Dubl$n v Laois Sunday June 8th 2014 Dubl$n at home as always

[From the Bunker]

Ah, look there is no alternative. Dublin have to play at home. Money and fans will be lost otherwise. Anyways there is no real advantage for Dublin in this fixture playing in Croker is there? When is the last time Laois played in Croke Park? May 26th 2013? Dublin have only played 3 Leinster Championship, 3 All Ireland Series games, 4 League games, A League semi final and League Final in the meantime. Ah but sure it's a level playing field! 

[Rossfan]

Ah, look there is no alternative. Dublin have to play at home. Money and fans will be lost otherwise. Anyways there is no real advantage for Dublin in this fixture playing in Croker is there? When is the last time Laois played in Croke Park? May 26th 2013? Dublin have only played 3 Leinster Championship, 3 All Ireland Series games, 4 League games, A League semi final and League Final in the meantime. Ah but sure it's a level playing field! 

Croke Park is very level looking right enough

[Johnnybegood]

Ah, look there is no alternative. Dublin have to play at home. Money and fans will be lost otherwise. Anyways there is no real advantage for Dublin in this fixture playing in Croker is there? When is the last time Laois played in Croke Park? May 26th 2013? Dublin have only played 3 Leinster Championship, 3 All Ireland Series games, 4 League games, A League semi final and League Final in the meantime. Ah but sure it's a level playing field! 

your right there is no real advantage, Dublin would beat Laois on any pitch anywhere anytime.

[From the Bunker]

Ah, look there is no alternative. Dublin have to play at home. Money and fans will be lost otherwise. Anyways there is no real advantage for Dublin in this fixture playing in Croker is there? When is the last time Laois played in Croke Park? May 26th 2013? Dublin have only played 3 Leinster Championship, 3 All Ireland Series games, 4 League games, A League semi final and League Final in the meantime. Ah but sure it's a level playing field! 

your right there is no real advantage, Dublin would beat Laois on any pitch anywhere anytime.

There is no doubting that! No doubt at all. But playing the game at home makes it an easier task and a is good way to continue the now familiar routines that are so important come the business end of the championship. This is not Dublins fault. It's the fault of the GAA. Naturally the Dubs don't care, after years of suffering they are on the crest of a Tsunami wave. The GAA need to fill Croker, keep the corporates happy and beat off Rugby and Soccer in the Capital. So we are left with Dublin a Celtic like giant in the Gaa game surrounded by Dundee Utds, Aberdeens etc looking in with their humble budgets. And they get to play all their games at home. You could not script a scenario of bias. But hey, don't say this too loud. The Gaa is a AMATEUR organisation. Money does not influence the game.

[Ohtoohtobe]

But I'd rather see Croke Park distribute money in such a way that the other 11 Leinster counties aren't reliant on gate receipts from Dublin games in CP. As it stands the other counties don't really have a choice.

OK - it's nothing to do with Croke Park. It's the Leinster Council, which is based in Portlaoise.

Leinster Council rent Croke Park for Leinster championship matches.

Where would any funds for distribution come from for the other 11 Leinster counties if Croke Park is left idle for the majority of the Leinster championship and the Dubs are sent off on tour of Portlaoise, Navan or a neutral ground for QF and semi final purposes?

I understand that SS and that's the problem and exactly the point I'm making. Other Leinster counties are hardly going to vote for Dublin to play outside Croker when it would kill us financially.

[The Hill is Blue]

Isn't this just amazing. A thread has been opened up on the upcoming Dublin/Laois championship game and from the start it has degenerated into the tiring old anti-Dublin rant which has burned up so many threads on this forum. Have you guys nothing to say on the game itself?

It's largely the same itinerant posters who alight on any thread concerning Dublin and repeat ad nauseam the same old drivel. Cop yourselves on lads, you're ruining the forum.

On the game itself, with no disrespect to Laois I think Dublin will win for no reason other than I believe they have the better team. And they have the better team because of the excellent work put in by the Dublin county board over the past ten years in identifying potential stars at a young age and developing their talents through the underage grades into minor, U21 and senior. Bottom line – it's all down to hard work.     

[Zulu]

I agree with you THIB. This Dublin team are one of the most exciting, adventurous, brilliant teams we have ever seen in the GAA. They have a huge support base and in an organisation that is structured so that we all benefit from the money generated by big crowds it makes sense to accommodate Dublin.

Yes, there are legitimate concerns about Dublin's financial power and the advantage of playing in Croke Park but they've been aired here ad nauseam. I certainly hope any discussion on Dublin games this year won't simply be a rehash of non-game related points. 

[PAULD123]

I don't think stating that Dublin have an unfair advantage by not having to play outside their own county is anti-Dublin. I am quite pro Dublin. I think they play good football and are worth paying to watch. They deserved fully both titles they won and it required serious commitment effort teamwork and individual skill.

But it is a simple fact that Dublin have only played 3 championship matches outside the City in fifteen years. That is an unfair advantage compared to other teams. Yeah Dublin would most likely beat Laois on any pitch but would they face more a less comfortable experience in Navan or Newbridge? What about the All-Ireland series, it is always in Croke Park. Would Dublin produce consistent results in  Killarney? Celtic park? Páirc Uí Chaoimh?

I am not anti-Dublin but equally I am not about to deny a simple fact that Dublin do have a huge advantage in the location of their matches

[Zulu]

Nor is anybody else but that point has been made now repeatedly and I would hope every discussion on their games is not going to be about that fact. Besides, if the counties they have to play in Leinster wanted them out of CP then that would happen but they want the money more. It's a bit rich for Leinster counties to complain about something they are making happen. If they think they can beat the Dubs outside CP they can play them outside CP if they want.

[rodney trotter]

There was a double header last year in the first of Leinster,  Kildare and Offaly followed by Dublin and Westmeath, justoover 80,000 at the 2 games. That must have some pay for all the Leinster counties

[AZOffaly]

80,000 at a Leinster first round match? No way José. I just looked at it. Attendance was: 33,008. What made you think it was 80,000?

[rodney trotter]

Yeah way... typo ...just over 30,000

[rodney trotter]

Why should every Dublin game be there, if there was crowds like that. Not like the Leinster council are milking it from those attendances

[Shamrock Shore]

But it is a simple fact that Dublin have only played 3 championship matches outside the City in fifteen years.

I don't think that's right.

Longford in Leinster in 2006

Leitrim in Carrick - 2004 Qualifiers
Longford in Port Laoise - 2004 Qualifiers
AIQF v Kerry in Thurles.

So the answer may be four!

Apols for being pernickety Pete.

[Johnnybegood]

Ah, look there is no alternative. Dublin have to play at home. Money and fans will be lost otherwise. Anyways there is no real advantage for Dublin in this fixture playing in Croker is there? When is the last time Laois played in Croke Park? May 26th 2013? Dublin have only played 3 Leinster Championship, 3 All Ireland Series games, 4 League games, A League semi final and League Final in the meantime. Ah but sure it's a level playing field! 

your right there is no real advantage, Dublin would beat Laois on any pitch anywhere anytime.

There is no doubting that! No doubt at all. But playing the game at home makes it an easier task and a is good way to continue the now familiar routines that are so important come the business end of the championship. This is not Dublins fault. It's the fault of the GAA. Naturally the Dubs don't care, after years of suffering they are on the crest of a Tsunami wave. The GAA need to fill Croker, keep the corporates happy and beat off Rugby and Soccer in the Capital. So we are left with Dublin a Celtic like giant in the Gaa game surrounded by Dundee Utds, Aberdeens etc looking in with their humble budgets. And they get to play all their games at home. You could not script a scenario of bias. But hey, don't say this too loud. The Gaa is a AMATEUR organisation. Money does not influence the game.

any team that plays Dublin also has the same familiar routines as In get on the bus/train/plain and head to croker. The routine argument is a load of me you know whats stemming from TV stations filling time (especially in soccer ) when a big game is delayed. How will it affect the players Bla Bla Bla ! Croker is the best pitch in the country built for the top players in the country. If your good enough you'll excell, at the moment there ain't a team good enough to beat the dubs! Next best thing- lets all cry and have whinge! I thought youz Culchies were supposed to be sporting and gracious. Maybe so when your winning but going by a lot of the threads in this site Yiz can't take it when your beaten, especially when your beaten by the mighty dubs.