Games switched

Deise Tom

Why do the G.A.A. move games to allow people watch a Rugby game. Are those responsible for organising games at a national level more interested in other games than our own. I would savely bet that the majoirty of those going to G.A.A. games dont care about Rugby games and dont even who who and when Munster are playing, and it is probably save to saw that many of the new so called rugby fans if you asked them what the players clubs were, could not tell you. While there is some genuine rugby fans in ireland, many are only not.

Lets look after our own games and forget others.

This is incredibly near sighted.

Rugby games are incredibly well marketed and packaged. They get massive media exposure and build up and, thusly, attract far more casual viewers than GAA league games. It is difficult enough to build up league attendances and marketing the league as a serious competition without putting it in direct conflict with other sporting events that are always going to get better attendances and viewing figures.

It is that sort of insular, narrow-minded thinking that puts people off the GAA at times and there is no need for it. There is enough time in the day to not have to put these things in conflict where possible. The Airtricity league did itself a great service by moving to Friday night games, just as the National League in GAA is very smart in moving to more floodlit games to facilitate crowd attendance where there is little or no conflicting sporting events and the GAA have the market to themselves.

So, by doing this, the GAA are looking after their own games and doing a good job of it too in my opinion.

Deise Tom

Deleted User wrote: »

This is incredibly near sighted.

Rugby games are incredibly well marketed and packaged. They get massive media exposure and build up and, thusly, attract far more casual viewers than GAA league games. It is difficult enough to build up league attendances and marketing the league as a serious competition without putting it in direct conflict with other sporting events that are always going to get better attendances and viewing figures.

It is that sort of insular, narrow-minded thinking that puts people off the GAA at times and there is no need for it. There is enough time in the day to not have to put these things in conflict where possible. The Airtricity league did itself a great service by moving to Friday night games, just as the National League in GAA is very smart in moving to more floodlit games to facilitate crowd attendance where there is little or no conflicting sporting events and the GAA have the market to themselves.

So, by doing this, the GAA are looking after their own games and doing a good job of it too in my opinion.

Nobody will dispute that the Rugby lads do a great job in marketing their game, but you are miss understanding my point. Let the IRFU, the FAI and who ever else do all the marketing of their games they like, but why should the lads in Croke Park move games willie nilly when they clash with other sports. I think its time that the lads in Croke Oark got their finger out and maybe marketed the games themselves. They have plenty of people doing it for them at a local level at no expenses to the G.A.A. and they get no graditute from the lads in croke park.

patmac

Deise Tom wrote: »

Why do the G.A.A. move games to allow people watch a Rugby game. Are those responsible for organising games at a national level more interested in other games than our own. I would savely bet that the majoirty of those going to G.A.A. games dont care about Rugby games and dont even who who and when Munster are playing, and it is probably save to saw that many of the new so called rugby fans if you asked them what the players clubs were, could not tell you. While there is some genuine rugby fans in ireland, many are only not.

Lets look after our own games and forget others.

I would safely bet that most people within the GAA would like to watch both Munster and the League Final.
Nearly every game in our county clashed with the Ireland-Scotland game that was on recently and there was an awful lot of 'injuries' among players.
Unfortunately it's this insular thinking which is costing the GAA players. Our club is under severe competition from rugby and soccer especially at this time of the year, so why try to compete for viewing figures and players when there is plenty of time to cater for all codes.

Daysha

Deise Tom wrote: »

Nobody will dispute that the Rugby lads do a great job in marketing their game, but you are miss understanding my point. Let the IRFU, the FAI and who ever else do all the marketing of their games they like, but why should the lads in Croke Park move games willie nilly when they clash with other sports. I think its time that the lads in Croke Oark got their finger out and maybe marketed the games themselves. They have plenty of people doing it for them at a local level at no expenses to the G.A.A. and they get no graditute from the lads in croke park.

Agreed, and that's why switching the game makes sense. Whatever way you look at it it's not good marketing to schedule a hurling game at a time where the same province it's taking place in is in a much more important match. Of course I prefer hurling over rugby like yourself, but one's still a pre-Championship game while the other is a European Cup semi final, and given the choice I'd watch the rugby. Many others would do the same, and that's why the GAA have switched it. It's just good marketing.

Orizio

If they had left the game on at that time then the attendance would have suffered, along with a financial hit and the prestige of the league as a whole. Best to switch.

Colm R

Do you think the IRFU or FAI would put on a competing game in the early part of their season which clashes with the All Irelands?

In fact I predict a much greater improvement in cooperation between the different sporting bodies at a national and local level in the future.

Fr Tod Umptious

It's not an ideal situation but I suppose it's better than the farce that was the 2006 Football League Final between Kerry and Galway that was played in Limerick at 5.30pm on a Sunday evening.

It had been originally scheduled for Croke Park but the following occurred

2 French teams were to play each other in one European Cup semi, the other was between Munster and Leinster.

French TV decided that the all French game would be played on the Saturday, thus meaning that the Leinster v Munster game would be on Sunday in Landsdowne.

For health and safety, transport reasons etc it was decided that two games could not be held in Dublin at the same time or within a few hours of each other, thus the GAA had to take the League Final to Limerick.

So in essence French TV dictated the time and place of the NFL Final.

The sooner this Munster bandwagon crashes the better

ShamoBuc

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

The sooner this Munster bandwagon crashes the better

A tad on the harsh side I'd say. For me, I am really looking forward to enjoying the hospitality of the great Thurles pubs for the Rugby and then take a nice stroll down to the home of hurling to see Cork win the league.

p.s. I sincerely hope BOTH the Cork AND Munster Bandwagons keeping rolling along

aidan24326

Galway are pushing to have the league finals switched to Monday afternoon. Given that it's a Bank Holiday and there's nothing much else on that day, I think that makes sense.

rebel girl 15

aidan24326 wrote: »

Galway are pushing to have the league finals switched to Monday afternoon. Given that it's a Bank Holiday and there's nothing much else on that day, I think that makes sense.

Cork are opposing it - there is a charity match down in BAllyduff club on the Monday between Cork and Waterford

Starie1975

ShamoBuc wrote: »

A tad on the harsh side I'd say. For me, I am really looking forward to enjoying the hospitality of the great Thurles pubs for the Rugby and then take a nice stroll down to the home of hurling to see Cork win the league.

p.s. I sincerely hope BOTH the Cork AND Munster Bandwagons keeping rolling along

But I'm not looking forward to my 3 and a half hour drive back to Conamara afterwards. I should make it back to Clarkes for the last half an hour before closing time.

thesultan

Where is the promotion for the League Finals? The GAA should have adds on TG4 and RTE advertising the games but yet again we'll get both captains pictures on the Wednesday before up in Dublin and little else

toiletduck

Would have gone if it was on at a sane time (or date, doubled up with the football in Croke...). As it is I'll have to make do with going to the pre-final 'final' next Sunday in Pearse :rolleyes:

Thanks GAA.

Deise Tom

thesultan wrote: »

Where is the promotion for the League Finals? The GAA should have adds on TG4 and RTE advertising the games but yet again we'll get both captains pictures on the Wednesday before up in Dublin and little else

Thats whats wrong with the G.A.A.

They dont market the games right. They have to and start soon. They have people doing it in their own area or county right across Ireland and they are getting little if any recognition for it apart from a little lip service every so often.

Mullet

Deise Tom wrote: »

Thats whats wrong with the G.A.A.

They dont market the games right. They have to and start soon. They have people doing it in their own area or county right across Ireland and they are getting little if any recognition for it apart from a little lip service every so often.

I have said it for years that the gaa have a product to market and they fail dismally as they just expect people to show up.

The compromise rules games are always full homes because coca cola do such a good job marketing the series not the gaa.

They market the dublin tyrone league games and pat themselves on the back for the rest of the year thinking job done. This week we have seen them at their utmost worst the way they have fixed the hurling league final and the u21 semi finals.

Deise Tom

The way they have left the Railway Cups die away is another example of how wrong they are doing things. I dont know why they cant play the semi finals of the hurling on the weekend of the Fitzgibbon Cup weekend and the football semi finals on the Sigerson Cup weekends with the finals played on Easter Monday for example as St patrick's Day is now date for the Club Finals. They should play the two finals at the one venue, regardless of who is in them and rotate them each year between the four provinces, and maybe give the TV stations the rights fairly cheeply to show the games live or highlights of that evening. TV rights should not all be about money.

comeraghs

They´d have been some eejits not to have moved it .....

aidan24326

The GAA have announced that they won't be changing the times. So it's 5pm and 7pm on the Sunday.

I've already heard of one busload of kids that were planning to go to Thurles, from Galway. and who now won't be going as it's too late. The GAA are idiots sometimes. This could easily have been switched to Monday. They say switching it to Monday would interfere with club games. Like they ever cared about that. In any case, it wouldn't affect club games in the slightest. I can't see an intermediate football game in Sligo or Longford being called off because there's hurling on the telly. Or in Louth or Wicklow or Cavan or anywhere else for that matter.

Deise Tom

comeraghs wrote: »

They´d have been some eejits not to have moved it .....

I know not too many if any will agree with me, but why are they eejits. The genuine person that wants to see the hurling game will have went regardless of what it clashed with.

Colm R

Deise Tom wrote: »

I know not too many if any will agree with me, but why are they eejits. The genuine person that wants to see the hurling game will have went regardless of what it clashed with.

Ah balls. I always thought I was a genuine person. I go to as many games as I can even as a neutral. But now I find that if I had to make a decision, I'm not sure what I would do. Ah well, its good that you have clarified that I am not genuine.

Pappy o' daniel

The lack of popularity for the league has to be laid at RTEs door.This years league both hurling and football, has been more entertaining than any league I can remember, but RTEs shockingly bad "sunday sport" would make you think otherwise. Contrast it with their excellent rugby coverage, which is of a much higher standard.
Thank god for TG4.

That said I am a fan of rugby and am glad I can watch both games.

flahavaj

The day of sports fans being staunch "Rugby-only" or "GAA-only" fans is long gone. I would say most people are sports fans first and foremost these days. Postponing the game gives peopema chance to see teh rugby and still get to the final. Don't see how it makes sense for the GAA to risk a smaller attendence for the Leagu final. Why throw away money?

I do agree with Deise Tom that in general, the way the GAA promotes the League is pretty poor, it is an excellent competition and deserves more. Any game I've seen this year has been close to championship speed and intensity, in the hurling anyway.

Deise Tom

Colm R wrote: »

Ah balls. I always thought I was a genuine person. I go to as many games as I can even as a neutral. But now I find that if I had to make a decision, I'm not sure what I would do. Ah well, its good that you have clarified that I am not genuine.

Did not say you were not a genuine. Fan. Just saying that if the game had not been changed, those that wanted to see the hurling would be there, regardless of what was on.

Fr Tod Umptious

The Galway manager, John McIntyre, had a great rant about this on RTE radio on Sunday

He made some great points and I totally agree with him.

Essentially people put a lot of work into getting kids interested in hurling and now the GAA go and schedule a big game at a time that is prohibitive to families.

It's a fair old trek from Galway city (and even further from back west) to Thurles for a game at 7pm on a Sunday.

All because of a rugby game that is not even being played in Ireland and is not even on terrestrial TV

The GAA need to cop on and stop kidding themselves that less people will attend cos of a rugby game.

adrian522

I agree the game should havwe been switched but it could have been played on saturday or monday. 7pm on sunday night is crazy, people wont get out of Thurles until at least 9pm and probably wont get back home till after 12. I'd say the attendance will be poor, probably worse than if they had left it at the originl time.

This is sipposed to be the second biggest day in the hurling calendar but it seems they just dont care about it.

Hard for palyers and supproters to take the league seriously when the GAA doesn't even treat it with a little respect.

Orizio

They can't play on the Monday, Cork have a match already arranged for that day.

adrian522

They have a charity match on the Monday, which presumably is more important than the National Leagu final and inconviencing thousands?

Deise Tom

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

The Galway manager, John McIntyre, had a great rant about this on RTE radio on Sunday

He made some great points and I totally agree with him.

Essentially people put a lot of work into getting kids interested in hurling and now the GAA go and schedule a big game at a time that is prohibitive to families.

It's a fair old trek from Galway city (and even further from back west) to Thurles for a game at 7pm on a Sunday.

All because of a rugby game that is not even being played in Ireland and is not even on terrestrial TV

The GAA need to cop on and stop kidding themselves that less people will attend cos of a rugby game.

I was delighted when i heard John McIntyre say what he did on Sunday evening after the match with Cork on Radio One. I know that few if any agreed with me on here when i said the game should not be called off or switched and that the G.A.A. should not be bowing down to other sports. I am now glad that i was not the only one thinking that way. The G.A.A. should not bow, now or never to other sporting bodies, but take them on. Maybe a way of doing it was set a €5 charge at the gate for the league final and get what you can through the turnstyles, even if it meant taking a financial hit. Once many of those that want to see the rugby go into a pub that day, they wont want to come out, regardless of how Munster do, and will show little if any interest in the hurling match. Some i am sure will head to the pubs with little if any interest in rugby either, even if they have their Munster or Ireland shirts on.

Deise Tom

adrian522 wrote: »

I agree the game should havwe been switched but it could have been played on saturday or monday. 7pm on sunday night is crazy, people wont get out of Thurles until at least 9pm and probably wont get back home till after 12. I'd say the attendance will be poor, probably worse than if they had left it at the originl time.

This is sipposed to be the second biggest day in the hurling calendar but it seems they just dont care about it.

Hard for palyers and supproters to take the league seriously when the GAA doesn't even treat it with a little respect.

The G.A.A. could not play the game on the Monday as they have given Cork permission to play in some opening of a field tournament game. Switching the game to the Monday would make them look real incompatent.

Deise Tom

adrian522 wrote: »

They have a charity match on the Monday, which presumably is more important than the National Leagu final and inconviencing thousands?

Which the G.A.A. have given permission to play.

Fr Tod Umptious

Deise Tom wrote: »

I was delighted when i heard John McIntyre say what he did on Sunday evening after the match with Cork on Radio One. I know that few if any agreed with me on here when i said the game should not be called off or switched and that the G.A.A. should not be bowing down to other sports. I am now glad that i was not the only one thinking that way. The G.A.A. should not bow, now or never to other sporting bodies, but take them on. Maybe a way of doing it was set a €5 charge at the gate for the league final and get what you can through the turnstyles, even if it meant taking a financial hit. Once many of those that want to see the rugby go into a pub that day, they wont want to come out, regardless of how Munster do, and will show little if any interest in the hurling match. Some i am sure will head to the pubs with little if any interest in rugby either, even if they have their Munster or Ireland shirts on.

well i don't think it's a case of bowing to other sports, I think there should be a bit of give and take from all sports where apprioriate

But rescheduling this for a rugby game is not on in Ireland and not even on terrestrial TV is not appropriate.

How many Galway people do they think they will loose cos a Munster rugby game is on at the same time on Sky sports, they would loose more to a standard EPL game on any given Sunday.

Orizio

adrian522 wrote: »

They have a charity match on the Monday, which presumably is more important than the National Leagu final and inconviencing thousands?

Its not more important, its a matter of keeping promises and responsibilities.

As for 'inconveniencing thousands', give me a ****ing break. Some families will be understandably frustrated - thats it.

Deise Tom

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

But rescheduling this for a rugby game is not on in Ireland and not even on terrestrial TV is not appropriate.

Thats what i mean by bowing. It is was something important and the whole nation or the majority of the nation was interested, i would have no problem with switching the game.

Deise Tom

Orizio wrote: »

Its not more important, its a matter of keeping promises and responsibilities.

As for 'inconveniencing thousands', give me a ****ing break. Some families will be understandably frustrated - thats it.

I'm sure that the majority of the Galway and Cork fans will be frustrated that the game will be moved. I am sure that the most of them would have gone to Thurles regardless of a rugby game or not. I am sure many neutrals would also have travelled to the game even with the rugby on at the same time.

What time will the rugby be over. I am sure that the Clare and Wexford fans will be in Thurles for 5pm, even with the rugby on they will travel, as would the Cork and Galway fans if the G.A.A. had not put back the game.

rebel girl 15

From what I've heard, the game wasn't moved - it was simply fixed at a different time. The GAA went ahead and fixed the game for 7pm without consulting the teams.