Armagh and Galway not allowed to play their quarter final in Croke Park

[Zulu]

Dublin have apparently refused the option of playing on the 16th because their training is geared towards an August 9th game. How the GAA have f**ked this up is byond me, is there no forward planning at the highest level, why wasn't a Saturday set aside for a potential Dublin QF and all counties notified of this. So for example at the start of the year all county secretaries would be notified that in the event of Dublin making the QF and your county playing them, the game will go ahead as a stand alone fixture on August 16th 2008.

[D4S]

Where are people getting this info? So much of what is said here could just be speculation unless you say where this came from?

[full back]

Dublin have apparently refused the option of playing on the 16th

If this is the case that means there will be a double header with the Dubs one of the teams playing then.
Im no fan of the Dubs, but how in the honour of fcuk do the GAA expect to allocate tickets for this day? Dublin can at least 3/4 fill the stadium every time they play in the c'ship
It will be a complete nightmare for all counties involved.

[illdecide]

I think if there is a double header with the Dublin match on the 9th it will be a disgrace as its basically saying hey bring 60-80k to the early matches and we will screw you over when it gets serious....





Why do you think you are gonna get 60-80,000 tickets for an all ireland semi or final (if you are lucky enough to get there), get real saan. If dublin get to an all ireland final they would be lucky to get 30,000 tickets so some of you're supporters are gonna get screwed anyway

[Zulu]

Ticket woe looms for Dubs fans
Later date not a runner so it's a double-header


Bleak outlook: Dublin fans could be facing a severe shortage of tickets for the All-Ireland quarter-final

By Frank Roche


Friday August 01 2008

DUBLIN footballers don't want their All-Ireland SFC quarter-final moved back a week to August 16 - but it means that countless thousands of Sky Blue fans will be left ticketless when the Leinster champions return to Croke Park tomorrow week.

Contrary to strong official vibes earlier this week, Dublin's next game on August 9 will not be a stand-alone fixture. Instead, another football quarter- final will be added to the bill.

Croke Park fixture-makers were forced into a U-turn following strong protests from Galway and Armagh after it emerged that the Connacht and Ulster champions could be forced to play their quarter-final ties at provincial venues because of a congested Croke Park programme.

It's understood that the CCCC offered an alternative stand-alone date on Saturday, August 16. But this left Dublin in a classic Catch-22 bind: the team's entire training programme in recent weeks had been calibrated towards peaking on August 9, so to play a week later could have affected Dublin's performance while benefitting their vast army of fans.

Dublin chairman Gerry Harrington confirmed that he discussed the issue with manager Paul Caffrey at training last night, but August 16 was a non-runner.

Harrington is still holding out hope that the CCCC will relent and make August 9 a stand-alone date - but there isn't a chance of this happening.

"We don't want to play it the following weekend - we want to play it on the ninth," he told the Evening Herald.

"If it means we have to play it as a double-header, so be it, but at the moment we are still fighting for a stand-alone fixture."

The Dublin chief explained that training drilles are geared for tomorrow week, adding: "To change that now would not be feasible."

However, while August 9 is best for the team, it spells a very bleak scenario for Dublin fans. County board chief executive John Costello has already written to clubs yesterday, indicating that Dublin will receive a "maximum of 15,000 tickets to be divided between players, sponsors, Parnell Park ticket scheme members and clubs."

Harrington admitted: "It's going to be very difficult with the ticket situation.

Even when we were a standalone fixture, the ticket situation is very difficult.

"There will be an awful lot of supporters disappointed, but we can do nothing about that."

- Frank Roche

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Still going to leave either Galway or Armagh playing at a provincial venue. They've changed dates for q/finals before but it seems Dublin now have a veto. If it ends up Dublin v Kerry the ticket situation might actually be aided by moving the match to Thurles.

[D4S]

Looking a little better for the armagh and galway fans now...hope all quarter finals get to be played in croke park even if we don't make it to the quarters.

[armaghniac]

Well if is Armagh v an Ulster team then Clones seems very likely, and there is likely to be a couple of Ulster teams in the pot. Armagh v Kerry, Kildare or Wexford could be in Croke Pk. But the likes of an Armagh v Kerry and Dublin v Tyrone double header would be an absolute nightmare for tickets. Galway v Kerry could be shunted off to Limerick and something like Armagh v Wexford and Dublin v Fermanagh would be more manageable for tickets.

[Stevie Nicks]

The Dubs can't have it both ways, either a stand alone on Sat 16th or if standing firm for Sat the 9th going to have to accept a double header. As a previous poster has said that stills leaves 1 match being possibly played outside croker if the 'rebels' have asked for a double header unless that is moved to Semple

[full back]

The whole thing is a f**king joke!

Why are Dublin and Cork being allowed to dictate where and when they play, while Armagh and Galway are pretty much been told to f**k off?

Its as if Ulster and Connaught are just an inconvenience.

Dublin have been told that if they want a stand alone fixture they have to move dates - they arent exactly dictating............

[INDIANA]

listen carefully AFS , dublin are playing a double header on the 9th.  thats a fact.
As to why we are dictating things? the only county dictating things is Cork, who demanded a double header. All 4 provincial winners including dublin are enitled to play in croke park as provincial winners in my view.. If Cork want a double header then they should be playing on the 16th. that way everyone would be happy. they can't shift cork to thurles because premium tickets in croker are sold on the basis that all-ireland semis are played in croke park.

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

listen carefully AFS , dublin are playing a double header on the 9th.  thats a fact.

Nothing's certain until Monday.

[Rossfan]

listen carefully , dublin are playing a double header on the 9th.  thats a fact.

Hopefully the thousands from Dublin who wont get tickets will know who to blame then - their own Co Board who wouldnt agree to a stand alone on 16th.
As for Cork - who could blame them for wanting their football and hurling games on the same day?
They seem to be taking account of their supporters wishes which appears to be an alien concept among their Dublin counterparts.
Looking at the bigger picture -can the GAA not set up a Committee to look at a way of avoiding the fixtures mess and griping that goes on every August.
What g oes on now is knee jerk ad hoc solutions here and there to this problem and that anomoly without any thinking the whole issue through.
What would have happened if ther had been a draw in Round one and/or round 2 of the Qualifiers?
What happens if there's a draw this weekend and Dublin draw the winners of that pairing.?

[INDIANA]

why don't you educate yourselves on the facts of the situation before you come on here as a fountain of knowledge. The dublin managment have kiboshed the 16th because it leaves them 4 weeks wiithout a game and gives their likely opponents a 2 week gap. Thats a perfectly reasonable assumption from a preparation pt of view and one that Dublin fans are happy with. Dublin aren't dictating anything and have known since tuesday it would be likely to be a stand alone game
Cork have been allowed dictate matters. Offaly  fans were asked to be in semple stadium against waterford to watch their hurlers and 90 mins later to be in tullamore to watch their footballers on the same day. No-one gave a shite about them, because they are a small county So this argument that Cork should be allowed dictate fixtures because of distance is bullshit. Cork are the worst travelling Gaa fans in the country in my view. If you put both games on Washington Street half of them still wouldn't turn up. It happens to other counties all the time and they don't whinge about it. This is Frank Murphy's agenda and another indciation that if you've got the right friends in the Gaa you can get anything changed. Its a farce that all 4 provincial winners won't get to play in Croke park to suit one county.
99% of Cork hurling fans don't go to watch their footballers, that is a statistical fact and one that won;t change by having both games in croke park. just wait till throw in time sunday week in the football match and see how many cork fans are their. F*** all would be my guess.

[Mike Sheehy]

Cork are the worst travelling Gaa fans in the country in my view

How often have you had to travel to Killarney or Cork to watch Dublin play in a Championship game ? How often have you had to pay the 60 Euros for the train ?...and, unless you want to spend 6hours in a train up and down on the same day, a hotel room ?

This is not a whinge, I know how lucky I am coming from Kerry and having the opportunity to see them play in croker as often as I have but, at the same time, you have to factor in the practical realities of the situation.