keep soccer in croker!!!

[Onlooker]

 :)Well said Dubnut and Broken Crossbar.    The sooner that soccer crowd leave Croke Park the better.   If they are not happy with the pitch they should play their games somewhere else.

[Hardy]

Good stuff BC.

Tolerating the soccer bods and their irritating carry-on, from their applauding the crowd to their Mexican waves and their olé-olés  was always going to be a test. To be honest, for me it worked out better than I expected. Granted I haven't met any soccer people in the flesh to discuss it with, so I haven't been provoked as BC has, but I thought 'official' soccer behaved itself better than I expected,

Watching Johnny Giles squirming in his seat as he acknowledged the generosity of the GAA was delicious. This is the first time I've ever heard this man utter 'GAA' without spitting it. Dunphy is well immersed in GAA culture anyway. And I respected Liam Brady for his generous-spirited appreciation. I would not blame him at all for being bitter about the GAA. He was forced to leave his school for playing soccer for his country. I know that's not the GAA's fault, but its ban culture was part of that school's attitude and he's a big man to rise above it.

The criticism of the pitch took me by surprise. I hadn't expected it would be an issue. But, in fairness, any of the soccerites I heard (I got all my input from RTÉ radio and TV) were very diplomatic about it – the tone seemed to be that the pitch wasn't good, but that's nobody's fault and it's to be expected – rugby has just finished with it, GAA doesn't need a billiard-table surface, it was better than Lansdowne anyway, etc. 

(Edit) In fairness Bottlethrower warned us about the state of the pitch as he saw it at the club finals. I'd have thought a good soaking and rolling would level it out. We don't want to ruin the marketability of our prize asset by getting this basic requirement wrong.

What can we charge for a Champions' League final?

[Declan]

While the rugby fans, administrators and players have been gracious and heartily thankful, the FAI and the fans I have encountered have been spiteful and argumentative.  They remind of a bunch of bad travellers, they come in, set up camp, steal your clothes from the line, piss in your letter box and then break your windows when you tell them to clear off!

Have to disagree there BC - Everyone I spoke to there on Saturday were saying how great it was and how lucky they were to be there etc. The pitch was bad but I didn't hear anyone saying it was the Gaa's fault and the expression the "Gah" is commonplace especially amongst dubs. Nothing derogatory meant by it just a term of endearment. You'll find "real" soccer heads giving out about anything to do with the Gaa and vice versa I had a row with a lad who had nothing good to say about "that garrison game" quote unquote on Sat night. Most people I've been speaking to about the games have much the same opinion - Glad to be there but a pity about the shite team we have to watch.

Bit mean spirited there Hardy re Giles squirming in his seat.

[brokencrossbar1]

Declan, as I stated it was the people who I encountered, and the guy i had a row with this morning is a well known youth coach and former player in the old League Of Ireland rom many moons ago.  he was spitting the words at me about how the "gah" were happy to take the money and do feck all in return.  The word "gah" may be common but that does not mean I have to like it.  The word bitch is common but if someone decribed my wife as one he would have a fat lip and a few less teeth the next time he said it(well maybe not after the weekend I have had )  I can only call things as I see them.  You may have experienced different attitudes but I have been in contact with a number of staunch soccer fans over the last few days and they all have generally been of the same opinion.  Up to now I have been all on for the games going ahead, but I have been left feeling very sour about what I see as an attitude of superiority from a crowd of interlopers who really should know better.

[Hardy]

Bit mean spirited there Hardy re Giles squirming in his seat.

Possibly right Declan, but it was how I felt. I actually have great respect for Giles - one of the best sports analysts on TV for me (up there with Ted Walsh) and totally honest. But he's always had a bitter and condescending attitude to the GAA that irritated me. To me he looked uncomfortable on Saturday and almost sounded as if he was told to say his first line about how generous the GAA was. I'm indulging my prejudice, I know, but it felt good to see him have to acknowledge that we weren't a  bunch of amateurish bigoted bogmen.

[AZOffaly]

Did you see Pat Dolan (who pays his tailor by the acre) in the Star today? (I know I know). Under the heading 'Croker needs final touch'.

"It will not be a bad stadium, Croke Park, if they ever bother to finish it off. Hill 16 just doesn't fit into the whole landscape of GAA headquarters. And it will never be considered a great stadium until they finish it off. Even at Wembley they got rid of the twin towers because life moves on. Hill 16 is from a bygone era and it makes Croke Park look ugly and unfinished. In fact, it looks ridiculous. The pitch was very disappointing and seeing as the playing surface is an essential part of every stadium, maybe instead of taking every opportunity to say how special Croke Park is, someone will have the balls to stand up and say 'let's finish it'. It's a good stadium, not a great stadium"


Cry havoc and let loose the dogs of war

[Six Inch Nail]

If that gobshite (Dolan) knew anything, he would know that Hill 16 has remained because of the residents.  In order to finish the stadium right around it would have meant that alot of residents would have to have been moved as you need more space going out to get more height.  There is even a railway line behind the hill which the GAA were willing to move to finish the roof.  He is obviously trying to suggest that the hill has remained for political reasons, still not happy are they.  I don't even know who is chap is but abit more research into his articles wouldn't go amiss.

[AZOffaly]

Pat Dolan is the resident League of Ireland cheerleader and pundit on soccer in the Star and also Setanta Sports. He has had a decent career in management of various league of Ireland teams, most notably Saint Pats I think.

He's an awful smary fecker though, a right pain in the posterior.

[dublinfella]

Pat Dolan is the resident League of Ireland cheerleader

he most certainly is not.

[AZOffaly]

Of course he is. He is non-stop about the League of Ireland and how people should watch the LOI in preference to the Premiership etc etc.

[dubnut]

Pat Dolan should mind his own f**king business.
Thats just having a needless dig out of nothing but bitterness.

And to have a go about how the stadium should be built, outstanding irony, he probably doesnt even realise how thick that makes him sound.

[brokencrossbar1]

He does wear nice suits though! 

Tabloid journalism should be given the credence it deserves and that includes GAA coverage.  I know AZ only reads the Monday edition of the Star for the GAA coverage(and nothing else )  Dolan writes for his own particluar readership, generally the ones who look at the pictures first, and while he may know about LOI soccer is limited generally about the minutae of the game.  He is of the "he who bangs the loudest" mentality and will always be like that and I would pay him the heed he deserves.

[AZOffaly]

I read it for all sports coverage

I balance it out with the Times the rest of the week (The english one, as I can't read an Irish paper these days without a fit of anger erupting).

I pay him no heed at all, but I wanted to see the reaction here

[realredhandfan]

Well what way are the yes camp now.  The rugby lads have manners grace and respect, any chance of the soocor lads being told to FAI off. 

[bottlethrower7]

(Edit) In fairness Bottlethrower warned us about the state of the pitch as he saw it at the club finals. I'd have thought a good soaking and rolling would level it out. We don't want to ruin the marketability of our prize asset by getting this basic requirement wrong.

and the abuse I got for doing so.

I see they haven't been queueing up to apologise to me either.