I wonder has the GAA ever thought about marketing our games to the British public or have companies thought about doing packaged deals offering people a chance to come to Croker or Thurles on day/weekend trips?

I heard a bloke call one of our national radio stations in 2011 & reveal how he travelled from Bristol to Croker via Rosslare about 8 Sundays a year. He brought his kids and said he loved the amateur ethos, physicality and sportsmanship on view.

I know we don't want a hooligan element to things but it could be easily marketed towards the kids of Irish parents in the UK. Croker is rarely full until a semi where the Dubs play so could this idea be a runner or leave things as they are now?

Slayer.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 26/08/2013 20:52:43    1468879

I figured the GAA must have had a hand in the Jason Statham movie "Blitz". Not only does he beat the crap out of 3 fella's with a Hurly, he talks about the Hurly been used in the Irish game of Hurling, which is a cross between Hockey and Murder!!.

Maybe the producers just wanted to use something fresh for a change.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3026 - 26/08/2013 21:08:27    1468900

26/08/2013 20:52:43
slayer
I wonder has the GAA ever thought about marketing our games to the British public or have companies thought about doing packaged deals offering people a chance to come to Croker or Thurles on day/weekend trips?
I heard a bloke call one of our national radio stations in 2011 & reveal how he travelled from Bristol to Croker via Rosslare about 8 Sundays a year. He brought his kids and said he loved the amateur ethos, physicality and sportsmanship on view.
I know we don't want a hooligan element to things but it could be easily marketed towards the kids of Irish parents in the UK. Croker is rarely full until a semi where the Dubs play so could this idea be a runner or leave things as they are now?
Slayer.Marketing the game to who? How would you market to them? What would you use to try entice people over?
Weekend trip to thurles? Where'd they stay? Why would you want to go to Thurles. the town is crap and where exactly would they stay? F-all accommodation in/near thurles.
No need for a go about hooligans. Who are these supposed "hooligan element that would come over?

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 26/08/2013 21:20:05    1468911

Its amatuer and hence not 'big business'!!....Immediate FAILURE!!

Regards,

Snufalufagus....Laochra Gael

Snufalufagus (Dublin) - Posts: 8100 - 26/08/2013 21:27:58    1468925

Ormond calm down there and google the word 'idea'

When I said marketing our games in Britain I thought that might explain who it would be marketed to :-)

As for Thurles and your thoughts on it, ever gone to see Munster playing rugby? Milton Keynes is no great area but got a lot of Munster fans to the venue.

I wasn't having a go at anyone about hooligans but thought it worth discussing seeing as there was trouble at the FA cup semi final.

What's got you so sour on a Monday night? Chill out it might be better tomorrow.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 26/08/2013 21:28:34    1468927

Snaf

Ever heard of the Olympics?

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 26/08/2013 21:30:14    1468930

The problem Slayer is the GAA are crap at marketing the game in Ireland :( the attendances at league games are abysmal. If fairness to the Dubs, that Spring series are couple of years ago was good, I think they got up to 45,000 at some of the double headers. I know jedward are not everyone's cup of tea but they draw a younger audience and I think it has been proven that if kids are brought to matches on a regular basis they are more likely to keep attending as adults so any moves to encourage parents to bring kids to matches have my full support.

But you are right, Britain is a massive market on our doorstep if done properly. Any first round match venues and times that are known from October should be marketed more.

Killarney.87 (Tipperary) - Posts: 2513 - 26/08/2013 21:33:42    1468936

I definitely think there is merit in marketing the game on a local level in Britain. Although I think this only has a chance in area's that has large numbers of Irish settlers.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3026 - 26/08/2013 21:34:53    1468937

slayer,

Olympics / GAA.....hardly comparable lad!

One encompasses 56 winter and summer sports played worldwide, the other....4 games largely kept within the country and its overseas diaspora with only 2 games international!

Regards,

Snufalufagus....Laochra Gael

Snufalufagus (Dublin) - Posts: 8100 - 26/08/2013 21:41:16    1468945

26/08/2013 21:28:34
slayer
Ormond calm down there and google the word 'idea'
When I said marketing our games in Britain I thought that might explain who it would be marketed to :-)
As for Thurles and your thoughts on it, ever gone to see Munster playing rugby? Milton Keynes is no great area but got a lot of Munster fans to the venue.
I wasn't having a go at anyone about hooligans but thought it worth discussing seeing as there was trouble at the FA cup semi final.
What's got you so sour on a Monday night? Chill out it might be better tomorrow. relax yourself. Im perfectly chilled.
I have gone to see Munster play plenty of times. Ive been in Milton Keynes and its better than Thurles by far.
What saves thurles is that its on main railway line so you can get out and get to Dublin/Cork/Limerick fairly easily

26/08/2013 21:33:42
Killarney.87
The problem Slayer is the GAA are crap at marketing the game in Ireland :( the attendances at league games are abysmal. If fairness to the Dubs, that Spring series are couple of years ago was good, I think they got up to 45,000 at some of the double headers. I know jedward are not everyone's cup of tea but they draw a younger audience and I think it has been proven that if kids are brought to matches on a regular basis they are more likely to keep attending as adults so any moves to encourage parents to bring kids to matches have my full support.
But you are right, Britain is a massive market on our doorstep if done properly. Any first round match venues and times that are known from October should be marketed more.
Only reason GAA are not great at marketing is for years they never had to do anything like marketing as they had such a stranglehold over the vast majority of the population apart from pockets in certain areas and only now in recent years that theyre getting real real strong opposition from other sports have they improved.
How and in what ways would you market GAA to British people?

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 26/08/2013 21:44:42    1468951

ormondbannerman
County: Clare
Posts: 5526


Im perfectly chilled.
I have gone to see Munster play plenty of times. Ive been in Milton Keynes and its better than Thurles by far.
What saves thurles is that its on main railway line so you can get out and get to Dublin/Cork/Limerick fairly easily

You should add the caveat 'in my opinion' to the sentence highlighted in bold. Given the aggressive way you respond to other people's posts (ie question their intelligence etc), the next clause will be difficult for you to consider, but nonetheless, there is a chance that you might not be always right.

Slayer simply mentioned an idea. You might be relaxed (can't comment on your mental or emotional state) but you ought to work a lot harder on netiquette.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 26/08/2013 22:01:56    1468975

Channel 4 used to show the All Ireland final live for a few years during the 80s I think. Also seem to remember a highlights show on a Saturday morning when I was living there in the early 90s.

bubba83 (Dublin) - Posts: 333 - 27/08/2013 08:15:46    1468984

do you mean to market it as a spectacle or market it as a participation sport. I think as a spectacle the big games are very marketable. I know alot of british people used to watch it on channel 4 when they had a highlights programme a few years ago. If a person is interested in sport then they will be open to new sports and gaa certainly has all the ingredients to keep the armchair viewer interested. Its possible to see aussie rules american football baseball hockey, ice-hockey, rugby league on tv in britian so why not GAA

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5520 - 27/08/2013 09:01:46    1469002

bennybunny
County: Cork
Posts: 1942

1468975
ormondbannerman
County: Clare
Posts: 5526


Im perfectly chilled.
I have gone to see Munster play plenty of times. Ive been in Milton Keynes and its better than Thurles by far.
What saves thurles is that its on main railway line so you can get out and get to Dublin/Cork/Limerick fairly easily

You should add the caveat 'in my opinion' to the sentence highlighted in bold. Given the aggressive way you respond to other people's posts (ie question their intelligence etc), the next clause will be difficult for you to consider, but nonetheless, there is a chance that you might not be always right.

Slayer simply mentioned an idea. You might be relaxed (can't comment on your mental or emotional state) but you ought to work a lot harder on netiquette.
__________________
+1

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 27/08/2013 09:02:34    1469003

I think you'd struggle getting British people with little to no knowlege of Gaelic Games to go to Thurles for the weekend just for the laugh.

Tourists who are already here/planning to come here, are definitely an untapped market. The GAA could sell tickets to tourists through hotels, tourist information centres, in Carroll's, or even on stalls on the side of the street.

CaptainBrooksie (UK) - Posts: 34 - 27/08/2013 09:21:46    1469016

As someone who lives beyond in Englandland I think this would be a lost cause from the start. Unless you have some kind of Irish heritage any casual observer just wouldn't be interested. Especially being as once the GAA season is over the football/rugby season gets going.

I've been watching the games over here for long enough to know that after the initial "oh look, they can use their hands" and "are those hockey sticks" that people with no interest at all just fade away.

It would take one hell of a marketing drive and i'm sure that money could be well spent elsewhere.

tribeinbrum (Galway) - Posts: 4155 - 27/08/2013 09:26:11    1469019

I think its a good idea myself Slayer. Every odd year there's no European championships or World cup for the soccer lover to watch during the summer. All depends though on what station would pick it up and how they would show it. Your average joe who doesn't know anything about the game isn't going to start by paying an extra fee so it needs to be free to view to get your audience base. If you look at your average Sunday afternoon tv line up during the summer on any of the BBC's, ITV or Channel 4, I'm sure some live, interesting sport would wield some sort of interest

NavyNBlue (Dublin) - Posts: 1357 - 27/08/2013 09:27:49    1469021

Snuph wrote:

Olympics / GAA.....hardly comparable lad!

Then you must never have heard of the Tailteann games? Am I really educating a self professed 'Laochra Gael' on one of the country's biggest GAA message boards? The man who eats crab claws in the corporate box, is twice shown up by a modest worker from County Limerick??

If we were female this would be called 'Made in Manhattan'..........

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 27/08/2013 09:29:18    1469022

do you mean to market it as a spectacle or market it as a participation sport.

Spectacle.

I am on a Manchester United forum (yes I know, many will now be thinking 'ah Jaysus') but so many people from round the world marvel at hurling. They can identify with Gaelic football as it is similar to Aussie Rules & soccer. Graham Taylor took a holiday in Ireland many years back & saw a hurling game. He got a video of it & showed it to his team then added 'amateur' to his team talk. All were impressed by the fitness, commitment and physicality.

I like a number of sports & would love to see an Aussie rules game live. I've been to a baseball game & loved it. I saw basketball and thought it wasn't really for me. Each week many of our fellow country men & women head to England for club games (me included) so I have thought for a long time if we could attract people to our games. If it could work in Britain first I think other countries could be looked at but we have two absolutely edge of the seat sports that at times lift the spirits of our nation, so why not show people more of this fantastic aspect of Irish life?

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 27/08/2013 09:38:40    1469029

Then you must never have heard of the Tailteann games?
slayer
---------------------

...And the Tailteann Games are on what date exactly??..........Touché!!!

As a mate of mine says: "Never get drawn into an argument with a working class, they will clutch at straws to try and win"!!....sound advice indeed!

Regards,

Snufalufagus...Laochra Gael

Snufalufagus (Dublin) - Posts: 8100 - 27/08/2013 09:52:58    1469036