Why do GAA supporters seem to be the biggest bandwagon supporters of any sport in the world. Take my own county as an example, in our opening league game, we brought a few hundred against Westmeath(at home), for the same opposition in the Ch'ship we brought a few thousand, and i would say we will probably bring close to 10 thousand to Croker next weekend for the Dublin match. I cant think of another sport where the crowd support changes so much as the year goes on. Why do the people that turn up for ch'ship matches not have the heed to at least attend the odd league game the next year.

PK57 (Louth) - Posts: 1664 - 25/05/2012 16:30:22    1180510

Pk in 2005 the Drogs brought over 12,000 to Landsdowne for the cup final. Now they are lucky if they get 1200 in United park for league games. Anyway roll on Croker. AN LU ABU!

OLLIE (Louth) - Posts: 12224 - 25/05/2012 16:42:11    1180522

maybe they were all helping out with their respective clubs. after all the gaa is a lifestyle choice more than a passtime

pig.ignorant (Derry) - Posts: 655 - 25/05/2012 16:48:02    1180532

I guess it's just a question of high profile, or lack of.

Even the most avid of GAA supporters see more of an occasion to championship than league. plus in tough times, people save their money for the big occasion.

You mention 10 thousand for the Dubs in Croke Park, well that's obviously going to be bigger, better, more exciting playing the AI champs in a knockout competition within the mighty Croke Park than say Louth vs ah hell, my own county in the league for example?

gigoer (Wexford) - Posts: 1998 - 25/05/2012 16:51:22    1180535

probably because of the way the GAA market the league, the way managers approach it, and the fact that very few teams play their best 15 week in week out, weather aswell maybe.

personally i love to travel to away games against teams who we do not meet every few years in ulster. i cant see why it theres such a difference, but there is and probably always will be.

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5292 - 25/05/2012 16:53:16    1180539

Weather, Money and rugby and Soccer is on.

Southsham (Limerick) - Posts: 752 - 25/05/2012 16:54:56    1180544

Because it's a more attractive fixture and that's human nature?

MedwayIrish (Wexford) - Posts: 2324 - 25/05/2012 18:47:12    1180606

Ah sure I'll tell ya what, write a letter to the local paper, blasting all these Johnny-Come-Lately's who only turn up for championship, give the GAA plenty of cash and cheer on their county team. Tell them not to come, the GAA dont need the money and the team dont need the support.....

Pinkie (Wexford) - Posts: 4100 - 25/05/2012 19:13:09    1180613

It's simple really, the league means nothing. Yeah it's good to win it but it is only used for trying out players to find the best team for the Championship.

GAA is the only sport in the World where a knock-out cup competition is more important that a league which is ridulous, but that won't change anytime soon.
Some supporters are giving out when no-one turns up and others give out when people do show up...can't win sometimes....

county man (Limerick) - Posts: 1155 - 25/05/2012 19:28:21    1180624

hom many counties have real supporters? ones that support their county in the good times and bad times!

kerryluck (Kerry) - Posts: 2517 - 25/05/2012 19:50:20    1180630

kerryluck, every county has them. these are the fans who will watch their county team whether they are in division 1 or division 4, whether they are in a first round qualifier or an all ireland final.

its the bandwagon fans we are talking about who give certain counties a very bad name.

dublin fans get a bad name, but its not the likes of those who travel up and down the country for games who get that. its the "come on you boys in blue" brigade who would rather consider themselves conductors of fellow "supporters" than actually watch a game.

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5292 - 25/05/2012 20:12:35    1180639

kerryluck
County: Kerry
Posts: 404

1180630 hom many counties have real supporters? ones that support their county in the good times and bad times!

Does that mean I'm not a real supporter? Because we've only had bad times

sedico (Kildare) - Posts: 1682 - 25/05/2012 20:16:01    1180640

cavanman47
County: Cavan
Posts: 63

1180539 probably because of the way the GAA market the league, the way managers approach it, and the fact that very few teams play their best 15 week in week out, weather aswell maybe.

EXACTLY.

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 25/05/2012 21:57:01    1180706

I remember when Galway reached the All Ireland hurling final in 2001 all of a sudden clubs had people turning up for ticket draws that they had not seen at a club game all year.. This is just the sheer nature of the GAA. If your team isnt performing people are going to be armchair supporters until September comes

twohands (Galway) - Posts: 149 - 26/05/2012 08:07:09    1180713

the gaa is totally focused on the championship, they don't put enough energy into the league, personally i think the league should be in some way tied to the championship. and bring back the old system where the winners of div3 and 4 were allowed into the quarter finals of the league. also on match days they should have stuff on for kids face painting bouncy castle etc spot prizes on the gates live entertainment, you have to sell yourself

Barrowsider (Carlow) - Posts: 1711 - 26/05/2012 08:29:16    1180714

I can see where you are coming from PK, as someone who often sat in Parnell Park among 2-300 watching the Dublin hurlers playing Roscommon and Wicklow and Derry. Now they regularly pack the same place and bring thousands to away games. Do I resent the 8,800 who were not there in the bad old days? Not really. I look on it as a reward for all the bad times. And as Sedico said, you are lucky if you get any good times!! Be proud that you follow them through thick and thin but also have a look around in the sun next Sunday and watch the red mingling with the blue and just be happy that you are all there.

Obviously I hope your good times don't start that day ;-)

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 26/05/2012 08:37:35    1180716

this has to be a wind up thread.
the irish soccer team has to be the biggest bandwagonners
they get half empty aviva for their qualifying games and then when they qualify suddenly everyone wants to go to poland or support them.
same with the rugby teams you can walk into any rabo direct match just take munster for example 3 quarters empty thomond park all year and then as they performed better in the heinken cup the crowd grew then they lost to ulster and there was a handfull at last rabo match.
all sports have people who will attend bigger matches and dont go to all the matches its a fact of life,dont just accuse gaa team fans

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 26/05/2012 09:34:37    1180725

look. Every team, be it GAA, soccer or rugby has its every game supporters and then the bandwagoners/fair weather crowd. Doesn't make them less worthy. They just choose their games. not worth getting anxious over.

ged (Louth) - Posts: 319 - 26/05/2012 10:34:59    1180748

hill16no1man

to be fair, i think picking munster is a bad example - if they have a strong 15 out, they generally get a very good attendance. it is only when players are absent for internationals/upcoming heiniken cup games that the attendances drop. . and perhaps a lot of that is due to the face that quite a few fans follow them to france, england, italy, etc. or follow the irish team to the same places. money is a huge factor - just look at the prices of internationals, how could you expect fans to follow both munster (or leinster, ulster, connaught) and ireland in febuary/march when it would cost hundreds of euro a week to do so.

tune into a tg4 rabo game on a friday night when theres nothing else on and you'll see a very healthy crowd at thomond

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5292 - 26/05/2012 10:49:23    1180755

hill16no1man

You can walk into most rabodirect games and get tickets but you are exaggerating saying "3 quarters empty". The smallest crowd in thomond this season was over 16000 which is well over half the capacity of thomond. The crowds are always bigger for heineken cup games as there is no club games on heineken cup days. There was a drop off for the last pro12 game in thomond and the crowd was just under 20000 which was disapointting. But yes you can accuse fans of all sports of the same thing


ged
Yes fans are fans. The only time i see problems is if the fans who are there for all the small games and the bad times miss out on their sides big occasion while someone who only goes to the big games and doesnt bother for any other games gets a ticket


cavanman47
Attendances were affected at the start of the season by the world cup but other than that the attendances havent been that bad. Money is a factor but going on about fans who go to france, england etc is wrong. They are the fans who are still going to musgrave/thomond, its the less occasional supporters or "bandwagoners" as so many here love to call most rugby supporters are the ones less likely to attend gaes

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 26/05/2012 17:03:19    1180955