Irish League Attendances

[red hander]

'If Sunday football is the issue when the is the LOI crowds not much better?'

Cos everybody's at the GAA matches

[mylestheslasher]

USFC: Replay Cavan V Antrim

3865

What happened here???

It was a replay on a Saturday evening in Belfast. I made it there but most of Cavan fans stayed at home depressed after the abysmal performance we had put on in the first game. There was a time that Cavan were the best supported in team in Ulster but that has gone now.

[corn02]

Hardy har har.

[heganboy]

Hang on a minute, let's not let the enormity of the occasion pass.
Mw and fearon agreed on something, I've seen it all now.
I think that's the first time Tony has agreed with any of the owc folks regarding IFA related issues.
I'm away for a drink or a lie down. (Ok a drink)

[deiseach]

Cos everybody's at the GAA matches

More likely they're at Anfield and Old Trafford

[Gnevin]

Cos everybody's at the GAA matches

More likely they're at Anfield and Old Trafford

Unless that's the name of the local pub i doubt it

[deiseach]

Unless that's the name of the local pub i doubt it

Why? Because they don't play soccer on a Sunday in England?

[Gnevin]

Unless that's the name of the local pub i doubt it

Why? Because they don't play soccer on a Sunday in England?

No because we are talking about LOI attendances. 

[deiseach]

No because we are talking about LOI attendances. 

Still plenty of overlap between the respective seasons. And Premiership (or whatever) fans like an off season

[Gnevin]

No because we are talking about LOI attendances. 

Still plenty of overlap between the respective seasons. And Premiership (or whatever) fans like an off season

And your point being? 

[Als-your-pal]

From an earlier discussion with Sammy:

2005 Ulster Teams Championship attendances.
(NOTE that these exclude the qualifier series matches).

USFC: Armagh V Tyrone	61000
USFC: Replay Armagh V Tyrone	32000
USFC: Derry V Armagh	27633
USFC: Donegal V Armagh	25622
USFC: Tyrone V Cavan	23441
USFC: Armagh V Fermanagh	23107
USFC: Replay Armagh V Donegal	18227
USFC: Tyrone V Down	18200
USFC: Replay Tyrone V Cavan	16492
USFC: Monaghan V Derry	16314
USFC: Cavan V Antrim	10500
USFC: Replay Cavan V Antrim	3865
AIQF: Tyrone V Dublin	78514
AIQF: Armagh V Laois	32187
AISF: Tyrone V Armagh	65858
AIF: Tyrone V Kerry	82112

Note that these are official figures.
Earlier round games in particular will probably show figures lower than the real attendances - Non-paying kids aren't taken into account.

--------------------------------

JJB Irish Cup Final 2005 Portadown V Larne  5,431

To quote GAA county attendances v's Irish league clubs is not a fair comparsion.
What would the attendances be for local GAA club games?

[deiseach]

And your point being? 

The point is that you can trace the decline of LoI attendances to Match of the Day, the Big Match and live English soccer. The people who drifted away in the 60's, 70's and 80's are not drifting back now that we have summer soccer.

[Gnevin]

And your point being? 

The point is that you can trace the decline of LoI attendances to Match of the Day, the Big Match and live English soccer. The people who drifted away in the 60's, 70's and 80's are not drifting back now that we have summer soccer.

Owe OK get you now

[snatter]

From an earlier discussion with Sammy:

2005 Ulster Teams Championship attendances.
(NOTE that these exclude the qualifier series matches).

USFC: Armagh V Tyrone	61000
USFC: Replay Armagh V Tyrone	32000
USFC: Derry V Armagh	27633
USFC: Donegal V Armagh	25622
USFC: Tyrone V Cavan	23441
USFC: Armagh V Fermanagh	23107
USFC: Replay Armagh V Donegal	18227
USFC: Tyrone V Down	18200
USFC: Replay Tyrone V Cavan	16492
USFC: Monaghan V Derry	16314
USFC: Cavan V Antrim	10500
USFC: Replay Cavan V Antrim	3865
AIQF: Tyrone V Dublin	78514
AIQF: Armagh V Laois	32187
AISF: Tyrone V Armagh	65858
AIF: Tyrone V Kerry	82112

Note that these are official figures.
Earlier round games in particular will probably show figures lower than the real attendances - Non-paying kids aren't taken into account.

--------------------------------

JJB Irish Cup Final 2005 Portadown V Larne  5,431

To quote GAA county attendances v's Irish league clubs is not a fair comparsion.
What would the attendances be for local GAA club games?

As stated, this was a quote from a previous discussion with Sammy over GAA v's NI soccer attendances. The original discussion also included NI international soccer attendances for the same period:

Northern Ireland V Azerbaijan   11909
Northern Ireland V England      14069
Northern Ireland V Wales      13451

I was highlighting the undisputed fact that, within Northern Ireland GAA attendances dwarf those of all other sports.

By including the Irish Cup final, I was trying to be fair and comprehensive - I was genuinely surprised how low the Irish Cup final attendance was, given that
a. it was supposed to be the highlight of the NI soccer season, and
b. more importantly, from a GAA fans view, the disproportionate coverage given to it by local TV, radio and print media.

If there are any other major Irish League attendances in the same period (2005), then feel free to add them.
You could also dig out GAA National League, Club Championship, and County Final attendances while you're at it.
If you did so, the gap between Ni soccer and GAA attendances would be even more stark.

Rather than try and nit-pick with figures, any fair minded individual would ask, why is it that NI media media gives such vast over-exposure to NI soccer, at the expense of gaelic games?

I regard the total lack of proportionality in NI sport coverage as nothing short of institutionalised sectarianism within those media bodies that claim to serve the whole NI community, ie BBC NI, UTV, Belfast Telegraph.

When are they going to start basing the depth of their coverage on real local interest as demonsratated by real attendances?
That, my friend is the real issue here.

[mannix]

How many did you expect with the quality on show?