Down Club Hurling & Football

[Mourne Red]

Down Facebook page deleted their post about pricing because of the backlash in the comments about charging u16s into matches... But TheWobbler will have you believe it's justified, there's an idiot in every village as they say.

If continually shouting louder and louder helps you convince yourself this a simple black and white issue, then I suppose you gotta do what you gotta do.

I prefer chatting to people with a more open mind. So I'm tuning out.

Enjoy the championship. It will never be cheaper again.

When they introduced £2 entry for u16s for "anti-social" behaviour there was backlash on this board now they want to charge £5. Championship was cheaper back in 2019. Good night ✌🏻

[Smurfy123]

What's wrong with charging kids £5?
If you don't want to pay the £5 then don't go
No doubt if the same people were asked to pay £50 for wee Johnny to attend a soccer match in England it wouldn't be an issue.
It's acceptable to jump on the back off the GAA and expect everything for free
Ah the grab all association
What about the children getting all year membership for about 30 a year
I know here in Warrenpoint to attend our local soccer club it's that a month and if we are not happy then away on you go
And by the way I'm happy to pay it
£20 for 2 adults and 2 children to attend a championship match in Down is nothing Have a think about it

[johnnycool]

So in summary, according to you, the county board which is currently:

1. Not scheduling double headers.

2. Avoiding taking payments at the gate, in favour of losing a cut on every ticket to Stripe and the App producer.

3. Charging reduced prices.

Are only doing all this because they're batshit crazy bastards who don't understand capacity regulations in the six counties.

Makes perfect sense.

——

Hit me with "that's for double headers" all you like. Prior to Covid you'd have paid more than £5 into any SFC game going back 10 years - whether you wanted to watch 1 game, 1.5 games or 2.

There is actually a per adult cost saving going on. Don't try to pretend otherwise. The maths behind it is primary one stuff.

There is no cost saving going on at all, either you are on the CB or very stupid. The CB have had a disaster and if you can't see the anger on social media from the decision to charge u16s you don't belong in the GAA. You just ignored my point where I proved you wrong about the double header you said it doesn't matter if you wanted to watch 1 game it was still £10.. it was £10 for 2 matches just because you've no interest in the match before doesn't mean it was £10 for 1 match.

Also the buck stupid decision to schedule SHC and SFC match's for Bredagh 24 hours apart is another example of how incompetent they are.

Not the first time that has happened just ask Liatroim

Probably forgot they'd a hurling game on the Sunday.....

They've now moved the hurling to the tuesday night onto one of the floodlit pitches in Cherryvale which IIRC is only 130metres long. There'll be lads taking scores from their own 20 metre line....

[thewobbler]

It was a little thoughtless by CCC.

But I do think it's possibly time that hurling folk in our county moved to bring their championships forward, so as not to clash with football.

I know we should in theory protect and honour the dual player. But if a coupon of dozen men (can it be many more than that) wish to pursue two sports equally to a very high level, is it fair to expect the rest of us to build our schedule around their narrow needs?

What are the reasons why hurling championships couldn't start earlier?

[Truth hurts]

I have to agree with Wobbler and Smurfy about the tickets prices, the past few years a first-round match would have been at least £8 with prices rising to £15 for the final. The ticketing is most likely due to risk assessments and ensuring the county board knows the exact capacity. The backlash from some people is laughable, complaining about paying a fiver to take their kid into a championship match to see a game of football, yet they don't complain when having to pay nearly a fiver in their local pub for a pint of beer. The county board gets a very hard time and usually by people who would not volunteer in their club.

[johnnycool]

It was a little thoughtless by CCC.

But I do think it's possibly time that hurling folk in our county moved to bring their championships forward, so as not to clash with football.

I know we should in theory protect and honour the dual player. But if a coupon of dozen men (can it be many more than that) wish to pursue two sports equally to a very high level, is it fair to expect the rest of us to build our schedule around their narrow needs?

What are the reasons why hurling championships couldn't start earlier?

Probably the same reasons the football one wasn't started earlier which I'm only guessing is that with the various changes to the GAA calendars that they don't want to play championship through the summer period when people may be taking time off for holidays..

Only surmising.

[Truth hurts]

The bet of the weekend is 7/4 Loughinisland, mark my words, you think Tyrone has been cute hoors!!

[Smurfy123]

Our club people should know better than go onto Facebook and slam the county board for a £5 fee to atttend a championship match
Normally teams put on a show and to see some great players and skill
All for a £5
Head to the bowling alley with the kids and you will know about the costs
Or a swimming club
Or the local soccer club
You will be paying a lot more than a £5

[thewobbler]

It was a little thoughtless by CCC.

But I do think it's possibly time that hurling folk in our county moved to bring their championships forward, so as not to clash with football.

I know we should in theory protect and honour the dual player. But if a coupon of dozen men (can it be many more than that) wish to pursue two sports equally to a very high level, is it fair to expect the rest of us to build our schedule around their narrow needs?

What are the reasons why hurling championships couldn't start earlier?

Probably the same reasons the football one wasn't started earlier which I'm only guessing is that with the various changes to the GAA calendars that they don't want to play championship through the summer period when people may be taking time off for holidays..

Only surmising.

But let's say next year Johnny. Would it be impractical to play the hurling championship a little earlier?

I've mentioned it before on here, and it's the major reason why I prefer u17 grades to u18 grades. In 2017 Liatroim were going well in the MFC, MCC, IHC and IFC simultaneously, with a handful of players involved in all four teams. Expecting CCC to be able to facilitate this was actually unreasonable and to be fair, I heard few complaints from Liatroim at the time (even though I believe they ended up underperforming in each grade). But it was an eye opener into just how difficult it can be to plan championships when they fully overlap.

[Truth hurts]

Our club people should know better than go onto Facebook and slam the county board for a £5 fee to atttend a championship match
Normally teams put on a show and to see some great players and skill
All for a £5
Head to the bowling alley with the kids and you will know about the costs
Or a swimming club
Or the local soccer club
You will be paying a lot more than a £5

At 5/1 are you worth a punt?

[upandwin]

Slaughtneil seemed to manage it alright if I remember...heard a good story about Chrissy McKeague addressing the changing room the week they won their Ulster Championship and saying if any man goes on the beer that Sunday, not to bother coming to Hurling training the Tuesday night in advance of their Hurling final 7 days later. I get that not every club can have their mentality but there was certainly a crossover of at least 7/8 starting players for both Hurling and Football teams in that run up to both championships...Just shows you how much it meant to them...very impressive

[upandwin]

Our club people should know better than go onto Facebook and slam the county board for a £5 fee to atttend a championship match
Normally teams put on a show and to see some great players and skill
All for a £5
Head to the bowling alley with the kids and you will know about the costs
Or a swimming club
Or the local soccer club
You will be paying a lot more than a £5

Burren are worth a punt at 5/1...a fair price for us would be around 7 or 8/1 IMO...Clonduff at 16s surely the value of the outsiders no?
At 5/1 are you worth a punt?

[Truth hurts]

Our club people should know better than go onto Facebook and slam the county board for a £5 fee to atttend a championship match
Normally teams put on a show and to see some great players and skill
All for a £5
Head to the bowling alley with the kids and you will know about the costs
Or a swimming club
Or the local soccer club
You will be paying a lot more than a £5

Burren and Burren lite both at 5/1 are good shouts for the champ, I think McCorry will be eyeing up an assault on the title. Clonduff at 16/1 is definitely a massive price and especially as they will easily account for the Super reds. Downpatrick are also a good E/W price as 25/1 but I will put my neck out and name the semi-finalists of Kilcoo, CPN, Burren and Loughinisland. 2 south and 2 East Down.


Burren are worth a punt at 5/1...a fair price for us would be around 7 or 8/1 IMO...Clonduff at 16s surely the value of the outsiders no?
At 5/1 are you worth a punt?

[bigarsedkeeper]

It was a little thoughtless by CCC.

But I do think it's possibly time that hurling folk in our county moved to bring their championships forward, so as not to clash with football.

I know we should in theory protect and honour the dual player. But if a coupon of dozen men (can it be many more than that) wish to pursue two sports equally to a very high level, is it fair to expect the rest of us to build our schedule around their narrow needs?

What are the reasons why hurling championships couldn't start earlier?

Probably the same reasons the football one wasn't started earlier which I'm only guessing is that with the various changes to the GAA calendars that they don't want to play championship through the summer period when people may be taking time off for holidays..

Only surmising.

But let's say next year Johnny. Would it be impractical to play the hurling championship a little earlier?

I've mentioned it before on here, and it's the major reason why I prefer u17 grades to u18 grades. In 2017 Liatroim were going well in the MFC, MCC, IHC and IFC simultaneously, with a handful of players involved in all four teams. Expecting CCC to be able to facilitate this was actually unreasonable and to be fair, I heard few complaints from Liatroim at the time (even though I believe they ended up underperforming in each grade). But it was an eye opener into just how difficult it can be to plan championships when they fully overlap.

The Intermediate and Junior hurling championships, where most of the dual players play, are on after the football championships so they mostly do avoid each other. The 2020 championship was held off so much last year it didn't happen so it was played in July this year. If one of the intermediate teams go up next year there will have to be a different plan to avoid the same issues.

Apart from one player from Ballygalget/RGU they only had to work around Bredagh so it shouldn't of happened.

[Mourne Red]

The bet of the weekend is 7/4 Loughinisland, mark my words, you think Tyrone has been cute hoors!!

Nothing cute about us TH, keep talking about Clonduff and RGU being dark horses.. Noones talking about us which is what we like