Dublin League Games All In Croke Park

[Redhand Santa]

Taken from Hoganstand

Dublin's Croker games approved

Dublin supporters on Hill 16
22 December 2010


Dublin have received the green light from the GAA to stage all of their 2011 National Football League Division 1 home fixtures at Croke Park.

Pat Gilroy's charges will now face Cork, Kerry, Mayo and Down at GAA headquarters, while the Dublin hurlers will also play two of their National League games at Croker as part of the arrangement.

After their opening league game against Armagh in the revamped Athletic Grounds, Dublin's clash with All-Ireland champions Cork will form part of a floodlit double-header with Anthony Daly's hurlers taking on Liam McCarthy Cup holders Tipperary on Saturday, February 19.



Seven days later, the footballers play Kerry, while the game against Mayo on March 20 is the only Sunday fixture. The second double-header will take place on April 2 when Down's footballers and Kilkenny's hurlers visit Croke Park in another Saturday evening double-bill.

Meanwhile, the Kerry game is set to be preceded by the Dublin senior camogie team's league date with Kilkenny while the county's senior ladies football will play a Division 2 game before their men's fixture with Mayo

Confirmation of the decision to allow the games to take place at Croke Park came on Monday evening when Ticketmaster sent out an email revealing that the ticket packages for the six games were on sale, starting at €45 for adults and €10 for children.

And new Dublin chairman Andy Kettle has expressed his delight at the GAA's decision to approve the venture.

"We're extremely happy, this is the result of six weeks of hard work and negotiations," the Fingal Ravens clubman said.

"The games fit into our schedule nicely and this is a big part of our strategic plan as regards promotion of Gaelic games in the county.

"It's also an extra revenue stream and in these economically stricken times we have to make the most of what we can.

"Our teams will gain favourably from this, gaining more experience playing in the stadium and on the best pitch in the country at a time of year when poor weather conditions would affect other surfaces. The GAA will also benefit corporate-wise with the stadium being used at a time in the calendar when it wasn't earlier this year."

Kettle added that both the Dublin county board and Ticketmaster will be embarking on a major promotional campaign ahead of the games.

"We'll be promoting the games heavily through the clubs and there will be an incentive for them to sell tickets as they will earn a percentage of receipts."

[Redhand Santa]

A decent set of fixtures well priced. Hopefully with a bit of marketing this will do well and help to raise the profile of the league. 3 of the 4 games under lights, if a decent crowd should be decent.

[Canalman]

Before the detractors pounce it should be pointed out that DCB is paying rent to CP for these fixtures. In fairness our hand has been called with the opening of the Aviva stadium and I think the prompting of Vodafone.
Big need imo here in Dublin to market the game better and I suspect the crowds will be bigger than the doomsayers will predict. Easier for me to get to CP than Parnell Park which despite having won, lost and drawn championship finals there myself I never warmed to. Only a 20min walk to CP from Parnell Park anyway.

This will stick in the craw of many in Dublin GAA and will expose our younger lads to intense scrutiny which the rest of the country avoids by and large. However personally think that  PP is too narrow for intercounty games which left alot of our "prodigies" majorly exposed come summertime.

A cautious welcome from me anyway.

Btw, I predict a good 5 years ahead for the Dubs (both codes). Some really smashing players coming on stream shortly.

[dublinfella]

"Dublin get the green light"? 

I thought it was Croker pushing hard for this rather than a DCB idea?

[Canalman]

Pushed by DCB and voted on by club delegates late last month. Negotiation of RENT to be paid to Croke Park took some time.

[laoisgaa]

While I think it's great to see more GAA games in Croke Park, there's a part of me against this idea. It really shows through the argument which prior to this was just about Championship. Croke Park is now really the home venue for Dublin Senior footballers! I expect Dublin to win all over their 'home' league games this year.

[GalwayBayBoy]

So we can say Croke Park is is now Dublin's home ground?

[Canalman]

So we can say Croke Park is is now Dublin's home ground?

That didn't take long!!!!!!!

[Zulu]

Great news and anyone who isn't in favour of this needs their head examined. It's good for the GAA and good for Dublin GAA.

[Jinxy]

Great idea and great value.
Promote the thing properly and the crowds will follow.

[heffo]

This was driven by Croke Park and it's a good deal for everyone concerned.

If it works out, ungrateful culchies will still get their grants to build clubhouses, the Dublin teams will get more experience playing in Croke Park, Dublin clubs can earn a few bob by pushing ticket sales out to their wider membership and GAA members get the opportunity to get to some decent games in front of a decent crowd - some of which will be double headers under lights.

If it doesn't work out, the the atmosphere at the games will be terrible with a small crowd.

Fair play to all concerned for trying though.

Personally on a selfish level, I'd prefer the games to be in Parnell Park though.

[dublinfella]

Great news and anyone who isn't in favour of this needs their head examined. It's good for the GAA and good for Dublin GAA.

If they get the numbers. Dublin football home crowd in the league is what, average of 8,000 and the hurlers 1,000?

I think its worth a try, but you need to add the guts of 30,000 to the gate every week to make it work, and the Dubs didn't do that in some games in the Championship this year -including a double header.

The GAA centrally seem to have pushed Dublin towords this and made them take the risk on rent.

Not that I would ever question the competence of the DCB

[Zulu]

It's been proved already that the GAA can get 80,000 for league games in CP and with the ticket package is practically giving seats away I see know reason why an average of 40,000 isn't achievable. I'd be very surprised if this falls flat on its face and I expect it to be a massive success. The poor crowds at some of the championship was on the back of some poor results, this league will be played on the back of Dublin's best championship in a long time, as long as the results are pretty good I think the crowds will be excellent.

[The Real Laoislad]

Dublin's drug dealers will be delighted

[heffo]

Dublin's drug dealers will be delighted

Well you play golf with half of them in that public golf course of yours so you would know