GAA gets higher ratings than Ireland Qualifier

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Originally Posted by drummerboy

Obviously Limerick is a rugby city. I think if the game was in Cork it would attract a lot more people.

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Indeed, what a pity it is that the GAA laughably/embarassingly refuse to let Ireland play at Pairc ui Chaoimh because football is an "English" sport.

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Originally Posted by kingdom hoop

To close on a a more practical point - maybe the international players could do a bit more PR work in Ireland?

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Good point, I'd love to see the team showing more face around the country.

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Originally Posted by Murfinator

http://www.magnersleague.com/statzon...dance.php#3543

They had an average attendance of almost 18,000 in the magners league. That figure is excluding showpiece games like the all blacks or Heineken Cup games which would be sell outs.

So a typical weekly game with the Munster reserves versus another Celtic team rakes in nearly double than the national Irish soccer team is getting. Can you see the extent of my point now?

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the majority of those are season ticket holders, the same people who can't justify the extra expense of the two friendly international games in thomond.
and the Australia game still attracted more than the Ireland - Canada game at Thomond park

I'd say some of them travel more than an hour to games too.

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Originally Posted by Murfinator

That kind of thing would never happen in rugby because everyone loves playing for their country and appreciates the honour in the regard that it should be held in. The very notion of a player retiring from the international side to "concentrate on their club career" would be unheard of in rugby.

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In fairness, it would never happen because they're paid by the IRFU. The situations are in no way comparable

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Originally Posted by Murfinator

Hurling at Rugby at the high end are far and away the most entertaining to watch since they're so technically difficult to play.

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Completely disagree. I find a top quality football match far more entertaining than a top quality rugby game for example.

I think Gaelic football is in general awful, and though Il watch the game next weekend, I couldnt say I'll enjoy watching the sport itself

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Reeling in the Years is one of the best programmes on any channel

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Yeah I love it, great show and so simple. Music's usually good on it as well.

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Originally Posted by Jicked

The game is awful pal, and the quote you took such offence too, that it's played by amateurs who often don't look like top sportsmen, and who regularly engage in disgusting assaults on each other which is greeted with cheers and yahoos from the crowd is true I'm afraid.

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That's quite simply not true at all. The players are incredibly fit these days and there is nothing like the hard hitting you suggest. Then again how would you have any clue what it's like in it's current state when the extent of your research has been a Lucozade Sport ad.

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

That's quite simply not true at all. The players are incredibly fit these days and there is nothing like the hard hitting you suggest. Then again how would you have any clue what it's like in it's current state when the extent of your research has been a Lucozade Sport ad.

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I see games in passing, not nearly enough to know the state of teams or the best players, but enough to see the physical condition of players. They are amateurs. Very fit amateurs no doubt, but not comparable in fitness levels or physical build to top sportsman in other disciplines. The GAA side look like boys compared to the professional Aussie Rules lads in the international series. And every so often I seem to spot a keeper who simply doesn't look like any cut of a sportsman.

As for the heavy hitting, you're going to tell me we don't often hear stories about players being involved in fights on the GAA pitch?! :rolleyes:

As an adjunct to this discussion, I recently discovered that matches in the "Gaelic" "Games" last only 70 minutes. :D

Even rugger buggers can keep it up for longer than that.

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Originally Posted by micls

Completely disagree. I find a top quality football match far more entertaining than a top quality rugby game for example

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Well I guess that just depends on what sport you'd prefer...obviously

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Originally Posted by micls

I think Gaelic football is in general awful

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I would say that LOI games are generally awful, suppose it just depends what you're into.

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Originally Posted by Murfinator

Hurling at Rugby at the high end are far and away the most entertaining to watch since they're so technically difficult to play.
Football is the best local game to follow since it's the only game really played competitively throughout most of the country.
Soccer is the most fun to play because of its simplicity and follow and discuss since it's a global game and there's a lot more happening all the time.

It's actually always confused me how you could be a die hard fan of one and not enjoy a high quality match in the other whatsoever.

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Again, this is very much a matter of opinion. Personally I think football played skillfully is technically much more difficult and much more entertaining than rugby can ever be. The rules are more technical in rugby but for me the actual skills required are not. I went to school with a number of Irish rugby internationals and it seemed to me that stength and pace were the key requirements rather than any specific technical skills.

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Originally Posted by kingdom hoop

In fairness, I think the vast majority of fans have that attitude. But I think the point Murf was making was that for people who aren't really fans (or for people who might possibly become fans), for a lot of those people, it does make a difference that our players play in England and aren't visibly associated with Ireland except when they put the jersey on.

So the fact that our players play mostly in England makes no difference to a fan; but it does make a difference for people who only take a passing interest in the team.
I don't think it's much of a point myself as it has little substantive relevance: even if the players played in Ireland I don't think it would increase interest on a national level all that much.
It would make a bit of difference though: for example, in Kerry a lot of the Gaelic players are very visible around the county (eg working at the bank counter, teachers), and that certainly helps to create a bond between the team and people who wouldn't otherwise take a huge interest in the team. There's a great sense that "they're our lads" kind of thing. Of course for those of us who love the team anyway, they could work in Timbuktu for all we care; but I evidentially know for sure, and it stands to reason, that the peripheral support is greater because of the visibility and local link of the players.

It's a bit of a moot point in this context as we're a long way off having significant international representation sourced from the domestic league. But if there was, I'd bet viewing figures would be even higher. To close on a a more practical point - maybe the international players could do a bit more PR work in Ireland?

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Again a lot of good points that i will take on board...cheers...again tho with the comparisons it's not like for like!!...Robbie Keane and Damien Duff etc dont need to be teachers or bankers because they are (too!!) well payed to play sport..if the top GAA players were being payed to play and didnt need to work would they all be so accessable??...anyway a moot point as you say...

if the peripheral soccer supporters want to be closer to soccer in this country we do have a great league in this country that is largely ignored by the soccer public in Ireland at whos games they would all be more than welcome!!!
My own club Rovers are hugely involved in the local junior and underage scene and the manager and players i've always found to be very approachable and accessable.

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

Well I guess that just depends on what sport you'd prefer...obviously

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Of course

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

I would say that LOI games are generally awful, supoose it just depends what you're into.

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We're talking in terms of a sport, rather than clubs/leagues within it. I'm not saying the games are bad, I'm saying the sport itself is

As a sport, even at the very top level, I find Gaelic football an awful sport to watch. I spent my childhood travelling the country watching all Cork senior/u21 games etc in both hurling and football and have also played both sports so I have plenty of experience in watching it both live and on tv.

I still find it an awful sport to watch though, one that has degraded in the last 10 years.

Of course taste decides it though.

There aren't many sports I dislike, or wouldn't happily watch if on telly, butGaelic football is one fo the main ones.

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Originally Posted by Jicked

As for the heavy hitting, you're going to tell me we don't often hear stories about players being involved in fights on the GAA pitch?! :rolleyes:

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Usually at local level more than on the National stage though to be honest. There's plenty of that in the local soccer games as well I find. There is the occasional fat intercounty goalkeeper as well, no doubt, but in general they're as fit as they can be. You get exceptions in soccer too eg. Andy Reid, Huddlestone at one stage. Of course the GAA amatures not as fit as full time pros, that stands to reason.

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Originally Posted by Jicked

The GAA side look like boys compared to the professional Aussie Rules lads in the international series

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I don't really think this is like for like though. The Aussies focus far more on having big strong athletes compared to the Gaelic players. The Gaelic players would look quite normal against a soccer team and small against a rugby team, means nothing.

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Originally Posted by micls

We're talking in terms of a sport, rather than clubs/leagues within it. I'm not saying the games are bad, I'm saying the sport itself is

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Fair enough. I don't agree that it's a bad sport when played well though but to each their own.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

I'd say some of them travel more than an hour to games too.

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Are you seriously suggesting that I should be supporting a team who lives over an hour away, in a different county and from a city I barely know or like with people I don't know as my local team?

Most of the country does it. A fair few provincial rugby fans do it. Many county GAA fans do it.

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Originally Posted by Murfinator

You're entitled to your opinion but I'd always rather actual Irish people who live in the community and are part of the culture representing our country. Seeing cases like Stephen Ireland who'd rather play for Manchester than his country or English born "Irish" like Andy O Brien or Dean Kiely who realistically were only ever playing for us because they weren't good enough for England. Those guys aren't players I want to support or would in any way make me proud in the team.

That kind of thing would never happen in rugby because everyone loves playing for their country and appreciates the honour in the regard that it should be held in. The very notion of a player retiring from the international side to "concentrate on their club career" would be unheard of in rugby.

And your assault accusations are bizarre. I'd certainly say Henry Shefflin and Colm Cooper are far less violent than someone like Roy Keane or Stephen Hunt. ;)
In fact if we were as physical and filthy as you're describing we wouldn't be getting bashed physically every time we faced the Australians in Aussie Rules!

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The paragraph in bold totally undermines your entire post and makes you look like a bit of an idiot who doesn't know what he's on about. There's been many players that have played rugby for Ireland and other countries over the years who have far more spurious connections then the likes of Dean Kiely. Ever hear of this lad for example who declared for Ireland having already been capped by Australia? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Smith_(rugby). He's not an isolated case.

AS for Colm Cooper, he's the biggest diver and chancer I've seen all season yet the GAA media constantly harp on about how soccer players dive and you''d never see that in the GAA, Cooper goes down if you look sideways at him and stays down till he gets attention, pure and constant gamesmanship.

Given such lack of knowledge you're in no position to be pontificating so I'd have to assume you're on a wind up. You're not Paul Collins by any chance? ;)

Sure if you have some sort of connection with the venue in question. I have no connection with the city whatsoever. I wouldn't even know anyone who'd want to go there to see it.

What you're suggesting I do is travel for an hour every week on my own so I can sit in a stand watching a team from a city I don't even like and magically summon some sort of interest in whether they do well or not? Then drive home afterwards and if I'm lucky be back before 11pm. Is that right?

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Originally Posted by Jicked

Indeed, what a pity it is that the GAA laughably/embarassingly refuse to let Ireland play at Pairc ui Chaoimh because football is an "English" sport.

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Dont even go there. A whole new debate. In fairness to the GAA, they have their rules, like it or not. They opened croker for which i am grateful although they were well remunerated. I wouldnt expect them to open the rest of their stadia if they didnt want to. It is a pity that the likes of Cork City and Galway city cant host an international all the same.

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

the majority of those are season ticket holders, the same people who can't justify the extra expense of the two friendly international games in thomond.
and the Australia game still attracted more than the Ireland - Canada game at Thomond park

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I am surprised the games in Thomond havent sold out, however the FAI made a major error here with the pricing, it shouldve been vastly more competitive than it was, particularly as the opposition was first rate and secondly its mid week games.
For a rugby mad or at least self professed, city that cant sell out a rugby friendly against Canada, the chances of selling the football ones was always gonna be tough at those prices.



Finally on the munster debate, I think they have done exceptionally well to gather together such a fan base in such a short period of time, call it bandwagoners if you like. But even for magners game they do pull together decent crowds. Its a model through which I think is one of the few ways club football in Ireland is ever going to attract sizeable numbers of a regular basis.

As i have said before, no code in ireland regularly attracts large numbers to events, gaa gets good numbers from mid to late championship, relatively poor numbers in the early championship and league. Rugby, huge crowds for latter stage Heino cup games, not so good for group games and magner games (in general).
Soccer, great crowds for competitive fixtures, reasonable crowds for friendlies and fai cup final. Not so great regular crowds at league games.
Each code has a set of fans that will go to every game and regularly follow, then there is the rest that will go to the more attractive events. You may not like it, but its true.

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Originally Posted by Murfinator

Are you seriously suggesting that I should be supporting a team who lives over an hour away, in a different county and from a city I barely know or like with people I don't know as my local team?

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think he's suggesting that there's going to be precious few from outside Limerick at the game, whereas there's always loads from outside Dublin at games in Lansdowne or Croke Park

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Most of the country does it. A fair few provincial rugby fans do it. Many county GAA fans do it.

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Eh how? I have nothing to do with galway, would i support galway united? NO.

I live in connaught would i support connaught rugby, yes.

I live in County Sligo, I support Sligo, yes.

I live in County Sligo, would i support Roscommon, No.

A team in a town miles and miles away is not the same as provicinal rugby in which one lives or inter-county gaa, in which they live.

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Originally Posted by Sheridan

As an adjunct to this discussion, I recently discovered that matches in the "Gaelic" "Games" last only 70 minutes. :D

Even rugger buggers can keep it up for longer than that.

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When, next carrying out your fact finding mission, have a look at the size of the pitch.

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

think he's suggesting that there's going to be precious few from outside Limerick at the game, whereas there's always loads from outside Dublin at games in Lansdowne or Croke Park

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No, I was picking up on his argument that in order to be proper Irish, you should be passionate about your locality. This doesn't seem to follow through in the football side of things though.

Edit - in particular, I was responding to this:

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Originally Posted by Murfinator

To GAA fans and Irish people in general. I'd honestly only expect some comment like that [an anti-GAA comment; possibly a legitimate one] from some english supremest who deludes themself that they have an in depth understanding of our country.

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and this:

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Originally Posted by murfinator

Your Irishness is how integrated you are in the culture and how passionate you are about the land and the people in it.

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I was also responding to the contradiction that some people in, say, Carlow support Leinster Rugby, or some people in Bantry support Cork GAA, but Murfinator doesn't feel the same support should apply to him in the LoI. I'm questioning his Irishness as a result.

(And I'm obvioulsy doing it all in a sarcastic manner to poke holes in his argument)

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Originally Posted by paul_oshea

When, next carrying out your fact finding mission, have a look at the size of the pitch.

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Yeah, I did, thanks. I also noted that the game was played fifteen-a-side and largely involved whacking the ball as far as possible from a near-stationary position, like a less skillful form of netball.

Im to ****ed to read all the posts here.....but there is no way that football is going down in popularity at all, at least not in the areas I grow up, just casue we dont qualify dont mean diddly squat........football is the game of the masses....gah is something you might play if you were bored (rarely) and rugby easlily desends in to aussie rules............

I watch all sports but gah is a complete joke of a sport, and as much as i love hurling there is only one team!

and by the way the reason why some of us HATE the gah is we have seen the way they treat local football teams................from digging up pitches....having training sessions at same time as football..........telling players not to play "soccer", and generaly sneering attitude.......and they are the same fellas at the pub cheering on Man u!!!

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Originally Posted by Jicked

I see games in passing, not nearly enough to know the state of teams or the best players, but enough to see the physical condition of players. They are amateurs. Very fit amateurs no doubt, but not comparable in fitness levels or physical build to top sportsman in other disciplines. The GAA side look like boys compared to the professional Aussie Rules lads in the international series. And every so often I seem to spot a keeper who simply doesn't look like any cut of a sportsman.

As for the heavy hitting, you're going to tell me we don't often hear stories about players being involved in fights on the GAA pitch?! :rolleyes:

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The aussies are pumping themselves full of steroids from the age of 16 its impossible to compare the players in those terms. In fitness terms the gaelic lads have put it up to them as has been shown the last couple of times. Strenght is a whole different question though.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

No, I was picking up on his argument that in order to be proper Irish, you should be passionate about your locality. This doesn't seem to follow through in the football side of things though.

Edit - in particular, I was responding to this:



and this:


I was also responding to the contradiction that some people in, say, Carlow support Leinster Rugby, or some people in Bantry support Cork GAA, but Murfinator doesn't feel the same support should apply to him in the LoI. I'm questioning his Irishness as a result.

(And I'm obvioulsy doing it all in a sarcastic manner to poke holes in his argument)

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That would make sense if I was from an area that has a team, you might have mistaken it earlier but there is no team in my locality. I'll support any LOI team in Europe but why would I take sides nationally when I have equally little in common with every team?

I support Munster and my county in hurling and football because I do have something in common with the teams, I can chat to people at work or at home about their progress, go to matches with friends and support them heartily, so it is a community and culture thing to an extent. I can't do that for a LOI team because... there isn't one. You're looking for hypocritical comments where there aren't any, dude. :D

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Originally Posted by Murfinator

To GAA fans and Irish people in general. I'd honestly only expect some comment like that from some english supremest who deludes themself that they have an in depth understanding of our country. Pretty sick to think there's people living in my country with that kind of caveman view on our national game and the people who support it. :(

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I hate the GAA and GAA supporters. Horrible games with a nasty, sectarian backdrop. And what's the point of hurling? You can't even see the ball.

Murfinator, i might have missed it earlier but where in the midwest do you live?

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Originally Posted by Straightstory

I hate the GAA and GAA supporters. Horrible games with a nasty, sectarian backdrop

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Yes GAA supporters are evil, every one of them. There are no exceptions whatsoever, same with people who like U2. And as for the sectarian thing you'd never find anything like that in the beautiful game.

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Originally Posted by Straightstory

And what's the point of hurling? You can't even see the ball.

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Oh sweet mother...

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

Yes GAA supporters are evil, every one of them. There are no exceptions whatsoever, same with people who like U2. And as for the sectarian thing you'd never find anything like that in the beautiful game.

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But the sectarianism in GAA has been propogated by the governing body themselves, unlike any other sport I can think of.

To me the GAA represents an inward looking attitude, tied hand in hand with the FF view of Irishness and Ireland.

I've always preferred the "foreign" games myself because it allows Ireland some visibility in the outside world.

I think, like most things Ireland related, the GAA has been very backwards in it's attitude towards 'foreign games'. This is slowly but surely changing but it will take time for it to drown out completely. While there are many GAA chiefs still around who remember the days where it was a battle for them to get their sports played I'd imagine they'll continue on with a chip on their shoulder.

The worst of both sides of the argument can be seen here.

I'm a football fan, a gaelic fan, a rugby fan and a cricket fan. I've watched local and national sides in all sports, at all levels, all over the country and around the world. Can someone tell me how Irish I am, I'm confused.......

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Originally Posted by Straightstory

And what's the point of hurling? You can't even see the ball.

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:D:D:D

Excellent question, I'll forward it to the GAA comment desk to see if they have some sort of explanation.

I must say I'm delighted our national sport is so well followed.

Who cares about GAA, this is a football website. Yawn.

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Originally Posted by an_ceannaire

http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=117471

Surprised?

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Is this article for real. Basically what they are saying is that I've got more friends than you have:p

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Originally Posted by MariborKev

The worst of both sides of the argument can be seen here.

I'm a football fan, a gaelic fan, a rugby fan and a cricket fan. I've watched local and national sides in all sports, at all levels, all over the country and around the world. Can someone tell me how Irish I am, I'm confused.......

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I works like this I believe...

Gaelic Fan: 100 credits
Rugby Fan: 5 credits for supporting Ireland, 10 credits for supporting your province
Football Fan: 5 credits for supporting Ireland, 10 credits for supporting your LOI side, -50 for supporting PL team
Cricket Fan: -100 credits

:D

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Originally Posted by an_ceannaire

http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=117471

Surprised?

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Can’t open the link, and I would not recommend that any GAA fan in Dublin or Ulster go anywhere near that bigoted Hogan Stand site because it will put you off the GAA completely. (if bigots like Pat Spillane and Kevin McStay have not already…they would rather the Sunday Game was called “Keep it Culchie”.

What are the viewing figures based on (RTE only?) because the game was also shown on Sky so most pubs would show it on Sky.

But anyway, there was far more excitement in Tipp v Kilkenny than any Ireland game to date. Having said that, the country will stand still for Ireland v Italy.

Yeah, it's a bit unfair to compare the biggest game of the hurling season to a regular football game, albeit an important one. Likewise in the rugby, where almost every game is against a top 8 side in the world. In football almost every game is against an unglamourous team, only a handful are against the better teams.

Noone can doubt that football has lost its lustre but it's on the road to recovery I think.