Soccer more popular than Gaelic

[Pangurban]

County success breeds Club success, throgh stimulation of interest particularly among the young. As for club v county, it is not an either/or debate, the real supporter will glory in both

[INDIANA]

soccer is an easier game to play. look at the history- it was created  for the masses during the industrial revolution to give them something to do in the evening. These weren't the sharpest tools in the box so it had to be simple. And soccer is  a simple game - doesn't mean it's  a better tgame. Gaa is more complicated in that the skills are harder but because it is an indigenous game it has done  a remarkable job in keeping up with soccer and in my view is a much better game to watch.
Soccer is essentially a working class sport so it shouldn't be that much of  asurprise that it's numbers are slightly bigger.

[Tyrone Dreamer]

There might be a lot of people with a passing interest in soccer but gaa is definately more popular. It gets much better viewing figures for the big games each year and wins hands down in terms of attendances. Its also played at a half decent level by a lot more people than soccer. We do know have big problems in the big cities. When things are going well though people dont be long jumping on a bandwagon, look in Limerick were the so called rugby men are now hurling men.

[Onlooker]

This new bandwagon in Limerick is most interesting.   The first game had an attendance of 26,000, while the replay attracted 27,000.  As a Tipp supporter, I do not expect many extra fans to travel from Tipperary, especially as the match is on TV, so the increase in attendance will be nearly all Limerick people.  The extra attendance next Sunday will be the number of Limerick fans converted to hurling in a fortnight.  If Limerick lose on Sunday, you wo'nt see many of them at the qualifiers.

[stephenite]

Club all the way, and that's despite living in Sydney, I suppose the fact that some of the closest friendships I have were made whilst playing for the club at underage levels, some of the guys still play at Senior level.
Always look forward to reading the online edition of the local paper to see the results at all levels, seeing who lined out for the U-16's and being shocked that guys like Eddie Murphy are playing at minor level, when it seems like yesterday he was a toddler in the dressing room when I played with his father, same for Keith Tighe, Lorcan Healy playing senior when I though he would just be starting in Muredeachs!! Get a great kick out of it

[tayto]

There might be a lot of people with a passing interest in soccer but gaa is definately more popular. It gets much better viewing figures for the big games each year and wins hands down in terms of attendances. Its also played at a half decent level by a lot more people than soccer. We do know have big problems in the big cities. When things are going well though people dont be long jumping on a bandwagon, look in Limerick were the so called rugby men are now hurling men.

a lot of people watch a bit of soccer on the box, i used to watch a fair bit but find it increasingly dull these days, just look at the excitment last weekend in the football and hurling, you'd be watching hundreds of soccer matches waiting for something as exciting to happen, the majority of soccer shown here are games where man utd steemroll some nobodies, or celtic doing the same to some no hopers in scotland ... i'd rather watch any gaa match at any level to be honest. if theres so may soccer clubs around the country why do these guys not go and support their local professional soccer club?

[AZOffaly]

number of Limerick fans converted to hurling in a fortnight

That's unfair Onlooker. Limerick has always been a good hurling county, and would always attract a big following as soon as they start going well. (Not unlike a lot of other counties). It's disingenuous to claim they are only learning hurling in the past fortnight, or converting to it. They are simply being stirred again because they feel the team might do something.

[galwayman]

This is turning into a club v county debate and not gaa vs soccer.
Personally on the first point, while I'd also be a huge Galway fan and rarely miss a game for the footballers, my local club would definitely come first. I've played football for my local club for the last 20 years and nothing would mean more to me personally than to win something with my club - I've won very little over the years, the last being an u-21 B title 8 or 9 years ago. I've also been involved in coaching/managing a few underage teams in the club a few years ago so I would be hugely loyal to the club and support all teams from under 10 upwards in their games.

On the second point - soccer is pretty popular where I come (rural Galway) from but gaelic football is still more popular and there would be a lot more players/mentors involved in the gaa club than the soccer club.
I personally am a member of the soccer club as well and play both sports still,as I find soccer a very enjotable to sport to play and it keeps me fit over the winter. I would also probably consider myself to be a better soccer player than gaelic player.
I wouldn't watch a local junior soccer game in a fit though if I wasn't playing.It can be very boring to watch whereas I'd watch gaelic football any day of the week at any level.

I reckon as some previous poster said, soccer is probaly more popular in urban centres whereas gaa is more popular in rural areas.

[J70]

soccer is an easier game to play. look at the history- it was created  for the masses during the industrial revolution to give them something to do in the evening. These weren't the sharpest tools in the box so it had to be simple. And soccer is  a simple game - doesn't mean it's  a better tgame. Gaa is more complicated in that the skills are harder but because it is an indigenous game it has done  a remarkable job in keeping up with soccer and in my view is a much better game to watch.
Soccer is essentially a working class sport so it shouldn't be that much of  asurprise that it's numbers are slightly bigger.

I think its very debatable whether gaelic football an inherently more skillful game that soccer. Yes, anyone can play soccer at a very basic level, but you can say the same about gaelic. To play each well takes quite a bit of skill and practice.

[Billys Boots]

I would also probably consider myself to be a better soccer player than gaelic player.  I wouldn't watch a local junior soccer game in a fit though if I wasn't playing.It can be very boring to watch whereas I'd watch gaelic football any day of the week at any level.

I'd be very similar to galwayman, never played gaelic at the same level as I did soccer.  I'd agree that gaelic football is a more interesting game to watch, especially at the lower levels.  But does that not suggest that the skills levels must thus be easier to master.  Possibly, but another factor is that scores are easier to come by, and can be achieved from a greater range of the playing surface.

As a field sport though, neither gaelic football nor soccer can hold a candle, from an interesting to watch perspective, to hurling.  When was the last time anyone saw a gaelic football match to equal the intensity, skill levels and excitement of either of last weekend's hurling championship games - I can't remember one; and games like these happen relatively frequently in hurling.

[Tyrone Dreamer]

As Ive said before you may need more individual skill to play hurling but I dont agree with the rest of Billy Boots points. Gaelic football is played at a much greater level of intensity than hurling. Due to the distance the ball travels its impossible for hurling to match the intensity of gaelic football and at the same time I believe you may need to be fitter to play football at the top level. I also beleive that football relies on much greater teamwork than hurling, as I said earlier when do u see goals in hurling with as good a interchange play as the Tyrone goal in the football on Sunday. There's much greater interchange and understanding between players in football. Im also not buying your point on exciting games. The Dublin Mayo game last year or any of the Tyrone games from the quarter final on in 05 were as exciting if not more exciting than any hurling games this decade. I personally really enjoy top hurling matches but it does pish me of the snobbery attitude often portrayed by hurling fans who refuse to recognise the high quality of football matches. I may have gone slightly over the top with some of the football pro's above but hurling fans do this all the time.

[upthedubs]

suprised by this. in dublin "soccer"  is much more popular than gaelic football. didn't realise the opposite was true in the rest of the country.

[Fishead_Sam]

suprised by this. in dublin "soccer"  is much more popular than gaelic football. didn't realise the opposite was true in the rest of the country.

Who is this fck'n Jack Charlton person anyways?

[Stagmeister]

I personally really enjoy top hurling matches but it does pish me of the snobbery attitude often portrayed by hurling fans who refuse to recognise the high quality of football matches. I may have gone slightly over the top with some of the football pro's above but hurling fans do this all the time.

Totally agree with your comments. Whenever there is a really good game of hurling all the usual stuff like "you'd never see a football match that good" comes out. Not that I'm saying I dont like hurling, I think it can be excellent sometimes but I just find it can be very very scrappy + 90% of pucks up the field are just hit and hope so there's not much skill involved there.

Rugby and Gaelic are by far the best games to watch in my Opinion

90% Soccer is a pile of SHITE!
Spanish sooccer is good
Knockout tournaments like the world cup are good
Premiership is muck

But I suppose at the end of the day its whatever your into yourself

[OirthearMhaigheo]

[/quote]

Totally agree with your comments. Whenever there is a really good game of hurling all the usual stuff like "you'd never see a football match that good" comes out. Not that I'm saying I dont like hurling, I think it can be excellent sometimes but I just find it can be very very scrappy + 90% of pucks up the field are just hit and hope so there's not much skill involved there.

Rugby and Gaelic are by far the best games to watch in my Opinion

90% Soccer is a pile of SHITE!
Spanish sooccer is good
Knockout tournaments like the world cup are good
Premiership is muck

But I suppose at the end of the day its whatever your into yourself

[/quote]

Spot on Stag. In terms of genuine quality and excitement only the Euros/ World Cups and the latter stages of the Champions league are good to watch, the rest of the time Soccer is a bore. I play Soccer at a local level and it is so much easier to excel than at Football. For me to make the local Gaeilc team requires huge committment and training to keep up with the rest of the squad, with soccer my preparation is go easy on the beer the night before and if I turn up I should get a game. Great way of keeping fit in the winter though and it is very enjoyable to play but for most lads in my area, Gaelic is everything, soccer a handy past-time when the "footie" season is over. In Mayo there is only one real show in town and that's football, proper football that is, soccer is a distant second in my view.