Farrell: Keep Croke Park open to foreign games

[orangeman]

I was reading the GAA annual report there today and the GAA have benefited enormously in financial terms from the opening up of Croker for the soccer and rugby games.

I can't see the soccer or rugby lads paying out the big bucks to hire Croker whenever Landsdowne is reopened.

Expect a few more concerts.

[Main Street]

Lansdowne Road will be used for all games by both Rugby and Soccer.
Moving to CP for the odd game would not even be considered viable.

Either ditch rule 42 or not.

Italy and Germany play soccer games all over their countries . The English do so too. Also games like the H Cup semi which have no venue picked until quite late in the day . So it would be very viable.

The current rule is fine ,it allows us to generate income from our biggest structural while keeping pressure of our biggest non structural asset the clubs

Think a bit deeper.
The English FA moved their international games around while Wembley was being redeveloped.
They didn't rent out Twickenham, capacity 82k,  they kept the games within the soccer fraternity even in lesser capacity stadiums,
The German FA move around their games from one huge stadium to another. The German fans are quite happy with that and probably even have a mandate on it.

The FAI and the IRFU will be committed to playing in Lansdowne  for their sponsors, premium tickets as well as being home.
Apparantly Soccer and Rugby want a place they call home.  Both sets of fans don't want to be arsing about in Croke Park any longer than neccessary.

The current "rule" runs out, it has an end date. There is no justification to extend it.
IMO, either have a debate about rule 42 or don't have a debate,
anything but a half assed way to get around the rule by ignoring it completly in regards to the headquarters and getting all high and mighty with rule 42 down the country.

[Gnevin]

Lansdowne Road will be used for all games by both Rugby and Soccer.
Moving to CP for the odd game would not even be considered viable.

Either ditch rule 42 or not.

Italy and Germany play soccer games all over their countries . The English do so too. Also games like the H Cup semi which have no venue picked until quite late in the day . So it would be very viable.

The current rule is fine ,it allows us to generate income from our biggest structural while keeping pressure of our biggest non structural asset the clubs

Think a bit deeper.
The English FA moved their international games around while Wembley was being redeveloped.
They didn't rent out Twickenham, capacity 82k,  they kept the games within the soccer fraternity even in lesser capacity stadiums,
The German FA move around their games from one huge stadium to another. The German fans are quite happy with that and probably even have a mandate on it.

The FAI and the IRFU will be committed to playing in Lansdowne  for their sponsors, premium tickets as well as being home.
Apparantly Soccer and Rugby want a place they call home.  Both sets of fans don't want to be arsing about in Croke Park any longer than neccessary.

The current "rule" runs out, it has an end date. There is no justification to extend it.
IMO, either have a debate about rule 42 or don't have a debate,
anything but a half assed way to get around the rule by ignoring it completly in regards to the headquarters and getting all high and mighty with rule 42 down the country.

One set of fans will be happy to  barely fill the ground on the south side and other will get pissed off that there are 35,200 people with out tickets for big matches and Croker is available 

[Main Street]

Do you still have an argument to present or do you have just guesses on who might feel what, given a certain circumstance on a certain day.
You have an appetite to carry on with endless little questions away from the substance of the debate.
Next you will be asking "what about the crusades?" 

The bulk of the the fans who go regularily to the soccer and have the block booking will be quite satisfied with Lansdownes 50k when it opens next year..
Might have been happier with a 60k stadium but they couldn't make it any bigger.

The GAA has itself to take care of in regard to its past membership who have built it up and its present membership who will take it forward.
The strongest element in this, is unity of purpose.  Unity is more important than anything else. Without unity the rest is meaningless. The core of the purpose, the ideals, are reflected and protected in the Constitution. Whenever there is a question / a problem, the constitution should give the guidelines on the method to resolve it or even provide an exact reference point for direction.
This idea of keeping Croke Park open after the end date, imo weakens the constitution by introducing a double standard, weakens the GAA and weakens the unity.
It's not worth it  for the possibility that there might be a game sometime  along the way in the next 5 years that the FAI or IRFU want to play in Croke Park.

If you want a debate about rule 42  then debate it under the terms of the constitution and abide by the outcomes whether it is to your satisfaction or not.

[Tyrone Dreamer]

Walsh in bid to keep Croker open

Noel Walsh
16 April 2009


Former Munster Council chairman and GAA presidential candidate Noel Walsh will urge delegates at this weekend's annual Congress to allow Central Council to retain the power to decide on the future use of Croke Park.

The Clare man had been involved in the original campaign which led to the historic decision to open up Croke Park to other sports at the 2005 Congress, and he claims the GAA will lose much of the goodwill it has earned if it decides to return to the status quo following the reopening of Lansdowne Road next year.



He said: "As before, we're not asking for anything more than the power to decide on that the use of Croke Park be left to Central Council which represents every county and overseas unit.

"It has shown itself to be wise and careful over the last few years, so there's a clear logic in allowing them continue to decide further policy on Croke Park.

"There's a great fear that if our motion is voted down and we revert to the pre-'05 position where Croke Park was locked to other sports, the GAA will lose most of the goodwill it earned in recent years. That would be very regressive."

He added: "If we allow Central Council to control the use of Croke Park, they can make a decision at relatively short notice."


I wish the guys in charge of promoting the gaa would do just that instead of coming out with this crap. The gaa was in a stronger position and had bigger crowds pre 2005. There is no evidence that opening up croke park has done anything to attract new members or promote our games.

What evidence do you have declining crows or a weakened position?  In terms of pure finances the GAA position was stronger and that money all went to the grass roots.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaa-championships/gaelic-football/gaa-dispels-fears-over-falling-championship-crowds-1420608.html
Disagrees with your statement.

Gaa gate receipts were down €5m in 2008 fact and are budgeted to go down further in 2009. Instead of dealing with the problem and promoting gaelic games many of the people in charge of our games seem to spend of lot of their times pre occupied with attracting more rugby/soccer games into Croke Park and possibly other grounds. That goodwill talk is a big load of nonsense, there is no evidence that the goodwill from opening up croke park has done anything to attract people to gaelic games. Instead rugby seems to have benefited from its increased profile.

Stop the presses . Gate receipts go down in time of recession. 2008 suffered from Munster Championship fatigue, all the hype and no one can come near Kilkenny.

5m is basically the loss of Dublin in the All Ireland Semi.

Are rugby attendances down? Munster, Leinster and Ireland are better supported than ever. The gaa are also predicting smaller crowds this year and have sat back and watched league attendances fall after the success of Tyrone Dublin. My problem is that instead of trying to make our own games as attractive as possible some people seem more interested in how to increase profits through other sports.

[Gnevin]

Walsh in bid to keep Croker open

Noel Walsh
16 April 2009


Former Munster Council chairman and GAA presidential candidate Noel Walsh will urge delegates at this weekend's annual Congress to allow Central Council to retain the power to decide on the future use of Croke Park.

The Clare man had been involved in the original campaign which led to the historic decision to open up Croke Park to other sports at the 2005 Congress, and he claims the GAA will lose much of the goodwill it has earned if it decides to return to the status quo following the reopening of Lansdowne Road next year.



He said: "As before, we're not asking for anything more than the power to decide on that the use of Croke Park be left to Central Council which represents every county and overseas unit.

"It has shown itself to be wise and careful over the last few years, so there's a clear logic in allowing them continue to decide further policy on Croke Park.

"There's a great fear that if our motion is voted down and we revert to the pre-'05 position where Croke Park was locked to other sports, the GAA will lose most of the goodwill it earned in recent years. That would be very regressive."

He added: "If we allow Central Council to control the use of Croke Park, they can make a decision at relatively short notice."


I wish the guys in charge of promoting the gaa would do just that instead of coming out with this crap. The gaa was in a stronger position and had bigger crowds pre 2005. There is no evidence that opening up croke park has done anything to attract new members or promote our games.

What evidence do you have declining crows or a weakened position?  In terms of pure finances the GAA position was stronger and that money all went to the grass roots.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaa-championships/gaelic-football/gaa-dispels-fears-over-falling-championship-crowds-1420608.html
Disagrees with your statement.

Gaa gate receipts were down €5m in 2008 fact and are budgeted to go down further in 2009. Instead of dealing with the problem and promoting gaelic games many of the people in charge of our games seem to spend of lot of their times pre occupied with attracting more rugby/soccer games into Croke Park and possibly other grounds. That goodwill talk is a big load of nonsense, there is no evidence that the goodwill from opening up croke park has done anything to attract people to gaelic games. Instead rugby seems to have benefited from its increased profile.

Stop the presses . Gate receipts go down in time of recession. 2008 suffered from Munster Championship fatigue, all the hype and no one can come near Kilkenny.

5m is basically the loss of Dublin in the All Ireland Semi.

Are rugby attendances down? Munster, Leinster and Ireland are better supported than ever. The gaa are also predicting smaller crowds this year and have sat back and watched league attendances fall after the success of Tyrone Dublin. My problem is that instead of trying to make our own games as attractive as possible some people seem more interested in how to increase profits through other sports.

Grand Slam year and H Cup semi V a league even the managers and players don't give a shite about winning .


How does playing in Croke park make games more attractive?  Surely a marketing drive could be put in for Cork V Kerry in  Cork or what ever .