Would you be in favour of a second tier?

[thewobbler]

I agree with Itchy.

Not nowadays, but for a long time I wouldn't have had to work too hard to secure an AI ticket. But after moving along a couple to better homes (lads from counties competing) I stopped looking. Neutrals should step aside on big occasions. It's not about what the natives have contributed before. It's about what drives them thereafter.

[johnnycool]

Mick Fennelly getting a taste of hurling at the lower levels;;

"I think the Christy Ring, Lory Meagher, Nickey Rackard competitions are kind of being forgotten about and suppressed. Let's be honest about it, the promotion of it is very, very poor. That falls on the GAA and the broadcasting companies. Something has to be done about it. I'm not surprised there are football players concerned about this new tier two competition. I think it's the right thing to do personally speaking but that's from an outside point of view. They are afraid they will be forgotten about, that it will be suppressed, that they will not be on The Sunday Game. The Christy Ring, it might get 10 seconds, 20 seconds — that's no good for kids to be inspired to play for Offaly, they want to be seen on The Sunday Game. They want to see their players or their role models on the TV, on RTÉ, on Sky, on TG4. I don't know, I just feel a lot needs to be done for the promotion of the games. For me it's not working and it's not fit for purpose the way it is."
-Michael Fennelly
✪ (Irish Examiner/August 2021)

[Milltown Row2]

I agree with Itchy.

Not nowadays, but for a long time I wouldn't have had to work too hard to secure an AI ticket. But after moving along a couple to better homes (lads from counties competing) I stopped looking. Neutrals should step aside on big occasions. It's not about what the natives have contributed before. It's about what drives them thereafter.

Yes to a point I'm not going to argue getting tickets over a loyal supporter, but there are county players the length of the country who give up a lot of their time and effort to play for their county, they shouldnt' get tickets either? Referee's who get abused all summer long shouldn't be entitled to have the opportunity to head to the show piece of the year or county officials?

But bandwagon 'supporters' who way in on the big occasions I've no time for

[Rossfan]

Aren't the majority of crowds at big Championship games bandwagon supporters/ tribalists?
Mind you their €€€€€s are a great help to the GAA coffers.

[Itchy]

Mick Fennelly getting a taste of hurling at the lower levels;;

"I think the Christy Ring, Lory Meagher, Nickey Rackard competitions are kind of being forgotten about and suppressed. Let's be honest about it, the promotion of it is very, very poor. That falls on the GAA and the broadcasting companies. Something has to be done about it. I'm not surprised there are football players concerned about this new tier two competition. I think it's the right thing to do personally speaking but that's from an outside point of view. They are afraid they will be forgotten about, that it will be suppressed, that they will not be on The Sunday Game. The Christy Ring, it might get 10 seconds, 20 seconds — that's no good for kids to be inspired to play for Offaly, they want to be seen on The Sunday Game. They want to see their players or their role models on the TV, on RTÉ, on Sky, on TG4. I don't know, I just feel a lot needs to be done for the promotion of the games. For me it's not working and it's not fit for purpose the way it is."
-Michael Fennelly
✪ (Irish Examiner/August 2021)

Thats why i prosposed the 3 finals are on the same day and must be all televised as part of any deal with TV stations. The GAA and TV channels cannot be trusted to do it otherwise.

[Milltown Row2]

Aren't the majority of crowds at big Championship games bandwagon supporters/ tribalists?
Mind you their €€€€€s are a great help to the GAA coffers.

What I notice when I head down to Croke for the finals is real Gaa supporters from my county, no part time supporters of their club or bandwagoners, county hurlers, ex county hurlers, managers of club teams and committee men/women from the clubs referees and grounds men. We normally all head to one or two different pubs so you know.

The year Antrim got to the Ulster final, everyone and their dog left West Belfast to head to Clones, Id say 45% haven't been to a game since or even associated with a club

[Itchy]

Aren't the majority of crowds at big Championship games bandwagon supporters/ tribalists?
Mind you their €€€€€s are a great help to the GAA coffers.

What I notice when I head down to Croke for the finals is real Gaa supporters from my county, no part time supporters of their club or bandwagoners, county hurlers, ex county hurlers, managers of club teams and committee men/women from the clubs referees and grounds men. We normally all head to one or two different pubs so you know.

The year Antrim got to the Ulster final, everyone and their dog left West Belfast to head to Clones, Id say 45% haven't been to a game since or even associated with a club

Two ways to look at that, your footballers inspired a group of people to go follow their county - if only they had kept it up maybe you would be the superpower you should be with the population you have. In my club, and i imagine a lot of club, All Ireland tickets are raffled so there is no way to decide if a club active member like those youve described get them or a useless toerag that only is going up for the jolly.

[Milltown Row2]

Aren't the majority of crowds at big Championship games bandwagon supporters/ tribalists?
Mind you their €€€€€s are a great help to the GAA coffers.

What I notice when I head down to Croke for the finals is real Gaa supporters from my county, no part time supporters of their club or bandwagoners, county hurlers, ex county hurlers, managers of club teams and committee men/women from the clubs referees and grounds men. We normally all head to one or two different pubs so you know.

The year Antrim got to the Ulster final, everyone and their dog left West Belfast to head to Clones, Id say 45% haven't been to a game since or even associated with a club

Two ways to look at that, your footballers inspired a group of people to go follow their county - if only they had kept it up maybe you would be the superpower you should be with the population you have. In my club, and i imagine a lot of club, All Ireland tickets are raffled so there is no way to decide if a club active member like those youve described get them or a useless toerag that only is going up for the jolly.

We put ours into a draw also, so yes someone who does nothing but pay his membership will get the ticket, but we agreed to that at an AGM and so be it.

We'll never be a superpower unless we have a production line of players coming through, that aint happening

[thewobbler]

Mick Fennelly getting a taste of hurling at the lower levels;;

"I think the Christy Ring, Lory Meagher, Nickey Rackard competitions are kind of being forgotten about and suppressed. Let's be honest about it, the promotion of it is very, very poor. That falls on the GAA and the broadcasting companies. Something has to be done about it. I'm not surprised there are football players concerned about this new tier two competition. I think it's the right thing to do personally speaking but that's from an outside point of view. They are afraid they will be forgotten about, that it will be suppressed, that they will not be on The Sunday Game. The Christy Ring, it might get 10 seconds, 20 seconds — that's no good for kids to be inspired to play for Offaly, they want to be seen on The Sunday Game. They want to see their players or their role models on the TV, on RTÉ, on Sky, on TG4. I don't know, I just feel a lot needs to be done for the promotion of the games. For me it's not working and it's not fit for purpose the way it is."
-Michael Fennelly
✪ (Irish Examiner/August 2021)

Thats why i prosposed the 3 finals are on the same day and must be all televised as part of any deal with TV stations. The GAA and TV channels cannot be trusted to do it otherwise.

The problem inherent in this is that the media doesn't actually create a product or get it off the ground: the media simply responds to what is provided. The more a product gains public interest, the more coverage it receives. Don't get me wrong, the two can help each other tremendously. But only if the product is right.

And even if the product is good, it still has to have general public interest. I mean after all, you're asking a national broadcaster to cover an event that might not even hold a regional interest.

Have a look around for public / free to air broadcasters anywhere in the world that gives sufficient coverage of second or third tier grades of a sport. You'll struggle.

[BennyCake]

Aren't the majority of crowds at big Championship games bandwagon supporters/ tribalists?
Mind you their €€€€€s are a great help to the GAA coffers.

What I notice when I head down to Croke for the finals is real Gaa supporters from my county, no part time supporters of their club or bandwagoners, county hurlers, ex county hurlers, managers of club teams and committee men/women from the clubs referees and grounds men. We normally all head to one or two different pubs so you know.

The year Antrim got to the Ulster final, everyone and their dog left West Belfast to head to Clones, Id say 45% haven't been to a game since or even associated with a club

Two ways to look at that, your footballers inspired a group of people to go follow their county - if only they had kept it up maybe you would be the superpower you should be with the population you have. In my club, and i imagine a lot of club, All Ireland tickets are raffled so there is no way to decide if a club active member like those youve described get them or a useless toerag that only is going up for the jolly.

Why do people volunteer at their club? Is someone just helping out just so they can claim a potential AI ticket? I don't understand why someone would piss and moan about a member who doesn't get involved. If someone helps out, great. If they don't, so be it. But even non-active members are contributing to the club via membership (or lotto, buying tickets, attending matches). People seem to forget that.

[tintin25]

I'd say there are some folk who easily give their club say £200 - £300 a year through membership fees, club lotto, and other fundraising activities etc.

[johnnycool]

Mick Fennelly getting a taste of hurling at the lower levels;;

"I think the Christy Ring, Lory Meagher, Nickey Rackard competitions are kind of being forgotten about and suppressed. Let's be honest about it, the promotion of it is very, very poor. That falls on the GAA and the broadcasting companies. Something has to be done about it. I'm not surprised there are football players concerned about this new tier two competition. I think it's the right thing to do personally speaking but that's from an outside point of view. They are afraid they will be forgotten about, that it will be suppressed, that they will not be on The Sunday Game. The Christy Ring, it might get 10 seconds, 20 seconds — that's no good for kids to be inspired to play for Offaly, they want to be seen on The Sunday Game. They want to see their players or their role models on the TV, on RTÉ, on Sky, on TG4. I don't know, I just feel a lot needs to be done for the promotion of the games. For me it's not working and it's not fit for purpose the way it is."
-Michael Fennelly
✪ (Irish Examiner/August 2021)

Thats why i prosposed the 3 finals are on the same day and must be all televised as part of any deal with TV stations. The GAA and TV channels cannot be trusted to do it otherwise.

I should have added that it was a Kilkenny man who relegated those competitions to their current graveyard slots.

In the beginning with the much slated Sean Kelly, the Christy Ring and Nicky Rackard competition finals were played before the two AI senior semi-finals with the minor semi-finals played at 12.30 the same day.

Along came "hurling man" Nicky Brennan and decided the kilkenny minors were more important than these competitions and moved them to a separate slot and we are where we are.

[Rossfan]

Is anyone who played in the recent Ring, Rackard, Meagher Finals complaining?
The Club Leagues in Roscommon get no newspaper coverage and few if any spectators. Yet they continue and lads continue to play in them.

[Itchy]

Aren't the majority of crowds at big Championship games bandwagon supporters/ tribalists?
Mind you their €€€€€s are a great help to the GAA coffers.

What I notice when I head down to Croke for the finals is real Gaa supporters from my county, no part time supporters of their club or bandwagoners, county hurlers, ex county hurlers, managers of club teams and committee men/women from the clubs referees and grounds men. We normally all head to one or two different pubs so you know.

The year Antrim got to the Ulster final, everyone and their dog left West Belfast to head to Clones, Id say 45% haven't been to a game since or even associated with a club

Two ways to look at that, your footballers inspired a group of people to go follow their county - if only they had kept it up maybe you would be the superpower you should be with the population you have. In my club, and i imagine a lot of club, All Ireland tickets are raffled so there is no way to decide if a club active member like those youve described get them or a useless toerag that only is going up for the jolly.

Why do people volunteer at their club? Is someone just helping out just so they can claim a potential AI ticket? I don't understand why someone would piss and moan about a member who doesn't get involved. If someone helps out, great. If they don't, so be it. But even non-active members are contributing to the club via membership (or lotto, buying tickets, attending matches). People seem to forget that.

You dont have to be a volunteer, you just need to buy a ticket in the raffle in our clubs case. In Milltowns it seems to be a raffle between club members.

[Farrandeelin]

Is anyone who played in the recent Ring, Rackard, Meagher Finals complaining?
The Club Leagues in Roscommon get no newspaper coverage and few if any spectators. Yet they continue and lads continue to play in them.

True, but if Roscommon ever suffered and had to enter a tier 2 competition would you be happy if it was 3-15 to 2-18 against a similar level county and not a word on the Sunday Game?