Who/what can stop Dublin?

[Donnellys Hollow]

One of the big problems that faces counties in Leinster now is that the "casual" GAA supporter outside of Dublin is beginning to lose interest. Attendances are down an awful lot from the late 90s early 00s when there were four or five teams competing at a high level. The Leinster Council's insistence on playing games in Croke Park when the place is three quarters empty doesn't help to create any buzz or interest. Kildare are down to play Wexford at Croke Park this summer and the place will be dead. If it was fixed for Carlow or Aughrim it would at least generate a bit of an atmosphere.

If there is also a drop off in participation rates to go with the fall in attendance then the decline of Leinster football will be terminal.

[Zulu]

I'd be very interested to hear what strategic planning other Leinster counties have undertaken to bridge the gap. As far as I know the Offaly underage football development program is highly rated and Kildare are obviously doing something right, Longford too, but I'm not sure about the rest.

For me, the crucial period is 6-16. If you have clubs coaching players properly and developing technically proficient good decision makers then you should be able to compete. You don't need huge money to do this but you do need educated committed coaches in the clubs (of which I'm sure there are many) and county boards can help here.

I think counties like Kildare and Meath can certainly close the gap as they have substantial populations themselves but the likes of Laois and Offaly may only ever do so when they get an exceptional group. In saying that Dublin won't have a Cluxton, Connolly, Brogan in every team. There's hope for all teams but they need to take their player development seriously.

And as always that comes down to money..

Certainly a factor but Matt Connor wasn't produced by money, nor John Doyle or Mikey Sheehy for that matter. Fitting out a gym with the equipment to develop an athlete doesn't take huge money either (though I appreciate it wouldn't be small money for many counties). The point I'm making though is that developing young footballers that can kick left and right, make good decisions on the ball (maybe the most important factor that separates the elite from the very good), tackle well, have good control and are tactically aware is far more about the quality of coaching than it is about money. Counties should focus on increasing their base and with that they'll increase their likelihood of producing their own Connolly's or Flynn's.

The funding counties get has, of course, to be looked at and I've long felt the GAA should prioritise certain counties to help get them up to All Ireland level but counties can also do more to help themselves.

[Cunny Funt]

Would they get a better rattle in Connacht seafoid? Ye haven't exactly been sickening Mayo recently.

4 counties have won connacht in the last 15 years in fairness. Leinster football is a shambles. Stockholm syndrome .
Mayo will be knocked off their f**king perch (copyright Ferguson) soon enough. I just wish they would win the all Ireland.

And 5 counties in Leinster have won it in the last 16 years.

Dublin if they existed in Connacht would do the exact same and more. Meath/Kildare/Laois/Westmeath would have all flourished in Connacht. This isn't a Dublin problem, it's not a Leinster problem it's a GAA problem.

Mayo have won the last five Connacht titles are you trying to convince people that if Meath/Kildare/Laois/Westmeath were in Connacht the last five years that those Leinster teams would have toppled Mayo? As for Dublin having it as easy in Connacht as had recently in Leinster well Mayo only lost the 2013 AI final to Dublin by one point and beat them in 2012 and brought the dubs to a replay last year.

If there is one team to stop Dublin this year I think it will be Mayo.

[Rossfan]

If there is one team to stop Dublin this year I think it will be Mayo.

I probably should lie down for a while.... But I now hope they do.

[twohands!!!]

One of the big problems that faces counties in Leinster now is that the "casual" GAA supporter outside of Dublin is beginning to lose interest. Attendances are down an awful lot from the late 90s early 00s when there were four or five teams competing at a high level. The Leinster Council's insistence on playing games in Croke Park when the place is three quarters empty doesn't help to create any buzz or interest. Kildare are down to play Wexford at Croke Park this summer and the place will be dead. If it was fixed for Carlow or Aughrim it would at least generate a bit of an atmosphere.

If there is also a drop off in participation rates to go with the fall in attendance then the decline of Leinster football will be terminal.

Dennis Connerton (manager of Longford) said that in January that 40% of the players invited to join the Longford county panel turned down the invitation. That one quote alone should be ringing massive alarm bells in Croke Park.

https://twitter.com/Gordon_Manning/status/684696837949886464/photo/1


http://www.balls.ie/gaa/longford-dilemma-points-to-a-very-worrying-trend-in-gaelic-football/320782

[From the Bunker]

Never mind Longford! Was talking to a Carlow lad who said that its the same there. And has crept down to underage. Sure look at Armagh aka Cross players! Look at Galway aka Corofin players!

[Kuwabatake Sanjuro]

Just an interesting look at attendances in 1992, double header Leinster quarter finals containing Kildare vs Wicklow and Laois vs Louth bring a crowd of 40,374 to Croke Park. The semi final between Dublin and Louth played in Portlaoise for some reason has an attendance of 12,000. Interesting how times change, if the same 4 teams were brought to Croke park these days it would be a shock if they brought more than 15,000 while Dublin will never play a championship game in Portlaoise again.

[Syferus]

Never mind Longford! Was talking to a Carlow lad who said that its the same there. And has crept down to underage. Sure look at Armagh aka Cross players! Look at Galway aka Corofin players!

Never been much of a problem here thankfully. But it speaks to how hopeless the world of IC football has become to most counties. GAA obsessed with the short term cash cow that is Dublin and ignorant of the long term damage they're doing to the sport itself.

[From the Bunker]

Never mind Longford! Was talking to a Carlow lad who said that its the same there. And has crept down to underage. Sure look at Armagh aka Cross players! Look at Galway aka Corofin players!

Never been much of a problem here thankfully. But it speaks to how hopeless the world of IC football has become to most counties. GAA obsessed with the short term cash cow that is Dublin and ignorant of the long term damage they're doing to the sport itself.

The Gaa have been so caught up in making Gaelic football popular in Dublin, that it has forgot about all it's children. The Gas thing is that they have been so caught up filling Croker with Dubs that they forgot about the Counties they have to play. These counties are now staying away in their thousands and in turn the Dubs are beginning to stay away from early round bore fests.

[Croí na hÉireann]

Never mind Longford! Was talking to a Carlow lad who said that its the same there. And has crept down to underage. Sure look at Armagh aka Cross players! Look at Galway aka Corofin players!

Never been much of a problem here thankfully. But it speaks to how hopeless the world of IC football has become to most counties. GAA obsessed with the short term cash cow that is Dublin and ignorant of the long term damage they're doing to the sport itself.

The Gaa have been so caught up in making Gaelic football popular in Dublin, that it has forgot about all it's children. The Gas thing is that they have been so caught up filling Croker with Dubs that they forgot about the Counties they have to play. These counties are now staying away in their thousands and in turn the Dubs are beginning to stay away from early round bore fests.

I think Croke Park's intention was to improve hurling in the capital and Dublin GAA were smart enough to make sure that any investment in GPOs, etc. benefited football to the same extent, i.e. money was invested in both games as opposed to just hurling. Weaning Dublin off all these GPOs will now be an industrial nightmare.

[Fuzzman]

I was at some many Dublin matches last year with my kids and even they were bored after 20 mins.
With the exception of Dublin, Kerry and Donegal in the last few years nobody else is getting close.
They wiped the floor with Cork & Monaghan with most fans going to the bar at half time and not coming back out for the second half.

Anyway I was wondering what did these three teams have that others didn't to give Dublin a good game.
Mayo could have beaten Dublin in the first game last year and in the replay they were level with Dublin last year up to the 53rd min. As I've said before once Dublin get a goal it seems to be curtains for the other team.
After 55 mins the score was Dublin 0-12 Mayo 1-12. Then B.Brogan scored 2.01 within 5 minutes and the game is over as a contest.

To me it seems that there is a lot of mental strength and self belief needed to beat Dublin or at least stay with them.
Once that first goal goes in, Dublin seem to hugely grow in confidence and start to play more champagne football with the huge Dublin support a huge bonus.

They played the final last year v Kerry very defensively and tactically I felt holding Kerry to 9 points whilst only scoring 12 themselves. They knew that if they let Kerry's forwards get up a head of steam then they too would benefit from the extra confidence. It reminded me a bit of the 2003 semifinal of Tyrone v Kerry where Tyrone never let Kerry get into their stride and make them frustrated.

I'm not sure but I think the last time Dublin were held goalless was when Donegal beat them in 2014.

[Beffs]

I think Croke Park's intention was to improve hurling in the capital and Dublin GAA were smart enough to make sure that any investment in GPOs, etc. benefited football to the same extent, i.e. money was invested in both games as opposed to just hurling. Weaning Dublin off all these GPOs will now be an industrial nightmare.

I don't think they can or will wean them off them. The genie is out of the bottle and, there is no putting it back in now.

Dublin have over 100 full time GPO's assigned to clubs. They earn 28,000 per year. Half of that is paid by the Co Board, presumably with a dig out from HQ. Half is paid by the club they are assigned to. If the co board got no more dosh...2 things would happen.

- Two clubs would combine their resources to come up with the 28K to pay their GPO's wages. That GPO splits his time between two clubs. That means the county would still have over 50 full time GPO's. Ok, so 50 lads lose their job, but no other county can come close to having that many games promotion officers.

- Clubs go on a fund raising drive to raise the another 14K to make up the shortfall from the co board. Given the size of a lot of them, that would be no real hardship....a racing night, a Strictly night, squeeze some of the local businesses a bit harder and bobs your uncle. The 100 GPO's stay put for the most part & it's all club financed. No one from HQ, or anywhere else, can touch them.

How can a Carlow or a Longford hope to compete with any of that?

[Rossfan]

Kildare making a start?
http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=253575