2016 Leinster Football Championship

[Dinny Breen]

I would put it a long way past Meath.

Anyway time for an unmanly whinge. Charging Kildare and Westmeath supporters €30 is criminal. They'll be lucky to have 10,000 in for it, lending it that surreal, nothing atmosphere and about half will leave because it's no fun watching Meath get destroyed.

Could have been a packed house in Tullamore. This milking of the ever-dwindling hardcore of supporters is so short-sighted. Minor financial gain now and turning swathes of people off going to inter-county football in the long run.

When I was a kid we could go and watch the best teams in the country for five pound or less. We would go to a game at least a dozen times in summer regardless of whether Kildare were playing. I was at all four of the Dublin-Meath 91 games. Incredible atmosphere and those sort of games leave a lifelong impression and get you hooked on going to games. And it cost the same to go to all four as it will cost to go to one game where Kildare and Westmeath stink the place out with a couple of thousand men and their dogs looking on in near silence.

It's getting to the point where I'd still go to every league game but think twice about going to a Leinster semi-final. People are sick of being fleeced.

Kildare v Westmeath, Family of 4 - €70
Dublin Zoo, Family of 4 - €47
Curragh Races - Family of 4 Classics Day €40 General Day €30 - free parking!
National Aquatic Centre - Family of 4 €47 - kids 3 or younger free  - free parking!

You can't sell the Croke Park experience to Kildare supporters. There is no novel experience for Kildare playing Croke Park, outside Dublin Kildare play there more than anybody else and where's the players might love it the supporters hate it, we have an awful record there, stat from the Kildare forum since the last time we played Westmeath in a Leinster Semi-final 1992 our semi-final record in Croker - won 3 Drew 3 and Lost 8. Outside CP three wins and a draw.

Love Tullamore as a venue, Portlaoise is good and Nowlan Park is good. Fu*k off with your double headers and play all games outside the Leinster final in these venues. Bring football back to the people.

[westbound]

I would put it a long way past Meath.

Anyway time for an unmanly whinge. Charging Kildare and Westmeath supporters €30 is criminal. They'll be lucky to have 10,000 in for it, lending it that surreal, nothing atmosphere and about half will leave because it's no fun watching Meath get destroyed.

Could have been a packed house in Tullamore. This milking of the ever-dwindling hardcore of supporters is so short-sighted. Minor financial gain now and turning swathes of people off going to inter-county football in the long run.

When I was a kid we could go and watch the best teams in the country for five pound or less. We would go to a game at least a dozen times in summer regardless of whether Kildare were playing. I was at all four of the Dublin-Meath 91 games. Incredible atmosphere and those sort of games leave a lifelong impression and get you hooked on going to games. And it cost the same to go to all four as it will cost to go to one game where Kildare and Westmeath stink the place out with a couple of thousand men and their dogs looking on in near silence.

It's getting to the point where I'd still go to every league game but think twice about going to a Leinster semi-final. People are sick of being fleeced.

Kildare v Westmeath, Family of 4 - €70
Dublin Zoo, Family of 4 - €47
Curragh Races - Family of 4 Classics Day €40 General Day €30 - free parking!
National Aquatic Centre - Family of 4 €47 - kids 3 or younger free  - free parking!

You can't sell the Croke Park experience to Kildare supporters. There is no novel experience for Kildare playing Croke Park, outside Dublin Kildare play there more than anybody else and where's the players might love it the supporters hate it, we have an awful record there, stat from the Kildare forum since the last time we played Westmeath in a Leinster Semi-final 1992 our semi-final record in Croker - won 3 Drew 3 and Lost 8. Outside CP three wins and a draw.

Love Tullamore as a venue, Portlaoise is good and Nowlan Park is good. Fu*k off with your double headers and play all games outside the Leinster final in these venues. Bring football back to the people.

Very good way of putting it in perspective Dinny.
€70 is a crazy price for a family of 4 for (essentially) a day out. Compared to the zoo prices above it's easy see why the casual supporter is not going to gaa games.

The hard core supporter will always go but the gaa need to be encouraging the non hard core fan to go! Also, the hard core softens over time if they are not being looked after!

[AZOffaly]

I agree completely. Better atmosphere and sense of event is much more appetising than a bland 3/4 empty Croke Park, with the shouts of the players echoing around empty stands. Looks dreadful on TV as well.

Early rounds on a home or away basis, semi finals in neutral provincial venues (Portlaoise, Mullingar, Tullamore) and the Final only in Croker. That would at least bring a bit of buzz, and the Dubs have shown they have no fear of 15+k travelling.

[Rossfan]

Whoever sets the prices has lost all touch with reality.
I believe it was €25 for the recent lower tier hurling finals.
Surely the idea there should have been to get everyone involved or interested in hurling in the 6 Counties into Croker that day?
Tenner for adults and 1,000 complementaries per County for kids would get some semblance of a crowd.

And the we have 100% increase for the Qualifiers....
How many will pay €20 to see the Leitrim/ Waterford game???

[AZOffaly]

I generally don't begrudge paying admission prices because I know what the GAA does with the money by and large (although that 1.4m p/a to Dublin for games development rankles) but I think it's very shortsighted. I'd much prefer 15,000 at a provincial venue paying €10 a head, rather than 7,000 paying €20 a head. It seems a no brainer to me, but I'm obviously missing something.

[Croí na hÉireann]

I would put it a long way past Meath.

Anyway time for an unmanly whinge. Charging Kildare and Westmeath supporters €30 is criminal. They'll be lucky to have 10,000 in for it, lending it that surreal, nothing atmosphere and about half will leave because it's no fun watching Meath get destroyed.

Could have been a packed house in Tullamore. This milking of the ever-dwindling hardcore of supporters is so short-sighted. Minor financial gain now and turning swathes of people off going to inter-county football in the long run.

When I was a kid we could go and watch the best teams in the country for five pound or less. We would go to a game at least a dozen times in summer regardless of whether Kildare were playing. I was at all four of the Dublin-Meath 91 games. Incredible atmosphere and those sort of games leave a lifelong impression and get you hooked on going to games. And it cost the same to go to all four as it will cost to go to one game where Kildare and Westmeath stink the place out with a couple of thousand men and their dogs looking on in near silence.

It's getting to the point where I'd still go to every league game but think twice about going to a Leinster semi-final. People are sick of being fleeced.

Kildare v Westmeath, Family of 4 - €70
Dublin Zoo, Family of 4 - €47
Curragh Races - Family of 4 Classics Day €40 General Day €30 - free parking!
National Aquatic Centre - Family of 4 €47 - kids 3 or younger free  - free parking!

You can't sell the Croke Park experience to Kildare supporters. There is no novel experience for Kildare playing Croke Park, outside Dublin Kildare play there more than anybody else and where's the players might love it the supporters hate it, we have an awful record there, stat from the Kildare forum since the last time we played Westmeath in a Leinster Semi-final 1992 our semi-final record in Croker - won 3 Drew 3 and Lost 8. Outside CP three wins and a draw.

Love Tullamore as a venue, Portlaoise is good and Nowlan Park is good. Fu*k off with your double headers and play all games outside the Leinster final in these venues. Bring football back to the people.

Agree with you Dinny and hope that record doesn't improve any time soon. There was only just over 8k in Mullingar Sunday but the place looked great and there was a real championship atmosphere in the second half.

[Jinxy]

Talk amongst  the in-laws is that there will be no one at the first game. To far away and to expensive. Time to take the Leinster championship on tour out of Croker.

Navan is, and has always been, the spiritual home of Leinster football.

[Dinny Breen]

H&S have a lot to answer for..

[AZOffaly]

Ara that wet day a few years ago ruined it for everybody...

[Donnellys Hollow]

It's 21 years since Kildare have had a home provincial championship game. For all that St Conleth's Park hasn't changed since the dinosaurs were around, it was good enough to host games against Donegal and Tyrone in the qualifiers. Surely it's good enough for some of the local ties in Leinster.

[Jinxy]

H&S have a lot to answer for..

I'll always remember Seán Brady tackling the grass bank at the Hospital End in 2011.



"Will ye control them kids ffs! This fella is a 2nd cousin of Sea The Stars". 

[Jinxy]

It's 21 years since Kildare have had a home provincial championship game. For all that St Conleth's Park hasn't changed since the dinosaurs were around, it was good enough to host games against Donegal and Tyrone in the qualifiers. Surely it's good enough for some of the local ties in Leinster.

We're not playing in that kip.

[Donnellys Hollow]

It's 21 years since Kildare have had a home provincial championship game. For all that St Conleth's Park hasn't changed since the dinosaurs were around, it was good enough to host games against Donegal and Tyrone in the qualifiers. Surely it's good enough for some of the local ties in Leinster.

We're not playing in that kip.

You're not welcome back after belly-ticklin'gate.

[macdanger2]

Have to say I completely disagree on the cost - €70 for a family isn't bad value if (and it's a BIG if) the quality of the games was going to be good. Compare the cost to going to a rugby match and I'd say it's fairly decent. Now there probably should be a family ticket rate (I thought there was at one stage?) but it's not the main problem imo

The problem is that nobody expects anyone to challenge Dublin for Leinster so what's the point in going. Dropping the prices isn't going to attract people unless the GAA do something to improve the competitiveness of all provincial championships. And that means investment in coaching structures across the country

[Kuwabatake Sanjuro]

Have to say I completely disagree on the cost - €70 for a family isn't bad value if (and it's a BIG if) the quality of the games was going to be good. Compare the cost to going to a rugby match and I'd say it's fairly decent. Now there probably should be a family ticket rate (I thought there was at one stage?) but it's not the main problem imo

The problem is that nobody expects anyone to challenge Dublin for Leinster so what's the point in going. Dropping the prices isn't going to attract people unless the GAA do something to improve the competitiveness of all provincial championships. And that means investment in coaching structures across the country

The main gripe is having to constantly shell out for double headers when very few people from Kildare or Westmeath have any interest in watching the usual Dublin dominance. It should be in a packed Tullamore with a proper championship atmosphere while Dublin and Meath can play in Croke park.

I'd confidently say there will be less Kildare and Westmeath fans in Croke park for a Leinster semi final than there was at the first round of the division 3 league in miserable conditions at the start of February.