This weekend we had four games in Croker,and the combined crowd was around 40,000. Surely this should mean that future league finals should be outside croker. Look at the division 3 and 4 finals, and they involved counties who are close to each other, so giving home advantage to one county would have been the logical thing to do. In 2011, my own county won the division 3 title, and there was 8,000 in croker, so there has been no jump in attendances in the four years since that.

PK57 (Louth) - Posts: 1653 - 27/04/2015 13:36:10    1717962

It makes our games look ill supported if you are looking from the outside. Why develop county grounds that may only get 1 game a year??

DoireCityFC (Derry) - Posts: 1580 - 27/04/2015 13:50:51    1717979

I'm in favour of Croke Park being used for National League final's. This give the lower league sides a run out in Croke park, which is Important, especially for sides who may have Championship potential in the coming years.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3017 - 27/04/2015 13:53:11    1717986

Correct, it seems to exist to 'give them a run out' out instead of it being a fortress that's hard to get to. Leagues Semis, Div3/4 finals and Round 4 qualifiers have no business there.
In the league home advantage should go to the team that finishes top of Div 3/4 in the final and in Div 1 home advantage to first and second for the semis. Actually base the venue on merit instead of 'giving them a run out'

RoyalBadger (Meath) - Posts: 571 - 27/04/2015 13:56:13    1717987

Yes . It is devaluing to our great stadium, and the argument of players wanting to play there is nonsense, i know one Meath player who i spoke to after the game v Monaghan final a couple of years back and he said the most surreal thing ever was picking up a loose ball under Cusack stand and a seagull nearly getting hit by the ball, it was so quite he could hear the bird, absolutely insulting to bring these games to cp.
Its over used and does no good to promotion of our sport.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 27/04/2015 13:57:33    1717989

Croke Park is used as it was part of the deal with the sponsors, corporate boxes, etc.

Torcaill (Australia) - Posts: 204 - 27/04/2015 14:02:11    1717997

yep

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 27/04/2015 14:21:44    1718016

Why not play all 4 finals on the one day at 12,2,4 and 6 and market it as super Saturday or super sunday.The rugby league in engerland do this every year for a weekend and it works.

juniorbsub (Wexford) - Posts: 646 - 27/04/2015 14:32:11    1718025

To be fair now lads, there is merit for counties who rarely get to Croker. The counties outside of Leinster who rarely win a provincial title want their day out too. Counties like Fermanagh, Cavan, Antrim, Sligo, Leitrim and Roscommon etc. Some of the lads on these teams might never get a game in CP only for Divisional finals and by the same token, their fans deserve to have the chance to support their team in our game's showpiece stadium.

decky (Roscommon) - Posts: 384 - 27/04/2015 15:10:53    1718043

If Leitrim reached a provincial final i'd be gutted if it wasn't in croker.

johnnos bulls (None) - Posts: 527 - 27/04/2015 15:13:39    1718044

Sorry league final

johnnos bulls (None) - Posts: 527 - 27/04/2015 15:13:58    1718045

so we build one of the best stadiums in europe and people complain that its being used??????????
this has to take the biscuit
we had royaldunne want to see dublin go back to parnell park and soccer and rugby play in croker instead
brilliant way to promote our games haha
seriously whats the big obsession with attendance in croker
tipp play in thurles in a ground that holds 55 thousand and get what 5 or 6 thousand for league games
thats less than 10% of the capacity
kerry play in killarney and get 7 or 8 thousand in a 50 thousand stadium
limerick play in the gaelic grounds and get 3-4 thousand in a 50 thousand stadium
you could go on and on so why complain that croke ark is actually being used
im sure the same people were probably whinging that it wasnt being used in the 00tys when it was rebuilt

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 27/04/2015 16:32:08    1718092

Hill16101, its the complete opposite of what youre suggesting.
You say that people complain that croke park is being used? No, thats not it.
The problem is that there are loads of good grounds outside of dublin that are NOT being used.
No way should those games have been played in croker.

cityhurling (Galway) - Posts: 3 - 27/04/2015 16:46:30    1718103

Hill16, it looks appalling to see games with streams of empty seats and dull atmosphere. I always think of it as the point of view of a tourist watching a game with an attendence of 20,000 in croke park. What's the first thing he is going to think of? He's gonna ask himself does the Irish people even like these games? That is obviously a ridiculous question but if I was a tourist at the game yesterday and I was told the division 1 final is the second most prestigious trophy to win in Gaelic football I would ask the same questions. I love watching games in Croker, only though when there is a full house. The problem is 99% of the time its empty? The GAA should be really thinking of marketing our sports better then playing it in front of large empty seats. Its not nice to look at. Here's a big statement but I think it should be considered. In the football season there should only be a maximum of 4 games played there, The AI final, an AI semi final and it must involve Dublin (only way it will be a full house), an AI quarter final double header (which also must involve Dublin and I would be even slightly unsure of playing this in Croker) and a Leinster final (must also involve Dublin). Some people may think I'm talking rubbish but Leinster semi finals can be played in smaller venues, Portlaois, Tullamore, a redeveloped Navan or Newbridge etc. Here's an example, a Meath and Kildare Leinster semi final, play it in Croker, that game only may draw about 20,000. Atmostphere is dull, echoey feeling, masses of empty seats. Play it in Tullamore, full house, no empty spaces, brilliant atmostphere. Its not rocket science! AI Quater final, they could use the likes of Clones if its two ulster teams, Killarney, Thurles or Limerick if its two Munster teams, etc. AI semi final that doesn't involve Croker, perfect idea would be to play it in Thurles. 55,000 capacity, thats the normal amount Croker gets for its other semi final and even then it's an echoey feel. Jam packed Thurles, would be similar to a muster hurling final day, amazing atmostphere. Gaelic grounds could also be used aswell similar to Semi final last year which worked perfectly. By doing these venue changes it would make games more exciting for the neutral, and the players and spectators

PoppinPoints (Meath) - Posts: 225 - 27/04/2015 17:44:19    1718135

Poppinpoits that's it, totally over used. And city hurler. Yes other grounds that can easily accommodate these games are left to ruin as the gaa want to fill their cooperative boxes. Bring the games to the people to get the people to the games. Each county bid for the individual finals have the towns organise special events , deals on hotels etc. Bloody hell is there no one in hq that has a marketing brain?? Hill time to get your head out of your donkey. It may suit you to walk out your front door and walk in and declare our stadium as Dublins right , but its not it never has been and with more gaels getting annoyed over this it never will be. Put Dublin back home to Parnell park.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 27/04/2015 18:01:00    1718145

What I don't understand is the whole of the gaa public wants games played out of Croke Park yet the powers that be just refuse to change it, like them two league final in thurles or somewhere would of made for such a better occasion and atmosphere but they keep playing them in Croker and playing in a 3/4 empty Croker is no benifit to anyone IMO, and why they won't move Dublin out of Croker for Leinster games just makes no sense we are mad for a trip down the country and so are the players but they just won't do it honestly I love Dublin but playing Offaly/Longford in an empty Croker does nothing for me but put us down in tullamore or Longford and I'd be mad for road. powers that be make the changes please.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 27/04/2015 19:22:11    1718175

clondalkindub
County: Dublin
Posts: 6004

1718175 What I don't understand is the whole of the gaa public wants games played out of Croke Park yet the powers that be just refuse to change it, like them two league final in thurles or somewhere would of made for such a better occasion and atmosphere but they keep playing them in Croker and playing in a 3/4 empty Croker is no benifit to anyone IMO[/I]

Premium and corporate tickets are sold with the premise of league finals being played in Croker.

RoyalDunne, personally I would be 100% behind Dublin being forced to have their league games at home in Donnycarney. People bang on about Dublin having an advantage because they play their home league games in Croker. Which do you think would be more advantageous to Dublin, play your league games in Croker in a 1/3 full stadium with no atmosphere or play at your home ground with a packed crowd almost bursting onto the pitch? Do you think that the away team would be more intimidated at a 2/3 empty Croke Park where they themselves have played many times before or at a packed Parnell with Dublin fans breathing over their shoulders and on a pitch that they would be fairly unfamiliar with? Dublin are being disadvantaged by being forced to play at Croke Park in the league.

Incidentally, we all don't live on the north circular road, a stones throw away from Croke Park. Dublin is nearly 1000 km squared in area. Pairc Tailteann is a quicker drive for me than Jones Road.

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4700 - 27/04/2015 19:39:50    1718184

RoyalDunne, interesting point there that county boards could put a bid together say for AI semi our quarter finals. Would be brilliant. And tbh this has nothing got to do with me wanting the Dubs to play outside Croker, it's me just wanting to see some games played in front of packed crowds rather then every second game in croke park in front of poor crowds

PoppinPoints (Meath) - Posts: 225 - 27/04/2015 20:00:07    1718191

Joxer i have no doubt it is, my point is not at all Dublin supporters actually id say majority would prefer there games away from cp at tgis stage, its getting boring, now i do disagree that its not a advantage to play say a Armagh down or something like that in championship who haven't been there more than once, Dublin have same dressing room same warm up end etc , so it becomes like a home game, its a bit like using a soccer analogy that Chelsea playing all there games in Wembley stadium and poor old crystal palace playing them in fa cup final, game is fixed for the associations national stadium Wembley, who has the advantage ? See what im getting at. Would Dublin win less playing more games outside of croke park? No, but would games they do play there be more of a perceived level playing field? Yes.
Dubs fans want to travel the people want croke park used less, the only people that don't are the gaa.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 27/04/2015 20:01:54    1718193