Railway Cup on All-Ireland bill ??

Farneylawd2011 · October 19, 2012, 11:10:03 PM

Just wondering what people think of this.Don't know if it is a good idea or not.

http://www.hoganstand.com/Armagh/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=179472

Orior · October 19, 2012, 11:20:12 PM

I'm old enough to remember when the Railway cup had star billing, and I watched it with great pride. It is a pity it has been relegated.

I would favour this idea and it's not the first time that Croke would host 3 matches.

What is there to loose?

Onlooker · October 19, 2012, 11:24:35 PM

Putting the Railway Cup Final with half interested players on before the All Ireland Final instead of the Minor Final is one of the worst ideas yet to revive the Railway Cup. Imagine if Leinster and Connacht were in the Railway Cup Hurling Final this year, with no one from Galway or Kilkenny available. Football might not be quite as bad, but I could not agree with dropping the Minor Final from All Ireland Finals day. Don't know about 3 matches, as the Minor Final starts @ 1.15. You would have the first match @ 11.30 if this happened. It is just not on.

mayogodhelpus@gmail.com · October 19, 2012, 11:51:19 PM

Quote from: Onlooker on October 19, 2012, 11:24:35 PM
Putting the Railway Cup Final with half interested players on before the All Ireland Final instead of the Minor Final is one of the worst ideas yet to revive the Railway Cup. Imagine if Leinster and Connacht were in the Railway Cup Hurling Final this year, with no one from Galway or Kilkenny available. Football might not be quite as bad, but I could not agree with dropping the Minor Final from All Ireland Finals day. Don't know about 3 matches, as the Minor Final starts @ 1.15. You would have the first match @ 11.30 if this happened. It is just not on.

One of the most talented hurlers outside of Galway Keith Higgins, would not have been available for fear of injury prior to the football final.

From the Bunker · October 19, 2012, 11:54:45 PM

Ah, we just have to many competitions for club, to many competitions for county, to many dual players, to many training sessions, to many senior grades (minor, junior, under 21, senior), to much expectation of amateur players, to little interest in raising the profile of declining competitions, to short of a season to accommodate it all.

stephenite · October 20, 2012, 12:01:35 AM

There have been too many half arsed efforts at reviving the Railway cup over the last 10 years, time to give it a decent burial and move on.

Zulu · October 20, 2012, 12:07:08 AM

Agree 100%, it's dead so leave it be. As the president said if half the people who said they wanted it actually went to watch it then it would be worth keeping but they don't. It's a competition of it's time and that time has passed.

Captain Obvious · October 20, 2012, 12:20:06 AM

Very few senior supporters arrive early to watch the minor final even less would arrive early to watch the Railway cup.

Zulu · October 20, 2012, 09:16:05 AM

And your point?

mayogodhelpus@gmail.com · October 20, 2012, 10:41:51 AM

Only way it might have any chance is if they played it at say 6pm in Parnell Park the night before the All-Irelands. You might get some neutral Dubs and people who had been unsuccessfull looking for tickets down in Kilmacud.

GAA could also throw in a draw for say 10 tickets for the match and say 2 season tickets for county of choice for the following year, but raffle tickets only sold at match.

Syferus · October 20, 2012, 11:16:44 AM

Quote from: Zulu on October 20, 2012, 12:07:08 AM
Agree 100%, it's dead so leave it be. As the president said if half the people who said they wanted it actually went to watch it then it would be worth keeping but they don't. It's a competition of it's time and that time has passed.

I love how he's (and you by extension are) passing the buck to consumers rather than the GAA for horrible mis-management and timing of something that was once a vital part of the calendar.

Keep your own house in order before calling out people for not turning up to matches, they owe you absolutely nothing.

Hardy · October 20, 2012, 11:52:37 AM

This sort of stupid proposal is the type of stuff that makes you despair of the level of what passes for thinking that goes on at GAA committee level. People don't even bother to turn up in numbers for a meaningful competition as a curtain-raiser for the AIF. Why would they attend a competition they've already shown no interest in, when it's even further devalued by the certainty that a fair proportion of the best players in the country (the showcase for whom is supposed to be the raison d'etre for the Railway Cup) are guaranteed not to be playing as they'll be otherwise occupied a couple of hours later?

How long does it take for the message to break through? VERY FEW PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN THE RAILWAY CUP. That's why they don't show up to watch it. In a time when you can fill stadiums with people to watch trucks and jeeps driving around, you just have to accept that the railway Cup has no appeal if people continually fail to turn up in numbers for it. It used to be popular. It's not any more. How hard is that to understand? Show jumping used to attract some of the biggest audiences on TV. Now it's hardly ever on. Snooker (in black and white, even!) was once the biggest drawing sport on TV. Now? See show jumping above. Things change, including people's tastes and preferences. That's life.

We keep hearing the players love the Railway Cup. Great. Keep playing it, then. Just stop whinging because virtually nobody else is interested in it and accept that that means it makes no sense to propose holding it in Croke Park when Ardfinnan could accommodate the expected crowd.

Zulu · October 20, 2012, 11:58:04 AM

Eh Syferus? Good man you've just become favourite for nonsense post of the year? What house are you talking about?

I'll spell it out for you, the president, nor I (by extension), blamed 'consumers'. The point he was making was the majority of the people who claim to want it don't actually attend when push comes to shove so if they are so passionate about why don't they attend?

Now tell me what this horrible mismanagement is? The GAA have tried numerous things over many years and none have worked, what more can they do? Yes, it used to be a great event but that was when we had knock out championship, limited TV coverage, all the best players attending and little by way of alternative sporting entertainment.

Today, all that has changed so how the hell could anyone get a crowd to attend a fixture that is basically a kick around for whatever lads are available on the day? I'd much prefer to see us sort out a proper season so club and county players know when they're playing.

We, in my club, are struggling for funding to develop the club, even £5K annually would make a significant differnce and I'm sure we're not alone. The money wasted on trying to bring back this corpse of an event from the dead would be far better spent getting more kids to play GAA.

Redhand Santa · October 20, 2012, 12:31:11 PM

I can honestly say the Railway Cup final in Armagh this year was as good a game as I was at this year. Quite open but still competitive and very high quality. If there was more games like this it would certainly help promote the competition and the gaa. I really like Kernan's idea of playing it on St Patricks Day with the club finals.

Rossfan · October 20, 2012, 02:23:12 PM

Quote from: Hardy on October 20, 2012, 11:52:37 AM
How long does it take for the message to break through? VERY FEW PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN THE RAILWAY CUP. That's why they don't show up to watch it. In a time when you can fill stadiums with people to watch trucks and jeeps driving around, you just have to accept that the railway Cup has no appeal if people continually fail to turn up in numbers for it. It used to be popular. It's not any more. How hard is that to understand? Show jumping used to attract some of the biggest audiences on TV. Now it's hardly ever on. Snooker (in black and white, even!) was once the biggest drawing sport on TV. Now? See show jumping above. Things change, including people's tastes and preferences. That's life.

We keep hearing the players love the Railway Cup. Great. Keep playing it, then. Just stop whinging because virtually nobody else is interested in it and accept that that means it makes no sense to propose holding it in Croke Park when Ardfinnan could accommodate the expected crowd.

Agree 100%. Couldn't have put it better myself.