Is the earlier Championship a success or failure?

[Dag Dog]

My point is that the GAA's main audience for revenue and attendance are band wagon followers. The people who get interested in their county once the championship heats up.
How many of he tens of thousands going mental for tickets for the big days are anywhere to be seen in April?

We are giving away a lot of July and August where there is a lull in competing sports like the Premier League.
We should be keeping the GAA in the shop window.

They're not to be seen cos they're playing/training/administrating/sitting quietly being members of their club

No, they're not.
Thousands turn out in their white jeans and fake tan for high profile occasions only.

[Franko]

My point is that the GAA's main audience for revenue and attendance are band wagon followers. The people who get interested in their county once the championship heats up.
How many of he tens of thousands going mental for tickets for the big days are anywhere to be seen in April?

We are giving away a lot of July and August where there is a lull in competing sports like the Premier League.
We should be keeping the GAA in the shop window.

They're not to be seen cos they're playing/training/administrating/sitting quietly being members of their club

No, they're not.
Thousands turn out in their white jeans and fake tan for high profile occasions only.

Eh?

What does their attire have to do with anything?

Is your point that some people only attend big games?

If so, what exact relevance does this have to what we are discussing

[Dag Dog]

The relevance is that a huge proportion of the GAA target audience are half interested. They'll turn up for selected occasions when there is noise, hype and a bandwagon. In February they won't be going to league matches, and probably don't even know who their county teams is playing.
They'll be the same about Liverpool, Celtic, the Irish rugby team. Whatever occasion is hottest, they'll be drawn to it.

Running off the championship quickly and under the radar makes it less attractive to this group. The early rounds are blink and you'll miss them and now the peak GAA summer window has been given up too.

[JoG2]

The relevance is that a huge proportion of the GAA target audience are half interested. They'll turn up for selected occasions when there is noise, hype and a bandwagon. In February they won't be going to league matches, and probably don't even know who their county teams is playing.
They'll be the same about Liverpool, Celtic, the Irish rugby team. Whatever occasion is hottest, they'll be drawn to it.

Running off the championship quickly and under the radar makes it less attractive to this group. The early rounds are blink and you'll miss them and now the peak GAA summer window has been given up too.

So you're saying the GAA is not the grab all association and are looking  after the interests of 95% of the players and all club members? Gotcha

Are you member / coach volunteer of your club? Surely you'd be happy enough with the split?

[GoldCoastRossie]

I am a kids coach, volunteer, fundraiser for my adopted club in Meath and would rather the Championship going into the first 2/3 weeks of August at least. The season is way too rushed and is almost over before it gets started. The gap between league and the provincial championships is ridiculous. Even now my club in Meath has played 2 Championship games missing 9 J1 students and wont have them back till the relegation playoffs most likely.

[Franko]

The relevance is that a huge proportion of the GAA target audience are half interested. They'll turn up for selected occasions when there is noise, hype and a bandwagon. In February they won't be going to league matches, and probably don't even know who their county teams is playing.
They'll be the same about Liverpool, Celtic, the Irish rugby team. Whatever occasion is hottest, they'll be drawn to it.

Running off the championship quickly and under the radar makes it less attractive to this group. The early rounds are blink and you'll miss them and now the peak GAA summer window has been given up too.

Maybe they are - but I'd venture that the vast majority of those attending the games at the business end of the season are members or corporate types.  Because other haven't the access or sway to score themselves a ticket, unless it's daddy sorting it.

Regardless - the association has its priorities correct in this regard.

Why would the association try to cater for this flaky brigade at the expense of club players and volunteers?  If they want to go support Liverpool, Celtic or the Goys - then let them.  They are no asset to the the organisation.

Especially as, by your own admission - come the big days, they'll be there anyway!

[Taylor]

I really struggle to understand people with little to know interest in the club game having any sort of input in these conversations.
Dont get me wrong I support my county and go to games but at the end of the day the lifeblood of the GAA is the gaels/players/volunteers in the clubs around the country.

Without this there would be no county game so it makes sense that they should have the biggest input in the decisions.

The split season is as good to perfection as we have had it. Club players/volunteers have set dates to work towards and know when they are playing games.

Hopefully the days of weeks and weeks of no games/not knowing what is happening next are long gone.

Look at the crowds at the club games. The appetite is there.

Feck the armchair/fair weather supporters

[Dag Dog]

I really struggle to understand people with little to know interest in the club game having any sort of input in these conversations.
Dont get me wrong I support my county and go to games but at the end of the day the lifeblood of the GAA is the gaels/players/volunteers in the clubs around the country.

There would be a lot of empty seats, if only the gaels/players/volunteers attended matches.
Let's face it, the sunshine supporters, who show up at the latter stages of the championship and buy the expensive tickets, pay a lot of the bills in the GAA.

[thewobbler]

I really struggle to understand people with little to know interest in the club game having any sort of input in these conversations.
Dont get me wrong I support my county and go to games but at the end of the day the lifeblood of the GAA is the gaels/players/volunteers in the clubs around the country.

There would be a lot of empty seats, if only the gaels/players/volunteers attended matches.
Let's face it, the sunshine supporters, who show up at the latter stages of the championship and buy the expensive tickets, pay a lot of the bills in the GAA.

The bills, huh?

We don't need our bills paid. It's perhaps the greatest nonsense in the GAA that we need to compete with the EPL or rugby world cups, by attracting new audiences.

Our bills, relatively, are trivial and we cover them all times over.

[JoG2]

I really struggle to understand people with little to know interest in the club game having any sort of input in these conversations.
Dont get me wrong I support my county and go to games but at the end of the day the lifeblood of the GAA is the gaels/players/volunteers in the clubs around the country.

Without this there would be no county game so it makes sense that they should have the biggest input in the decisions.

The split season is as good to perfection as we have had it. Club players/volunteers have set dates to work towards and know when they are playing games.

Hopefully the days of weeks and weeks of no games/not knowing what is happening next are long gone.

Look at the crowds at the club games. The appetite is there.

Feck the armchair/fair weather supporters

Last weekend in Derry was a feast of football played in glorious sunshine.
Looking forward to Sat / Sunday week for more of the same. Like yourself, I rarely miss a county game, but the club championships are something else.
Season pass is serious vfm, or £10 for 4 games at the weekend.

[Dag Dog]

I really struggle to understand people with little to know interest in the club game having any sort of input in these conversations.
Dont get me wrong I support my county and go to games but at the end of the day the lifeblood of the GAA is the gaels/players/volunteers in the clubs around the country.

There would be a lot of empty seats, if only the gaels/players/volunteers attended matches.
Let's face it, the sunshine supporters, who show up at the latter stages of the championship and buy the expensive tickets, pay a lot of the bills in the GAA.

The bills, huh?

We don't need our bills paid. It's perhaps the greatest nonsense in the GAA that we need to compete with the EPL or rugby world cups, by attracting new audiences.

Our bills, relatively, are trivial and we cover them all times over.

Has your club ever gone looking for grant assistance to Croke Park?
Do the full time coaches and admin people pay their own salaries?
Are all those county centres of excellence paying for themselves?

[thewobbler]

I really struggle to understand people with little to know interest in the club game having any sort of input in these conversations.
Dont get me wrong I support my county and go to games but at the end of the day the lifeblood of the GAA is the gaels/players/volunteers in the clubs around the country.

There would be a lot of empty seats, if only the gaels/players/volunteers attended matches.
Let's face it, the sunshine supporters, who show up at the latter stages of the championship and buy the expensive tickets, pay a lot of the bills in the GAA.

The bills, huh?

We don't need our bills paid. It's perhaps the greatest nonsense in the GAA that we need to compete with the EPL or rugby world cups, by attracting new audiences.

Our bills, relatively, are trivial and we cover them all times over.

Has your club ever gone looking for grant assistance to Croke Park?
Do the full time coaches and admin people pay their own salaries?
Are all those county centres of excellence paying for themselves?

1. Grant assistance. Who cares? This is not an issue for any club in which volunteer levels roughly equate with membership levels.
2. Full time coaches. Who cares? This is not an issue for any club in which volunteer levels roughly equate with membership levels.
3. Centres of excellence. Who cares? This is not an issue for any club in which volunteer levels roughly equate with membership levels.

[Dag Dog]

I really struggle to understand people with little to know interest in the club game having any sort of input in these conversations.
Dont get me wrong I support my county and go to games but at the end of the day the lifeblood of the GAA is the gaels/players/volunteers in the clubs around the country.

There would be a lot of empty seats, if only the gaels/players/volunteers attended matches.
Let's face it, the sunshine supporters, who show up at the latter stages of the championship and buy the expensive tickets, pay a lot of the bills in the GAA.

The bills, huh?

We don't need our bills paid. It's perhaps the greatest nonsense in the GAA that we need to compete with the EPL or rugby world cups, by attracting new audiences.

Our bills, relatively, are trivial and we cover them all times over.

Has your club ever gone looking for grant assistance to Croke Park?
Do the full time coaches and admin people pay their own salaries?
Are all those county centres of excellence paying for themselves?

1. Grant assistance. Who cares? This is not an issue for any club in which volunteer levels roughly equate with membership levels.
2. Full time coaches. Who cares? This is not an issue for any club in which volunteer levels roughly equate with membership levels.
3. Centres of excellence. Who cares? This is not an issue for any club in which volunteer levels roughly equate with membership levels.

Good man. The GAA will stay ahead of other sports by just thinking small.

[Taylor]

I really struggle to understand people with little to know interest in the club game having any sort of input in these conversations.
Dont get me wrong I support my county and go to games but at the end of the day the lifeblood of the GAA is the gaels/players/volunteers in the clubs around the country.

There would be a lot of empty seats, if only the gaels/players/volunteers attended matches.
Let's face it, the sunshine supporters, who show up at the latter stages of the championship and buy the expensive tickets, pay a lot of the bills in the GAA.

But thats fine - the sunshine supporters will show up to the latter stages of the championship no matter when they are held.

Again, emphasising the split season suits the vast vast majority of who really matter in the organisation

[illdecide]

Sorry guys i've only read back thru the last 2 pages on this but will give you my 2 bobs worth on it...

I def preferred the old September finals as it gave a lot more time between matches to build up the game and search for tickets etc, the hype was as important as the match with kids in schools and clubs scrambling for tickets and not to mention the slabbering on here. This did not have a massive impact on the club player as come August and September you were down to 4 Counties and then 2 so the vast majority of the Country were free to carry out their Championships anyway. The problem with the traditional dates were the concerts in Croke Park, this was a hassle and had to be crammed in with new pitches laid weeks and days before a big game. CP love the early finish so they can host the top gigs in HQ and not have to worry about fixtures.

Surely there is a happy place somewhere in the middle?. a mid to late August finish maybe and then still get their concerts in. I dunno but either way I'll still go the games be it Croke Park or some bog in South Armagh. (that was a joke as all club pitches these days are a credit to the clubs, all fairly good pitches and clubs around the Country.