Well thats a very insular view IMO Seanie. How do you expect the game to grow then?

Do you think that the exiles in places like England would enjoy watching the games and having this as a tool to promote the games over here?

Maybe if the games took off more here you may even see money going back into Ireland from England if things went well...

How do free-view channels survive in England? They sell advertising space, do you not think that Irish company's may benefit from marketing generally in a market of 60 mil instead of 4.5 mil market? RTE would IMO benefit as company never mind just the GAA....

Mancirish (UK) - Posts: 2200 - 28/08/2013 18:06:25    1470413

Mancirish
County: UK


How is supporting our own domestic soccer leagues insular?

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 28/08/2013 18:11:30    1470421

keeper7
County: Longford
Posts: 1415

1469399
"I started following soccer and man utd when I was young because of likes of denis Irwin, roy keane etc."

How many Irish on the team now? Grow up & grow out of it, you're not a kid anymore. It's business & brand loyalty sustained by hype these days, just like One Direction.

Its actually a beautiful game keeper7 and that's why the whole world plays it (apart from billy no mates, ireland)

AfricanGael (UK) - Posts: 1947 - 28/08/2013 18:23:21    1470432

I'm just saying that theres plenty to be done at home to promote GAA,both codes too,before we race off trying to convince the rest of the world of its merits.That would start by getting our own youngsters involved and supporting our games before they become Man U fans.Its a very devious and sad set up really.Why don't the national broadcasters show more domestic soccer games for a start anyway.These are legitimate questions.I'm sure Spanish tv is not showing Italian club games over its own leagues.

seanie_boy (Tyrone) - Posts: 4235 - 28/08/2013 20:22:20    1470515

Seanie in England the national sport is probably football, cricket would get a mention and probably the 2 rugby codes as well but i think football is definitely the sport here. Now do the national broadcasters here or other TV companies for that matter just show there own sports and teams.... Come on that is a very weak argument and you know it. Some would say and may well be right that English football has been in decline since 66 but you don't see everyone clamoring for the door to be closed on everything else just to support it. Jes what are we are Comi state get a grip man!!! They live with it and just live with all the sport available to us. Man have you ever tried skiing its great fun but it won't stop me loving and getting involved in Gaelic football.

I would say that i can watch probably near most if not all sports in the world bar 2 games that are played a couple of miles across the pond. Its crazy IMO and very very short sighted. But what would i know hay.... :(

Mancirish (UK) - Posts: 2200 - 28/08/2013 21:12:11    1470556

lads, listen to mancirish. he knows what he is talking about. Why on earth would british people not like GAA. are you saying that the only reason we like it is because we are Irish ?. Are you saying that no other nationalities would like it because they are not irish. Are you saying that they couldn't understand the rules. What is it about the games that you think the british would not like or understand. ?

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5522 - 29/08/2013 08:45:50    1470634

Mancirish
County: UK
Posts: 1850

1470556
Seanie in England the national sport is probably football, cricket would get a mention and probably the 2 rugby codes as well but i think football is definitely the sport here. Now do the national broadcasters here or other TV companies for that matter just show there own sports and teams.... Come on that is a very weak argument and you know it. Some would say and may well be right that English football has been in decline since 66 but you don't see everyone clamoring for the door to be closed on everything else just to support it. Jes what are we are Comi state get a grip man!!! They live with it and just live with all the sport available to us. Man have you ever tried skiing its great fun but it won't stop me loving and getting involved in Gaelic football.

I would say that i can watch probably near most if not all sports in the world bar 2 games that are played a couple of miles across the pond. Its crazy IMO and very very short sighted. But what would i know hay.... :(
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The national broadcasters in Britain and the private broadcasters would certainly give preference to the domestic scene in Britain,thats how it should be and the broadcasters in Ireland should be doing the same.As it happens in Germany,Spain and France and all other countries.I'm all for showing as much sport as you want but I'd rather see some Derry City,Cliftonville and other games on tv before the English premier league games.Some more GAA games and programming would be welcome too.We have an NFL that gets bare minimum coverage for our national sport,thats a disgrace.I personally think it would be great if young people in this country were wearing the jerseys of these teams around town along with their GAA jerseys and not teams from England and Scotland,teams that they often never even go to see play.Its mad to be honest and its only "Paddy" who would be at it. Filling the coffers for Wayne Rooney,Steven Gerard, Man UTD and Liverpool and all the other clubs in Britain while their own teams bust a gut at home and get not much for it.If people really loved the game itself they would be following our teams as it would be about the game,and a great game soccer is by the way and I loved playing it when I was younger.Its not about the game though with these people anymore.Its about the money...........merchandising,ticket sales,advertising and so it goes.So no I'm not for that at all Mancirish but hey,I am only one of the voices of the minority on that one as the slabbers in the pubs on a weekend all over the country would prove with their "we" this and "we" that as they mouth on about these fecking teams.Its enough to give me the skitter in all fairness.I often call lads out on this crap and they sometimes simply don't see the problem but on occasion you do see a look in the eye that suggests he might just have thought for one second that it was a bit ridiculous alright.So like I was saying,concentrate on promoting the games at home better before we go anywhere else.

seanie_boy (Tyrone) - Posts: 4235 - 29/08/2013 09:20:33    1470651

I think a lot of the problems with men walking around in english football shirts in Ireland has to do with the phenomenon of 'manchild'. Like it or not the EPL is marketed superbly. Kids, who are very vulnerable to hype and merchandising get hooked early. I know I did. All throughout my GAA playing days I would watch english football alongside. It was great and provided great distraction and craic with my mates but as I grew older I began to see through the rampant commercialisation of a sport overrun with money. I began to realise how magic our own games are. Basically I grew out of wearing a Man United shirt. Others pull a Peter Pan and never come to the realisation that a fat balding man in a Liverpool shirt in a different country is pretty ridiculous

emmomac (UK) - Posts: 273 - 29/08/2013 09:37:58    1470668

My sentiments exactly emmomac.

seanie_boy (Tyrone) - Posts: 4235 - 29/08/2013 09:58:24    1470685

seanie_boy
County: Tyrone
Posts: 2812

1470651 Mancirish
County: UK
Posts: 1850

1470556

I personally think it would be great if young people in this country were wearing the jerseys of these teams around town along with their GAA jerseys and not teams from England and Scotland,teams that they often never even go to see play.Its mad to be honest and its only "Paddy" who would be at it. So like I was saying,concentrate on promoting the games at home better before we go anywhere else.

------

I agree with you there about promoting GAA and shirts better at home. It reminds me of when I was in Dublin Airport May 2012 for about 2 hour layover. The shops had ManU, Liverpool, Barcelona and rugby shirts. No GAA shirts. I asked at a few shops and they do not carry them. Here was Dublin Airport just 8 months after Dublin won the AI and not a shirt in sight.

mikeyjoe (USA) - Posts: 415 - 29/08/2013 11:14:40    1470737

29/08/2013 09:20:33
seanie_boy
The national broadcasters in Britain and the private broadcasters would certainly give preference to the domestic scene in Britain,thats how it should be and the broadcasters in Ireland should be doing the same.As it happens in Germany,Spain and France and all other countries.I'm all for showing as much sport as you want but I'd rather see some Derry City,Cliftonville and other games on tv before the English premier league games.Some more GAA games and programming would be welcome too.We have an NFL that gets bare minimum coverage for our national sport,thats a disgrace.I personally think it would be great if young people in this country were wearing the jerseys of these teams around town along with their GAA jerseys and not teams from England and Scotland,teams that they often never even go to see play.Its mad to be honest and its only "Paddy" who would be at it. Filling the coffers for Wayne Rooney,Steven Gerard, Man UTD and Liverpool and all the other clubs in Britain while their own teams bust a gut at home and get not much for it.If people really loved the game itself they would be following our teams as it would be about the game,and a great game soccer is by the way and I loved playing it when I was younger.Its not about the game though with these people anymore.Its about the money...........merchandising,ticket sales,advertising and so it goes.So no I'm not for that at all Mancirish but hey,I am only one of the voices of the minority on that one as the slabbers in the pubs on a weekend all over the country would prove with their "we" this and "we" that as they mouth on about these fecking teams.Its enough to give me the skitter in all fairness.I often call lads out on this crap and they sometimes simply don't see the problem but on occasion you do see a look in the eye that suggests he might just have thought for one second that it was a bit ridiculous alright.So like I was saying,concentrate on promoting the games at home better before we go anywhere else.
But broadcasters here will show games that they will get viewers. More people want to watch the Chelsea's/Man Utds of this world than watch Shelbourne/Shamrock Rovers etc
The national league doesn't get more coverage as many people still think it is a totally secondary competition compared to championship. National League gets plenty of coverage on tg4 does it not? Where does the national league get "bare minimum coverage"? Which sector of the media? Games shown live on tg4. Widespread coverage in newspapers and online media outlets and on radio.

29/08/2013 09:37:58
emmomac
I think a lot of the problems with men walking around in english football shirts in Ireland has to do with the phenomenon of 'manchild'. Like it or not the EPL is marketed superbly. Kids, who are very vulnerable to hype and merchandising get hooked early. I know I did. All throughout my GAA playing days I would watch english football alongside. It was great and provided great distraction and craic with my mates but as I grew older I began to see through the rampant commercialisation of a sport overrun with money. I began to realise how magic our own games are. Basically I grew out of wearing a Man United shirt. Others pull a Peter Pan and never come to the realisation that a fat balding man in a Liverpool shirt in a different country is pretty ridiculous
No kids will want to watch the best players and especially since nearly every one of Irelands best players is in England from 16 will always lead supporters to divert their gaze and interest in football to the leagues in England/

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 29/08/2013 11:45:03    1470754

Seanie you want to listen to Micky Harte for a while that man will educate you on how GAA games should go. I've been in his company on a couple of occasions and he has the for site to realise that if our game is truly to grow we need to expand in other countries. The games have to go international at a decent level, listen to S Goldrick and take off the blinkers…

I can't believe your more worried about a couple of kids running around in United shirts rather than seeing the bigger picture. And the best of it is so what if they are… Did you ever think to wonder why they were though?

May be it could be down to the fantastic marketing The prem has and Sky TV has done… There's a lesson there if you look hard enough…. Somehow I just feel that you just won't want to look though….

Mancirish (UK) - Posts: 2200 - 29/08/2013 12:59:56    1470817

it would be a master stroke if we managed to sell the games to the brits considering the GAA was the original 'two fingers' to them

lilypad (Kildare) - Posts: 1363 - 29/08/2013 13:26:42    1470835

SeanieBoy

I understand your sentiments and I am certainly with you on the coverage of GAA. I also agree with emmomac on the commercialization of sport that is the premier league and how its commentary/analysis and marketing is primarily aimed at kids (I should say that this point that I am interested in it though I do not buy the shirts). However, I can understand why people would prefer the premiership to the league of Ireland (not making a value judgement here by the way).

As an example, the last time Cork City won the league of Ireland was in 2007 (I think - around then anyway). At that time our main goalscorer was John O Flynn. At the time also, Cork City were spending stupid money (that eventually put them out of business) on players salaries (they were very well paid). Rather than stick about as champions, most of those players were desperate to leave Cork City. John O Flynn for example jumped ship and went to Barnet (who are rubbish and are now in the fifth tier in England). George O Callaghan went to play with Ipswich reserves and was then loaned out somewhere else (even lower than Ipswich). Others like Alan Bennett, Shane Long, Kevin Doyle, Dave Mooney, Roy O Donovan, Leon McSweeney all left . Only one of the above is playing in the Premier league. All the rest are playing in lower leagues at present. All of those guys were stars at Cork City (at a time when Cork City would have been one of the better if not the best in Ireland).

Now, I do not know why they left (I could guess of course) but they all had their personal motivations I am sure. The point is, as Ormond mentioned above, if our best players want to get out of our league then you can understand why the supporters heads have turned to follow them. As i said, this is not a value judgement.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 29/08/2013 13:59:35    1470866

"May be it could be down to the fantastic marketing The prem has and Sky TV has done… There's a lesson there if you look hard enough"

The same could be said for One Direction & haven't they made a marvellous contribution to world music?

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 29/08/2013 14:18:22    1470885

emmomac
"I think a lot of the problems with men walking around in english football shirts in Ireland has to do with the phenomenon of 'manchild'. Like it or not the EPL is marketed superbly. Kids, who are very vulnerable to hype and merchandising get hooked early. I know I did. All throughout my GAA playing days I would watch english football alongside. It was great and provided great distraction and craic with my mates but as I grew older I began to see through the rampant commercialisation of a sport overrun with money. I began to realise how magic our own games are. Basically I grew out of wearing a Man United shirt. Others pull a Peter Pan and never come to the realisation that a fat balding man in a Liverpool shirt in a different country is pretty ridiculous"

Spot on, lad!

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 29/08/2013 14:20:28    1470887

AfricanGael

"Its actually a beautiful game keeper7 and that's why the whole world plays it (apart from billy no mates, ireland)"

Ireland does actually play soccer, mate. The whole world plays it because the simplest thing in the world to do is kick a ball on the ground. I used to follow it when I was a kid & I particularly loved World Cups. I still play & enjoy 5 a-side soccer in the winter but the romance of the professional game is dead for me.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 29/08/2013 14:29:28    1470899

Jes keeper 7 you didn't get the lesson then did you…..

What is the thread about?

Come on you'll get it…. Can we market GAA games in Britain? Not a thread about lads running around in English football shirts and following English football teams….

The point I was trying to get Seanie to see was how good marketing can make people follow a sport. I have faith in GAA sports; I enjoy them and have put a lot of time into them. I believe given the right exposure and the right push Gaelic games could become a success in Britain.

S Goldrick has asked the question, I have asked the question, why do you think that only Irish people would follow the games that YOU love so much?

Not 1 of the negative posters to the idea of promoting the games away from Ireland has answered the question All they have done is dodged it by side tracking to attacking soccer…. Answer the question lads please?

On the note of lads running around Ireland with United and Liverpool shirts on, what do you guys think about my lads and a lot of my friends lads wearing the likes of Mayo, Donegal, Galway, Tyrone and Dublin shirts etc? You see I see them generally in England all the time, funny I don't think they look ridicules. They make me look and you know what I feel, pride….:)

Mancirish (UK) - Posts: 2200 - 29/08/2013 14:57:28    1470921

"Jes keeper 7 you didn't get the lesson then did you…..

What is the thread about?

Come on you'll get it…. Can we market GAA games in Britain? Not a thread about lads running around in English football shirts and following English football teams….

The point I was trying to get Seanie to see was how good marketing can make people follow a sport. I have faith in GAA sports; I enjoy them and have put a lot of time into them. I believe given the right exposure and the right push Gaelic games could become a success in Britain.

S Goldrick has asked the question, I have asked the question, why do you think that only Irish people would follow the games that YOU love so much?

Not 1 of the negative posters to the idea of promoting the games away from Ireland has answered the question All they have done is dodged it by side tracking to attacking soccer…. Answer the question lads please?"

Read back on my posts on this thread & you'll realise that I am not one of the negative posters on this topic. Spare me your lesson.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 29/08/2013 15:15:01    1470943

I reckon that if we could get the Brits (I don't mean that in a derogatory way) interested in our games it would have a positive knock on effect on the popularity of the GAA here.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 29/08/2013 15:20:02    1470949