Armagh and Galway not allowed to play their quarter final in Croke Park

[Maguire01]

If Cork want a double-header, should they not be forced to also share it with a third game? There are 3 games on today and tomorrow in Croker - surely there'd be room for a third game on the day or Cork's games. One game at 1 o'clock, another at 3 and another at 5.

[AFS]

If Cork want a double-header, should they not be forced to also share it with a third game? There are 3 games on today and tomorrow in Croker - surely there'd be room for a third game on the day or Cork's games. One game at 1 o'clock, another at 3 and another at 5.

Wouldn't be a bad idea but isn't there a hurling minor semi final on that day too?

I'd like to back down a bit from my criticism of Cork, I was under the impression that their hurling semi final was also moved to the 10th to set up a double header, but after checking the GAA master fixture list I see that this isn't the case. Therefore a Cork double header does make good sense.

I suppose the crux of my problem with the situation is that Croke Park is free on the ninth and there are 3 games (Dublin V ?, Armagh V ?, Galway V ?) that could potential be played there on that date. Two of those games (Armagh V ? and Galway V ?) could both be accommodated no problem, however it seems that the other game (Dublin V ?) is being given preference over these two games. Why is it being taken as gospel that Dublin have to play their match in Croke Park on the ninth? Why can't Galway or Armagh demand the use of the stadium on that date like Dublin have? Croke Park is owned by every county in the country equally, yet at the minute it seems Dublin are being given first call on it. This is my problem - Dublin do not own Croke Park so why are they being given first call on it?

By the way I'm not really having a go at Dublin. Fair play to them if they can force themselves into the same stadium for the whole championship. Fair play to them for insisting that they play on the dates that suit them. Its the GAA's administrators that are to blame, firstly for letting this fixture pile up to develop, and secondly for not having the balls to stand up and sort it out in a common sense way thats fair for all counties involved.

[DUBSFORSAM1]

AFS - Croke Park was free at most for 2 football games on the 9th and that has been known since before the championship even started without any complaints about it. Are you advocating that matches should be moved to limit to amount of people who attend the games? Why should Dublin who are the Leinster champions be moved out of the province to play their qtr-final? Why can't Armagh/Galway play their qtr-finals in their own provinces ie Tuam/Clones and there will be still more tickets for them than playing a Double header with Dublin.

Dublin are just insisting on playing on the dates that are in the fixture listing as to when they are playing - what is wrong with that?

[corn02]

AFS - Croke Park was free at most for 2 football games on the 9th and that has been known since before the championship even started without any complaints about it. Are you advocating that matches should be moved to limit to amount of people who attend the games? Why should Dublin who are the Leinster champions be moved out of the province to play their qtr-final? Why can't Armagh/Galway play their qtr-finals in their own provinces ie Tuam/Clones and there will be still more tickets for them than playing a Double header with Dublin.

Dublin are just insisting on playing on the dates that are in the fixture listing as to when they are playing - what is wrong with that?

Fair enough point. Expth the provincial thing of course but your argument for Dublin is correct.

[DUBSFORSAM1]

AFS - Croke Park was free at most for 2 football games on the 9th and that has been known since before the championship even started without any complaints about it. Are you advocating that matches should be moved to limit to amount of people who attend the games? Why should Dublin who are the Leinster champions be moved out of the province to play their qtr-final? Why can't Armagh/Galway play their qtr-finals in their own provinces ie Tuam/Clones and there will be still more tickets for them than playing a Double header with Dublin.

Dublin are just insisting on playing on the dates that are in the fixture listing as to when they are playing - what is wrong with that?

Fair enough point. Expth the provincial thing of course but your argument for Dublin is correct.

Corn - Why is the provincial thing wrong?

[corn02]

Croke Park as such isn't viewed as Leinster venue, it is viewed at HQ, the big stage, the place teams want to play in.

Provincial winner should play there, as has been the norm. I understand what you mean about playing in their own province but you have to accept that Croke Park is above that?

[DUBSFORSAM1]

Croke Park though is the Leinster provincial ground and if viewed as not then a new 80k stadium needs to be built which is ridiculous...

[AFS]

AFS - Croke Park was free at most for 2 football games on the 9th and that has been known since before the championship even started without any complaints about it. Are you advocating that matches should be moved to limit to amount of people who attend the games? Why should Dublin who are the Leinster champions be moved out of the province to play their qtr-final? Why can't Armagh/Galway play their qtr-finals in their own provinces ie Tuam/Clones and there will be still more tickets for them than playing a Double header with Dublin.

Dublin are just insisting on playing on the dates that are in the fixture listing as to when they are playing - what is wrong with that?

Your point that I've highlighted is quite ironic, since if Armagh are forced to play at Clones (which is the best case scenario, and by no means guaranteed) its very likely that there'll be a good few Armagh supporters that will miss the game due to a lack of tickets. Are these Armagh supporters less important than Dublin ones? Also, what are the chances of Kerry, Mayo or Wexford agreeing to come to Clones? Its far more likely that Armagh will be dragged to an even smaller provincial ground somewhere in the midlands to face any of these teams. All I'm asking for it that every member county of the association be given equal use of the associations main stadium, which at the minute they're not.

[DUBSFORSAM1]

AFS - Croke Park was free at most for 2 football games on the 9th and that has been known since before the championship even started without any complaints about it. Are you advocating that matches should be moved to limit to amount of people who attend the games? Why should Dublin who are the Leinster champions be moved out of the province to play their qtr-final? Why can't Armagh/Galway play their qtr-finals in their own provinces ie Tuam/Clones and there will be still more tickets for them than playing a Double header with Dublin.

Dublin are just insisting on playing on the dates that are in the fixture listing as to when they are playing - what is wrong with that?

Your point that I've highlighted is quite ironic, since if Armagh are forced to play at Clones (which is the best case scenario, and by no means guaranteed) its very likely that there'll be a good few Armagh supporters that will miss the game due to a lack of tickets. Are these Armagh supporters less important than Dublin ones? Also, what are the chances of Kerry, Mayo or Wexford agreeing to come to Clones? Its far more likely that Armagh will be dragged to an even smaller provincial ground somewhere in the midlands to face any of these teams. All I'm asking for it that every member county of the association be given equal use of the associations main stadium, which at the minute they're not.

Clones holds practically 35k which will be at least half of the available number of tickets available in Croke Park for a double header once the Premium and the Box seats are taken out so there is no way they would get less tickets. So that arguement doesn't hold water. You then have the reduced costs for fans which we keep hearing are very costly for families so thats another bonus. How many Armagh fans have been going to the championship games this year? 15-20K maybe and nearly all them will get tickets to Clones - what about the 30k Dublin fans who have been at all games who wouldn't get a ticket, are they not important at all???

With regards to the qualifier teams my point has always been that the provincial winners should get the benefits of being champions and going through the front door by getting effectively a home game and extra tickets.

So no doubt you demand that the Armagh hurlers get the exact same treatment as the Armagh footballers if you want everyone to be treated the same??

[AFS]

AFS - Croke Park was free at most for 2 football games on the 9th and that has been known since before the championship even started without any complaints about it. Are you advocating that matches should be moved to limit to amount of people who attend the games? Why should Dublin who are the Leinster champions be moved out of the province to play their qtr-final? Why can't Armagh/Galway play their qtr-finals in their own provinces ie Tuam/Clones and there will be still more tickets for them than playing a Double header with Dublin.

Dublin are just insisting on playing on the dates that are in the fixture listing as to when they are playing - what is wrong with that?

Your point that I've highlighted is quite ironic, since if Armagh are forced to play at Clones (which is the best case scenario, and by no means guaranteed) its very likely that there'll be a good few Armagh supporters that will miss the game due to a lack of tickets. Are these Armagh supporters less important than Dublin ones? Also, what are the chances of Kerry, Mayo or Wexford agreeing to come to Clones? Its far more likely that Armagh will be dragged to an even smaller provincial ground somewhere in the midlands to face any of these teams. All I'm asking for it that every member county of the association be given equal use of the associations main stadium, which at the minute they're not.

Clones holds practically 35k which will be at least half of the available number of tickets available in Croke Park for a double header once the Premium and the Box seats are taken out so there is no way they would get less tickets. So that argument doesn't hold water. You then have the reduced costs for fans which we keep hearing are very costly for families so thats another bonus. How many Armagh fans have been going to the championship games this year? 15-20K maybe and nearly all them will get tickets to Clones - what about the 30k Dublin fans who have been at all games who wouldn't get a ticket, are they not important at all???

This is going nowhere. We both think that our respective provincial champs should get to Croke Park. My problem is not with Dublin, but with the people who've decided that they should get there ahead of teams from other provinces.

Don't really know where you're going about the cost of the day. The tickets will be the same price regardless of the venue and for many people in Armagh getting to Dublin is just as easy as getting to Clones such due to the vastly superior roads, trains, etc.

With regards to the qualifier teams my point has always been that the provincial winners should get the benefits of being champions and going through the front door by getting effectively a home game and extra tickets.

I agree, but this just isn't the case unfortunately.

So no doubt you demand that the Armagh hurlers get the exact same treatment as the Armagh footballers if you want everyone to be treated the same??

They do, in fact you could say that they get better treatment due to the fact that they were actually allowed to play in Croke Park last year. 

[corn02]

Croke Park though is the Leinster provincial ground and if viewed as not then a new 80k stadium needs to be built which is ridiculous...

Just don't think your getting me here.

[INDIANA]

its simple econmoics AFS , Dubli fill croke park, armagh don't Dublin are a cash cow, armagh aren't. The basis of your argument is technically correct in that Croke park is a national stadium not a dublin one. But i know dublin get croke park because they fill it. 82,500= 4-5m gate receipts, 5 times average a year, thats a lot of money. ot sayig its right, but thats the reason.

[corn02]

Agrred Indiana, just we have point out stuipid mistakes when Tankie says there has been over 70k at Dublin games this year.

[AFS]

Yeah I know Indiana. Suppose the rest of us are just going to have to put up with it this time round and hope that such a messy situation isn't allowed to develop again in future.

[ardal]

What about opening up Parnell park and whacking in a massive  TV screen for a double header involving the dubs? Understand it's not the same as being in CP, but beggars can't be choosers