Just an idea I had, maybe move provincial finals to croke park? Now I know the traditionalists will hate this but maybe this is an idea that could be trialed for a year. Have a double header two weeks running, who wouldn't love a day of football consisting of Kerry V Cork and Dubs V Meath in a croker double header, it would surely would attract a lot of punters. I know the Ulster final in Clones is the tradition but Croker is way under-utilised. Only a all-ireland semi and final get a bumper crowd so maybe this can help change that.

ShortGrass_1 (Kildare) - Posts: 223 - 11/05/2016 16:24:30    1854108

No thanks it's enough to have the travail to Croke Park for a potential 4/5 times a year without having to do so for a provincial final.

Also you'd have a way smaller crowd for a Kerry Cork game in CP than you would in Killarney and Killarney and other provincial towns need all the big social and sporting events they possibly can. Not to mention the difference in atmosphere at the game etc

KYTitletown (Kerry) - Posts: 816 - 11/05/2016 16:31:59    1854113

They had Ulster finals in Croker for a few years in the 00s and it went a bit stale - crowds dwindled.

Hopefully they are never moved out of Clones again. It's a terrific town for a big Ulster game.

Munster and Connaught have stadia with ample capacity also - would like if they kept those finals neutral tho. i.e. Cork v Kerry in Limerick/Thurles, Mayo v Ros in Galway, Mayo v Galway in Dr. Hyde, etc.

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5012 - 11/05/2016 16:32:42    1854115

It was done for Ulster finals around the time Armagh and Tyrone were dominating Ulster. I think it worked well for those as both counties have very committed followers and Dublin is pretty handy to both anyway. You'd understandably get way fewer people wanting to make the trip from Mayo or Kerry to see a provincial final in Dublin.

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4223 - 11/05/2016 16:41:03    1854120

More money being spent in Dublin hotels etc , sure locally economies need there big pay days , you've Dubs loving the ideas of travelling out of Dublin , perhaps we can all wave if we pass on the M50 going in opposite directions

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 11/05/2016 17:46:46    1854149

Just an idea I had, maybe move provincial finals to croke park? Now I know the traditionalists will hate this but maybe this is an idea that could be trialed for a year. Have a double header two weeks running, who wouldn't love a day of football consisting of Kerry V Cork and Dubs V Meath in a croker double header, it would surely would attract a lot of punters. I know the Ulster final in Clones is the tradition but Croker is way under-utilised. Only a all-ireland semi and final get a bumper crowd so maybe this can help change that.
ShortGrass_1 (Kildare) - Posts:186 - 11/05/2016 16:24:30 1854108

Under utilised?? Dublin play their home National League games there, Leinster semi finals have been played their annually for quite some time, football quarter finals etc, the place is over used if you ask me and provincial venues, some of which have spent significant sums on improving facilities, are not getting their fair share of gates. I don't see the logic to this suggestion at all, why put the extra expense of a trip to Croker on the fans of s competing county, why deprive Killarney, Castlebar, Clones, Roscommon, Salthill etc of the much needed bonus revenue a provincial final brings, why dilute the importance of a provincial final by having it as part of a double header, why dilute the atmosphere that a final can create at a provincial venue, I just don't see any positives to what you suggest, only negatives.

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3734 - 11/05/2016 18:31:28    1854165

Just an idea I had, maybe move provincial finals to croke park? Now I know the traditionalists will hate this but maybe this is an idea that could be trialed for a year. Have a double header two weeks running, who wouldn't love a day of football consisting of Kerry V Cork and Dubs V Meath in a croker double header, it would surely would attract a lot of punters. I know the Ulster final in Clones is the tradition but Croker is way under-utilised. Only a all-ireland semi and final get a bumper crowd so maybe this can help change that.
ShortGrass_1 (Kildare) - Posts:186 - 11/05/2016 16:24:30 1854108

Under utilised?? Dublin play their home National League games there, Leinster semi finals have been played their annually for quite some time, football quarter finals etc, the place is over used if you ask me and provincial venues, some of which have spent significant sums on improving facilities, are not getting their fair share of gates. I don't see the logic to this suggestion at all, why put the extra expense of a trip to Croker on the fans of s competing county, why deprive Killarney, Castlebar, Clones, Roscommon, Salthill etc of the much needed bonus revenue a provincial final brings, why dilute the importance of a provincial final by having it as part of a double header, why dilute the atmosphere that a final can create at a provincial venue, I just don't see any positives to what you suggest, only negatives.

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3734 - 11/05/2016 18:31:46    1854167

There's been some woeful suggestions on here over the years but this one wins the Gold medal for craziness by a country mile........

ponga (Mayo) - Posts: 649 - 11/05/2016 19:37:36    1854187

Cavanman

The crowds disn't dwindle - there was massive crowds for the Armagh v Tyrone and Donegal games. 70,000 plus

westmeath v laois had much smaller
There was support for Croker and for Clones..... for me Croker is easier to get to,,,, but the ulster council want their day in Ulster

cuchulainn35 (Armagh) - Posts: 1673 - 11/05/2016 20:50:07    1854210

When Cork play Kerry in Munster you would get about 30,000 in Killarney. That is because people like the craic and going on the piss. In Cork you would get 17,000-20,000 at the game. If it was in Croke Park - I would guess about 5,000 would bother.

If Cork play Kerry in an All-Ireland semi final in Dublin there would be between 30 - 40,000 there depending on how Cork rated themselves. If we played said All-Ireland semi final in Cork or Killarney, either stadium would be packed and it would be brilliant.

I'll happily play any opposition in Croke Park an All-Ireland final day but if we play Munster teams before that stage, we have plenty stadia down here that we can use.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 11/05/2016 21:13:28    1854218

ah god ya that makes perfect sense sure why not hike the gate prices as you're at it..... would this thread even be tolerated if it was titled,,... bring the Dubs to Killarney, or Castlebar or Clones... me thinks not... the is just the same as irish politics... inside the Pale rules and outside the pale rules... jesus wept....

Horsebox77 (Kerry) - Posts: 5491 - 11/05/2016 21:36:47    1854226

Spot on Bennybunny.....

ponga (Mayo) - Posts: 649 - 11/05/2016 21:41:44    1854227

ah god ya that makes perfect sense sure why not hike the gate prices as you're at it..... would this thread even be tolerated if it was titled,,... bring the Dubs to Killarney, or Castlebar or Clones... me thinks not... the is just the same as irish politics... inside the Pale rules and outside the pale rules... jesus wept....

Horsebox77 (Kerry) - Posts:2545 - 11/05/2016 21:36:47


Rant of the week without reading or thinking first

Did you notice original poster was NOT from the Pale /
Did you notice the only Dublin poster pointed out that other business communities needed the money ?
But hey if you had to get something off your chest a by product of the national election this thread is as good as any .

PS Bennybunny excellent post

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 12/05/2016 11:02:06    1854290

Benny,you say if Cork played Kerry in Munster you would only get 17000 - 20000 in Cork but if the All Ire semi final was played in Cork it would be a sell-out?I thought Cork v Kerry was the big game everybody looked forward to in Munster each year?20,000 seems a miserable crowd for this game?I remember massive crowds attending Munster games between the two counties over the years.Also,saying only 5,000 would attend an All Ire semi in Croke Park between the two counties is pie in the sky.I agree,the idea of moving provincial games to Croke Park is nonsense but some of your figures are miles off the mark.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 12/05/2016 11:12:29    1854299

# 5,000 would attend Munster final or Munster game in Croke Park i should have said.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 12/05/2016 11:14:44    1854301

CuEd

I might not have been clear - I took the 17-20,00 crowd from the last time we played Kerry in a Munster final (2 years ago ) in Cork.

The 5,000 crowd would be if we played them in Croke Park for a Munster final- i take that from the approximate crowds when we play there in All-Ireland q/finals together. Remember the Cork/Mayo, Kerry/Limerick double header a few years ago - 4 counties - less than 20,000 -75% from Mayo?

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 12/05/2016 11:23:02    1854306

Fair enough Benny but if you go back over the last 10 Munster football finals between Cork and Kerry in Cork i would be amazed if the average crowd was only 20,000.
Also that quarter final double header was not very appealing.Especially to Kerry who were playing Limerick and who beat them well as most expected.Cork v Kerry in a Munster final in Croke Park (it will and should never happen) would get more than 5,000 through the gates i would imagine.A lot of Cork and Kerry people living in Dublin would attend and that alone would make up a fair few thousand.
Sorry for being pedantic but the figures seemed a bit off for me.However no Munster game will ever be played un HQ.Ridiculous idea from OP.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 12/05/2016 11:32:33    1854312

Shortgrass
Do you not realise the extra journey that moving say the Ulster final would put on Donegal. And indeed other counties also. Take supporters leaving Malin or GWEEDORE or Glencolmcille and you can factor in a return journey of in the region of TEN HOURS.
I know clones is awkward enough to get to but most Donegal people can do the journey in two hours with I'd say three hours the most. I was at two Ulster finals in C P ( I think Ulster finals of 04/05/06 were played in CP) and to be honest you could not compare them to having the games in Clones.
Completely different atmosphere plus let's face it the people of Clones are well able to stage it , cater for a big crowd and it's a good playing field.
I think at present a lot of people don't want to hear tell of the Ulster final going to Casement that's if they develope that ground.
No , don't move the provincials to C P , give the provincial towns their big day , which all provincial finals are. Really hope Donegal get there again this year as I love heading to Clones on Ulster final day and there is always a great buzz around the town from early morning. To me the Ulster final in Clones is a fantastic day out , heading there hoping for the best and even if we loose I never complain

SamOnErrigal (Donegal) - Posts: 1427 - 12/05/2016 11:37:35    1854315

You are right Ed. It is silly debating something that won't happen.

What has happened and might happen is Cork v Kerry in a semi final. We would be much happier to play that down here as well.

Cork v Kerry has had bigger crowds over the years but there has been a dwindling interest - particularly here in Cork. The championship in both codes is stale and people are just staying home.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 12/05/2016 12:05:49    1854331

Come on Benny boy.You used to full of optimism on here regards intercounty.Rediscover your Cork lust for the upcoming championship.Tipp v Cork has to stir the emotions benny.Even a small bit(:

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 12/05/2016 12:16:37    1854342