Amidst all the talk of poor attendances, etc, is it just the fact that the product(s) are poor or do people now think that every match should be in their front garden?

I remember 20-30 years ago (getting old) going to matches in Thurles, Ennis, Tullamore, etc. I don't recall a visit to Galway but I am sure we had them. But we thought nothing of going and the roads and cars were not what they are now. So why are attendances dropping?

In my opinion, matches live on TV are killing attendances. I know there are more competing interests for peoples time now, but I also don't believe cost is as big a factor as it is made out to be - people had bugger all money back then (my parents did anyway) and yet got to club matches, county matches, etc without a seconds thought.

So is it time to cancel the live TV matches, show deferred coverage or go back to highlights only and see if that will get people back to these matches?

Pinkie (Wexford) - Posts: 4100 - 16/08/2016 15:20:12    1901886

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4902 - 16/08/2016 15:45:53    1901906

bricktop (Down) - Posts: 2503 - 16/08/2016 15:50:28    1901910

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 16/08/2016 16:12:22    1901929

I agree. Although efforts need to be made to stop fans being fleeced at every turn when they decide to go to a match, which is the current ethos at play.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 16/08/2016 16:17:26    1901935

GameOfTyrones (Tyrone) - Posts: 469 - 16/08/2016 17:55:35    1901990

they had a clip on rte a few weeks back of clare v kerry in the munster final in 93 i think was it.......GG in limerick packed out, 30,000 or so at it......clare fans in their droves

wouldnt get 4000 at it these days

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 16/08/2016 18:59:44    1902005

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 16/08/2016 19:48:00    1902014

Pinkie, personal circumstances come into it massively. I've two kids under 3, work full time and am doing a 2 year masters on top of that. At the moment I'm very lucky to get the time to watch GAA on TV at all, never mind going to a match. I went to last year's County Final.

Wicklowman (Wicklow) - Posts: 1139 - 16/08/2016 21:20:33    1902036

Llaw_Gyffes (Mayo) - Posts: 1113 - 16/08/2016 21:44:34    1902042

Wicklowman (Wicklow) - Posts: 1139 - 16/08/2016 22:02:24    1902049

Gameofthrones

Kilkenny v Galway drew 35thousand in croker.
The following week in thurles after a great game and a draw you had a drop of 5 thousand despite thurles being closer to both counties.

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 16/08/2016 23:01:58    1902074

It's expensive to go to matches but its impact is overstated in my opinion. People think nothing of spending hundreds of euros getting p*ssed every weekend. Tens of thousands of gobdaws thought nothing of spending THOUSANDS travelling to see an absolutely horrific Irish soccer team in Euro 2012 (they were a bit better this year but still wouldn't spend that much on them). The money's out there. Gaa doesn't mean as much to people anymore. I know it's a cliche but it's like the catholic church and fianna fail - there'll always be the hardcore support but not the massive following of years gone by.

ballydalane (Kilkenny) - Posts: 1246 - 16/08/2016 23:28:01    1902079

There's a couple of reasons many of which others have spoken about cost of travelling to a game by the time you add everything up etc etc.

But in my experience people are becoming more and more disillusioned with the GAA, with how the game is run, with the u fairness that exists throughout the GAA these days, in the opinions of many the term Grab All Association never rang as true.

It's something that won't reflect on a website like this but it's definitely evident. I was recently selling tickets for my club and noticed a changing in people's opinions when it came to contributing as an example.

Attendances are dropping, interest is waning, club players are being treated like dirt meanwhile the GAA are obsessed with promoting the games where they are most likely to get more financial reward. Whilst the games die a death in many areas throughout rural ireland.

The interest isn't here like it used to be, plain and simply unfortunately.

tearintom (Wexford) - Posts: 1353 - 17/08/2016 10:00:49    1902119

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 17/08/2016 10:22:34    1902124

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5024 - 17/08/2016 10:27:03    1902127

30,000 was a very poor crowd at the Waterford-Kilkenny replay in Thurles last Saturday night. In the heartland of the "hurling counties", I'm amazed there weren't more neutrals there. Surely this game should have been attracting 45-50,000?

football first (None) - Posts: 1259 - 17/08/2016 10:48:33    1902151

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 17/08/2016 11:15:24    1902178

The price of tickets and travel ie food and fuel is a major factor, another is population dispersion, in my area which is rural we could easily have brought an army of young and old to matches but today the old are older and don't travel as much, our young are in Australia, England and America and would really only come home if we reach an All Ireland Final, but the biggest incentive to attend games is success, the season ticket system is extremely good at getting attendances up, it mostly the sunshine supporters or club personal that aren't attending games unless its a final, if all tickets were season tickets then you will either have full houses or completely empty and as a direct consequence of season ticket money it means more money for your county and over time your county team can afford the top trainers and personal and challenge for Sam and Liam, buy the season tickets and support your team through the good times and bad

riverboys (Mayo) - Posts: 1389 - 17/08/2016 11:23:29    1902183

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4247 - 17/08/2016 14:53:58    1902316