Match Attendances

[Maguire01]

How many are they expecting at the weekend ?

I'd be surprised if Saturday isn't close to capacity. Cork aside, the three other teams will bring good support - the Dubs obviously bringing the bulk.

[Redhand Santa]

34000 in Croke Park on Sturday for a triple header -


How many are they expecting at the weekend ?


Nice wee bonus here for the GAA -

Four counties have been handed fines of €5,000 each over incidents in the recent All-Ireland Football qualifiers.

Longford and Wexford received the punishment after unsavoury scenes in their clash on 13 July.

Cavan and Fermanagh have also been sanctioned for similar scenes in their encounter on the same day.

The Breffni County did seek to have their fine commuted, but were unsuccessful. However, selector Anthony Forde did have his eight-week ban overturned.

Fermanagh are set to appeal the suspension of player Sean Quigley, with Wexford also to contest the one-match ban handed to David Murphy. Along with Longford, both counties will be appealing the €5,000 fine.

Thought 34,000 was decent enough for the games considering the numbers coming from London, Galway and Cork. Judging by the fact that the full ground is now open on Saturday including the nally terrace you'd have to imagine they're expecting well over 70,000. On Sunday they've also took the decision to open the hill and upper hogan so must be expecting 50-60,000.

The gaa announced a few weeks ago that attendances were up 12% this year to date. Given the way the draws have worked out in both hurling and football for the rest of the year it looks like being a bumper year for the gaa. This weeks quarter finals must be one of the best set of fixtures since they began.

[Sandy Hill]

I bet the Linfield boys would love to pull in crowds like the GAA do!

[qubdub]

I bet the Linfield boys would love to pull in crowds like the GAA do!

Linfield probably couldn't give a shite either way saying as they're subsidised by the IFA.

[Eamonnca1]

If they're going to close sections of Croke Park when expecting low attendances then I'd close the Nally terrace, upper Hogan and upper canal end, although I'm not sure how feasible that is with the open layout.

My reasoning is there's nothing as bad looking on TV as empty seats or terraces behind the goals where the camera spends a fair bit of time pointing. Better to pack the people in instead of spreading them out. Makes a better atmosphere at the match too.

[Johnnybegood]

If they're going to close sections of Croke Park when expecting low attendances then I'd close the Nally terrace, upper Hogan and upper canal end, although I'm not sure how feasible that is with the open layout.

My reasoning is there's nothing as bad looking on TV as empty seats or terraces behind the goals where the camera spends a fair bit of time pointing. Better to pack the people in instead of spreading them out. Makes a better atmosphere at the match too.

thats exactly what the do!

[PW Nally]

Loais brought a thousand or so last Sunday to Nowlan park for LSFC match with Dublin. Anyone want to guess what the attendance will be in Portlaoise Saturday against Armagh in qualifier considering it clashes with Ireland's Euro opener and other live TV on the day, plus the game itself is being televised?

2,000 being ambitious?

[Rossfan]

2500 Armaghs  and 500 Laoishites.

[Kuwabatake Sanjuro]

Scary how quickly attendances are falling, how bad will they have to be before the GAA takes action.

[Farrandeelin]

Was there a hurling semi-final in the 80s with only around 8000 at it? I'm sure I heard that somewhere.

[Kuwabatake Sanjuro]

Probably, hurling attendances really picked up in the 90's.
Edit: 1984 semi between Cork and Antrim had an attendance of 2343 in Croke Park.

[Kuwabatake Sanjuro]

1985 Semi finals were a double header, Offaly and Antrim, Galway and Cork, attendance 8205.

[PW Nally]

Real stupid timing for game. Surely if done at pressure from TV contract it is easy to have a "terms and conditions" added that final decision rests with GAA. This is a battle the GAA cannot win and leaves it looking very foolish as the media will be very quick to follow the Euros report on the sports news with footage of an empty lacklustre O'Moore park.

[muppet]

1985 Semi finals were a double header, Offaly and Antrim, Galway and Cork, attendance 8205.

Feck sake, one county's backroom team would fill more seats than that. 

[rosnarun]

Scary how quickly attendances are falling, how bad will they have to be before the GAA takes action.

every year about this time we get some chicken licken shouting about how the sky is falling in . its as predictable as one of Brolly Rants and responses

of xourse the crowds are small so far . were still sorting the Wheat from the Chaff