Laois/Wicklow V Dublin

blue4ever

I see the fixture time is 19:00 on 4th June;
find that a real turnoff as supporter. There's no way home! Yea, I could drive - but seriously where's the fun in that (mates after a few talking sh1te all the way home) and I'm not been held hostage on b/h weekend in Kilkenny!

Great for Kilkenny - not the best for anyone else

Hammer Archer

Dublin Coach do a bus from Kilkenny to Dublin don't they?

howiya

No doubt some clubs will be running a bus to the game. Float the idea in your own place

howiya

Hammer Archer wrote: »

Dublin Coach do a bus from Kilkenny to Dublin don't they?

leaves Kilkenny at 21:40. I imagine this will be full

namloc1980

I just don't know how the rest of us manage when we have to travel to games all the time. One championship game outside Dublin in a decade and you'd swear ye were being asked to climb Mt Everest.

blue4ever

namloc1980 wrote: »

I just don't know how the rest of us manage when we have to travel to games all the time. One championship game outside Dublin in a decade and you'd swear ye were being asked to climb Mt Everest.

Knew that would be the answer/slant from some quarter.

Dublin have a massive traveling support and public transport, as it stands on the day, cant facilitate the demand - knowing that why is the not at match at, say 3, better chance of getting out of Kilkinny after he game at 5/6. And the same goes for Laois/Wicklow supporters - if they dont make their own way down they wont get home via public transport.

That's the point - its not about playing outside the capital - I've no issues there.

ProudDUB

Yeah, the timing of the game is terrible alright. Virtually impossible to do in a day trip, using public transport. There has been many a Croke Park game set for a late afternoon/early evening throw in, where the last bus or train home left before the game was over. We're just now in the same boat as our country cousins. Not one single, shiney, shyte do the GAA give about either of us.

nice_guy80

People outside Dublin actually work on Saturdays.

Any earlier in the day and a lot of Laois/Wicklow supporters couldn't go

iDave

Can't wait for the seethe it'll generate when Sky announce they have this game.

ebbsy

I would say Dublin will be hoping that Laois win. If they had to face Wicklow they would have a pack the middle to try and nullify The Garden County's superior skills.

ProudDUB

Well plenty of people work in the evenings too. If you work in the restaurant/hotel/hospitality/retail sectors, there is a very good chance you'll be working on a Saturday evening. There is no time of the day, when 100% of the people who want to go to a game, will be off work. So you pick the time that is liable to suit most of them. That is why most games tend to be in the middle of the afternoon. I see no reason why this one shouldn't be either.

I suppose the tv networks had a say in when it would be on, as they'll get much bigger ratings for a Saturday evening game, than they would for a day time game. That is what the GAA care about these days, it certainly isn't the paying punters.

celticbest

I'm sure match day trains will be laid on & if you keep an eye on Facebook and Twitter I'm sure you'll find a page which will be running a bus/buses for the game.

ProudDUB

Nah, I'll be grand. I'll be taking the car. I took the train to one GAA game and I'm never doing it again. I was just speaking in the general sense.

Stoner

Hammer Archer wrote:

Dublin Coach do a bus from Kilkenny to Dublin

I thought he was a pilot.

OldMrBrennan83

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ProudDUB

Stoner wrote: »

I thought he was a pilot.

Badum tish.

I'll get yer coat !

Realt Dearg Sec

Don't see what the big deal is. Every other county play matches against other counties every single year, often in places where there is literally no public transport between the two places whatsoever. It doesn't matter what time you play those matches at, there are no options available.

So, basically, tough sh1t, welcome to everyone else's world.

ProudDUB

So much belligerence. So little need for it. Sad really.

A game being played in a city with zero footballing tradition & whose co board have absolute contempt for the sport. The opposition not getting to have a proper "home" fixture. (Which is surely one of the main reasons for taking the Dubs out of Croke Park, in the first place?)

The game being on the same weekend as the Cat Laugh's Festival, so there is eff all chance of getting a hotel room or B&B. Limited or no public transport to service the crowds after the game, whereas Portlaoise has loads. Poor planning decisions all around, if you ask me.

If people who speak out, are told to just shut up and put up, where is the motivation for the GAA to rethink these kind of decisions? If they do that, everyone from all counties, benefits, not just us poor, pampered poodles Dubs.

Realt Dearg Sec

ProudDUB wrote: »

So much belligerence. So little need for it. Sad really.

EDIT: Ah **** it, who cares.

EICVD

Patww79 wrote: »

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& to this day they're still moaning, well big Donie is anyway!:rolleyes:

ArielAtom

No problem playing anywhere the Leinster Councul decide. I suppose it's their attempt to promote football in Kilkinny😂😂😂😂

Davys Fits

I doubt its anything to do with promoting football in Kilkenny. Why is a game that will be completely one sided getting so much attention before we even know the line up? Its the perfect location for the piss up that it will be. The match is just a sideshow.

Realt Dearg Sec

ProudDUB wrote: »

So much belligerence. So little need for it. Sad really.

A game being played in a city with zero footballing tradition & whose co board have absolute contempt for the sport. The opposition not getting to have a proper "home" fixture. (Which is surely one of the main reasons for taking the Dubs out of Croke Park, in the first place?)

The game being on the same weekend as the Cat Laugh's Festival, so there is eff all chance of getting a hotel room or B&B. Limited or no public transport to service the crowds after the game, whereas Portlaoise has loads. Poor planning decisions all around, if you ask me.

If people who speak out, are told to just shut up and put up, where is the motivation for the GAA to rethink these kind of decisions? If they do that, everyone from all counties, benefits, not just us poor, pampered poodles Dubs.

Oooh. Now who's being belligerent?

howiya

Confirmed as Laois v Dublin. Mick Lillis giving out about the venue again. Saying the businesses in the town should have had an opportunity to do well out of having the Dubs in town.

I think Portlaoise gets enough games to be fair

OldMrBrennan83

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randd1

howiya wrote: »

Confirmed as Laois v Dublin. Mick Lillis giving out about the venue again. Saying the businesses in the town should have had an opportunity to do well out of having the Dubs in town.

I think Portlaoise gets enough games to be fair

I've been to Portlaoise a few times as it has had a lot of games in recent years between Kilkenny and Dublin.

It's massively exposed to the weather which effects the games, and the actual town itself is well away from the pitch so there's a lack of bars and food joints for a large crowd.

Say what you want about Kilkenny, but at least there's an atmosphere in the town when there's a game on, and plenty of pubs/food spots within walking distance of the park.

howiya

randd1 wrote: »

I've been to Portlaoise a few times as it has had a lot of games in recent years between Kilkenny and Dublin.

It's massively exposed to the weather which effects the games, and the actual town itself is well away from the pitch so there's a lack of bars and food joints for a large crowd.

Say what you want about Kilkenny, but at least there's an atmosphere in the town when there's a game on, and plenty of pubs/food spots within walking distance of the park.

Yeah and if we beat Wexford we'll meet in Portlaoise again I think. O'Moore Park is a kip if we're to be honest about it. I like Nowlan Park for games. We played Wexford there a good bit in the past

Patser

It's a poor choice. Kilkenny on a bank holiday weekend with the well known Cat laughs festival on will be heaving even without the match. And now all fans have to try squeeze in.

Meanwhile Portlaoise sits empty despite being home to one of the counties playing, easier for the other team to get to and with nothing on to fill its hotels. Dubs want to travel, it's 10 years since we packed out Longford but Kilkenny will be tough to organise in comparison to the blatant alternative. It smacks of stubbornness.

And yes I understand that other counties have faced this problem many times over, but I'd wager you've rarely been asked to play second fiddle to a festival and that accommodation has been available if you wanted.

OldMrBrennan83

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Stoner

howiya wrote:

Confirmed as Laois v Dublin. Mick Lillis giving out about the venue again. Saying the businesses in the town should have had an opportunity to do well out of having the Dubs in town.

'The game being played in Nowlan Park is a disgrace, it's all down to money' - Lillis http://the42.ie/2770430

howiya wrote:

I think Portlaoise gets enough games to be fair

It does get a lot of other games like U21 games etc alright, but this is their own senior football team vs a sizable travelling support. His point does relate to finance though as you say and not a footballing reason .

Patser

Patww79 wrote: »

What's with the accommodation thing? It's not a 2 day journey and I can't imagine too many would have stayed in Portlaoise had they travelled down if it was there.

It's an evening game, finishing around 9, on a bank holiday weekend and as said Dublin's first away championship game in 10 years. I'd say a fair few would have stayed overnight at least, I would have been interested, but accommodation is hard to find in Kilkenny since the festival is so well known and attended.

Portlaoise has a 24 hour bus service and no festival, would've allowed for more freedom in enjoying the occasion of a rare summer away trip.

OldMrBrennan83

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Patser

Patww79 wrote: »

People would want to stay because it's Kilkenny. Portlaoise is a nothing town and if it was there people would be straight back up the road anyway.

I agree regards Kilkenny, I'd like to stay there after the match too but accommodation is too hard to get, especially at a reasonable price. Why couldn't they have played it a different weekend than a festival one.

I'd have stayed in Portlaoise too, the fans would have created the atmosphere. Longford is not exactly Vegas either but it was an epic day down there as the fans created the buzz, and a few places showed great anticipation of the day - 1 hotel/bar had the Dublin City ramblers playing live from 7pm, the place was packed out quickly and brilliant craic. That'd have happened in Portlaoise too.

Instead we'll be trying to squeeze into pubs already full of Jason Byrne fans wondering why everyone is wearing blue, if that pub isn't already booked out due to a comedy show. Equally you'll have Kilkenny already full of traffic from people heading down for the comedy festival and bank holiday weekend with match traffic now being added.

Realt Dearg Sec

Jaysus this bates all, lads wishing they could go to portlaoise instead of Kilkenny. The Cat Laughs is a shadow of its former self, there's no way this match would be second fiddle to the festival these days. If there's hassle getting hotels the match is the main reason.

ProudDUB

It's not. When the venue was announced, the hotels in KK were already all booked out.

Realt Dearg Sec

ProudDUB wrote: »

It's not. When the venue was announced, the hotels in KK were already all booked out.

Fair enough, maybe they've sorted out their sponsorship issues from a few years ago. I'd rather sleep on the street in Kilkenny than a hotel in portlaoise personally.

DoctaDee

Simple fact of the matter for me once they'd decided to move Dublin out of CP was to honour the home ground advantage in Aughrim or Portlaoise, the fact that 8k or 18k was all that they could accommodate or they'd no nice hotels or bars is immaterial, it's a football match not my Summer holidays .....

JeffKenna

You'd swear the Dublin fans have never travelled before the amount of bitching and moaning coming from them. Have a look at hotel prices in Dublin that weekend and see if there's much of a difference.

glack

As a Mayo supporter, I fully understand the hassle of travelling to football matches when public transport isn't viable. And I certainly get your frustration at having to travel in Kilkenny when Portlaoise is a much easier town to get to and where this match should definitely be taking place.

But those Dublin supporters on here getting annoyed at other posters having little sympathy for them need a serious wake-up call. You say you're happy to travel (and I'm sure most Dublin supporters that aren't on here complaining really are for the novelty factor if nothing else) and yet the reality of it doesn't meet with your expectations.

Mayo had no home games last year. Not one. So that meant we had the hassle you're complaining about every single game. It took me 2 hours just to get out of Salthill last year after our match against Galway. Never mind leaving Hyde Park after the Connacht final or the ridiculous number of hours it took to travel to and from Croke Park three times last year.

And yet in some ways, these journeys are half the fun of championship. Those 8 hour round trips to Croke Park (only 8 if we're lucky traffic wise on the journey home-often more) are a sign that we're involved in championship at the business end of the season. We don't have the luxury of being able to go for a few drinks after the match and then either walk or hop on public transport for our short journey home.

Be realistic here, this is maximum going to be one game a season. A novelty journey outside of your comfort zone where you experience championship like the rest of us.

The only fans I have sympathy for are the Laois fans who have to travel for what is supposed to be a "home" fixture.

OldMrBrennan83

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Patser

Glack - I'd agree with most of what you're saying, and being one of those complaining Dubs on here I can say I have sympathy with all the effort that ye country lads have had to make. It's been 10 easy years for us of home games.

But it's not that now, suddenly we have to make an effort and we're whinging, it's that there's an obvious better option available - and as you said it's the Laois lads getting the real shafting here - or failing that option better timing could be applied.

glack

Patww79 wrote: »

Why is it supposed to be a home fixture for Laois? Why did Carlow not go to Drogheda last night then?

Bad choice of words. What in my opinion should be home fixture for Laois as it was already decided that it would be an away fixture for Dublin. I personally hate neutral venues. It messes with the atmosphere and affects numbers. I also don't think the Carlow/Louth game should have taken place in Portlaoise yesterday.

Flukey

glack wrote: »

Mayo had no home games last year. Not one.

It is tough alright. I know the feeling. It has been 12 years since Dublin last had a home game in the championship and it doesn't look like we are going to get one this year either. As for the venue for the Laois game, Portlaoise would have been far better for all involved for all the reasons mentioned so far.

glack

Patser wrote: »

Glack - I'd agree with most of what you're saying, and being one of those complaining Dubs on here I can say I have sympathy with all the effort that ye country lads have had to make. It's been 10 easy years for us of home games.

But it's not that now, suddenly we have to make an effort and we're whinging, it's that there's an obvious better option available - and as you said it's the Laois lads getting the real shafting here - or failing that option better timing could be applied.

Absolutely. But this is the kind of stuff that happens to the rest of us every year!

A perfect example would be when they fix a double header in Croke Park with no Dubs involved. Often the teams with the furthest to travel are the ones with the later throw in because we're the teams with the bigger number of supporters and God forbid we'd leave early and get home at a decent time. On one particular day, we had a Mayo minor game first and the logical decision would be to have the Mayo senior game on for the earlier of the two senior matches to accommodate those who wanted to watch both. But no!! They wanted the stadium to look fairly full so our minor game was first and senior game was last so to watch both we were literally there all day!!!

I'm pretty sure it's not your first Saturday at 7pm throw in time in the Leinster championship it's just the first time Dublin are the ones who have to make the journey home afterwards. Every time there's a match fixed for 7pm it causes major hassle for the travelling supporters trying to get home.

I'm not trying to cause an argument here, I totally get your frustration. I'm just trying to open your eyes to the fact that these are not new issues, they're just new issues to Dublin fans. So that maybe the next time a match is fixed for 7pm in Croke Park you'll realise what a pain that is for the travelling supporters.

Unfortunately the powers that be just don't seem to care.

glack

Flukey wrote: »

It is tough alright. I know the feeling. It has been 12 years since Dublin last had a home game in the championship and it doesn't look like we are going to get one this year either. As for the venue for the Laois game, Portlaoise would have been far better for all involved for all the reasons mentioned so far.

Maybe it's time to increase capacity at Parnell Park then!! Apparently the Dubs have loads of money 😂ðŸ˜. What is the capacity there anyway? Is there a legitimate reason why ye don't at least get to have your league games there?

Flukey

Glack, Dublin fans travel to a lot of games, as you will know if you were in McHale Park on that freezing night of the 6th of February this year. Even when they are in Croke Park, the entire population of Dublin does not live 10 minutes walk from it. There are also a lot of Dubs living well outside Dublin, like there are a lot of Mayo people living within 10 minutes of Croke Park. There is a buzz about evening games, but it does make it more difficult for children wanting to go. The old traditional Sunday afternoon was better for families, but that is the way things are now. Dublin fans are not moaning about travelling, we are well used to that, but Kilkenny is not the ideal venue. That is the case for Dublin fans, Laois fans and people from anywhere else that may want to go.

ProudDUB

It's gas. Everyone else is allowed have "an opinion" on anything and every thing. But when a Dub opens their mouth, it's considered "bitching and moaning".

Yes, we know that we have it easy when it comes to having games at Croke Park. That goes without saying. But that does not mean we aren't entitled to have "an opinion" on piss poor decisions, that are made for the wrong reasons. Just like the debacle with the Roscommon league game being moved from the Hyde at 10am that morning, this is another example of poor planning & decision making imo.

The "suck it up and get on with it" attitude that people here think should be everyone's default setting, is the very reason why these piss poor decisions keep on being made, with no one ever being held to account for them. Is the Leinster Council going to change their decision making process based on what I, or anyone else says here? No, they are not. But I'm not going to keep my trap shut, just because someone else thinks I should. So if you don't want to read it, too bad. As the man sez.....suck it up !

Wouldn't it be great if the GAA got their heads out of their arses and actually did put some thought into the needs of the spectators, when they are scheduling their games? The squeaky wheel gets the grease, as the man sez...while he's busy sucking it up !

Patser

glack wrote: »

Absolutely. But this is the kind of stuff that happens to the rest of us every year!


I'm not trying to cause an argument here, I totally get your frustration. I'm just trying to open your eyes to the fact that these are not new issues, they're just new issues to Dublin fans. So that maybe the next time a match is fixed for 7pm in Croke Park you'll realise what a pain that is for the travelling supporters.

Unfortunately the powers that be just don't seem to care.

Aye. I think we're all in agreement here. The councils frequently act in a logic only of benefit to themselves and screw the fans that they'll assume will follow. And yes this is one of the rarer times us Dubs have suffered it.

So maybe moving on from it, and assuming it's too late to do anything about the Dublin game, what can be done about it? Maybe no-one go? But that'll just reinforce an idea that us Dubs don't travel. Maybe the Laois fans should make a stand, a few protest banners on Sky saying We'd rather be at home. Maybe a supporter movement over the summer highlighting/embarrassing the councils when poor fixturing pops up.

Flukey

glack wrote: »

Maybe it's time to increase capacity at Parnell Park then!! Apparently the Dubs have loads of money 😂ðŸ˜. What is the capacity there anyway? Is there a legitimate reason why ye don't at least get to have your league games there?

The legitimate reason is that the GAA can get more money by playing our league games in a neutral venue instead of at home, as it only holds about 14,000. We'd love more home games, but the GAA, mainly through the Leinster Council, won't let us. 1 county wants our games at home, but the other 11 want them in Croke Park. So the people in Leinster that want Dublin out of Croke Park should give out to their own county boards, not to anyone associated with Dublin GAA, be that officials, teams or fans.

On a side note, there is something very strangely missing on the GAA forum this evening. Longford got hammered in the first round of the Leinster Championship today, but I have not seen a thread, or even a post, screaming for Offaly to be split in two!

glack

Flukey wrote: »

Glack, Dublin fans travel to a lot of games, as you will know if you were in McHale Park on that freezing night of the 6th of February this year. Even when they are in Croke Park, the entire population of Dublin does not live 10 minutes walk from it. There are also a lot of Dubs living well outside Dublin, like there are a lot of Mayo people living within 10 minutes of Croke Park. There is a buzz about evening games, but it does make it more difficult for children wanting to go. The old traditional Sunday afternoon was better for families, but that is the way things are now. Dublin fans are not moaning about travelling, we are well used to that, but Kilkenny is not the ideal venue. That is the case for Dublin fans, Laois fans and people from anywhere else that may want to go.

Oh I was there alright-took me 2 days to dry off and defrost!! If you'll notice in my original post I mention the word championship several times as I'm well aware that you travel in numbers during the league. You'll also notice that I have said that I understand your frustration and that I absolutely agree that the match should be in Portlaoise and should be at a more convenient time. Of course it should!!

The reason I posted in this thread at all was in the first place to agree with what was being said (unnecessary hassle for everyone) but also to highlight the unnecessary hassle that happens all season for most other teams. I'm not trying to cause a row here at all. But don't be surprised when other football fans from outside Dublin are lacking in sympathy for your unnecessary hassle. Rather than just posting a snide comment I wanted to maybe open your eyes to what the rest of us experience throughout the championship.

OldMrBrennan83

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