Dual County games clashing

Colm R

This has been discussed in the Hurling qualifier thread, but as it crosses both sports, I think it needs a thread of its own.

The problem is because the footballing draws allow for home advantage to the first team out of the hat, its now impossible to schedule games to suit supporters. A simple solution to this would be to scrap the policy of giving home advantage to one team over another. When you think about it, there is no reason or need for it. If this policy was in place this week, the games could be run off like this:

Port Laoise: Meath V Galway / Cork V Galway

Croke Park: Antrim V Carlow / Antrim V Limerick / Limerick V Offaly

Its too late for this year, but it should be considered when we reach this stage next year. The football games should not have been scheduled until the hurling round and draw were completed.


This use to affect Cork hugely, and then a few years ago, the county board kicked up a stink. The Cork Kildare quarter and Cork Kilkenny Semi were held on the same day in Croker. And it was almost full. It even makes financial sense.

antoobrien

Colm R wrote: »

Port Laoise: Meath V Galway / Cork V Galway

Croke Park: Antrim V Carlow / Antrim V Limerick / Limerick V Offaly

Its too late for this year, but it should be considered when we reach this stage next year. The football games should not have been scheduled until the hurling round and draw were completed.


This use to affect Cork hugely, and then a few years ago, the county board kicked up a stink. The Cork Kildare quarter and Cork Kilkenny Semi were held on the same day in Croker. And it was almost full. It even makes financial sense.

The fixture of the Limerick v Offally game was delayed until the result of the hurling match was known, they appear to have decided that Limerick wouldn't travel in numbers to see Antrim. What I can't understand is not thinking the same way for Galway, given that they were in the same boat.

It's a pity the Leinster football final is on Sunday as a double header in Croke Park would be reasonable for Galway, Cork & Meath.

premierstone

I full understand the point you are making and they way things have panned out this weekend your arguement is very convincing, but this will not always be the case and lets say we scrap the home advantage in football and for arguements sake take the London V Waterford game, neutral venue lets say Limerick (close to shannon airport and Waterford) how many would attend that game, be lucky to reach 4 figures to be honest, and the same goes for Antrim v Carlow and Armagh V Wicklow.

Colm R

premierstone wrote: »

I full understand the point you are making and they way things have panned out this weekend your arguement is very convincing, but this will not always be the case and lets say we scrap the home advantage in football and for arguements sake take the London V Waterford game, neutral venue lets say Limerick (close to shannon airport and Waterford) how many would attend that game, be lucky to reach 4 figures to be honest, and the same goes for Antrim v Carlow and Armagh V Wicklow.

You make a fair point. London (and potentially New York) would need to be accomadated as exceptions if we were to go down this road.

Also you could factor Dublin being home to so many from all over the country, Parnell Park and Croker become more attractive. I just think that scrapping home advatage for the All Ireland series, would allow for more flexibilty in scheduling.

Going on the fixtures for this weekend, I would do the following:

Port Laoise: Cork V Galway / Meath V Galway

Croke Park: Limerick V Offaly / Limerick V Antrm / Antrim V Carlow

Nolan Park: Laois V Kildare - Imagine, a football match

Navan or Parnell Park: Longford V Tyrone / Armagh V Wicklow

Clones or Cavan: Down V Leitrim


Exception: London V Waterford (Ruislip).
Whoever draws London or NY, would know beforehand that it would be down to first out of the hat for home/away advantage.

Just my 2cents anyway!

adrian522

Are attendances not low enough for you already without moving matches away from where people will go to them?

The whole point of home and away is to get people to go to games and it works quite well.

adrian522

adrian522 wrote: »

Are attendances not low enough for you already without moving matches away from where people will go to them?

The whole point of home and away is to get people to go to games and it works quite well.

I agree that the home advantage is a good thing, It was nice to watch the Galway hurlers at home in the championship last weekend.

However they should have moved the hurling to Sunday as there are two counties being effected. I want to follow both Galway teams but I cant because of the great wisdom of the Gaa.

I would love to see a double header of the Galway footballers and Hurlers too though.

legendary.xix

It's unfortunate that games clash but it is going to happen with qualifiers. The qualifier route was not designed to be easy. If counties are gong though the back door, it's one thing that is going to affect them.

Blue Magic

The Limerick-Offally and Limerick-Antrim clash is an absoulte disgrace.Corkman speaking here by the way. Stephen Lucey should not have to be choosing.

For what it's worth, he should probably choose the footballers because they need him more and if the hurlers can't beat Antrim without him they have no business going any further anyway...

Browney7

//commence rant....

Whats happening this weekend is pretty disgraceful. The GAA never ceases to amaze me. What was the point in delaying the announcement of the time of the football game if they weren't going to be accomodated anyway? It's bad enough Limerick have to play without their first choice midfield (Galvin and Donovan) they are going to be without their centre back and corner back aswell. Stephen Lucey and Mark O'Riordan were forced to choose which team they want to line out for. As Blue Magic said they should have chosen the footballers as they are needed more. CCCC probably thought this would happen and twud be the end of it because it's Antrim on the hurling side.

But they are probably under pressure from Donal O'Grady to choose the hurlers and indeed they probably fear for their own places on the squad such is the extra competition. The GAA might aswell propose a motion to congress next time banning any dual players at intercounty level.

Anyway, putting my conspiracy hat on I have the following question. If Cork were in the exact same situation would Eoin Cadogan have been forced to choose? I highly doubt it. 2 years ago Limerick's 4th round football qualifier game against Meath was postponed by a week due to a clash but I think it had something to do with a replay in the Meath game in the third round the week before if I'm not mistaken.

If I wasn't from Limerick I'd be lumping on Offaly at 4/5 such is the extent of missing players. Also, what in the name of all things holy were the county board doing. They've as good as sold out our footballers. It's not fair to the players and it's not fair to the fans that are going to fork out 20 quid to watch the footballers without 2 important players due to GAA incompetancy. You wouldn't see this sh1te in an under 12 county championship. Easiest solution would be to put back the hurling game by a week. Sadly the morons in charge couldn't see sense.

//rant over

mossyc123

Don't think switching the SHC Qualifiers to the following week would have helped much as there are SFC Round 3 Qualifiers scheduled for Saturday week.

The sensible thing to do IMO would have been to switch the Throw-In times for both Galway v Cork and Antrim v Limerick to 6.30/7.00 on Sunday evening.

This would give dual players involved and the supporters the chance to get both games in.

There seems to be a bit of a phobia about playing Sunday evening games but I don't really understand this considering that all fans could be home in 2/3 hours with the motorway network we now have.

derealbadger

mossyc123 wrote: »

Don't think switching the SHC Qualifiers to the following week would have helped much as there are SFC Round 3 Qualifiers scheduled for Saturday week.

The sensible thing to do IMO would have been to switch the Throw-In times for both Galway v Cork and Antrim v Limerick to 6.30/7.00 on Sunday evening.

This would give dual players involved and the supporters the chance to get both games in.

There seems to be a bit of a phobia about playing Sunday evening games but I don't really understand this considering that all fans could be home in 2/3 hours with the motorway network we now have.

Dont forget Galway are in the same boat and doesn't matter what time you put the games on not possible to go to Limerick and Navan in the same day its classic foot shooting by the GAA as if one was Saturday and the other was Sunday i would have happily forked out for both

Browney7

derealbadger wrote: »

mossyc123 wrote: »

Don't think switching the SHC Qualifiers to the following week would have helped much as there are SFC Round 3 Qualifiers scheduled for Saturday week.

The sensible thing to do IMO would have been to switch the Throw-In times for both Galway v Cork and Antrim v Limerick to 6.30/7.00 on Sunday evening.

This would give dual players involved and the supporters the chance to get both games in.

There seems to be a bit of a phobia about playing Sunday evening games but I don't really understand this considering that all fans could be home in 2/3 hours with the motorway network we now have.

Dont forget Galway are in the same boat and doesn't matter what time you put the games on not possible to go to Limerick and Navan in the same day its classic foot shooting by the GAA as if one was Saturday and the other was Sunday i would have happily forked out for both

It's not just Limerick fans that are affected but Limerick dual players which is unfair.

Do Galway have any dual players as a matter of interest