semple stadium. Yet I don't hear calls for the Munster council to take these matches out of thurles and play them in smaller grounds like pair ui rinn, Walsh park or Ennis .

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 04/06/2014 19:26:52    1598233

God forbid the Dublin support have to get buses or trains to matches around the country but its ok for everyone else to make the effort to travel to Dublin....I don't care where match is tbh but dont play the poor relation here lads, Dublin are very well looked after in both codes from every conceivable angle from the GAA, and of course at the moment you are the golden ticket for the GAA and its in th GAA s best interest to keep yourselves sweet.

Baxter (Laois) - Posts: 282 - 04/06/2014 19:38:11    1598239

People on here are obsessed with Croke park having to be full for games. You here talk about packing portlaoise to the rafters Haha these same people won't be at the match who wants to be squashed into a smaller ground and reducing the amount of people who can go enjoy the match, when you can comfortably have as many people as wants to go and enjoy the match in Croker not penned in like cattle.
Also people fail to realise there is two matches on this Sunday Kildare and Louth is perfectly suited by Croke park as they both have commuter trains servicing several areas in both county's running into Dublin city . Kildare has the Dublin coach service which runs every half hour to Dublin from several towns in Kildare as well as the park and ride facilities at the red cow. Louth has the bus eireann service dropping them at bus aras 5 mins away from croker. So what's the point in opening another ground and make it harder for them to go see their teams as well

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 04/06/2014 19:45:15    1598243

But a big crowd in Portlaoise!? Firstly there's little access. Yes, the M7 passes right by, but if you take the town exit you'll have to pay for parking and walk a distance, plus the traffic will snake along. The lucky ones (early ones) will take the second exit, and get a spot in the underground car park (pay) adjacent to the stadium. Everyone else will have to park on grass verges which means driving over pedestrian footpaths and cycle lanes. Dublin hurlers played there a couple of years ago against the Cats and the slip road was a car park and people were parking on the far side of the roundabout as there was no parking. There are no buses to carry people in from these impromptu car parks. Traffic management was non existent that day! Took an eternity for most people to get away from the ground a afterwards.

Thats the reality for most GAA supporters outside of Dublin, personally I wouldn't mind if ye had to do a little "penance" every now and then like the rest of us. Having said all that I've been to Portlaoise on many occasions over the years with big crowds and have never had too many problems, mind you we planned our journey, arrived in good time got good parking and a timely exit, the poor Dub has a problem in getting from Fairview to the back of Hill 16 in time so God help him in the likes of Portlaoise

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3734 - 04/06/2014 19:54:27    1598251

If you can make it to Croker you can surely make it to Heuston? How do you think the rest of us get around on the big days?

Special match trains and buses. Club buses. If you can drive you drive. If you have friends or relations around the place you might stay with them or make a weekend of it in a Hotel and B&B. This is how the rest of live, rattling around the place.

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 04/06/2014 20:18:36    1598259

Dubs have no problem travelling , we showed in the league this year and last year Killarney, Ballybofey, Mullingar,Omagh we had great numbers and that was only league, no whinging about bus or train services to ballybofey or Omagh ,people who wanted to see the game travelled..Portlaois is only down the road for us and this match should of been played there. We have a good hard core support who will travel anywhere. we also have a number who are spoilt by croker that's the way it is, championship match away for us would be magic, anyone whinging about transport links or the like give me a break , other counties have to do this all the time.

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 04/06/2014 20:21:03    1598260

Well said Áth Cliath.

Portlaoise would be grand for a Leinster Quarter-Final in fairness but the culchies won't have it.

Culchies still want the Dubs in Croker so that's what happens. Simple as that.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13718 - 04/06/2014 20:31:14    1598263

Ritchie we outnumbered Westmeath twice this year in Mullingar and brought huge crowds to Celtic park and omagh too. We have a bigger away support for league games than most others have at provincial championship games so don't be a hypocrite and use ridiculous remarks labelling all Dublin supporters.

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 04/06/2014 20:40:07    1598265

Both AthCliath and MesAmis are correct. Dublin do travel when they get the chance. Leinster counties could push them out of Croker if they really wanted to. Nobody can dispute those facts.

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 04/06/2014 20:44:19    1598269

RE: U21 Final attendance.

Roscommon would have seen this as an opportunity for an AI title hence their huge enthusiasm. They know they'll never get that at senior level. In Dublin the U21 grade is the second step on the 3 step ladder and we (fans) do not crave victory at that age group as much as other less successful counties. Some perspective I think.

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8596 - 04/06/2014 21:58:52    1598336

Seems my Dublin colleagues are turning on me after all these years and accusing me of "going native" so to speak and losing my gra for my beloved Dubs, all because I happen to agree that we should play outside of Croker more often.
Snuff, come back to me when you have a constructive point to make, cos its about 5 years since you made one my friend.

You used to be cool......man.......

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 05/06/2014 08:42:34    1598352

Article by Sean Moran - Irish Times

Is the advantage decisive? It wouldn't appear so. In the 20 years since the new Croke Park began to become available, Dublin have a 67 per cent success rate in the stadium from 79 championship matches as opposed to 83 per cent on their travels (including their official county ground, Parnell Park) for 12 fixtures.

The one defeat came against Kerry in the first year of the All-Ireland quarter-finals, a replay in Thurles. In Leinster you have to go back 33 years for the last time Dublin were beaten on the road - by Laois in Tullamore.

It's likely that some of the matches would have had a less resounding scoreline had they been played elsewhere but it's hard to imagine that many outcomes being changed. Dublin have been beaten by 10 different counties, from all four provinces in Croke Park over the past 20 years.

Even so, why don't counties in Leinster press for more fixtures requiring Dublin to travel? The answer is they don't appear to want to. There was a suggestion at Leinster Council that the champions' first match of this summer, against the winners of Wicklow and Laois, be played away from Croke Park. It got just two votes.

The reasons are straightforward enough. Firstly, most players and managers want to play in the stadium and secondly there is the financial consequence of moving Dublin, which means smaller and less rewarding gate receipts. In other words what projects or development grants would you like to cut to facilitate the idea?

This isn't ideal for a lot of people. Local teams miss the opportunity to take on in their own back yard the champions and Dublin supporters miss out on the unique atmosphere of travelling to matches. Community businesses, such as pubs, shops and hotels, lose out on some welcome revenue.

Dublin have never agitated to stay in Croke Park. Former county secretary, the late Jim King used to say:

"Dublin will play when and where we're told."

How badly does everyone else want to change?

__________

I think the above article sums up this situation

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20600 - 05/06/2014 09:24:31    1598373

hill16no1man
County: Dublin
Posts: 7771

1598265
Ritchie we outnumbered Westmeath twice this year in Mullingar and brought huge crowds to Celtic park and omagh too. We have a bigger away support for league games than most others have at provincial championship games so don't be a hypocrite and use ridiculous remarks labelling all Dublin supporters.

Now now, read the post properly, did I say ye didn't travel in numbers??? No I didn't, the point I was making was referring to the previous posters qualms about Portlaoise and traffic problems, parking etc, if you travel in good time and plan your day at provincial grounds you will benefit from less traffic and easier parking but as I said given that some Dubs have a problem being on time for a spot on the Hill I imagine some expect to just land in places like Portlaoise and stroll on in, that doesn't happen, realise that and you can make a trip down the country much easier on yourself

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3734 - 05/06/2014 10:45:11    1598432

Jimbo
I think 99% of us would only love to be going to Portlaoise/Tullamore this sunday
what u think?

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 05/06/2014 11:06:54    1598442

Liamwalkinstown
County: Dublin
Posts: 5666

1598442
Jimbo
I think 99% of us would only love to be going to Portlaoise/Tullamore this sunday
what u think?

__________

.... yeah it would be a great day out, it's something that we don't get to do very often... Thurles was great against Kerry x 2

Think we're def missing out... but here I completely understand why the Leinster council has taken this decision

A decision which is overwhelmingly backed by CB's throughout Leinster... that's important to remember

But perhaps we should be looking at playing 1/4 finals out of Croker...

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20600 - 05/06/2014 11:39:20    1598466

Is the advantage decisive? It wouldn't appear so. In the 20 years since the new Croke Park began to become available, Dublin have a 67 per cent success rate in the stadium from 79 championship matches as opposed to 83 per cent on their travels (including their official county ground, Parnell Park) for 12 fixtures.

The one defeat came against Kerry in the first year of the All-Ireland quarter-finals, a replay in Thurles. In Leinster you have to go back 33 years for the last time Dublin were beaten on the road - by Laois in Tullamore.

Ah come on jimbo, you know those stats are misleading. Surely the fact that Dublin play at home in all big games, while play a few dead ringers away from home would explain why they have lost more at home - croke park is where they play teams who can actually beat them. Please don't be insulting people's intelligence by pushing that crap. Obviously, the real question is how would the stats read if they weren't playing those big games at home.

There are multiple studies that have proven that home teams are favoured, so please spare everyone the routine. Interestingly, do you know what all these studies point to as regards the telling factor in playing at home? Across all sports they assessed, the home team got favourable treatment from the ref. Now that is probably down to many factors, including the crowd etc, but that is what the studies found, so there is no denying it. That is why, that if we beat Roscommon and galway advance also, I will be happy that we would get to play them in castlebar, because we will be at a proven advantage - nothing wrong with admitting the truth.



The thing I would like to know is, can anyone else think of a sport, where the money in the, lets face it, already swelled coffers, is put before the fairness of the game itself? Not just a once off in times of hardship, but every year. It is certainly a strange logic to have settled on.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 05/06/2014 11:57:54    1598483

I think every supporter knows what Seam Moran has written there, we are not deluded as to how the GAA works.

The GAA have a choice to either milk the Dubs dry in a dead half empty stadium with a crap atmosphere or create a monster atmosphere where Tullamore would be jammed to the rafters and have the best atmosphere at a match all year ,in turn creating a buzz not only in laois and all around Leinster but always to the genuine Dubs fans who would love the trip down and follow their team anywhere, it would cut out the glory hunting Dubs who couldn't care less about the Dubs outside croke park and would not go if Dublin were not winning or if it was not in Croke park.

I love going to Croke park and dont want the match in Portlaoise as that wouldnt be right, Tullamore should have it.

Baxter (Laois) - Posts: 282 - 05/06/2014 12:01:01    1598488

When we play Dublin I expect it to be in Croker so I personally don't care about the Dubs constantly playing in Croker but if the Dubs themselves genuinely want to travel then why don't they take it up with the Leinster council?

Why is a vote necessary to get Dublin out of Croke Park anyway? we're playing Carlow in 10 days time and we have to travel to Carlow (that's fine) but surely there wasn't a big meeting and a vote to decide whether we should travel or not, the game was fixed for Carlow, end of (as far as I know anyway).

Ok I know the Dubs are big business so Croker always makes more financial sense but they were made travel up to 2006, so what the hell's changed? Again if you's really want to travel, then tell the Leinster council that you are travelling down the country for the first game in Leinster and that's it, end of story.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 05/06/2014 12:10:42    1598498

RealDub the U21 Final attendance this year was hugely impacted by the fact that the Feile was on Saturday in Dublin. Big crowds all across the county. Club before the 21s for many people.

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 05/06/2014 12:10:55    1598500