Playing at home for the rest of the Season (year)!

From the Bunker · April 07, 2014, 08:15:01 PM

Do we have it in any other sport? Can you imagine Man Utd with such an advantage? Bayern Munich? Munster (in rugby)? God even Celtic with a whole season of home games in the league and Cup, they'd be unbackable? On top of all this there is economics and convenience for the fans. Is there a work around? Not really. The authorities that be are naturally concerned about making money and making as much as possible. So the chasing bunch will have to just work around this disadvantage each year?

Redhand Santa · April 07, 2014, 08:24:18 PM

I think it would be better for the game and I don't think Dublin fans would mind if they'd the odd away game during the championship. I think this year if Laois win their game they should have been at home to Dublin. This was a great opportunity to take Dublin out of Croke Park. It was an opportunity to fill Portlaois which rarily if ever happens and would have created a lot of hype around the game. The atmosphere would have been better and it would have looked better on tv.

I'd say if the game happens it will only attract an extra 4 or 5000 to Croke Park max. When you consider the boxes etc extra revenue would be limited.

Also if Dublin get knocked out in Leinster they should be faced with away games like everyone else.

Farrandeelin · April 07, 2014, 08:38:36 PM

But isn't Parnell Park their home ground.....

bucko · April 07, 2014, 08:43:30 PM

Considering the fact the the GAA announced with much fanfare that they had cleared the debt on Croker and they will be due several big pay days with the 1 Direction and Garth Brooks concert the argument for them holding as many matches there as possible doesn't really hold much water anymore. The decision to hold the league semis there this weekend is beyond reason. The fact that the Cork, Mayo and Derry supporters have 2-3 hour trips to make plus associated transport, food etc. costs is a major show of inconsideration by the GAA. In contrast, the average Dub supporter can have the Sunday dinner, out the door and be in Croker inside an hour on public transport. From my information Croke park needs an attendance if at least 30000 to break even, I would be surprised if they came close to that Sunday, especially since Sunday week is Easter where I'd say a lot of people have travel plans made for and won't want to do long trips 2 weekends in a row. Logic would've had the Dublin/Cork game in Portlaoise and Derry/Mayo in Sligo or Cavan, making day trips for all sets of supporters easier along with giving a bit of an economic boost locally. As far as the longer term goes, regardless of what officials say, the Dublin players and supporters regard Croke park as home turf, and that always carries a advantage. Dublin should be made play away more in the Leinster championship. It might actually benefit the players, the supporters might have great day out down the country and the local pubs, shops would get a bit of the cash that normally flows into headquarters and the surrounding area!

Beantown · April 07, 2014, 08:46:46 PM

Quote from: Farrandeelin on April 07, 2014, 08:38:36 PM
But isn't Parnell Park their home ground.....

They can't fill it.... Doesn't have the same attraction as croker ..
They would only get 5-6000 at matches.. Which is average enough attendance

Ringfort · April 07, 2014, 10:03:20 PM

It's such a blatant advantage I cannot understand how they get away with it and how more teams in Leinster don't kick up over it. Everyone knows it is not their official home but sure how many games do you see the Dubs in Parnell each year? 3 or 4 O'Byrne matches? When you have the likes of Jack O 'Connor in the paper there talking about how important it is to get the team up to Croke Park for latter stages of the league as it helps further down the line in the Championship, how it feels and plays differently to every pitch in the country, and this from a Kerryman who's team are in it several times each year! The likes of Longford and Wexford are lambs to the slaughter having to play their LSFC against Dublin there. Different story down the country.

I would hope some pressure builds on this issue at some stage. Imagine in the FA cup if Chelsea got to play all their games at Wembley cos Stamford Bridge was too small?!

Dont Matter · April 07, 2014, 10:11:25 PM

I think I've mentioned this once or twice.

The GAA made/make a huge investment into Dublin GAA, they want that investment to make them profits so every advantage will be given to the Dubs. 8 years now since they played a championship game away from home. 8 YEARS!!!!!! Imagine never having an away championship match for 8 years, crazy. That day 8 years ago Longford nearly bet them in Pearse Park, the GAA got a fright and have never let it happen again.

From the Bunker · April 07, 2014, 10:20:44 PM

Quote from: Dont Matter on April 07, 2014, 10:11:25 PM
I think I've mentioned this once or twice.

The GAA made/make a huge investment into Dublin GAA, they want that investment to make them profits so every advantage will be given to the Dubs. 8 years now since they played a championship game away from home. 8 YEARS!!!!!! Imagine never having an away championship match for 8 years, crazy. That day 8 years ago Longford nearly bet them in Pearse Park, the GAA got a fright and have never let it happen again.

Once or twice, now that's an understatement.

Farrandeelin · April 07, 2014, 10:33:40 PM

It's easy to dismiss Don't Matter as an annoying nutcase, but 8 years...Jesus imagine Mayo not playing outside Castlebar for 8 years in Connacht, holy Christ there'd be uproar from our friends in Sligo, Galway and I wouldn't like to think of what that would do to Rossfan and his blood pressure.

larryin89 · April 07, 2014, 10:39:44 PM

It's beyond belief when you think about it in the cold light of day.There is no justification to it.

My own county like everyone else's are better at home than they are away , if we played the last seven all Ireland finals we were in at McHale park Castlebar , I would put my life on it that we would not be still experiencing a famine.

Croke park should certainly be used for august weekend onwards for championship and I'd have no objection to Dublin using it as their home ground for Leinster championship so long as the were was a home/away alt arrangement with all other counties as in the same as we played Roscommon in McHale last year so this year it will be the Hyde .

Dont Matter · April 07, 2014, 10:43:19 PM

Well lads it needs to be sorted, why isn't anyone backing me up? It's always defended even by non Dubs. I regularly am up protesting outside of Croke Park, I have a couple of different banners I use. One is 'stop treating us like the blacks, this is our home too'. You'd think someone in the media would cover it but they're thinking of their pockets also, only pro Dub stories allowed. It's like apartheid around here boys, and I'm the only Nelson Mandela willing to fight.

heffo · April 07, 2014, 10:56:16 PM

Dublin should be playing regularly outside Croke park but the turkeys in the Leinster council know where their bread is buttered so won't vote for Christmas.

Someone has to pay for clubhouses in Meath, pitches in Laois and bailouts in Kildare.

I've a pain in my hole going to matches in Croker and much prefer going to away league games

Dont Matter · April 07, 2014, 11:04:20 PM

Quote from: heffo on April 07, 2014, 10:56:16 PM
Dublin should be playing regularly outside Croke park but the turkeys in the Leinster council know where their bread is buttered so won't vote for Christmas.

Someone has to pay for clubhouses in Meath, pitches in Laois and bailouts in Kildare.

I've a pain in my hole going to matches in Croker and much prefer going to away league games

This lad is 'well known to gardaí' in Dublin so he likes to participate in his recreational activities down the country under less scrutiny.

Ringfort · April 08, 2014, 01:20:53 AM

Lads, I cannot recall off the top of my head but where do the likes of Meath play the majority of their games the last 10-15 years? My impression is its Croker through double headers and the like. If they were any use it would be nearly as much advantage to them as Dublin. Is it only lowly Carlow , Longford Offaly etc that play mostly down the country?

Hound · April 08, 2014, 08:42:17 AM

There was surprise in Dublin that the Leinster Council fixed our Leinster quarter-final for Croke Park this year. Leinster semi-final double bill in Croker makes sense, but the quarter-finals should definitely be played elsewhere, and you would not get anyone from Dublin arguing otherwise.

Have any of the NFL semi-finalists complained about the venue for this week?
Dunno about Mayo, but I bet that Cork and Derry both let HQ know they'd prefer to play in Croker rather than any other neutral venue.

As for the qualifiers, Dublin get treated the same as anyone else, although the fact we are reasonably well supported does rule out some venues.
In 2010 we got lucky twice. Drew Tipp in round 2 and there was a draw as to whether the match would be played in Semple or Croker and we won the draw. R3 the same we won the draw and our match v Armagh was played in Croker rather than Clones (televised draws in both cases, rather than behind closed doors type of draws!).

Previous times we were in the qualifiers in 03 and 04, we played away to Leitrim, neutral venue v Longford and away v Derry (though the latter was moved to Clones).