Croker in the rain

[del_carroll]

Had tickets for the lower Cusack yest - 25 rows back but directly in the deluge anyway.... Actually snaffled some sheltered seating for the second game, so didn't get completely soaked.

Anyway, it does strike me as somewhat cruel to leave paying punters sitting in the passing rain, when there were 20,000 perfectly covered seats in the upper tier that could have been opened at only the cost of a couple of extra stewards..

I think this is particularly relevant for double headers.. Nobody sitting further forward stayed for both games, as they were sodden after 15 mins.

... Appreciate it might look poor on the telly if the pitch side seats are empty, but they were for the most part anyway, and whatabout looking after your customers first....

[T Fearon]

Agree entirely.Was soaked yesterday and remember a deluge in 2002  at Compromise Rules game.Roof in Cusack is bafky planned as it leaves the vast majority of punters in the lower tier exposed

[babarino]

The stewards in our section (331) told supporters in the rain to move seats. That was the 2nd game.

[T Fearon]

Actually stood (with many others) at the back of the Cusack (behind the disabled seats) to watch second half of Armagh V Meath.Was taking up the same position at start of Monaghan V Kildare game,when a female stewardess informed us that there were plenty of "dry" seats in the Davin,in a tone suspiciously like a priest telling latecomers standing at the back at the beginning of mass that there is plenty of seats at the front!

[Jinxy]

Actually stood (with many others) at the back of the Cusack (behind the disabled seats) to watch second half of Armagh V Meath.Was taking up the same position at start of Monaghan V Kildare game,when a female stewardess informed us that there were plenty of "dry" seats in the Davin,in a tone suspiciously like a priest telling latecomers standing at the back at the beginning of mass that there is plenty of seats at the front!

Did she offer you a bag of peanuts as well?

[Jell 0 Biafra]

Yes, it is outrageous that paying customers at an outdoor sport should run the risk of getting wet in the rain.

[armaghniac]

The question is not whether customers should have a risk of getting wet in general, but of whether it is necessary for them to do so when the attendance is less than the covered capacity of the ground.

[T Fearon]

Also raises questions about roof design as well.Far too much of the lower tiers of both the Cusack and Davin are exposed to the elements.This shouldn't be the case

[prewtna]

Ah in fairness there's a couple of things at play there. First there is the distance the cantilever has to span from back to front, and then the bigger issue there is the height the roof is from the ground. Given our climate and the tendency for wind to accompany rain, I'd say even if the roof did extend all the way out to the sideline for all 3 stands, what with the upper decks being there, pushing the roof way up, thousands would still get wet,and we would still be moaning. So probably (and I'm only guessing here) a decision was made to limit the length of the cantilever (and therefore bring the cost of the roof way down) and make it a tad more affordable. That's my guess anyway. Wouldn't be a problem with a smaller capacity stadium with no upper deck or if we lived somewhere where the rain falls straight instead of sideways!

[Jinxy]

Also raises questions about roof design as well.Far too much of the lower tiers of both the Cusack and Davin are exposed to the elements.This shouldn't be the case

Stop complaining ffs.
You should be happy you get to go there at all!

[cluaineois]

Managed to walk up to the upper cusack during the first game on Saturday. A steward told us quiet aggressively to move. We declined his offer and decided to sit it out. Eventually two gardai were called and escorted us back to our original seats despite the fact that we had young children with us.

[balladmaker]

The Welsh could manage a roof on the Millennium Stadium, could Croke Park not do some sort of redesign to do the same.  Imagine the roar under a closed roof in a packed Croke Park!  Of course, it would have to remain open at one end 

[armaghniac]

Imagine the positive public relations if the GAA had sent an email  "owing to the unusual weather conditions and as the stadium is only one third full, you can (if you wish) swap your seat in Cusack Row M for Davin Row BT. Please enjoy the game".
It seems that neither public relations nor GAA fans are given much importance, after all the people that matter are under a roof. 

[David McKeown]

I thought the roof could only extend as far as it did for the same reason the Hill can't be covered. That is the effect of light on nearby properties?

[Jinxy]

Managed to walk up to the upper cusack during the first game on Saturday. A steward told us quiet aggressively to move. We declined his offer and decided to sit it out. Eventually two gardai were called and escorted us back to our original seats despite the fact that we had young children with us.

Hang on, was the upper cusack open?