GAA may have finally succeeded in killing off the railway cup!!

[Zulu]

I agree, it's time to do away with the Railway Cup it was a competition of it's time and now serves no useful purpose. I think the GAA are right not to promote the games too much, if players want to play it and the GAA want to hold on to it for traditions sake them play it away but don't waste time and resources on promoting it.

[Maguire01]

it should be thrown in the bin. After county it should be club not province

I thought it would be club, then county, then province(?)

I agree, it's time to do away with the Railway Cup it was a competition of it's time and now serves no useful purpose. I think the GAA are right not to promote the games too much, if players want to play it and the GAA want to hold on to it for traditions sake them play it away but don't waste time and resources on promoting it.

What useful purpose does any game serve? If it was marketed properly it could be a real success. It's just a shame that the sponsor is getting such a raw deal. Maybe the GAA should have been smart enough to include the Railway Cup in their big sponsorship deals for the League and Championship and get some real money behind it. Maybe even make it a free event and see what happens.

[The GAA]

I think the inter pros are a great concept and i always followed it when i could. if it were marketed properly (how often have i heard that?) it could be fantastic. i was at a railway cup final a couple of years ago in parnell when leinster beat ulster in extra time. it was a fantastic match and there was maybe10k in attendance despite live tv coverage. as an armagh man i got a good kick out of seeing McDonnell, Kernan, o'rourke, mallon, etc. battling away with dooher, gormley, bradley, freeman etc.

that said, if it is to be neglected and pushed to one side like this then i feel it should be scrapped. obviously the GAA has more lucrative priorities like the international rules to concentrate on at his time of year

[Zulu]

What useful purpose does any game serve?

I dunno maybe the development of a team, a step towards winning a championship, an opportunity for people to exercise etc. GAA games generally have a purpose, which differs depending on the level you're playing, the time of year, the type of game i.e. challenge or championship etc. The RC teams are just thrown together from what available IC talent there is in the province at the time and asked to play matches where the result doesn't matter to anybody. Some lads well argue that with the right promotion we can get the crowds back to what they were in the 50's and 60's but the reality is we can't. The showbands were immensely popular in the 50's and 60's but no one would argue that a bit of promotion would re-ignite our passion for those lads again.

                  The bottom line is when the RC was popular players and supporters had little else on their plates. Now club county championships go on for longer, there is an AI club championship, the IC year goes on for longer and involves more games, there are more schools competitions, University leagues and championships and other sporting and lifestyle distractions. IMO the players could do without these games and whatever preparation time it involves and the fans won't go back in big numbers due to alternative distractions.

                   If Martin Donnelly wants to put money into the GAA he should put it into underage GAA, why not try and develop a Martin Donnelly U8 AI blitz. Play them on a provincial basis's with an AI blitz held in Croke Park, don't ask me to go into details as it's just one suggestion I thought of as I typed. But we can use his money better to promote the GAA and the development of the games (especially in 'blackspots') rather than wasting money on a competition that died long ago.

[Maguire01]

What useful purpose does any game serve?

I dunno maybe the development of a team, a step towards winning a championship, an opportunity for people to exercise etc. GAA games generally have a purpose, which differs depending on the level you're playing, the time of year, the type of game i.e. challenge or championship etc.

Exactly. You answered your own question.

[Zulu]

Maybe I'm missing something but what purpose do the Railway Cup games serve?

[bannside]

Railway cup has outlived its usefulness. Who won it last year.

Had a purpose a decade or so ago when the competition was played off over a weekend, and all the top players could chill out together over a lock of pints at the end of a hard season.

To be played at a time when the calendar is so congested with club finals etc makes a complete mockery of it, never mind Sean Boylan trying to get some semblence of a national squad together in preparation for compromise rules.

Time for it to be completely scrapped.

[Maguire01]

Railway cup has outlived its usefulness. Who won it last year.

Had a purpose a decade or so ago when the competition was played off over a weekend, and all the top players could chill out together over a lock of pints at the end of a hard season.

To be played at a time when the calendar is so congested with club finals etc makes a complete mockery of it, never mind Sean Boylan trying to get some semblence of a national squad together in preparation for compromise rules.

Time for it to be completely scrapped.

Ulster won it last year.

What about completely scrapping the Comp. Rules instead? What useful purpose does it serve?

[From the Bunker]

The Railway cup should be ran in conjunction with the All Stars. As in it should be ran the same weekend with the banquet being the culmination of the weekend. with the correct energy and marketing it could prove to be a great weekend. forget about this Hybrid Aussie rules stuff.

[Zulu]

At least it attracts the crowds and it offers the chance of players representing their country and if nothing else it rewards the best players in the country the opportunity of a trip to Austraila to pit their skills against professional athletes. That's more than the Railway Cup, I've asked you this already but what does the Railway Cup offer that warrants promotion and resources.

[Maguire01]

At least it attracts the crowds and it offers the chance of players representing their country and if nothing else it rewards the best players in the country the opportunity of a trip to Austraila to pit their skills against professional athletes. That's more than the Railway Cup, I've asked you this already but what does the Railway Cup offer that warrants promotion and resources.

It attracts the crowds because of the marketing/resources that have been thrown at it. And it should also be noted that the marketing and hype was based in no small part on the 'violence' on the field. The game itself is rubbish. I was at the match in CP 2 years ago and won't be at one again.

[Zulu]

At least it attracts the crowds and it offers the chance of players representing their country and if nothing else it rewards the best players in the country the opportunity of a trip to Austraila to pit their skills against professional athletes. That's more than the Railway Cup, I've asked you this already but what does the Railway Cup offer that warrants promotion and resources.

It attracts the crowds because of the marketing/resources that have been thrown at it. And it should also be noted that the marketing and hype was based in no small part on the 'violence' on the field. The game itself is rubbish. I was at the match in CP 2 years ago and won't be at one again.

So you're telling me that 70 - 80K went to see the match because it was promoted and that only a few thousand go to the RC because it is not? I'm sorry but that simply isn't the case, anyway this isn't about the IR verses the RC this is about the RC and whether it is worth retaining. IMO it is not because players are already over burdened in what is a packed calander, supporters are indifferent to it and there isn't an obvious slot in the year in which to play the games. I'll make the point again, if Martin Donnelly wants to put money into the GAA and the GAA wants to get a return on that then we should be looking at some type of national underage blitz-type competition. Which would be a much better way of spending the man's money and he would get a much better return on his investment.

[Maguire01]

You obviously don't believe in the power of promotion / marketing. Explain why 70,000 turned up to see Dublin v Tyrone play a league game in CP.

It is about IR vs RC as well, because you say there's no obvious place for the RC in the calendar, yet a few have suggested using the AllStars weekend. Also if there's a place in the calendar for IR, what's the difference? You don't think people care about the RC - but how many people missed the IR last year?

You also can't use the excuse about players being over burdened. No one will force a player to play in the RC, but players seem to enjoy it and want to play it. I'd imagine they're also much more likely to pick up injuries playing IR.

[Zulu]

You obviously don't believe in the power of promotion / marketing. Explain why 70,000 turned up to see Dublin v Tyrone play a league game in CP.

Because it was the first game under lights in CP and it was an attractive pairing, I went to that game as did a good few others from my area, if they played again next year under lights I'm sure none of us would go regardless of the promotion i.e we didn't go for the game but for the ocassion.

It is about IR vs RC as well, because you say there's no obvious place for the RC in the calendar, yet a few have suggested using the AllStars weekend. Also if there's a place in the calendar for IR, what's the difference? You don't think people care about the RC - but how many people missed the IR last year?

Not sure what your point is here, I think I'm like most GAA people on this one, I don't really care whether the RC or IR are ever played again, I'll watch them if there on, I would go to them if a few lmates were going but if they are cancelled I won't really care. I have to admit I get much more into the IR than I do the the RC and I would love to see us tank the Aussies this year but you are right I didn't miss it last year but I wouldn't have missed the RC if it wasn't played last year either. IMO that would be true of most GAA supporters.

You also can't use the excuse about players being over burdened. No one will force a player to play in the RC, but players seem to enjoy it and want to play it. I'd imagine they're also much more likely to pick up injuries playing IR.

Look of course you'll get players to play it and I'm sure they enjoy playing but you never get the best teams out representing the provinces and supporters know that it is really just an end of year kick about. This is why it isn't well supported because they are understrength teams playing for something that nobody is too bothered about. Play it if you want (and I'll watch it if you do) but I don't believe it deserves too much effeort to promote it, it's grand as it is.

[Onion Bag]

Anyone want to make a stab at Ulsters best possible team, I'll Take a stab

(1) Ronan Gallagher (Fermanagh)
(2) Andy Mallon (Armagh)
(3) Justin Mc Mahon (Tyrone)
(4) Ricey Mc Menamin (Tyrone)
(5) Kieran Mc Keever(Armagh)
(6) Conor Gormley (Tyrone)
(7) Phily Jordan (Tyrone)
( Dan Gordon (Down)
(9) Enda Mc Ginley (Tyrone)
(10) Brian Dooher (Tyrone)
(11) Sean Cavanagh(Tyrone)
(12) Benny Coulter (Down)
(13) Steven Mc Donnell (Armagh)
(14) Ronan Clarke (Armagh)
(15) Paddy Bradley (Derry)

Any opinions??