Dublin Playing All Their Matches in Croke Park

Mike O' Brien

http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/football/2012/0626/326527-doyle-unhappy-with-dublin-hq-advantage/

rpurfield

nothing beats beating dublin in croker if ya ask me.and anyway ya could have this on the back pitch of some junior b team and dublin would still beat wexford

dcr22B

It would be more in his line to check his conscience about working for a tax cheat.

If he's playing on Sunday, he better get ready for a torrent of abuse. Silly lad!

keane2097

dcr22B wrote: »

It would be more in his line to check his conscience about working for a tax cheat.

lol, dodge the issue much?

Rasheed

I don't know how many Dublin supporters are at an average match but I'm sure no other venue would hold them, eg Parnell Stadium

And isn't it a treat to get to Croke park for a game.
I'm from Roscommon so we don't get there too often!

munchkin_utd

Rasheed wrote: »

I don't know how many Dublin supporters are at an average match but I'm sure no other venue would hold them, eg Parnell Stadium

And isn't it a treat to get to Croke park for a game.
I'm from Roscommon so we don't get there too often!

wexford park aparantly holds 25000 so is plenty for such a meeting if held outside Dublin.

Thing is, it suits Wexford to have it in croker as then their takings from the gate reciepts are higher.

And before anyone mentions that its an amateur association, having things like a physio on site for every county training session and other "essential" costs of modern day GAA have to be paid for with real hard cash and its the county board's responsibility to be prudent and not look a gift horse in the mouth when offered a share of a gates from croke park fixture with the dubs involved.

rossie1977

Rasheed wrote: »

I don't know how many Dublin supporters are at an average match but I'm sure no other venue would hold them, eg Parnell Stadium

there was approx 30,000 at the dublin/louth game last time out and that had another game before it (wexford vs longford), somewhere like o'moore park in laois would have easily been big enough for that match

dcr22B

keane2097 wrote: »

lol, dodge the issue much?

What issue, this tosh is trotted out almost annually at this stage.

a) it's boring

b) it's got nothing to do with the Dubs

c) his gripe should be with the Leinster Council

Everyone knows at this stage that a lot of Dublin fans would love a game outside Croker.

Rasheed

Thing is Dublin would still have won the all Ireland, with or without Croke Park, if it was such an advantage, surly they would have won more than one all Ireland in the last 20 years.
And I dont see it as a major advantage when its not their official home ground.
The atmosphere in Croke park when there is a double header on is electric.
What's the point in having the games spread out all over the country when most football fans have an interest in more then their one county.
The dubs are a pleasure to watch and their fans on the hill make it even more exciting.

Hammer Archer

I think Leinster semi finals should always be held in Croker, but I do agree that it's a joke that the GAA constantly put Dublin into Croke Park every chance they get, even when it's blatantly obvious that it'll be half empty for their game. As mentioned, the Louth game only had just over 30000 at it and it was a double header. Last year, their QF against Laois was on the same day as the Meath - Kildare game and brought in 40000 or so. The worst was their qualifier against Tipperary in 2010 which was a double header along with the Dublin hurlers and brought in only 22000.

There are several fantastic grounds (Wexford Park and Tullamore being two) in Leinster that I don't think have ever had a full house. If the GAA stopped putting Dublin into Croke Park every chance they get and allowed the Dublin fans to travel (which they undoubtedly would), I'm sure they would nearly (if not fully) fill these grounds.
Long gone are the days that Dublin could fill Croke Park on their own and a full 25000 capacity ground is a much better spectacle than 30000 in Croker.

rossie1977

Rasheed wrote: »

And I dont see it as a major advantage when its not their official home ground.

one team playing 37 out of 38 matches in the same venue is still an issue, is there any other sporting team on earth that has a record like that??

i for one would love to see dublin playing in the pissing rain and driving wind of a beautiful summers day in castlebar, see what they are made of then

AGC

dcr22B wrote: »

What issue, this tosh is trotted out almost annually at this stage.

a) it's boring

b) it's got nothing to do with the Dubs

c) his gripe should be with the Leinster Council

Everyone knows at this stage that a lot of Dublin fans would love a game outside Croker.

Nail on the head, against Derry in Clones, Thurles against Kerry and Longford away, all great trips and Dublin fans want them.

As has been said, nothing to do with Dublin. The GAA see it as a pay day when the Dubs play in Croker.

Won't get much of a reaction from the players if that is what he is looking for.

Rasheed

rossie1977 wrote: »

one team playing 37 out of 38 matches in the same venue is still an issue, is there any other sporting team on earth that has a record like that??

i for one would love to see dublin playing in the pissing rain and driving wind of a beautiful summers day in castlebar, see what they are made of then

Ha! Fair point! That feckin Castlebar breeze rarely favoured Roscommon anyway!

daddydick

In fairness he has a point. 37 games out of 38 in their own back yard is ridiculous. But again, the Leinster Council is the "blame" rather than the Dubs.

To the person who says that the young lad shoudl examine his own concience, get a grip!!! He is a young Politics graduate doing a job and paying his taxes!!

dcr22B

daddydick wrote: »

To the person who says that the young lad shoudl examine his own concience, get a grip!!! He is a young Politics graduate doing a job and paying his taxes!!

Paying his taxes working for a crook.

My point was more meant to amplify that he should concentrate on his work rather than making stupid comments about the Dub's advantage of playing in Croker.

keane2097

dcr22B wrote: »

Paying his taxes working for a crook.

My point was more meant to amplify that he should concentrate on his work rather than making stupid comments about the Dub's advantage of playing in Croker.

It was a dumb point and you should have dropped it the first time.

dcr22B

keane2097 wrote: »

It was a dumb point and you should have dropped it the first time.

It formed part of his interview with the media so it is very much a valid point. Had he not mentioned about the pressure he was under over the past few weeks, I wouldn't have felt the need to comment.

klairondavis

There's no doubt that Croke Park is a slight advantage to the Dubs but I think most true Dublin fans would be happy to travel outside the Pale to championship matches - Hill 16 on tour and all that.

Croke Park can be devoid of atmosphere when it's half full. The likes of Tullamore, Nowlan Park and Portlaoise are more than capable of holding some of these matches. The best atmosphere I've experienced in recent years was Kildare and Meath in Navan last year. There'll be a similar crowd in Croke Park for the same fixture on Sunday then there was in Pairc Tailtean that day but the place will feel dead.

Clareman

If you want to start a thread it's usually a good idea to give you opinion rather than just posting a link, also a thread title that reflects the content usually helps.

dcr22B

klairondavis wrote: »

There'll be a similar crowd in Croke Park for the same fixture on Sunday then there was in Pairc Tailtean that day but the place will feel dead.

I know many of us Dubs will be going in early to the game as I reckon it's going to be a cracker and a lot tighter than a lot of people are already thinking.

keane2097

This is an ethos issue essentially. The GAA have in recent years gone down the road of maximising revenue at all costs. This is one negative manifestation of that mindset, there are more. There are also obviously positives that go hand in hand with making as much money as possible as well, but it doesn't need to be and shouldn't be as single-minded as this.

In this example it's an absolute no-brainer that the Leinster Council or whoever is responsible for setting fixtures should occasionally give a cursory nod to the idea of a level playing field for all teams at the expense of adding a few extra shekels to the coffers.

dcr22B

IIRC there was an inkling that the 2010 Leinster QF between the two counties was going to be held in Wexford Park and the Dublin County Board were also in favour of it.

The only issue I have (and it's one that could be solved by playing games in neutral venues outside of HQ) is to avoid the ticket panic prior to the Longford match in 2006. Every person who wants to go to the game should do so i.e. not restrict crowd size just to suit other county.

There was 31k at the previous double header in Croker and I'm not sure that another ground in Leinster has that capacity.

cristoir

Wexford are getting the excuses out for their defeat very early :P

Clareman

IMVHO this is a non-news story, of course Dublin get advantage playing all their games in Croke Park, same way as they have an advantage of being the largest populated area in Ireland. This isn't new or anything to report about, it's just something that happens, there's no point in having a massive stadium in the middle of the largest populated area and not using it.

Trampas

I thought this thread was about the game and not where it is played.

Anyway Dubs by 8

keane2097

Trampas wrote: »

I thought this thread was about the game and not where it is played.

Anyway Dubs by 8

How much of it did you read?

daddydick

dcr22B wrote: »

Paying his taxes working for a crook.

My point was more meant to amplify that he should concentrate on his work rather than making stupid comments about the Dub's advantage of playing in Croker.

I think you'll find he is paid by the Irish Government.

It is hardly a stupid comment, if you ask me it is a very valid comment and has been debated for years. The Grab All Association at it again.

Clareman

Daddydick warned for being uncivil, if you don't like the GAA or have issues with it, feel free not to come to the GAA forum, if you feel you can't help yourself coming in here and continuing to be uncivil I'll take appropriate action.

Clareman

Trampas wrote: »

I thought this thread was about the game and not where it is played.

Anyway Dubs by 8

Good point, the thread was a bit misleading so I changed it again.

daddydick

I play hurling and football, I love the sport. My problem lies with the Association and it's efforts to put money ahead of a lot of things. I that's uncivil we'll I be damned!!

bruschi

A wexford player who isnt even certain of his place moaning about something that has nothing to do with the team he is moaning about. Would prefer if Andy just kept quiet and stopped with all his twittering nonsense and ridiculous interviews.

I do agree that it would be good to have more games at provincial grounds rather than have 20-30k in a stadium that holds 80K+. It creates a much better atmosphere in a tight ground rather than the vast empty seats around croke park.

But thats up to the Leinster council. Going on that the Dubs have an unfair advantage is just whinging for the sake of it.

ceegee

Its not too different for Kilkenny - over the past decade we've played a max of 1 game a year outside Croker (none several years). It a byproduct of playing (and winning) in Leinster - dont use the back door so you wont need to do a tour of the country.

corny

Same tired cliches.

The Dubs have the advantage of playing at croker but up until last year had nothing but their arses handed to them every year playing there. Lazy objections. Why don't we talk about how teams always raise their game when they play against Dublin and their supporters at Croke Park. Unfair on the Dubs if you ask me.

StupidLikeAFox

Very good article on the topic here, which is backed up by stats too
http://experiencemore.ie/experience-speaks/2012/05/23/off-the-fence-too-much-home-comfort-for-dubs

I can see no decent reason why Dublin should be exempt from playing away matches (where the size of the crowd allows of course)

The_Kew_Tour

corny wrote: »

Same tired cliches.

The Dubs have the advantage of playing at croker but up until last year had nothing but their arses handed to them every year playing there. Lazy objections. Why don't we talk about how teams always raise their game when they play against Dublin and their supporters at Croke Park. Unfair on the Dubs if you ask me.

What the whole 4 opposition fans allowed onto Hill 16?

croker1

Imagine a championship game against Cork down in Pairc i Coimhe.. Never happen. Even tho it has a good 40k+ capacity. That'd be an awful long way for the dubs to travel though

dcr22B

Why wouldn't it happen? We happily played there and bet Cork in 1983 in the replay of the All Ireland semi final.

If the GAA ask Dublin to play outside Croke Park or a draw dictates that we are to play outside Dublin, you'll hear no complaints from fans and players alike (as long as they fix that ****ty bit of pitch on the stand side that's always too sandy).

Don't fool yourself into thinking that we're scared of travelling to games, there have been league matches all over the country where we've outnumbered the locals over the past few years.

daddydick

dcr22B wrote: »

Why wouldn't it happen? We happily played there and bet Cork in 1983 in the replay of the All Ireland semi final.

If the GAA ask Dublin to play outside Croke Park or a draw dictates that we are to play outside Dublin, you'll hear no complaints from fans and players alike (as long as they fix that ****ty bit of pitch on the stand side that's always too sandy).

Don't fool yourself into thinking that we're scared of travelling to games, there have been league matches all over the country where we've outnumbered the locals over the past few years.

In fairness I think it is quite obvious that the argument is less against the actual Dublin GAA team and supporters and more against the attitude shown by the GAA in playing ALL Dublin games in their own back yard regardless of who the opposition is. I will not comment further on my opinions on the GAA is doing this in case I get another warning.

DoctaDee

rossie1977 wrote: »

there was approx 30,000 at the dublin/louth game last time out and that had another game before it (wexford vs longford), somewhere like o'moore park in laois would have easily been big enough for that match

It was pissing rain - and there was the grand prix cars in the city the same day. The following week on a glorious sunny day in Cork 20,000 showed up to watch 2 of the best teams in the country play ...

keane2097

corny wrote: »

The Dubs have the advantage of playing at croker but up until last year had nothing but their arses handed to them every year playing there. Lazy objections.

Srsly? This is your best attempt at understanding the effects of a Home Field Advantage? It's a phenomenon that's quantitatively understood and acknowledged in every sport on the planet. Use your brain. Even use google.

Jesus wept at the stupidity in that post.

paddy978

DoctaDee wrote: »

It was pissing rain - and there was the grand prix cars in the city the same day. The following week on a glorious sunny day in Cork 20,000 showed up to watch 2 of the best teams in the country play ...

You left out that Irelands first match in the Euros was on the day of Kerry v Cork.

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

FFS

can we go a few weeks without a "Dublin playing all their games in coke park" or a "New championship structure" thread.

DoctaDee

paddy978 wrote: »

You left out that Irelands first match in the Euros was on the day of Kerry v Cork.

I did indeed .. @ 7.45 .. with the Cork/Kerry throw in @ 2.00 .. didn't think it was a decider

Red Crow

I think it would've crap being a Dublin fan. I love the trips to Cork, Dublin etc.

They don't get to travel outside much at all.

Diabhal Beag

It gives them and advantage sure but it also makes a tidy profit for the GAA because there's no way you'd get as many Dubs going to a match in Longford or Laois. I know a lot of Dublin fans who travel to away matches in the League so I'm certain they'd travel in droves to away matches for Championship but they won't be making the GAA as much money as possible.

Roger Sterling

I think playing in front of a full or semi-full Croker has been as much a hindrance as ahelp to the Dubs over the years. If they were winning All Irelands left right and centre fair enough, but their relative lack of success over the last two decades shows it can't be that much of an advantage.

DoctaDee

Just on the numbers game .. a half full Croker is still 40,000 bods in the door (plenty accross channel would like that every Saturday). The term "half-full" draws an image of yawning gaps in the stands and pockets of supporters strewn around the ground - whereas in actual fact the 40,000 are condensed into the lower tiers of the stands and certain sections of the hill, for all intents and purposes it has the feeling of a full ground to the spectators at least - and thats where the atmosphere comes form. case in point 2011 NFL final Dublin/Cork had a crowd of 36,000 - could've fooled me :eek:

Mal-Adjusted

Are Dublin not going to Ennis for their next match?

Diabhal Beag

In hurling. That's where I get the bulk of my opinion as their hurling fans travel very well with Thurles last year being a recent example.

dcr22B

Our football fans travel well too as I had already outlined in a previous post.

Junior D

It is a bit unfair though that Dublin get to play all their games in Croker.
What would the opinion be if the Kilkenny hurlers got to play all their games in Nowlan Park?