Gripe with the GAA

[lynchbhoy]

Its amazing...if they don't get playing in Croke Park they complain...if they do play in Croke Park they complain!!!!

The team/managment want to play in Croke Park...the fans get a weekend in Dublin seeing their football/hurling teams play...

45 Euro for 3 matches is not that much money really....its less than a meal out or a night on teh beer or less than a Nintendo game etc...

thats understandable, but you are thinking of this on your own terms.
Picture yourself with a mortgage (living in Cavan or portlaoise no doubt) shopaholic wife, three kids under the age of 8.
Your missus is football mad too and you have to go as a family to all the games Dublin play.

Those days there are no nights out on the beer, no time to watch or buy nintendo, and a meal out is a no no as you cant get a babysitter and if you could after what it costs, you can only afford a takeaway

no everyone in Ireland became flush with cash after the celtic tiger. Even those who did would still struggle to bring themselves , wife and kids up to Croker,clones, pairc ui caoimh etc etc numerous times in the summer without it putting a big dent in the finances - throw in the prospect of a sun holiday - something has to give..

[DUBSFORSAM1]

Lynchboy

Thats why I don't go on the auld sun holiday....my disposable income is spent going to the football....
Stop the wife shopping and give the kids the choice of going to the matches or going on a sun holiday etc....the same way you don't spend 500 Euro on going to a match with the family...

[6th sam]

As a neutral GAA fan,I can't understand this antagonism for the Dubs.
The atmosphere generated in Croke with the Dubs playing is the envy of every other sport in Ireland.The behaviour of Dubs fans and players isn't always perfect,but the same could be send of every other county.
Regarding paying for tickets-GAA tickets are competitive when compared to other sports and events.The fact that players aren't paid out of gate receipts is irrelevant,the GAA has chosen to spend it's money in other ways--primarily development of our games,while other sports have made a decision to pay their players.
Regarding the cost of tickets,I know  many Irish people who would be described as low income ,who purchase season tickets for cross-channel soccer clubs and regularly travel to watch their team.They manage to budget accordingly.Meanwhile we have so-called fans here who expect the GAA to bankroll their hobby of watching an occasional AISFC game[maximum 10 games/year].I took my kids to a number of county games this year NFL,USFC and Qualifiers,and they didn't have to pay in once!What other organisation provides such free access to kids ,and gets no credit for it.

Regarding complaints about going to Croke Park too often:as a Down fan I can't wait until we get a chance to make that particular complaint.

[Msgr. Horan]

Have to agree with original poster, €45 for a replay is rip-off.

Precedent was set last year when Mayo v Laois replay was played as a curtain raiser to Kilkenny versus Clare i think. Not even the same sport so you had a large chunk of the Mayo following leaving cos they had zero interest in the hurling

I think alot of that was in the interests of getting home to be honest. I was at that game and would have loved to stay and watch it (although it was a bit one sided in the end), but with two young fellas with me it was too tempting to flake off early and get home at a reasonable time. We had been on the road since 6:30 allready that day, leaving then would have us home around 9, not midnight which it would probably having been waiting for that.. Waiting the extra 90 odd minutes would have meant alot more people leaving at the same time as well.

[Gnevin]

Stop moan for the love of god i mean if the game threw in at 2 you'd be home 2 hours earlier at 10 , big f**king deal . And then you no doubt be complaining about having to get up at 6 in the morning instead of 8 . No matter how you look at the GAA represents great value for what you get 45 euro each's you 2 top class games. show me where you can beat that!.

Right you are mate - 45 Euro for 2 top class matches - instead of forking out your 1.20 for the bus from your pad to Croker, try maybe contemplating the Dubs playing a championship match down in Limerick  and the logistics that go into it.

The stadium has to be some where now luckily  for me and other Dubs it's Dublin ,if the game was in Limerick , I'd go to Limerick , some people are never happy. The GAA tickets are v reasonable how do the FAI want for a friendly, 65 is it? For one game that if it was a challenge match in the GAA you'd get in for free!

[jungle]

totally agree with JBM on the 21.

[magickingdom]

After what has gone on this week with the rescheduling of the Cork - Waterford match, I have a few gripes to get of my chest


To me the GAA seems obsessed with the maximizing of profits:
Three issues stand out for me:


(1) Scheduling of Dublin matches on their own and in Croke Park.

Let's say Dublin play Kerry in the All-Ireland semi. Why should the game be played in Croke Park? Its not an All-Ireland final.

People will trot out the argument that Croke Park holds over 80000 and thus is the only stadium that could cater for this game - that's great but is it fair when you have 80000 Dubs and only 2000
from Kerry (who most set out from their homes at 6am that morning to catch the train up. Try telling a man down in Waterville who has two young lads onto him about going to the match in Dublin - that's a 7 hour trip to Dublin (not much change from 500 euro from the day out)
 

this shit drived me nuts! when have kerry ever played dublin in front of 82,000 people and only 2000 were from kerry?
as for the comments on hill 16, let the dubs have it. look at the atmosphere they bring? a number of kerry players have said they loved scoring into the hill 16 end in front of the dubs!

[orangeman]

My take on this is that there only a few occasions when you get to go to Croke Park to support your team - what's the big deal if it's €10 extra - it's Croke Park - Some counties don't ever get to Croke Park - EVER - So stop crying !!!

[orangeman]

And by the way - somebody has to pay for all the wages that paid out to all those who work there on match day - The players get big expenses and big feeds - so that's where the money goes to after all - you should be grateful we have such a fine HQ !! And if you want, you can a wee bit extra in !!

[magpie seanie]

I feel genuinely sorry for the cork supporters and they can rest assured that Sligo and Waterford will do their level best this weekend to end their misery!

[Romeo]

I feel genuinely sorry for the cork supporters and they can rest assured that Sligo and Waterford will do their level best this weekend to end their misery!

Sure they'd whinge as well if they weren't there!