Keep the Ulster championship in Ulster

[armaghniac]

Why should they move it to Croke Park to suit the fairweather fans.

There is a balance here. But in general the GAA should aim to attract more people rather than less. All ticket games inevitably mean that some people don't go and those who do go don't being along kids etc. Hardcore fans have to start somewhere and this might be attending a final in the first instance.

[Maguire01]

Why should they move it to Croke Park to suit the fairweather fans. Tyrones support wasnt great until the final, which is understandable given the costs incurred for a family going to a match. There is plenty of room in Clones. You will probably those that wouldnt go to it in Clones but would if it was in Croke believe it or not.

Whilst not dismissing the cost for a family, i think it's got more to do with the 'bandwagon'.

[Carbery]

Why deprive a team of home advantage.
Play the game in Omagh and make it an "all-ticket" affair.

[Tyrone Dreamer]

Why should they move it to Croke Park to suit the fairweather fans. Tyrones support wasnt great until the final, which is understandable given the costs incurred for a family going to a match. There is plenty of room in Clones. You will probably those that wouldnt go to it in Clones but would if it was in Croke believe it or not.

As I've said elesewhere we need to promote our games. The more people attending the better in particular children who may not get a ticket if its clones/omagh. Also there has been outrage by some people about the cost of fireworks, well surely this would be throwing away money if it could attract a big enough crowd? Also its nearly as quick for many supporters to get to Croke Park as Clones.

[HalfFitHalfBack]

The trouble with all ticket games is that it is usually the so called fair weather fans that get the tickets, whilst fans that have followed their county team throughout the pre-season competitions and league are left without.

The new season ticket is a step in the right direction, however there are still too many restrictions on it to make it appealing to everyone. Take my own situation, I attend all matches and I take my da to as many games as he is fit to attend, if I got a season ticket I wouldn't be able to sit with him at many games as season ticket holders are placed in reserved seating. He needs me to be his eyes at the games, so there's no way I'd take a season ticket and leave him on his own.

(I did consider buying two season tickets, but I'm not exactly Rockefeller and as my da is a pensioner it would actually cost more for him than to pay at the gate).

There were many times more than 250 Armagh supporters that traveled down to Wexford for Sunday's game, those same supporters will be at all the Armagh league games, wouldn't it be a travesty if they missed the first round of the championship against the All-Ireland champions because of a shortage of tickets?

Having said that, Tyrone were drawn first and are entitled to home advantage. It's a tough call. The GAA/Ulster Council are damned if they do and damned if they don't. Move it to a bigger venue and they are accused of money grabbing, leave it in Omagh and they are accused of denying many thousands of people the opportunity to see the game.

The "bandwagon" thing always puzzles me, or rather peoples attitude to "bandwagon"/"sunshine supporters". Bandwagoners are sneered at and looked down upon, and yet if it weren't for them all championship matches and, indeed, the All-Ireland finals would be played in front of a few thousand "diehards".

Which do you think the players would prefer - running out on to Croke Park pitch in an All-Ireland final in front of a capacity 80,000 people or running out in front of 6,000 "real", "genuine" supporters?

Surely people with an interest in our games, whether it be total commitment or fleeting, should always be welcome?

Perhaps the decision on the Tyrone v Armagh 1st round game should be left with Tyrone. Home advantage is theirs to either exploit or to forego. I read Mickey Harte is in favour of moving to a larger venue in the interest of getting more supporters to the game.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

I don't think Croke will be a runner for this one, and if for no other reason that in the rapidily deteriorating economic circumstances it will seem like grandiose extravagance. Couldn't see Croke being a much more than a quarter full for it.

[Tyrone Dreamer]

I reckon that in the off-chance the game does end up being held in Croke Park, it won't attract a crowd much bigger than if it was held in Clones at the most I'd reckon. It's alright for some people in parts of South Armagh to say its only a trip down the road for them, but in the western and northern wilds of Tyrone its a different story. Two people I was to today who'd go to most Tyrone championship games say they'd try to/would go to the game if it was in Omagh or Clones, but right now wouldn't go down to Croke Park to see it not out of any ideology of keeping such games in Ulster but rather the expense and time of making a journey down to Dublin especially in an early part of the championship.

The current economic times means that luxuries for many people have to be cut back on, and travelling around following your county in the championship is a luxury. If the game is shown live on TV, it'll make the minds up of quite a few not to travel. It could end up backfiring, regardless of any debate on hardcore/bandwaggon supporters.

People often seem to try to find excuses for not going to matches. Compare the expense of following a county team in a year to a soccer team in one of the top 2 or 3 divisions in England and you'll see its pretty cheap. Its 95 euro into Ireland France on Saturday and that won't stop Croke Park being fulll. Munster fans spend a fortune follwing the team. People up and down the country head to England regularly for soccer matches. Are gaa supporters really that much worse off than other sports fans? As someone said in a worse case scenario it may cost up to 15quid extra going to croke park on petrol. Its about 17 weeks to the game. If the 2 boys know 4 months in advance that they will have 15 quid to spend extra that week then they should start saving up 50p each a week now and then they wont miss out on the clash of Ulster and All Ireland Champions.

Would only like to see it moved to Croke if it could attract over 60,000. Maybe a double header should be considered. Surely there is plenty to work with for those marketing a game like this if they get the tickets out early:
Its ulster champions v all ireland champions
There's been a lot of history this decade.
2 neighbours with traditional rivalry
2 of biggest supported counties in Ireland
Build it into anniversary celebrations.

If you couldnt make a success out of it there's something wrong.

[Tyrone Dreamer]

The indications are that Tyrone dont want this match played in Clones. Look like theyre pushing for Omagh or Croke Park. Omagh is the more likely. Personally I would rather have it in Clones to Omagh and would save a lot of whinging over tickets. 

[tyrone86]

The indications are that Tyrone dont want this match played in Clones. Look like theyre pushing for Omagh or Croke Park. Omagh is the more likely. Personally I would rather have it in Clones to Omagh and would save a lot of whinging over tickets. 

How can Clones be considered anything other than a home game for Armagh given the number of occasions they've played there since 1999 ?

[downgirl]

That game will be in Omagh, end of.

It will be in Clones.

i hope so. Omagh is awful and is no great atmosphere. Clones is great craic about the town meeting people and swalling about Fermanagh Street. Is real championship fevour. Also never feel any great rush to get away after the game and enjoy hanging about for  a few hours.   

Yea, you wouldn't want to be in a rush trying to get out of Clones anyway! 

[Maguire01]

The indications are that Tyrone dont want this match played in Clones. Look like theyre pushing for Omagh or Croke Park. Omagh is the more likely. Personally I would rather have it in Clones to Omagh and would save a lot of whinging over tickets. 

How can Clones be considered anything other than a home game for Armagh given the number of occasions they've played there since 1999 ?

Tyrone have played a fair few games there too!

[naka]

I reckon that in the off-chance the game does end up being held in Croke Park, it won't attract a crowd much bigger than if it was held in Clones at the most I'd reckon. It's alright for some people in parts of South Armagh to say its only a trip down the road for them, but in the western and northern wilds of Tyrone its a different story. Two people I was to today who'd go to most Tyrone championship games say they'd try to/would go to the game if it was in Omagh or Clones, but right now wouldn't go down to Croke Park to see it not out of any ideology of keeping such games in Ulster but rather the expense and time of making a journey down to Dublin especially in an early part of the championship.

The current economic times means that luxuries for many people have to be cut back on, and travelling around following your county in the championship is a luxury. If the game is shown live on TV, it'll make the minds up of quite a few not to travel. It could end up backfiring, regardless of any debate on hardcore/bandwaggon supporters.

People often seem to try to find excuses for not going to matches. Compare the expense of following a county team in a year to a soccer team in one of the top 2 or 3 divisions in England and you'll see its pretty cheap. Its 95 euro into Ireland France on Saturday and that won't stop Croke Park being fulll. Munster fans spend a fortune follwing the team. People up and down the country head to England regularly for soccer matches. Are gaa supporters really that much worse off than other sports fans? As someone said in a worse case scenario it may cost up to 15quid extra going to croke park on petrol. Its about 17 weeks to the game. If the 2 boys know 4 months in advance that they will have 15 quid to spend extra that week then they should start saving up 50p each a week now and then they wont miss out on the clash of Ulster and All Ireland Champions.

Would only like to see it moved to Croke if it could attract over 60,000. Maybe a double header should be considered. Surely there is plenty to work with for those marketing a game like this if they get the tickets out early:
Its ulster champions v all ireland champions
There's been a lot of history this decade.
2 neighbours with traditional rivalry
2 of biggest supported counties in Ireland
Build it into anniversary celebrations.

If you couldnt make a success out of it there's something wrong.

I would agree with this have it at croker , push family tickets and make it an extravaganza, croke park is free that weekend so what`s the problem, even if we only get 50,000 it would still be worth it

[orangeman]

Croke ruled out for Tyrone-Armagh 

Stephen O'Neill in action against Dublin at Croke Park on Saturday
Ulster Council president Tom Daly appears to have ruled out prospects of the Ulster SFC clash between Tyrone and Armagh being played at Croke Park.

Daly was speaking in Belfast at the Ulster launch of the GAA's 125th anniversary celebrations.

"It certainly wouldn't be to the forefront of our minds to bring the game to Croke Park," said the Ulster Council president.

"Bear in mind that this is a first-round Ulster Championship game."
Daly added:"In the past where Ulster teams have gone to Croke Park, it has been the ultimate stage of the Ulster Championship, the Ulster Final."

[naka]

if armagh have a decent national league i would be happy enough to predict that the match could attract at least 50,000 with the right pricing and advertising.i would have a lot of family who would be happy to go to croke( its still seen as a great day out) rather than the tortuous journey to clones with the long walks and the buckfast brigade
i do though acknowledge the trek that our our friend in north tyrone have but heres`s hoping that 31 May is the only trip to croke they will get this year

[Tyrone Dreamer]

I reckon that in the off-chance the game does end up being held in Croke Park, it won't attract a crowd much bigger than if it was held in Clones at the most I'd reckon. It's alright for some people in parts of South Armagh to say its only a trip down the road for them, but in the western and northern wilds of Tyrone its a different story. Two people I was to today who'd go to most Tyrone championship games say they'd try to/would go to the game if it was in Omagh or Clones, but right now wouldn't go down to Croke Park to see it not out of any ideology of keeping such games in Ulster but rather the expense and time of making a journey down to Dublin especially in an early part of the championship.

The current economic times means that luxuries for many people have to be cut back on, and travelling around following your county in the championship is a luxury. If the game is shown live on TV, it'll make the minds up of quite a few not to travel. It could end up backfiring, regardless of any debate on hardcore/bandwaggon supporters.

People often seem to try to find excuses for not going to matches. Compare the expense of following a county team in a year to a soccer team in one of the top 2 or 3 divisions in England and you'll see its pretty cheap. Its 95 euro into Ireland France on Saturday and that won't stop Croke Park being fulll. Munster fans spend a fortune follwing the team. People up and down the country head to England regularly for soccer matches. Are gaa supporters really that much worse off than other sports fans? As someone said in a worse case scenario it may cost up to 15quid extra going to croke park on petrol. Its about 17 weeks to the game. If the 2 boys know 4 months in advance that they will have 15 quid to spend extra that week then they should start saving up 50p each a week now and then they wont miss out on the clash of Ulster and All Ireland Champions.

Would only like to see it moved to Croke if it could attract over 60,000. Maybe a double header should be considered. Surely there is plenty to work with for those marketing a game like this if they get the tickets out early:
Its ulster champions v all ireland champions
There's been a lot of history this decade.
2 neighbours with traditional rivalry
2 of biggest supported counties in Ireland
Build it into anniversary celebrations.

If you couldnt make a success out of it there's something wrong.

TD, you say that people will always find excuses to miss matches, but you forget that going out to support spots teams is a luxury that when money becomes tighter than normal is something that can be easily stroked off the list on many people's priorities. Period. If Croke Park can be filled for a Six Nations match at €90 a ticket (is it really €90 for the Hill?) then obviously the IRFU recognise that there is enough people willing to pay that premium, not forgetting that apart from some pockets in Munster, rugby is very much a middle class game in Ireland. In the case of following a soccer team in a professional league cross-channel, the majority of supporters only attend home games (and all would have stable employment, I remember a few years ago Aston Villa introduced a scheme for lower match day tickets for those who could prove they were unemployed), those fortunate enough to be able to travel across England or Scotland supporting their team obviously have the means to support themselves to do so the same way supporters of their county follow their teams across Ireland in the NFL/NHL and in the championships. For every "diehard" that can do this I'm sure there are several more who'd love to but just can't afford it, even during better economic times. GAA supporters in general have a broad demographic of different classes, including working and middle classes - its one of the few games in Ireland that does cross this divide over a wide area. The idea of telling supporters to save up towards potential extra expenses by 50p a week is something you tell a schoolkid and is patronising - you don't piss off your potential customers. Too many units of the GAA jack up prices, entrance fees etc. without giving any reason to its members or patrons for doing so, just look at the fury that was caused during the Ulster Club Championship at the end of last year.

Also one thing just as, if not more important, than money is peoples time. A supporter from north Tyrone would be facing a 5.5 hour round trip from Dublin for the fixture. Fine to tolerable for the latter stages of the All-Ireland, more disposable for a game that will likely be forgotten in the later stages of the championship except for the two teams competing. If Croke Park was unavailable for that date, would Thurles have been acceptable? A game closer to home for supporters will convince many supporter's minds up to go - a longer day of it doesn't suit everyone.

The idea now seems to have been thrown out, but I would say that if the game did go ahead in Croke Park, even with good marketing it would struggle to get 40,000 unless there was some special deals on tickets and all children were admitted free. I'd reckon attendances across the board in this year's football and hurling senior county championships will take a bit of a hit.

Yes but the soccer teams have 20 plus home games a year (including cup games) which these fans will attend. I'm sure most would attend other big games on top of this. Many gaa fans might attend a 4 or 5 big games a year and still complain about price. The average county only plays a few big games a year.