League superseding Championship?

thefont · February 06, 2017, 03:33:24 PM

As the gaa bemoans championship crowds declining the league seems to be gaining in popularity with the public if the crowds at this weekends games are anything to go by. Are there any stats on league attendance trends available?

The actual football seems to be improving also, maybe that's down to improvements in stadia, pitches etc so the winter footing conditions aren't as detrimental to skill levels.

At least for certain match-ups, teams seem to be much more into it. Monaghan seemed very happy with their win against Mayo for instance (only in the unique world of the GAA would teams that hardly every play but train year round, be almost embarrassed to beat their peers in a competitive match - 'tis only the league etc).

It's easy enough to envision regular crowds of 20k at any match between the division one sides with crowds of up to 40k for the bigs ones (Mayo Dublin I suppose at the moment). That's comparable to Rugby league, Australian rules or championship soccer in England.

Better pitches, stadia, floodlights, good competitive matches, good crowds. Is the solution to the fixtures mess staring us in the face here?

magpie seanie · February 06, 2017, 03:38:18 PM

There was a good sized Armagh contingent in Sligo yesterday early and when the Sligo people arrived it was a decent crowd all told. I'm bad at estimating crowd size but it was substantial as they go.

Rossfan · February 06, 2017, 04:05:55 PM

Official figures for D1 games
Castlebar 10,917
Omagh 6,110
Letterkenny 6,320
Cavan 16,331
Add the free u16s must be near 52k.
722 at Tipp v Antrim.

mouview · February 06, 2017, 04:13:29 PM

Quote from: thefont on February 06, 2017, 03:33:24 PM
As the gaa bemoans championship crowds declining the league seems to be gaining in popularity with the public if the crowds at this weekends games are anything to go by. Are there any stats on league attendance trends available?

Early rounds of the league always seem to be well-supported anyway. Boredom after the long winter and a lack of any alternative entertainments brings patrons out. Attendances tend to tail off as the league goes on, unless your team is playing mighty. More distractions available in the longer summer days of the championship.

Jinxy · February 06, 2017, 04:22:16 PM

Dunno the official spectator count for Navan yesterday but I hope they added +15 to the final tally.

Jinxy · February 06, 2017, 04:28:02 PM

Quote from: mouview on February 06, 2017, 04:13:29 PM
Quote from: thefont on February 06, 2017, 03:33:24 PM
As the gaa bemoans championship crowds declining the league seems to be gaining in popularity with the public if the crowds at this weekends games are anything to go by. Are there any stats on league attendance trends available?

Early rounds of the league always seem to be well-supported anyway. Boredom after the long winter and a lack of any alternative entertainments brings patrons out. Attendances tend to tail off as the league goes on, unless your team is playing mighty. More distractions available in the longer summer days of the championship.

I think the NFL reaches peak 'shur it's only the league' when it gets into the home stretch and most teams are relatively confident they've done enough not to get relegated.
Not sure that anyone ever kills themselves to win the thing as minds are already turning to the summer ahead.
If winning your division actually meant something, the league would be the complete package from an entertainment & quality point of view.
That said, the last day is great craic as the results come in from around the country.

Syferus · February 06, 2017, 07:46:08 PM

The stuff in Omagh was pretty dire from both sides. Long way off top quality summer fare. No competition where winning three out of seven is a positive result will ever supersede knockout.

sligoman2 · February 06, 2017, 10:46:23 PM

Another reason for decent attendances is because most games should be competitive because the league is based on your record not your location like the championship..

mup · February 07, 2017, 09:10:24 AM

Quote from: Jinxy on February 06, 2017, 04:22:16 PM
Dunno the official spectator count for Navan yesterday but I hope they added +15 to the final tally.

Very good

sambostar · February 07, 2017, 09:46:51 AM

I think the solution for the GAA is to go back a version of the way the league was run in the late 80's/early 90's. Then is you won Div3 you got a shot at one of the Div1 teams in the QF's. It would need to be adapted to maybe have knock-out starting at last-16 stage, so you'd have say 6 spots for Div1, 5 for Div2, 3 for Div3, 2 for Div4. You would keep promotion/relegation as is.

You would play provincial championships & any team making the provincial final is guaranteed a place in the last 16 also - so this keeps them meaningful for teams. Provincial winners could be guaranteed a home draw in the last 16 too to keep it worth winning for the big teams who are likely going to be in Div1 top 6.

You could organise fixtures by playing 4 rounds of the league over 6-7 weeks say in March/April. Then break for 5-6 weeks for club football. Then back in July to play provincial championships. August & September you finish off the remaining league games & AI series.

Do you think this would get through congress?

munchkin · February 09, 2017, 09:31:30 AM

sambostar , I presume you mean that the league becomes a defacto qualifier for the championship with wildcards for provincial winners

Its something I'd be in favour of, as you have 7 meaningful games against teams of your own standard, the provincial championship with all the local rivalries, lower teams still are in the championship. You could go one further and have a first (+ second ?) round with the best of the rest , essentially how the FA cup runs with the lower seeded teams playing off against each other first and the higher seeded teams coming in at a later stage .

It'd not get through congress any time soon , but is more of a runner than what the GPA proposed last year which was essentially a call to detach the provincials from the all ireland championship , which was plain daft (and they are still humped that it was rejected , but its their own fault for not suggesting something "passable" in the first place)

Farrandeelin · February 09, 2017, 09:36:57 AM

I still think thewobbler's view on how the championship should be run is the best one yet.

Rossfan · February 09, 2017, 10:00:50 AM

Keeping the Provincials as an integral part of the AI championship is unfair on Ulster teams.
This year Ros have to beat Leitrim/London to guarantee a place in the last 12.
Can't recall the Ulster draw but no one will get it that handy ( on paper anyway).

Syferus · February 09, 2017, 10:21:54 AM

Quote from: Rossfan on February 09, 2017, 10:00:50 AM
Keeping the Provincials as an integral part of the AI championship is unfair on Ulster teams.
This year Ros have to beat Leitrim/London to guarantee a place in the last 12.
Can't recall the Ulster draw but no one will get it that handy ( on paper anyway).

Most of Ulster is shite though. Easy enough for good teams to win it when they happen to come already along. Half the province wouldn't watch their county if their life depended on it..

Rossfan · February 09, 2017, 11:06:31 AM

First sentence is not true
Second sentence needs translation from Syfīnese
3rd sentence is irrelevant