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I've actually recently written about our 'great' hurling supporters in another thread where there was discussion about bandwagon crowds. The reality is that we have a huge number of people who love to go on a day trip to a big occasion in Croke Park like a Leinster Final when we reach one, but who won't go anywhere else. It's not a case of trying to get crowds 'back' to Wexford Park, because even when we first started having regular championship matches there in the first two years of the round-robin system (2018 & 2019), when those matches were played in May and June, the place wasn't full anyway. A real case in point is 2019. Home to Kilkenny in the final group game, and in with a great chance of making it to the final. Attendance was 15,500 in a place that can hold 18,000. Two weeks later, a Leinster Final in Croke Park between the same two sides. Attendance 51,500 and many of our 'great' supporters talking about how 'great' they are because probably 35,000 or more of that number were from Wexford. By the way, before anyone points out that 15,500 crowd was still bigger than maybe the 8,000 expected for Dublin this year - That 15,500 was exceptional, because of how opposition were Kilkenny, and how a Leinster Final place was at stake. Other crowds in those years were in region of 8,000 to 9,000 too, and far less when we played Carlow. Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2256 - 10/04/2024 12:49:56 2537113 Link 0 |
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Attendances in Munster hurling championship were very good last year over 30k at both of Limerick's home games, Cork got over 25k for both of there's, Ennis was full for both of Clare's home games, over 35k at Tipp/ Limerick in Thurles. Munster Final sold out. Our support has fallen off a cliff since Covid, but the bandwagon will come out of the woodwork I'd imagine if we made a Leinster Final. TerribleFootwork (Wexford) - Posts: 1760 - 10/04/2024 12:50:43 2537114 Link 0 |
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Attendance will always be linked to the level of jeopardy attached to games. suckvalleypaddy (Galway) - Posts: 1675 - 10/04/2024 13:29:34 2537126 Link 0 |
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The truth of the matter is, as many have said on here - Wexford support (and I would loosely call myself one as I support them v everyone bar Dublin) are no better, or worse, than any other county. Every county has 8-10k "core" support. Of this 8-10k, 2-3-4k would go to a hurling league match - die hards. 300 to a Walsh Cup - die hard die hards. The rest will probably go to a championship match at home, or one away maybe if it was close by (e.g. Thurles for Munster counties, Kilkenny for Wexford). Counties who are being successful will always ride the crest of a wave while that success continues. So huge crowds following Limerick and Clare say at the moment are hardly a surprise, its just human nature for people to want to follow success. But also, the product on offer has to be entertaining. Wexford matches tend to be dull, drab affairs in the last few years. Like, that All-Ireland quarter final in Thurles a few years back. Wexford were by far the worst supported county there, BUT followed very closely by Galway and Cork (the most famous bandwagon of all). Clare outnumbered the 3 of them combined. But just wait - the rebels are rising, and before you know it we'll be hearing about how "Cork bring great colour to the championship" quotes from Cyril Farrell and John Mullane. They bring great colour when they are winning. The best comparison for any attendance in championship is to look at the 2-3 years before a team became successful and see what the crowds were like. And not a provincial final because they attract neutrals. First round championships - that is the real support. Before long you will see it was ever so, in every county. ExiledInWex (Dublin) - Posts: 1140 - 10/04/2024 14:36:54 2537145 Link 0 |
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Also, another problem now is there are so many matches on. I have said GAA need a "underage pass" where if you buy a senior match ticket you get an underage match either free or bundle them together for an extra €5. It generates publicity for the minor/u20 match and would get more through the gate. ExiledInWex (Dublin) - Posts: 1140 - 10/04/2024 14:39:15 2537147 Link 0 |
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I agree with your first post above. We in Wexford are far from the only ones with bandwagon fans. Was just using our lot as an example of the sort who shouldn't really be called 'great' fans. Your other idea is a good one. Only issue I'd see is for something like last year's Leinster U20 Hurling Final in Carlow, which holds about 11,000 people. There could be many more unused free/discounted underage tickets out there at that stage, which would have come bundled with senior match tickets, so you'd have no idea how may intended to turn up or how many other tickets could be sold for it. Still, nearly every problem has a solution, so you could just say it entitles you to admission to an underage match within a week (or two), and not including finals. Again, it's a good idea. Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2256 - 10/04/2024 15:32:39 2537168 Link 0 |
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All this self righteous talk about bandwagon fans,, couldn't care less if they've not been to a game before, the more the merrier. Galway9801 (Galway) - Posts: 1732 - 10/04/2024 20:22:20 2537210 Link 1 |
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Good post. I would agree with those stats. The other piece I would add is that some counties are better than others in attracting the 'casual' fan if there is sniff or smidgeon of a good team. Wexford and Cork hurlers and Mayo footballers probably fall into that category. All I can say in Galway is that we need a pretty good side in football playing a certain way to attract the casual fan. Hurling probably less so although support troughs and peaks like everywhere else.
kiloughter (Galway) - Posts: 1947 - 10/04/2024 20:35:35 2537212 Link 0 |
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Yes. GAA prefer to not bother to properly market the games, FAI do well peddling what let's face it is pretty desperate stuff. But they have managed to create a local identity that is starting to bring people in. GAA in meantime cannot wait to get the inter county season over with as quickly as possible and with not too much attention paid. Will make it easier to replace more games with events. Be lucky to get 20k into Croke Park on Sunday. No effort whatsoever is put into selling games. BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 2589 - 10/04/2024 20:41:55 2537214 Link 3 |
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Wouldn't call it self-righteous. Just pointing out that you seldom had huge crowds for less-than-glamorous or early round group games in the first place, so the supposed fall-off isn't as great as some seem to think.
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2256 - 10/04/2024 21:07:24 2537227 Link 0 |
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Connacht rugby too, openly embraced the Heineken cup bandwagon and saw an increased support as a result,, many of whom have since become "real" fans too. Galway united also are quite trendy at the moment and they're happily going with it. Good for them. GAA attendances may dwindle, interest among our youth may drop, but sure at least the few people who bother to turn up to games will be proper supporters smh. Galway9801 (Galway) - Posts: 1732 - 10/04/2024 21:24:34 2537234 Link 1 |
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It's a red herring. The viewing figures on TV show there's a lot of interest in intercounty GAA. That doesn't convert to attendance except at big games. I do think GAA is a bit outdated with regard to marketing and matchday experience. Facilities at a lot of grounds are poor. Rugby League in England had the same problem but they seem be turning it around through better marketing and improving the facilities. It also helps to have a simple structure which is easy to understand.
Rolo2010 (Donegal) - Posts: 739 - 10/04/2024 21:39:09 2537239 Link 1 |
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From personal experience there is also an element of a bandwagon who basically see a big game in Croke Park as little more than a days drinking from cans at 9am in the morning on the bus or train up and turn up at the venue in the afternoon roaring drunk, some of my own friends who'd take or leave GAA and follow soccer more were guilty of this. 1 example 1 of my friends who I described above he was in Croke Park in 2019 for the Leinster hurling final and All Ireland semi final, madesure his photo's of Meaghers pub, his photo's on Hill 16 were on his Instagram story, last year in the week prior to when Wexford played Kilkenny in the Leinster championship where a Wexford defeat might consign us to the Joe McDonagh Cup the same fella couldn't fathom why anyone would go to the game as we lost to Westmeath a few days earlier, he couldn't understand my view that it was the most important game Wexford ever played given the consequences of defeat and supporters needed to go to row in behind the team. TerribleFootwork (Wexford) - Posts: 1760 - 10/04/2024 22:53:38 2537259 Link 1 |
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National leagues in both codes aren't any more condensed that they were pre split season, hurling championship will be run over 13 weeks compared to 14 weeks pre split season so not really a seismic change, football championship there are issues but that's an issue with structures more than anything else, provincial championships in football are becoming unfit for purpose. If you want a squeezed schedule my own club with essentially the same panel of players played 15 championship games in 16 weeks last year, the week off was because they got bet in a hurling semi final, if they won rather than lost a football final they were out the week after the county final in Leinster championship. TerribleFootwork (Wexford) - Posts: 1760 - 10/04/2024 23:09:04 2537261 Link 0 |
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What nonsense you spout. Attendances are year by year way up on 20 or 30 years ago. Do you even attend games?
ORIELMAN85 (Monaghan) - Posts: 138 - 11/04/2024 03:06:15 2537270 Link 0 |
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Have you ever been to a club game?
ORIELMAN85 (Monaghan) - Posts: 138 - 11/04/2024 03:18:56 2537271 Link 0 |
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Expect attendances in Leinster to remain low. I think people outside of Leinster don't fully understand the level of apathy that there is towards the Leinster championship and football at the minute. In my own county, the vast majority of people have just zoned out and who can blame them after seeing countless hammerings from Dublin over the past decade. 11jm11 (Kildare) - Posts: 366 - 11/04/2024 08:44:09 2537283 Link 0 |
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Jesus wept ....
BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 2589 - 11/04/2024 09:16:23 2537284 Link 0 |
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Are you joking. Did you see the attendances for provincial championships (1997 to 2000 in particular) in the late nineties across Ulster, Connacht and Leinster. You don't need to wonder if u16s were counted or not. Just look at the footage. Most grounds full or near full. Nowadays it is the opposite. Most grounds partially empty.
kiloughter (Galway) - Posts: 1947 - 11/04/2024 10:58:17 2537295 Link 0 |
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Yeah, I thought the same at that match last year. I was surprised how apathetic people were given the consequences of a loss. I never shouted as hard for the Yellowbellies as I did that day and cancelled another plan to make sure I got to it. Partly based on the passionate call to arms on this site as well, but I know how much hurling means to SOME Wexford people. ExiledInWex (Dublin) - Posts: 1140 - 11/04/2024 11:18:12 2537297 Link 0 |