TV Viewing Figures

**beautifulrock** · 17/10/2008, 11:38 AM

Originally Posted by Dodge

"Irish people generally aren't great at attending sporting events, and with genuine concerns over how much spare income they have, they're going to pick and choose what they spend their money on

Disagree Dodge, Croker, Thomand, Lepordstown, local GAA are all well attended. Sadly as previously discussed ad infinitum without any solution it is really only LOI that is realtively poorly attended.

**jbyrne** · 17/10/2008, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by bennocelt

thats rubbish - just go to nay LOI game - we are the biggest cheerleaders alright - good at jumping on the bandwagon

the sporting world in this country doesnt revolve around attending LOI matches. lots of sporting events in this country are very well attended

**Jinxy** · 17/10/2008, 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by Dodge

How many big championship games are there? 5/6 max per team (Less than 18,000 at leinster hurling final!) 3 games max in the 6 nations. No more than 4 home qualifiers in a year.

Until last year magners league crowds were averaging less than 5,000 (have admittedly shot up...). GAA league games dreadful. Football crowds abysmal. And no other sport has more than a 1,000 people at it

Compare that to sporting attendances around europe

Apples and oranges. There was over 10,000 in Parnell Park for the Dublin senior football semi-finals last weekend. Over 15,000 at the Cork hurling final etc. The latter stages of club championships get pretty big crowds all over the country. I have 2 allegiances. My club & my county. There's more to the GAA than just the intercounty scene.

**jbyrne** · 17/10/2008, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by Jinxy

Apples and oranges. There was over 10,000 in Parnell Park for the Dublin senior football semi-finals last weekend. Over 15,000 at the Cork hurling final etc. The latter stages of club championships get pretty big crowds all over the country. I have 2 allegiances. My club & my county. There's more to the GAA than just the intercounty scene.

how dare they. why were they not at a LOI match? sure thats all that matters really

**DeLorean** · 17/10/2008, 12:17 PM

To be fair there's big differnce paying €70 for an All Ireland Football/Hurling final to support your county at the highest level they can possibly compete at and paying €70 to see an Ireland international on a Wednesday night if yer talkin value for money. If I was living in Dublin I'd be happy to pay the €70 albeit grossly overpriced but when your coming from Kerry/Cork the Wednesday aspect really kicks in when your working on the Thursday morning. It's either drive (sleep-drive home), fly or take train for another €70 and stay overnight for another €40-€60, might be worth it for the Azzurri but for Cyprus and Glen Whelan, no thanks!!

**musicinmouth** · 17/10/2008, 12:27 PM

I used to go to LOI games, but I stopped going because I didn't like the negative atmosphere from fans - shouting nasty personal abuse at players - and also because the standard of football seems to be as low as it was 5-10 years ago... If there was progress, then it would be easier to attract fans... but it's not a nice experience to go to a LOI game now... I love football and I go to all the international games...

**NeilMcD** · 17/10/2008, 12:31 PM

I find going to LOI games great craic and great fun and I also love going to internationals too. Also I have been off the drink 2 days and my name is Neil.

**Saint_Charlie** · 17/10/2008, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by musicinmouth

I used to go to LOI games, but I stopped going because I didn't like the negative atmosphere from fans - shouting nasty personal abuse at players - and also because the standard of football seems to be as low as it was 5-10 years ago... If there was progress, then it would be easier to attract fans... but it's not a nice experience to go to a LOI game now... I love football and I go to all the international games...

There was plenty of folk around me F-ing and blinding on Wednesday night. I doubt it will put anyone off going tho.

**soccerc** · 17/10/2008, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by musicinmouth

I used to go to LOI games, but I stopped going because I didn't like the negative atmosphere from fans - shouting nasty personal abuse at players ... but it's not a nice experience to go to a LOI game now... I love football and I go to all the international games...

Football is tribal and partizan as are it's fans. The game should not be viewed as a sterile prawn sandwich munching experience.

**Billsthoughts** · 17/10/2008, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by NeilMcD

You must be a big lad if you need that many seats

One is for me, the other 3 are lined up in a row behind me so I can stand up at the game. Real fans go that extra mile.

**Wolfie** · 17/10/2008, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by Billsthoughts

One is for me, the other 3 are lined up in a row behind me so I can stand up at the game. Real fans go that extra mile.

That reminds me!!

The Davin Stand Wednesday night - Hats off to the group of Pats fans that stood and sang with gusto for the ENTIRETY of the game without a lull. One or two of them must have been at the Red Bull.

**Dodge** · 17/10/2008, 1:14 PM

Originally Posted by Jinxy

Apples and oranges. There was over 10,000 in Parnell Park for the Dublin senior football semi-finals last weekend. Over 15,000 at the Cork hurling final etc. The latter stages of club championships get pretty big crowds all over the country. I have 2 allegiances. My club & my county. There's more to the GAA than just the intercounty scene.

Sorry, didn't mean to try and make out the GAA wasn't the best supported sport in this country in terms of attendances. It unquestionably is. Wehn i said there league fixtures are dreadfull, I meant in comparison to the championship matches (which they generally are).

I'll repeat though, the majority of irish sporting events are poorly attended. The events that get great crowds are just that, "events".

The average horse racing day gets crowds of less than 1,000. I've witnessed this a number of times. Big meetings get decent numbers

I'm trying not to make this a football v the rest arguement, as I don't believe it is. Our crowds, relatively speaking, are the worst.

**geysir** · 17/10/2008, 1:42 PM

Then Dodge, your point might have been just how many times in the year does the GAA fan get off their backside and attend a live game?
Do the GAA figures include a 1/2 million who only attend 2 or 3 games p/a?
One big difference is that club and county are intertwined. The hard core club support is strong enough.
Any club in the LOI could do with 10k extra spectators who only turn up for the bigger games 2, 3 or 4 times a year. Call those spectators whatever you want but that was the mainstay of the old LOI, the glam games got the punters in, made the event and funded the club.

**Billsthoughts** · 17/10/2008, 2:17 PM

I thought the point he was making was that there is no strong tradition of high numbers attending sports on a regular basis here.
People turn up for the big events only.

Just on the football club semi finals getting 10,000 at Parnell Park. I used to go to the Dublin senior club games a fair bit and you would be lucky to get a couple of hundred people there. All Ireland League in rugby the same story.

**pete** · 17/10/2008, 3:49 PM

Originally Posted by Billsthoughts

I thought the point he was making was that there is no strong tradition of high numbers attending sports on a regular basis here. People turn up for the big events only.

That is true for every single sport in this country. For example in the Uk you don't usually see attendances increase 10 times for big events.