This weekend, Louth and Kildare are playing in Croke Park, which will look practically empty, and will have little or no atmosphere, while grounds like Portlaoise, Navan, and Dr. Cullen pk sit idle. Why is it that the GAA seem intent on putting certain games in Croker, when it makes sense to play them elsewhere. It makes sense to have Dublin v Laois in croker, because of the crowd Dublin will bring, but is it a case that other grounds aren't being used as much as they should be?

PK57 (Louth) - Posts: 1653 - 04/06/2014 12:40:14    1597828

would expect a decent crowd from kildare and louth this sunday

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 04/06/2014 12:48:29    1597839

It seems a lot of the time wherever Dublin go, Kildare go these days. We were like conjoined twins for a while there - league and championship. I think somewhere along the line it was decided we were the next best thing as far as support goes. Not sure how true that is, we're certainly well supported but I think everyone is glad to get the league and qualifiers back to Newbridge even if it is one of the worst grounds in the country. Nothing we can do about Leinster SFC games though.

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 04/06/2014 12:51:40    1597843

Problem exists in the Leinster football championship only, other provincial football competitions and the Leinster hurling championship is well spread out amongst the grounds, even the Dubs are heading to Wexford Park to play Wexford but they aren't as highly thought of as their footballing siblings, imagine the atmosphere there would be in O'Moore Park next Sunday if Dublin/Laois was held there!!!!

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3734 - 04/06/2014 12:55:56    1597849

doublehop

will kildare bring many this sunday
support seems to have droped off this year in the home games for ye
one thing im glad is its back to a sunday this year the double headers as saturday evening leinster championship matches dont work at all

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 04/06/2014 12:56:53    1597852

richieq

most of the grounds in leinster are in a bad way
even the bigger ones outside of croker are in need of revamp
navan needs terraces put it to hold a crowd of 30 thousand then you would see dublin playing laois,westmeath or louth there
at this stage of the championship

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 04/06/2014 13:00:32    1597854

I would expect a good crowd at Croker on sunday and I'm not sure that there's any real value in opening up another ground this weekend. The best half way house between Louth and Kildare would be Navan but along with Aughrim and Drogheda, Navan is one of the 3 worst grounds in Leinster, so it's not a suitable venue these days.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 04/06/2014 13:48:53    1597907

hill16no1man
County: Dublin
Posts: 7752

1597854
richieq

most of the grounds in leinster are in a bad way
even the bigger ones outside of croker are in need of revamp
navan needs terraces put it to hold a crowd of 30 thousand then you would see dublin playing laois,westmeath or louth there
at this stage of the championship

Have to disagree there, Wexford Park, Nowlan Park, O'Moore Park & O'Connor Park have all had significant improvements made in recent years, O'Connor Park is a shining example of how to develop a medium size ground, Pearse Park in Longford also has had major improvements carried out and is an excellent ground, another decent ground is needed north of the province and Pairc Tailteann would fit that bill but Navan needs more than terraces to have a 30'000 capacity and present plans call for a stadium capable of holding 20'000 to 25'000 with all four sides being redeveloped

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3734 - 04/06/2014 14:17:57    1597937

Support definitely dropped in the league. A lot will put that down to the McGeeney factor but for me it's more a fall-out from the hidings we've received from Dublin. Kildare's performance levels haven't actually dropped that much but in a relative position in Leinster we obviously appear to have taken a big step back in comparison to Dublin's success. Seems to have put a lot of supporters off but I'd expect them all to come back for a semi-final with Meath were it to happen. This weekend though... I'm not so sure.

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 04/06/2014 14:45:43    1597962

Richieq
County: Meath
Posts: 1567

1597937
hill16no1man
County: Dublin
Posts: 7752

1597854
richieq

most of the grounds in leinster are in a bad way
even the bigger ones outside of croker are in need of revamp
navan needs terraces put it to hold a crowd of 30 thousand then you would see dublin playing laois,westmeath or louth there
at this stage of the championship

Have to disagree there, Wexford Park, Nowlan Park, O'Moore Park & O'Connor Park have all had significant improvements made in recent years, O'Connor Park is a shining example of how to develop a medium size ground, Pearse Park in Longford also has had major improvements carried out and is an excellent ground, another decent ground is needed north of the province and Pairc Tailteann would fit that bill but Navan needs more than terraces to have a 30'000 capacity and present plans call for a stadium capable of holding 20'000 to 25'000 with all four sides being redeveloped

nowlan park needs a new roof
tullamore needs terraces behind both goals ,one end only has flat grass,the other is tiny
portlaoise
has scope to improve with nice stand and side terrace but one end is tiny too and goes into a croner with nothing
pearse park in longford again has very small stand,side terrace is ok
but behind one goal terrace is poor and behind the other its just stones and as far as I can see is not allowed people.
A new stand is defo needed in navan but with the terraces either end would surely have the capacity to hold 10 thousand each
with the side terrace holding 5 thousand you would only need a 5 thousand stand

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 04/06/2014 15:13:42    1597998

doublehop

true i suppose
the fact that your match is not on tv should bring out the crowd from both kildare and louth
louth v westmeath got 4 thousand and id say most them were louth supporters
so you would imagine kildare would bring about 8 thousand and louth 4 thousand

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 04/06/2014 15:15:43    1598001

Newbridge not too bad... just needs a new terrace behind both goals, a new stand on both sides preferably at least one that includes seats which are not bolted onto exisitng concrete benches only suitable for children or adults who did two hours of yoga that morning. Dressing rooms that allow the participants in the first match of a double header not to have to move their gear onto the bus at half-time would improve player welfare. Also a referee's dressing room to avoid a repeat of Joe McQuillan being walked through the crowd might reduce tensions a bit. Also turnstiles and a sound system which don't look, sound or behave like they've been salvaged from the Lusitania would I think be useful. The wall and fence around the pitch with parking spaces might also need to go.

Apart from that it's tip-top!

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 04/06/2014 15:30:54    1598023

hill16no1man That would mean 12,000 in Croker, which will seem extremely small in a stadium that big.

PK57 (Louth) - Posts: 1653 - 04/06/2014 15:50:45    1598049

O Moore Park can hold 27,000. That would have produced an amazing atmosphere for Laois v Dublin quarter final.

How many would Dublin v Laois have got on its on this weekend? 30k?

I'd take 27k in a packed to the rafters stadium over 30k in half empty Croke Park

shaggykev (Donegal) - Posts: 187 - 04/06/2014 16:51:09    1598109

Richieq
County: Meath
Posts: 1567

1597937
hill16no1man
County: Dublin
Posts: 7752

1597854
richieq

most of the grounds in leinster are in a bad way
even the bigger ones outside of croker are in need of revamp
navan needs terraces put it to hold a crowd of 30 thousand then you would see dublin playing laois,westmeath or louth there
at this stage of the championship

Have to disagree there, Wexford Park, Nowlan Park, O'Moore Park & O'Connor Park have all had significant improvements made in recent years, O'Connor Park is a shining example of how to develop a medium size ground, Pearse Park in Longford also has had major improvements carried out and is an excellent ground, another decent ground is needed north of the province and Pairc Tailteann would fit that bill but Navan needs more than terraces to have a 30'000 capacity and present plans call for a stadium capable of holding 20'000 to 25'000 with all four sides being redeveloped

nowlan park needs a new roof
tullamore needs terraces behind both goals ,one end only has flat grass,the other is tiny
portlaoise
has scope to improve with nice stand and side terrace but one end is tiny too and goes into a croner with nothing
pearse park in longford again has very small stand,side terrace is ok
but behind one goal terrace is poor and behind the other its just stones and as far as I can see is not allowed people.
A new stand is defo needed in navan but with the terraces either end would surely have the capacity to hold 10 thousand each
with the side terrace holding 5 thousand you would only need a 5 thousand stand

In fairness Nowlan Park only needs a new roof due to unforeseen storm damage, although it's replacement was in the pipeline anyway, Tullamore has a 20'000 capacity without adding another terrace and I suspect that capacity in adequate and it's redevelopment is regarded as finished, I really am impressed with Tullamore and even the absence of a terrace behind one goal doesn't detract from it at all. Portlaoise might have a tapered terrace at one end but I don't think that detracts too much either, it's a little oddity obviously caused by space restrictions ala the pie slice on the Nally terrace in Croker. Longford's unused goal end I imagine will be rectified when finance and capacity dictate, I really find the rest of it a lovely ground, only GAA ground outside Croker I know with a wrap around corner!!!! The Hospital End in Navan could indeed be a sizeable terrace however the O'Mahonys End is smaller and restricted by the presence of the O'Mahoneys clubhouse behind it, no way would it hold 10'000 as a terrace or near it but Hospital End possibly yes

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3734 - 04/06/2014 16:51:55    1598110

shaggykev
County: Donegal
Posts: 59

1598109
O Moore Park can hold 27,000. That would have produced an amazing atmosphere for Laois v Dublin quarter final.


o moore park doesnt hold 27 thousand that was years ago
its now between 20-22 thousand

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 04/06/2014 18:13:31    1598179

PK57
County: Louth
Posts: 1258

1598049
hill16no1man That would mean 12,000 in Croker, which will seem extremely small in a stadium that big.

12 thousand from just kildare and louth that would be added to about 30 thousand dublin and whatever laois bring

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 04/06/2014 18:14:54    1598182

richieq

tullamore only holds 17 thousand capacity
the absence of terace makes it look hald done and the capacity is counting people standing on flat grass which is bad form.
the steps on the terrace in portlaoise along with the galeic grounds in limerick are way too small
similarly in newbridge the same problem exists on the terrace opposite the stand.
longford unused goal has been like that since dublin played down there in 2006.
navan could easily have the terrace all as one similiar to killarney which would allow keep 30 thousand capacity

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 04/06/2014 18:21:51    1598188

hill16no1man There is no chance Dublin fans will go in to watch the Louth/Kildare game.

PK57 (Louth) - Posts: 1653 - 04/06/2014 18:33:57    1598197

Ah there's plenty of Dubs who will come in to watch us. Plenty of groups of friends, couples and families where there's a divide between Kildare and Dublin. They'll all go in together for both. In commuter counties that's just the way it is. As I said above it's happened enough times now. Everyone would have a routine for these Dublin-Kildare double headers. I do anyway. 'Quinns once Dublin go more than six points up and meet them after' being the general rule of thumb.

Plenty of Dubs living up in Louth too now, no?

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 04/06/2014 18:57:07    1598213