Cork v Kerry. Should it be in Munster?

Flukey

There was a small crowd in Croke Park today. Kerry are notorious for not travelling, until the final. It's a long trip up for both teams and their supporters. The players like playing in Croke Park and that's where semi-finals are normally held, but there are already calls for this to go to Munster. Thurles seems the logical venue, if it happens. What do you all think?

tribulus

issue tickets well in advance and see how much of a demand there is , then set the venue as croker or semple. what difficulties could arise their though???

Flukey

Tickets have to have seat numbers on them so they can't do that. I still think it would be a good idea to bring it to Thurles. As a Dub, if it is in Dublin I'll go to it and won't if it is in Thurles, but I think that is the best place for it. The GAC will probably have different ideas though.

tribulus

Flukey wrote:

Tickets have to have seat numbers on them so they can't do that. I still think it would be a good idea to bring it to Thurles. As a Dub, if it is in Dublin I'll go to it and won't if it is in Thurles, but I think that is the best place for it. The GAC will probably have different ideas though.

oh yeah forgot about that though i'd imagine it will still be in dublin, no point in risking having to turn people away (as in not sell them tickets) because of lack of seats in thurles than have a slightly empty croke park, although the fact the travel time is much less and the two teams are from munster should be considered.

Flukey

Thurles is the second biggest venue in the country and ideally suited for the fans of both teams. It's a lot more practical for them. The GAC may have other ideas though. There hasn't been a senior football semi-final played outside of Croke Park since the 1941 semi-final replay, in which Kerry beat Dublin in Tralee. That's a long tradition to break, but I think they should.

Flukey

Mea culpa. Actually, the 1983 semi-final replay between Dublin and Cork was played in Pairc Uí Chaoimh. I wasn't at it, but me being a Dub, I should have remembered. Hopefully we'll have a repeat of that fixture in September, with the same result. I was at the drawn semi-final that year and the final in which the 12 Apostles won the Sam Maguire.

johnnyc

Should be played @ fitzgerald stadium.

Flukey

They do have a home and away arrangement, which would move it there, but this is outside the confines of the Munster Championship, so I don't know if they would apply that. It would be played in Croke Park, don't forget, so even if they move it out of there, they'd probably bring it to Thurles.

Imposter

johnnyc wrote:

Should be played @ fitzgerald stadium.

It still might be too far for some Kerry 'supporters'!

Flukey

Given their aversion to travelling for semi-finals Imposter, you could be right.

River Allow

It will more than likely be played in Croke Park though, the hurling quarter final between Cork and Waaherford was played there so a semi- final will surely be.

Flukey

More than likely it will River Allow, but it should be played in Thurles. More and more voices are being added to the call for it to be played in Munster.

pdh

It should stick to Croke Park, the simple reason being that other people besides Cork & Kerry would like to see this game.

Lemlin

The semis should be in Croker. The stadium was built for games like those and, for a pitch of such grandeur, it is used far too infrequently.

GreenHell

pdh wrote:

It should stick to Croke Park, the simple reason being that other people besides Cork & Kerry would like to see this game.

Feck that. Where were they on sunday, best football line up in ages. Bring it back to munster, play it in Limerick. Fill the place out. Won't happen but it'd be nice.

lukin

johnnyc wrote:

Should be played @ fitzgerald stadium.

Nice idea but it's too small. The semi should be played in Thurles, simple as that. It has the next highest capacity after Croker as someone has already said. The Gaelic grounds in Limerick would be a viable alternative (I don't know what the capacity of it is but it would be higher than Fitzgerald Stadium or Pairc Ui Chaoimh).
There's little chance of any of this happening though as the GAA will want to keep the Croke Park gravy train going even it means imposing unnecessary expense on supporters (witness the ridiculous farce of the Ulster Final replay being played in a half-empty Croke Park).
The attendance at the Cork v Kerry semi in 2002 was about 50-55,000 if I remember correctly. I would predict an even smaller crowd this time.

WezzyB

[From Setanta.com]

The Games Administration Committee has confirmed that the Bank of Ireland All-Ireland SFC semi-final between Cork and Kerry will take place at Croke Park on August 28.

The GAC met on Sunday evening to discuss the matter following Cork and Kerry's respective All-Ireland quarter-final wins over Galway and Mayo. The pairing had prompted suggests that the fixture might have been moved to a Munster venue, with the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick, Semple Stadium in Thurles and Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney.

However, due to the expected numbers wishing to attend the semi-final - which is a repeat of the Munster final that Kerry won 1-11 to 0-11 on July 10 - the GAC ruled that the match will go ahead at the Dublin stadium.

The GAC also confirmed that the All-Ireland SFC quarter-final between Armagh and Laois will take place at Croke Park on Saturday, August 20.

The match was provisionally fixed as part of a double-header on Saturday August 13, but the decision was taken to divide the fixtures to allow as many people as possible from each county to attend either games.

The Dublin v Tyrone game is expected to draw close to a full house, while Armagh's meeting with Laois is a repeat of last year's All-Ireland Qualifier fourth-round game which saw the Ulster champions prevail, and should also attract a large attendance.

by Mark Sheehan

CCOVICH

A number of people on this thread (and John O'Mahoney on the Sunday Game last night) have said that people other than those from Cork or Kerry would like to see the game. I don't dispute that, but how many 'neutrals' are likely to fork out €35 (or €40?) to watch the game in Croke Park as opposed to watching it on TV. I was at the Ulster Final and replay this year, and there didn't seem to be too many neutrals at either game. If the supporters and County Boards of Cork and Kerry want to play it in Munster, I don't see why they shouldn't.

Croke Park is a magnificent stadium, but the atmosphere is only special when there is at least 60,000 there (if not more). There have been plenty of games there this summer, and I think the stadium is used enough. Their is a situation fast developing where the 'novelty' of playing/attending a match in Croke Park is fast wearing off (save for those counties that have never played there in recent years).

My €0.02 anyway.

River Allow

I don't agree woth the above statement at all, if you've a great love for the game, the novelty of going to the biggest pitch should never wear off!

Flukey

CCOVICH wrote:

how many 'neutrals' are likely to fork out €35 (or €40?) to watch the game in Croke Park as opposed to watching it on TV.

Me for one. If at all possible, I never miss a game there. It will be €40 by the way.

CCOVICH

Flukey wrote:

Me for one. If at all possible, I never miss a game there. It will be €40 by the way.

Oh well, that settles it, Croke Park it is :rolleyes: .

Flukey

As I said, I don't mind if it isn't there. I thinking playing it in Thurles would be a good idea, as it suits the supporters. But if it is in Croke Park, I'll go to it.

sgthighway

A lot of Financial Backers of the GAA have Corporate Boxes. Some people own seats there too. They are supposed to get their monies worth too. The Cork and Kerry Clubs should use this year as an example to bring "A change of venue" Motion to Congress.
It might be considered next year if needs be.