Was an official attendance given, now that they have a "paper trail"?... i thought there would be more there, but such is life!

sob (Meath) - Posts: 492 - 21/10/2013 10:20:04    1503669

5,000 was the figure relayed to the media by the PRO. One annoying aspect of this is some (not all!) posters here give other counties stick about their size and tradition come Leinster Championship time.
Maybe they should have alook in PT yesterday, while 5k is still a decent crowd it is no where near what it should be for the County Final.
Great to see plenty of families and kids there for the day out showing there is always a future but i have a feeling that had Na Fianna and Moynalty in particular not been so well supported the crowd would have dwindled even further. Its frustrating to hear people berate the County Board and football people about a lack of progress when to behonest the number of neutrals yesterday was pathetic.

highking12 (Meath) - Posts: 184 - 21/10/2013 11:53:26    1503736

What was the attendance for the Junior & Intermediate Finals ?
The stand seemed full.

Fionn (Dublin) - Posts: 4547 - 21/10/2013 12:03:40    1503750

Kerry only got 2000 more to their final with a much higher standard and quality of player on show.

I didn't go yesterday because i don't support either team. Some years I do go but after going to every single Meath match home and away this year plus a few games not involving my county in croke park I really could do with saving a bit of cash for next years campaign.

Yes there should be more but honestly I don't think you can give out about meath supporters going to county games and then not going to a final that has nothing to do with their team.

Jack_Goff (Meath) - Posts: 2920 - 21/10/2013 13:20:53    1503811

Kind of sums up the attitude really, it's not my team, so i dont care. €15 for an adult or a tenner for a student. Hardly bank breaking stuff.
And yes if you want to talk about Kerry football there was over 5,000 at the North/South Kerry game on St Stephens day last year, and 7,000 isnt a bad turnout for a walkover final with a team going for 4 in a row. I can imagine the turnout here if O'Mahoneys were going for 4 in a row....

highking12 (Meath) - Posts: 184 - 21/10/2013 14:33:28    1503868

You're talking a load of rubbish lad. I've been to every meath game this year some with as little as 300 fans at them from meath and you're slagging me off for not going to a club final involving teams not in the division my club plays in. Get a grip will you. I've also been to a few club games as well as palying in a lot more. It's an hours drive from my house to Navan. If I lived in Navan I might have popped into a match I'd no interest in whatsoever.

Jack_Goff (Meath) - Posts: 2920 - 21/10/2013 15:00:21    1503887

Dont want to get bogged down in specifics but iv been to and played in many games aswell this year, and just cant understand why many Meath supporters (not you now so dont jump up and down) wont attend club championship games, especially the finals. Meath havnt played since July and wont again until Jan, maybe it's just me. Couldnt think of anything else id rather be at of a Sunday afternoon!

Gone slightly off topic anyway, but i suppose while yes it needs immediate updating, spending 5/6 million redeveloping Pairc Tailteann for maybe 5 big crowds every year and not even a full house for the biggest Club game on the calendar seems like a folly to me.

highking12 (Meath) - Posts: 184 - 21/10/2013 15:52:44    1503932

@ ard ri. Perhaps I didn't make myself clear. I have little or no interest in Meath club football . Too much politics when I played in it many many years ago. The Meath county team at any age level I will attend if at all possible.
I have missed 6 senior Meath county games since 1980
In all campaigns O'Byrne league championship back door whatever . Most recent was this year with refixture in antrim as it clashed with family event before that was 01 due to my father passing away.
I'm season ticket holder I am member of club na mi.
So yeah I didn't find it appealing to drive 60 plus miles from athlone to navan to watch a game between two clubs I never had connection with.
And as probably one of very few ever present supporters at Meath county games your damn right I'm going to complain about that dump we play in. So get off your high horse. I have more right than most to complain as I attend a hell lot more games than most do, maybe even more than you?

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 21/10/2013 16:35:04    1503966

Ever think that die hard Meath fans might not give stuff about clubs outside own?
The standard on show yesterday was very poor tbh and this has been highlited by many on main forum. To say that was quality is delusional.
But hey I might have travelled the 100+ miles round trip if stadium was upto acceptable level. Its a turn off for the neutral. I was at 4 Meath club games this year and enjoyed them all. But to go out of my way for two clubs I have no connection with to sit on wet wooden falling apart seats? No not this year.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 21/10/2013 16:43:33    1503972

It is interesting how some folk attend county matches but not club matches. I have always put the club before the county as you would have no county team without the clubs. I would also add that I would not expect people outside the county to be attending club matches inside the county as most of those folk would/may be involved with another club. Do the guys who attend many clubs matches contribute significantly more to the GAA within the county than the guys who only follow county?. On a simple stat if you attend all you own club matches and maybe a few others you will end up going to maybe 50+ matches a year. If you only attend county matches then on the law of averages you will be attending maybe anything up to 15 matches. When you do not attend club matches then maybe you are at a disadvantage in not knowing who should or should not be on a county panel. On the match on Sunday I can understand some folk not attending and especially when it was on TV.

browncows (Meath) - Posts: 2342 - 21/10/2013 17:07:07    1503994

royaldunne

It's my belief that when the county final is on it belongs to all of us not just the competing clubs, same as the All Ireland. Now I cannot understand for the life of me how anyone can call themselves a Meath football fan and not be in attendance. I have been going to finals since 1966 and only missed ones when I was actually in hospital. Was a close thing yesterday as I haven't been well recently but got a call from a friend and couldn't resist. I agree that like finals in any code, Meath Senior club finals don't always live up to what is expected. However yesterday was quite a good game for neutrals. You are being unfair to both sides to say otherwise. I can only remember a few really great games one of these was Summerhill v Walterstown(I think) in the seventies. Obviously those where my club was playing stand out for me, but it is the ones where I was a neutral that I got most enjoyment. I have no complaint with you describing the Old place as a dump. Even the committee who did the report stated that " it was not fit for purpose" That's a euphemism for calling it a dump. I described it as such a number of years ago and I don't recall any support from you. Indeed some even roundly condemed me on this page for saying so. However if dedicated Meath fans want to see improvements in the place they must take the opportunity to contribute particularly a county finals and other big days.

P.S. I have no doubt that you are now attending more away games than me. But it would not always have been the case.

The real Árd Rí (Meath) - Posts: 990 - 21/10/2013 17:12:17    1503997

Pains me to say it but PT is an awful dump. It's in dire need of redevelopment but renaming it tayto park, in my opinion, is the wrong option. look at the German, fan-centred approach to running a family orientated club. You get facilities, the results and the support and you don't have to play a corporate logo at midfield. Just takes a little imagination and dedication to secure Meath football's future,not just financially, rather than selling out to the man...man

greatwhitedope (Meath) - Posts: 50 - 21/10/2013 17:47:50    1504027

Ard ri. I too was saying we needed redevelopment five six years ago. Now arguably not as forcefully as at present. Perhaps cause like most I thought it would never get as bad as it is now. Look it saddens me to see it in state of disrepair. I actually have a great affinity with pairc tailteann. It runs deep within my veins as I'm sure it does with all Meath fans. I love the place. It gives me a buzz just driving past it.
And that's why I think many myself included are so vexed that it remains in way it is.
Look I don't like the idea of changing name but if that what it takes.
I've said before and I'll say it again. I'll happily donate 1000€ to a fund. Now while I'm not flush with money I think it would be a great investment. What do I want in return? Nothing. OK I'll take Kevin Reilly signing my daughters jersey. I just can't remain silent any longer. I think the gaa will soon close the place and make us move.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 21/10/2013 17:58:19    1504033

Brow cows agreement with you on disadvantage of not knowing who should get call up to senior squad.
I do coach at underage in my adopted club and they often clash games with Meath club games. But I still get to a few and I only go randomly I often ask on here for posters to give me a game to go to. I look out for players who may get on senior. Watching on TV yesterday the game itself while been of very poor standard was exciting as it was close. But the standard was not the best.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 21/10/2013 18:07:41    1504042

Browncows, Germany is a bit of a poor example, with the Allianz Arena, RheinEnergie Stadium, Volkswagen Arena, Mercedes Benz Arena etc....
Despite that though i'm against renaming Páirc Tailteann.

CastleBravo (Meath) - Posts: 1695 - 21/10/2013 18:28:15    1504052

Sorry, that was not meant for Browncows, was for Greatwhitedope....

CastleBravo (Meath) - Posts: 1695 - 21/10/2013 18:33:07    1504054

All id say is even if your club aint in a game, you would be surprised at the entertainment even the lower grades can provide..many a summers evening i decided to pop off to a venue, as a neutral, and have been entertained, its not always about your own team been involved.. sometimes been a neutral has its advantages...like saves fingernails!!

sob (Meath) - Posts: 492 - 21/10/2013 19:19:04    1504079

royaldunne

When all is said and done you and I will hopefully be on the same side of the argument. If every dedicated Meath fan was prepared to advance €1,000 to the cause then we would have no problem. Nor do I think that you should do so without any expectation of reward. You should expect a seat with Royaldunne's name on it for 10 years. The logistics of when you don't want it could be looked at later. As I stated already the figure given per seat was €1500 for a new stand. A stand for 10,000 (we probably don't need as big a one)would therefore cost €15m. Say 5000 seats could be sold in advance then we would be a long way along the road. We don't have to discuss other fundraising in this post but shouldn't families, clubs and other groupings come up with ways to purchase groups of seats and have them available for their supporters on match days. Perhaps this is the real debate we should be having instead of ranting at each other about the state of the place or who attends the most matches. I will match your €1,000 but at my age I want a guarantee of my seat and Kevin Reilly's autograph on my grand daughters jersey.

The real Árd Rí (Meath) - Posts: 990 - 21/10/2013 19:35:22    1504092

Now that I think of it if the place was not a dive I'd prob want to go to club games there a little more. It is off putting to say the least.

Jack_Goff (Meath) - Posts: 2920 - 21/10/2013 19:56:08    1504102

"Couldn't say I was a Meath fan if I wasn't there on the day"

Well bravo to you - give yourself a big pat on the back there and tell yourself what a great man you are indeed.
I wasn't there and am quite happy to call myself a true Meath fan thank you very much. Ont thing that always bugs the hell out of me is this "I'm a true fan and you're not coz I go to all the games, even the ones in the backarse of nowhere on a wet wednesday in December" bull that people come out with from time to time.
Personally I can think of a lot of good reasons why a true Meath fan wouldn't have attended yesterday. Perhaps they were working. Perhaps they were sick. Perhaps they couldn't afford it (I hate to break the bad news to you all, but 15 euro is a lot of money to some people these days). Perhaps (like myself), they work 6 days a week and would prefer to spend a little time with their wife + kids rather than drag them to a game that they have no interest in. Perhaps as well as loving Meath football, they also love horse-racing, or rugby or soccer and there was an event on that meant more to them than yesterdays county final. Perhaps as someone mentioned earlier, they are mad passionate Meath fans, but have no interest in watching clubs other than their own. Perhaps they don't even have a club of their own.

The point is that there are dozens of valid reasons why people didn't attend the game yesterday. And who the hell gave you the right to decide whether they are true fans or not. You went to the game because you were interested in it. Well done, now what do you want, a medal? Royaldunne or JackGoff or anyone else shouldn't have to answer to you about why they didn't go to the game. I am sure they are all dedicated Meath fans, who shouldn't be made to feel guitly by some smug self-satisfied self-appointed guardian of Meath football, just because they didn't attend a game between two teams they had no affiliation to.

anfearbeag (Meath) - Posts: 1134 - 21/10/2013 21:02:34    1504158