Railway cup returns!

[Zulu]

You mean December? Nothing can be done to sell this as it's only a kick around for whatever county players are available, we should be reducing the amount of pointless games, not increasing them.

[yellowcard]

From a spectator point of view its a waste of time. The players seem to enjoy the extra honour bestowed of representing their province. The GAA tried to market it aggresively a few years back and lost a lot of money. Does anyone know who won the last 3 Railway cups? Enough said.

[Eamonnca1]

Suggestion: play the final abroad.  We use the all-star game as an exhibition, but having watched the all-star hurling game I have to say it lacks a certain competitive bite and doesn't exactly showcase the true passion and fire of the game.  It's not exactly gripping stuff.  Nobody even has a team to support, the audience just sits in silence and politely applauds any good skill on offer, the players don't exactly put their backs into it.

A Railway Cup final abroad would be a bit more competitive and would showcase the game at a higher level.  The prospect of a holiday would motivate players in the semi finals and produce some better contests.  The provincial setup would give the audience someone to cheer for. The competitive nature of it would showcase the game better than the all-star game.  And you could alternate years of hurling/football to keep the costs down.

Thoughts...?

[Croí na hÉireann]

Suggestion: play the final abroad.  We use the all-star game as an exhibition, but having watched the all-star hurling game I have to say it lacks a certain competitive bite and doesn't exactly showcase the true passion and fire of the game.  It's not exactly gripping stuff.  Nobody even has a team to support, the audience just sits in silence and politely applauds any good skill on offer, the players don't exactly put their backs into it.

A Railway Cup final abroad would be a bit more competitive and would showcase the game at a higher level.  The prospect of a holiday would motivate players in the semi finals and produce some better contests.  The provincial setup would give the audience someone to cheer for. The competitive nature of it would showcase the game better than the all-star game.  And you could alternate years of hurling/football to keep the costs down.

Thoughts...?

It's already been done, didn't work.

[Eamonnca1]

Do you mean the time it was held in Boston a few years back? There was a decent crowd there IIRC, at least there was by local standards.

[Rossfan]

Suggestion: play the final abroad.  We use the all-star game as an exhibition, but having watched the all-star hurling game I have to say it lacks a certain competitive bite and doesn't exactly showcase the true passion and fire of the game.  It's not exactly gripping stuff.  Nobody even has a team to support, the audience just sits in silence and politely applauds any good skill on offer, the players don't exactly put their backs into it.

A Railway Cup final abroad would be a bit more competitive and would showcase the game at a higher level.  The prospect of a holiday would motivate players in the semi finals and produce some better contests.  The provincial setup would give the audience someone to cheer for. The competitive nature of it would showcase the game better than the all-star game.  And you could alternate years of hurling/football to keep the costs down.

Thoughts...?

It's already been done, didn't work.

When will some people accept the fact that this "competition" ceased being a spectator sport 40 odd years ago and despite all sorts of new ideas, times , locations etc it remains a non spectator sport .

[Zulu]

Do you mean the time it was held in Boston a few years back? There was a decent crowd there IIRC, at least there was by local standards.

It was played in Paris and in the Middle East too I'm sure. We've just had our funding for coaching slashed in Britain which has put the growth of the game in serious doubt, if Martin Donnelly really wants to help the GAA he would be better off putting his money into games development in Ireland or internationally, as would the GAA themselves. Did I read in the papers they've spent 1 million themselves helping to prop up this farce?

[BennyCake]

The McKenna Cup was dead up until a few years ago. But a fixed time and good promotion did it the world of good. Now look at it. 20,000 at a McKenna semi final in January. Give the Railway cup a fixed date and good promotion and it will prosper again.

[Zulu]

Was there 20,000 at one of this years semis? There certainly wasn't that at the final. I wouldn't say the McKenna cup is prospering, I'd doubt too many people could tell who even won it. Anyway, that's a competition between full-time entities, Tyrone, Antrim etc. train and play all year round and compete in competitions that players and fans want to win (to various degrees I'll grant you). Nobody is really bothered who wins the railway cup and the teams involved can never train more than 2 or 3 times together so how can anything be done to get the crowds back and enthusiastic when that is the reality?

[omagh_gael]

There was 20k at the tyrone v armagh semi final in 2006. Only thing that came near that this year was the armagh v down game which was slightly over 10k. However, i think the crowds this year are up quiet a bit, probably down to the cheap season ticket offer.

[Rossfan]

. Give the Railway cup a fixed date and good promotion and it will prosper again.

The art of self delusion is alive and well I see.
There is NO PUBLIC INTEREST IN THIS EFFIN THING.
Please get that into ye're heads. 

[Syferus]

. Give the Railway cup a fixed date and good promotion and it will prosper again.

The art of self delusion is alive and well I see.
There is NO PUBLIC INTEREST IN THIS EFFIN THING.
Please get that into ye're heads. 

I'd hate to have seen you in Haye's in 1884.

[spuds]

. Give the Railway cup a fixed date and good promotion and it will prosper again.

The art of self delusion is alive and well I see.
There is NO PUBLIC INTEREST IN THIS EFFIN THING.
Please get that into ye're heads. 

I'd hate to have seen you in Haye's in 1884.

Could you imagine him at a tight championship match between Ross and Mayo !

[Zulu]

. Give the Railway cup a fixed date and good promotion and it will prosper again.

The art of self delusion is alive and well I see.
There is NO PUBLIC INTEREST IN THIS EFFIN THING.
Please get that into ye're heads. 

I'd hate to have seen you in Haye's in 1884.

Do you think the founders of the GAA were deluded, unrealistic, wildly optimistic dreamers? Rather than spouting generalities about finding a suitable date or proper promotion tell us when it should be played, how much we should invest and why players and fans will embrace it? While you're at it tell us how this won't impact on other aspects of the GAA, like urban and international games development or other adult competitions? 

[BennyCake]

Was there 20,000 at one of this years semis? There certainly wasn't that at the final. I wouldn't say the McKenna cup is prospering, I'd doubt too many people could tell who even won it. Anyway, that's a competition between full-time entities, Tyrone, Antrim etc. train and play all year round and compete in competitions that players and fans want to win (to various degrees I'll grant you). Nobody is really bothered who wins the railway cup and the teams involved can never train more than 2 or 3 times together so how can anything be done to get the crowds back and enthusiastic when that is the reality?

The International Rules team trains only a few times together, yet the series has always been popular. Ulster have a near full strength team, as have the other provinces, so the players obviously want to be involved in it.