National Football League Fixtures

[Hardy]

A provincial ground will do the job nicely for a league final ... and given it'll be full or almost full ...

Not expecting the Dubs to make the final then, Hound? 

[Hound]

A provincial ground will do the job nicely for a league final ... and given it'll be full or almost full ...

Not expecting the Dubs to make the final then, Hound? 

Did you miss my last paragraph!

It'll be the Dubs v Meath or Monaghan in Croke Park on Sunday April 27

[Hardy]

Oops. In my rush to get a dig in (and remembering the league Final at Pairc Ui Chaoimh a few years back) I tripped the hair trigger.

[Tyrone Dreamer]

I agree about the number of games under lights - far to many. Its a nightmare for visiting fans. Look at Kildare and Laois having to come to Omagh on a Saturday night. Many fans who may have  made the journey on a Sunday will be put off by the hassle of having to stay over. Bring back Sunday football. One or 2 league games for each county under lights is more than enough.

Im not sure what the trend is like in other counties but I think Im being proved right in Tyrone anyway with home league attendances down 50%+.

[western exile]

The Down home game attendances under lights are up from last year.

Could the attendance figures be more to do with the teams performance on the field, than anything to do with  lights?   

[Maguire01]

Could the attendance figures be more to do with the teams performance on the field, than anything to do with  lights?   

I would imagine so - particularly in Tyrone's case.  It's not too difficult to get to Omagh on a Saturday night from any part of the county - unless it's the away fans that are making the difference.
With regard to Down though, was Pairc Esler in use last year for the league?

[Tyrone Dreamer]

Performances do have a big part in the attendance. However Tyrone have been getting crowds of around 6-8000 for every league game for over 10 years (we're noworse now than we were many of those years) and all of a sudden theyre down to 3500. Is this not Down's first year with lights? Last year in Tyrone there was 2 games with 10000+ on a Saturday night. Once the novelty wears off people arent as keen to come out in the dark on a Febraury or March night and not arriving home to late especially when you have kids.

[Dubh driocht]

Down played their home league games in Newcastle last year.We managed one draw(Kildare) so probably invalid to make a comparison.However, there is a momentum going with our floodlit games-undefeated and all good games,but a better team and tactics.It's also good to be able to get a hot drink and soup/sandwiches , the view from the stand is VG and a lift for elderly/disabled/injured/DJ.
The dream ticket would be to snatch a draw in Omagh and replay under lights the following Saturday- free steaks for all afterwards in the Canal Court.