Should we sacrifice cricket?

Captain Flaps · 28-08-2009 07:12PM

Boston wrote: »

It should be maintained. There are literally thousands of GAA pitches all over the city but rather few cricket pitches. For those of us involved in non main stream sports, it hard not to feel that we're at the raw end of the stick. I utterly despise the GAA, the organisation is a parasite destroying all in it's wake.

Literally thousands you say, and all over the city? That's rather a stretch don't you think?

Sparks · 28-08-2009 08:23PM

Juxta Dublin wrote: »

*backs away slowly*

Yeah, but Boston does have a point to an extent; it does eat up all available resources, which squashes other sports.

Not really "parasitic" though Boston - it's too good at what it does, basicly.

Boston · 28-08-2009 11:03PM

Captain Flaps wrote: »

Literally thousands you say, and all over the city? That's rather a stretch don't you think?

Actually, yes. I'm not talking stadiums, but rather GAA fields. Dublin is a big place yea know.

j1smithy · 28-08-2009 11:26PM

Boston wrote: »

It should be maintained. There are literally thousands of GAA pitches all over the city but rather few cricket pitches. For those of us involved in non main stream sports, it hard not to feel that we're at the raw end of the stick. I utterly despise the GAA, the organisation is a parasite destroying all in it's wake.

A parasite destroying all in its wake?! You are having a laugh right. I wouldn't count GAA as being among the most "powerful" clubs within the college at all one of the reasons why they are relegated to Santry.

While I don't think the Cricket pitch should be torn up, I do think it should be utilised by more mainstream sports more often. I mean it is lovely sitting out on a sunny evening in May watching the cricketers do their thing but to be perfectly honest the majority of people do not A) Have a clue what is going on and

care. Wouldn't it be far better if a thousand students were watching a game they understood such as Rugby, Soccer or GAA on a warm summers evening in college? I could imagine it being great fun and an interesting way to reignite the the college spirit. When the Rugby have their sevens, they have a crowd watching. So do soccer when they play at lunchtime. I think it would be fantastic for sport in Trinity in general if it were exposed to a large crowd. We could easily have the best spectators of any university in Ireland.

The Rugby pitch should get an overhaul that it badly needs too. In a dry spell its nothing short of dangerous.

Boston · 28-08-2009 11:35PM

GAA is an organisation beyond Trinity. I could rant for hours about the GAA.

shay_562 · 29-08-2009 12:15AM

j1smithy wrote:

I wouldn't count GAA as being among the most "powerful" clubs within the college at all one of the reasons why they are relegated to Santry.

I dunno - they may not have much sway in DUCAC, but the various GAA clubs have a ****ton of members who seem to be well-organised and hugely on-message (or so it seems at every election anyway, especially that sports referendum a few years back). I reckon they could take over DUCAC if they ever felt like it, but just don't bother.

Sparks wrote:

Not really "parasitic" though Boston - it's too good at what it does, basicly.

I'd argue with that. The attitude of a lot of GAA clubs, especially in rural areas, is that you can play GAA or you can play soccer, but you can't play both, and god help you if you don't choose GAA. Not sure how official that policy is, but unofficial GAA policy certainly seems to involve crushing any life out of other sports that may challenge its supremacy.

Topic? My problem with the cricket club isn't that it's a crap sport, it's that they seem to be a bit of a crap club. They had no stand in Freshers' Week, I'm pretty sure they didn't even have a captain for the first month or so of the year - if they were a less established club, they'd have folded by now. They certainly wouldn't get almost exclusive access to one of the few green areas on campus as an automatic right. I'd be very curious how their membership levels stack up against other clubs - anyone know if there's a way to get hold of that kind of information?

Brian · 29-08-2009 12:26AM

Disclaimer for above post : The fire assembly point is too small to throw a frisbee.

shay_562 · 29-08-2009 12:29AM

Baza210 wrote:

Disclaimer for above post : The fire assembly point is too small to throw a frisbee.

The one on Fellows Square wouldn't be, but there's that monstrosity of a statue blocking the middle of it. Curses...

Brian · 29-08-2009 12:46AM

Curse those cobbles in Front Square! Astroturf, I say.

Captain Flaps · 29-08-2009 10:19AM

Boston wrote: »

Actually, yes. I'm not talking stadiums, but rather GAA fields. Dublin is a big place yea know.

Yeah, but thousands of pitches, specifically designated to GAA, within Dublin city? I'd contest that. There are plenty of fields which could be used yeah, but they could just as easily (and are far more likely to be) used for soccer. And I doubt there are thousands of them.

thebossanova · 29-08-2009 10:26AM

j1smithy wrote: »

The Rugby pitch should get an overhaul that it badly needs too. In a dry spell its nothing short of dangerous.

It is next March/April. Total resurfacing and match quality lights.

Boston · 29-08-2009 02:21PM

Captain Flaps wrote: »

Yeah, but thousands of pitches, specifically designated to GAA, within Dublin city? I'd contest that. There are plenty of fields which could be used yeah, but they could just as easily (and are far more likely to be) used for soccer. And I doubt there are thousands of them.

What figure would you put on it? I'm basing it on what I'd consider a high density in the inner city. That said, when I was out around Marley park the other week I noticed two large golf courses, it would seem the more affluent areas have less need for GAA pitches.

Captain Flaps · 29-08-2009 11:39PM

Boston wrote: »

What figure would you put on it? I'm basing it on what I'd consider a high density in the inner city. That said, when I was out around Marley park the other week I noticed two large golf courses, it would seem the more affluent areas have less need for GAA pitches.

Yeah, that whole area is golf courses from what I remember. I was just taking issue with something I believe to be an exaggeration, I can't put a specific number on it (can anyone?) but I think thousands is a stretch.

On Topic: The cricket pitch takes up a massive amount of room, if nothing else. They should stick a massive roll-up astroturf pitch on top of it for soccer and hockey, GAA and Rugby can play on the back pitch. Ultimate Frisbee can play window to window in the Arts Block, and the American Football players can sit at home because they have no friends. I don't think anyone would argue with this plan.

shay_562 · 30-08-2009 12:46AM

Boston wrote:

That said, when I was out around Marley park the other week I noticed two large golf courses, it would seem the more affluent areas have less need for GAA pitches.

There's quite a few pitches in Marlay Park itself, as well as two local GAA clubs (Ballyboden Wanderers & Ballyboden St. Endas) for the few thousand people who live in the Ballyboden area who use, between them, around a dozen different pitches all within a mile or two of Marlay, including pitches in St. Enda's park, Scoil Mhuire, Cherryfield, Sancta Maria and Frank Kelly Park. (I'm not a crazy person, I've just lived in Ballyboden for most of my life)

Captain Flaps wrote:

Ultimate Frisbee can play window to window in the Arts Block,

Boo-urns.

Boston · 30-08-2009 12:52AM

Ballyboden?, you must know our mexican friend then. Anyway, the point was, there's loads and feic all cricket pitches.

Captain Flaps · 30-08-2009 10:12AM

shay_562 wrote: »

There's quite a few pitches in Marlay Park itself, as well as two local GAA clubs (Ballyboden Wanderers & Ballyboden St. Endas) for the few thousand people who live in the Ballyboden area who use, between them, around a dozen different pitches all within a mile or two of Marlay, including pitches in St. Enda's park, Scoil Mhuire, Cherryfield, Sancta Maria and Frank Kelly Park. (I'm not a crazy person, I've just lived in Ballyboden for most of my life)

There's also Ballinteer St John's club opposite LIDL on the Grange Road.

Also Boston, had you ventured INTO Marlay park, you would have seen the cricket pitch. Or cricket lawn as they call it. All very posh I'm sure!

j1smithy · 02-09-2009 12:03AM

Unfortunately the rugby pitch is too short for official games of GAA, still though I don't see why College park can't be used for say 6 GAA games a year. Let each club play their premier competition home game on campus (or colours). Using temporary, but full height posts of course. The use of temporary posts would allow the pitch to be shifted between games so no one spot is subject to abuse/wear. Of course cricket should also be played there too, but it shouldn't be the only field game allowed.

At the moment the situation is quite unreasonable, one of the smallest clubs has almost total control of the single largest plot of land in the college. I know its tradition and all, but that is too often used as an excuse for the better allocation of the scarce resources the college has. All too often its the "elite" that hide behind traditions, for change often means loss of privilege. The benefits of the change could be potentially very great, it could spark an interest in sport and could do wonders for college as a community of people.

Who wouldn't want to sit out in front of the Pav on a balmy April evening with a few cans watching our boys stick it to UCD? At the moment the biggest cheer the cricketers get is when a streaker runs across the field... says it all really.

Sparks · 02-09-2009 12:07AM

j1smithy wrote: »

Who wouldn't want to sit out in front of the Pav on a balmy April evening with a few cans watching our boys stick it to UCD?

Darn right.
Lets get that 50m rifle range set up ASAP, then DURC can kick UCDRC's rear ends in April.

j1smithy · 02-09-2009 12:48AM

Sparks wrote: »

Darn right.
Lets get that 50m rifle range set up ASAP, then DURC can kick UCDRC's rear ends in April.

In theory if it could be done safely I couldn't see why not (unlikely?). You would certainly get a boost in membership if your competitions were exposed to large crowds. Its something DUCAC should be looking at, increasing visibility of sport, will increase participation.

It wasn't me! · 02-09-2009 01:50AM

j1smithy wrote: »

In theory if it could be done safely I couldn't see why not (unlikely?). You would certainly get a boost in membership if your competitions were exposed to large crowds. Its something DUCAC should be looking at, increasing visibility of sport, will increase participation.

During shouldbestudyingforexams boredom, I drew up a rough plan of how to do it. It's possible to build a range pretty much anywhere, if you have space, resources and funds, and do so perfectly safely.

delta720 · 02-09-2009 04:30PM

How longs a lap of the cricket pitch!?

Jonathan · 02-09-2009 04:44PM

delta720 wrote: »

How longs a lap of the cricket pitch!?

Quiet you.

You'd turn it into an ice hockey rink if you had your way :P

Should we sacrifice cricket?

Comments