Wide open spaces of Croke Park

[illdecide]

This phrase drives me bonkers...why is this term used when 90% of the inter-county pitches are the same size?. On a thread there people are talking about Armagh getting exposed in the wide open spaces of Croke Park but they were practically invincible playing in Clones for about 7-8 years and if anything Clones is bigger than croke Park and if not there wouldn't be a meter in it...I had a list before of the dimensions of all the county grounds in Ireland and they're all within a meter or two of each other bar 2 or 3 so why has Croke Park got the wide open spaces but the rest of the pitches have not

[5 Sams]

I'd say it's more of an optical illusion given the size of the stadium and the big crowd etc.

[BennyCake]

Aye it's all in their head.

Tell you what though. Davitt Park in Lurgan has to be the longest pitch in ireland, and I don't think that was all in my head. Always hated that place.

[illdecide]

Aye it's all in their head.

Tell you what though. Davitt Park in Lurgan has to be the longest pitch in ireland, and I don't think that was all in my head. Always hated that place.

lol...not any more Benny. It's 145m x 83m now but you're right about it previous. It was 154m long which was actually 10m longer than Croke Park and the kick from the midfield into the full forward line always caught the opposition out...

[JoG2]

I'd say it's more of an optical illusion given the size of the stadium and the big crowd etc.

One of the O'Sé brothers said it felt much wider because the gap between the side line and the seats was so wide. It gave the impression of so much space as opposed to a metal fence a yard or 2 fom the side line

[muppet]

This has more to do with the wide open space between the ears of those talking about it.

[LilySavage]

Croke Park far wider and longer than St Conleths, thats for sure

[illdecide]

This has more to do with the wide open space between the ears of those talking about it.

Sorry if this topic doesn't float your boat Muppet, maybe you should read some of the more interesting threads instead

[illdecide]

Croke Park far wider and longer than St Conleths, thats for sure

Croke Park is 144m x 90m. I'm sure the stadium around the pitch gives it the optical illusion that's its actually much bigger than it actually is but the dimensions are what they are...

[muppet]

This has more to do with the wide open space between the ears of those talking about it.

Sorry if this topic doesn't float your boat Muppet, maybe you should read some of the more interesting threads instead

Sorry I should have put the word 'writing', rather than 'talking', as I really meant the journalists who always refer to it as the 'wide-open spaces' of Croke Park.

[Rossfan]

This has more to do with the wide open space between the ears of those talking about it.

Sorry if this topic doesn't float your boat Muppet, maybe you should read some of the more interesting threads instead

Sorry I should have put the word 'writing', rather than 'talking', as I really meant the journalists who always refer to it as the 'wide-open spaces' of Croke Park.

+1. Lazy sports "journalism" at its worst.
Mind you Prenty McHale park  must barely qualify for minimum length - there seems to be only a metre or 2 between the 65 and the halfway lineen.

[armaghniac]

If any journalist was any use he would have a list of pitch dimensions to hand and could make intelligent observations, but the use of data seems alien to the Irish media.

[thewobbler]

It's a nonsense that pervades soccer as well. For Croke Park read the old Wembley. it's partly fuelled by the occasions making players knock their bollocks out and subsequently  feel tireder (the majority of games on either have been latter stages of a knockout tourney), but mostly fuelled by the camera angle, which is set at 10-20% higher than any ground and as such makes it feel bigger.

To see the inverse of the second theory, watch BBCNI local soccer. The camera angle at those grounds makes the pitches look tiny and if truth be told, makes the action look weaker.

[tiempo]

It's a nonsense that pervades soccer as well. For Croke Park read the old Wembley. it's partly fuelled by the occasions making players knock their bollocks out and subsequently  feel tireder (the majority of games on either have been latter stages of a knockout tourney), but mostly fuelled by the camera angle, which is set at 10-20% higher than any ground and as such makes it feel bigger.

To see the inverse of the second theory, watch BBCNI local soccer. The camera angle at those grounds makes the pitches look tiny and if truth be told, makes the action look weaker.

Definately right about the occasion getting to players and the experience of playing at Croke Park, I know players that have played there for the first time find it deceptive and it probably takes some getting used to. Specific example being a shot from between the 21 and 45 feels like much further out.

BBCNI local soccer is cabbage patch footy. The mind boggles actually that local soccer (amateur) is played on pitches way smaller than at the top level. That said, our inter-county matches are 35mins a side while club footy is 30mins.

[JoG2]

It's a nonsense that pervades soccer as well. For Croke Park read the old Wembley. it's partly fuelled by the occasions making players knock their bollocks out and subsequently  feel tireder (the majority of games on either have been latter stages of a knockout tourney), but mostly fuelled by the camera angle, which is set at 10-20% higher than any ground and as such makes it feel bigger.

To see the inverse of the second theory, watch BBCNI local soccer. The camera angle at those grounds makes the pitches look tiny and if truth be told, makes the action look weaker.

Definately right about the occasion getting to players and the experience of playing at Croke Park, I know players that have played there for the first time find it deceptive and it probably takes some getting used to. Specific example being a shot from between the 21 and 45 feels like much further out.

BBCNI local soccer is cabbage patch footy. The mind boggles actually that local soccer (amateur) is played on pitches way smaller than at the top level. That said, our inter-county matches are 35mins a side while club footy is 30mins.

Soccer pitches are small the world over. Mind walking into Old Trafford when I was a nipper and couldn't get over how small it was ! Wembley was the same....there's not a council pitch in the Derry City area much smaller than Premier League pitches.