This has me stumped

KevIRL

Not being anti Dublin or anything, but what were they thinking making this request?

http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=78041

Dubs’ Croker request turned down
29 May 2007


The Leinster Council has shot down Dublin’s audacious request to have Sunday’s Leinster SFC first round second replay between Louth and Wicklow moved out of Croke Park.

The Dubs made a formal request to the provincial body on Monday morning seeking that their eagerly-awaited Leinster SFC quarter-final clash with Meath be made a stand-alone fixture at GAA headquarters in order to satisfy the ticket demands of their fans. The request added that the Louth-Wicklow game “could be accommodated elsewhere”.

Leinster Council chairman Liam O’Neill described the move as “insensitive” to football followers in Louth and Wicklow, while Wicklow manager Mick O’Dwyer said the request smacked of arrogance.

“They are of course (arrogant),” O’Dwyer said. “The stadium is there for all the counties to use, not just the Dubs. We had a huge crowd in Parnell Park on Sunday and if we were in Croke Park we would have had a way bigger crowd.”

O’Neill said: “It’s a huge promotional opportunity for us to have Wicklow and Louth children in Croke Park to see their heroes. We’re about fair play, not money.

“We take a very strong view on fair play and we’re not even entertaining it. My view would be if the Dublin county board wants to go to Wicklow and Louth people, explain why they shouldn’t play in Croke Park and get an agreement from both, then we might listen.”

So far, Dublin have received 30,000 tickets for Sunday’s game, but it’s believed they could sell twice that amount.

GreenHorn

KevIRL wrote:

Not being anti Dublin or anything, but what were they thinking making this request?

Em, what do you think they were thinking? They need more tickets... D'uh!

If Mick O'Dwyer wasn't in charge of Wicklow they wouldn't get a sniff of Croker... The Garden County: the Nouveau Riche of the GAA...

Up the Dubs!

blackbelt

I'll be objective in my reply.I am a dub and I won't seem biased.

Stand alone

1.Dublin are assured sellouts of CP and have consistently done this in every game they have played.They may feel entitled to request this.

2.The DCB feel they have a duty to the dub supporters to maximise ticket sales therefore they are still entitled to request this.

3.Mick O Dwyer can say the support will be much more for the Wicklow-Louth game but I think it will be in the 10,000 - 14,000 range.Parnell Park held 8,500on Sunday,so we are talking about a few more thousand.

4.The GAA and county board will maximise profits from having it stand alone.

Double header

1.It adds value to those with tickets who get to see two great games.

2.It is a national stadium and both Wicklow-Louth are fully entitled to use it

3.It was always going to be a double header anyway and should have been Wexford against the winners.I don't see why the DCB only requested this now.Why didn't they appeal it weeks ago when the fixture was made?I think Wexford might have got a bigger allocation if they were there and the preceding matches were not draws.

4.Two great matches,one turning into a saga and the other a rivalry born out of the 91 saga.This will make for great viewing and the atmosphere will be great.This time I will go to see all of the first match.

I am leaning more toward double header even though I am trying to get my friend a ticket but I hope people can see why the DCB would request this.

Noviceman

The fact is there are only 2 games a year where it is difficult to get tickets and usually the only 2 sellouts and that's both All-Ireland Finals.

I guarantee you this double header will not be sold out next weekend despite all the hype

blackbelt

If you mean a 100% sellout,I'd agree but you always seem to see 1-2 empty seats sporadically dispersed around the stadium.There will be 81,000 plus there.

Im fairly sure more tickets will be made available to Dubs.

One Cold Hand

Noviceman wrote:

The fact is there are only 2 games a year where it is difficult to get tickets and usually the only 2 sellouts and that's both All-Ireland Finals.

The dubs sell out nearly every championship game they play.

Noviceman wrote:

I guarantee you this double header will not be sold out next weekend despite all the hype

This match was sold out on monday.

blackbelt

Technically it was sold out on Tuesday with the county board ticket schemers getting their tickets.General sale must have been Monday.

I'm sure this will be a 99.8% sellout.

niallo32

blackbelt wrote:

If you mean a 100% sellout,I'd agree but you always seem to see 1-2 empty seats sporadically dispersed around the stadium.There will be 81,000 plus there.

They keep a small no of seats in reserve in case people complain about suffering from vertigo from the higher up seats.

Kojak

Personally, I believe that the Louth-Wicklow match should be allowed into Croker. I'm not trying to be-little either set of players, but it is likely that they wont be there again this year (I am unsure of where the winners will be playing).

Regardless of whether or not there was a match on before it, there would still be a demand for tickets. Its always the case when the Dubs are playing. What I am trying to say it that if the Louth-Wicklow match is cancelled for Croker and put on in, say, Parnell Park, there would still be a clammer for tickets.

Also I think that there would be an increased demand for tickets from both Louth and Wicklow, seeing as the saga has produced 2 drawn matches.

blackbelt

The real victims in all of this is Wexford.Louth/Wicklow have got two outings in CP.Wexford have been training and looking forward to their day out in CP for the June bank hol weekend for a while.They may not get their day out in CP if the fixture is unkind to them.

cruiserweight

blackbelt wrote:

The real victims in all of this is Wexford.Louth/Wicklow have got two outings in CP.Wexford have been training and looking forward to their day out in CP for the June bank hol weekend for a while.They may not get their day out in CP if the fixture is unkind to them.

Ah don't worry we should be there for the Leinster semi final, and maybe the final

cruiserweight

Well looks like a decision has been made about the fixtures, I was more annoyed over the whole Offaly/Kildare thing last year. But hopefully there will be another Wexford day in Croke Park this year (with better results) However this does create some problems with Wexford having some dual players.

http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=78059

Wexford’s long wait goes on
30 May 2007

Wexford manager Paul Bealin has been left fuming by the decision to defer his side’s Leinster SFC opener until June 17.

The Slaneysiders were due to open their championship campaign at Croke Park on Sunday, but this wasn’t possible because of the second replay between Louth and Wicklow. Bealin argued that Wexford shouldn’t be made wait any longer than June 10 to play to play the winners, but the Leinster Council last night agreed to give them a fortnight’s rest. That’s assuming, of course, that there’s a winner of Sunday’s third instalment at Croke Park.

It’s understood that if Louth win they’ll face Wexford at Parnell Park, while Dr Cullen Park will host the quarter-final tie if Wicklow progress.

Prior to Tuesday night’s decision, Bealin had stated it would be a ’disgrace’ if the quarter-final was pushed back to June 17, and now his worst fears have been realised.

In addition, the Leinster semi-final involving the winners of Louth / Wicklow / Wexford v winners Laois / Longford is postponed to Sunday 1st July 2007 and will be played in conjunction with the Leinster Hurling Finals in Croke Park.

blackbelt

You think :eek:

From a Wexford perspective,I'd be more worried about playing Wicklow than Louth.Seems Wicklow are really up for this and are not folding when the pressure is really on.They are hanging in there with the team that drew with Tyrone last year.

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

blackbelt wrote:

The real victims in all of this is Wexford.Louth/Wicklow have got two outings in CP.Wexford have been training and looking forward to their day out in CP for the June bank hol weekend for a while.They may not get their day out in CP if the fixture is unkind to them.

you make them soung like they are old grannies!! lol

blackbelt

you make them soung like they are old grannies!! lol

Yes,I do.A couple of players play as if they were one bar away from a zimmer frame .

DUB

I doubt it'd sell out if it was Dublin v Meath only, well, unless meath bring a bigger crowd then they did the last time out v Dublin. Which they probably will do seeing as they're going well at the moment. Anyways, I doubt it'd be 100% full but did Wicklow v Louth fill Parnell Park last weekend? Surely to god the GAA should try and allow as many people to see the games as possible.

Mushy

Mixed about this actually. Can barely get a ticket for CP, whereas if it was in PP, I'd prob have a better chance of getting one. Sure with the Dub match on after, the stadium will be pretty much empty, cos most people wont show up for the first match. Shame that'll be the way.

blackbelt

I'll be going to the first match.I'll be there from throw in.I'm really looking forward to it.Its not the best football you'll see but these two teams have been going at it for the last 2 weeks.I hope its a tight match and not a one sided affair.

Daysha

Im sorry to dissapoint people who feel the Dubs have a point but there are more important things in the GAA then maximising profits. How about giving as many teams and supporters the opportunity to go to our greatest stadium?! Dublin will have at least another 3 or 4 matches in Croke Park this year, will Wicklow or Louth have that many games there? For the Dubs who missed out on tickets, its not the end of the world, you'll get another chance in a few weeks, presumably!

DUB

blackbelt wrote:

I'll be going to the first match.I'll be there from throw in.I'm really looking forward to it.Its not the best football you'll see but these two teams have been going at it for the last 2 weeks.I hope its a tight match and not a one sided affair.

i cant see either side running away with it at this stage, can you? sounds like great craic for louth and wicklow fans to have been involved in.

Jibber

It's unfair on those who can't get tickets for the ww/lh game, so many tickets going to dubs who won't arrive until 4.00, at least i know i won't be there until then.

blackbelt

What you mean Jibber?

The GAA will look on the past attendences for each counties and will allocate accordingly.Does anybody have any figures for each counties allocation?The figure on Hoganstand.com states its 30,000 but I'd expect more than 30,000 Dublin fans.

Mushy

DUB wrote:

i cant see either side running away with it at this stage, can you? sounds like great craic for louth and wicklow fans to have been involved in.

You can say that again. The excitement of possibly winning, to the heart-breaking of last minute goals, its unbelievable. Right aul' saga this is. One of the highlights of the Championship anyway, mainly cos nobody would have expected this. Imagine it went to another replay:p

Dont feel an ounce of sympathy for Dub fans who couldnt get tickets. They were online before last Sunday, there was going to be a double-header anyway, so they cant complain. Have my ticket all sorted, hopefully in the cheaper Canal or Cusack stand.

meathman 007

mushy - yea they were exciting in some ways, but the standard of football is absolutely terrible. i really taught louth were coming on a bit and would develop a healthy rivalary with us over the next few years - after seing the last 2 games, louth are a well below average team, hopefully the same wont be said about meath after the dub game on sunday!

blackbelt

Aah Meathman,I wouldn't worry about people saying Meath are below average because it doesn't need to be said,its a given

Nah,in all seriousness,Meath are playing the champs and the strongest team from Leinster.They are also playing a team that are the only team in Leinster with real contendership to Sam.So if Meath lose,I don't think people will be so quick to say they are below average.

Again,Louth-Wicklow is not the best football you'll see but the fact that these two teams have been going at it like pitbulls and have produced nail-biting matches is enough to render this game an exciting one.I think its a breath of fresh air for the GAA.Funnily enough,these sagas tend to be born a year after a World Cup.....Dublin-Meath after WC 90 and now Louth-Wicklow after WC 2006.

I'll be there at 2 o clock for throw in.I'm going with a friend and my next door neighbour who has grandparents from Wicklow and a holiday home in Louth,so it will be interesting to see which side he chooses in the end.

Mushy

meathman 007 wrote:

mushy - yea they were exciting in some ways, but the standard of football is absolutely terrible.

Well yeah, if you want gung-ho attacks resulting in goals every few attacks. The defending has been nuts by both teams. Sure at the start of last Sunday, gaps of 15 mins with no score, with only about 1 or 2 wides. It didnt slow down the feel of the match. Fair enough the wind didnt help either, but still some great defensive displays in there.