Croke Park

[elroy]

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gael...n-1593812.html

No great surprises here really. More than likely to go through, although you can be sure of the usual Northern opposition.

But from a football point of view, I hope we play all of our games in LR once it is available. Croke Park just doesnt suit football. The atmosphere for nearly all the games there has been very poor, the pitch is too big for football meaning the fans are a sizeable distance from the players.

Im not sure if from a financial point of view it would make sense. Yes there would be an additional 20k+ capacity but there is the rental payment to be factored into that.

[mint sauce]

i think the other factor that need to be considered is, if you continue to use croke park, after landowne rd is finished, although its a fantasic venue, surley it will be a waste of money on the IRFU/FAIs part to play games there, when they could be getting a garanteed full house in their new home,

yes it will be shame for the 20+ thousand who wont get to see the games after becoming used to it, but if you consider either paying near a million yoyo to use croke park infront of 70,000 crowd, or get 50,000 paying 40 to 50 yoyo to see you in lansdowne rd, and help to pay off the debts, and hopefully contribute to the grass routes and struggling FAI clubs, especailly during a resession, i think the second makes more economic sence, yes you have to look after the punters as well, and await the GAAs decision, but personlly, think the game should return to lansdowne,

it will certainly confuse the visiting fans, going from the old lansdowne road, to croke park, back to a gleaming lansdown road, just a shame it could not have been bigger

[kingdomkerry]

It would be nice to have the option I suppose.

[KevB76]

But from a football point of view, I hope we play all of our games in LR once it is available. Croke Park just doesnt suit football. The atmosphere for nearly all the games there has been very poor, the pitch is too big for football meaning the fans are a sizeable distance from the players.

I was of the same opinion until the Polish match - they managed to create a bit of a buzz, proving its not just the venue, but mostly ourselves to blame for the lack of atmosphere.

[Maroon 7]

When would CP realistically be used though? Maybe for a play-off game or a game against a big European side in qualifying.

It would probably be very rarely required although I guess it's always nice to have the option to get more fans in.

[pete]

yes it will be shame for the 20+ thousand who wont get to see the games after becoming used to it, but if you consider either paying near a million yoyo to use croke park infront of 70,000 crowd

Aside from the fact Croke Park is not suitable for football it makes no economic sense as you mention.

I believe it might be closer 1.5m to rent Croke Park. At those numbers the entire ticket prices for the extra 20-25k would go into the GAAs back pocket. This is even before considering Corporate Boxes, stadium access etc...

Slow day for the Indo journalists to even mention this.

[elroy]

When would CP realistically be used though? Maybe for a play-off game or a game against a big European side in qualifying.

It would probably be very rarely required although I guess it's always nice to have the option to get more fans in.

In every campaign we usually have two "big" games......Germany and Czech Rep in the last campaign, Bulgaria and Italy this time around, these two games would sell out croke park in each campaign.

Even from a football point of view i dont think it would be a good idea for the game to play the majority of its games at one ground and then the two bigger games at a larger stadium with a bigger pitch etc.

I take the point about the poor atmosphere in CP is down to our own fans. I think the reason for that is that we now have 10-15k people at Ireland games who are there for the spectacle, day out etc and arent all that bothered what the final score is.
IMO the atmosphere at LR was far superior and one of the main reasons for that was that at each of the qualifiers you had a stadium full of people who really cared about how the team got on and wanted them to succeed. Hopefully the same will apply when we return. For example I dont ever remember seeing the mexican wave at LR as a way of "entertaining the fans"....certainly not in a qualifier anyway.

[MariborKev]

IMO the atmosphere at LR was far superior and one of the main reasons for that was that at each of the qualifiers you had a stadium full of people who really cared about how the team got on and wanted them to succeed. Hopefully the same will apply when we return. For example I dont ever remember seeing the mexican wave at LR as a way of "entertaining the fans"....certainly not in a qualifier anyway.

Let's not get misty eyed here.

There were plenty of "event junkies" in LR as well.

[Razors left peg]

Let's not get misty eyed here.

There were plenty of "event junkies" in LR as well.

Thats a fact.... I remember at the last France game in Landsdown a fella behind me askin his mate who the Irish players were all the way through the match. Drove me mental, most people in bits with nerves and this plonker askin which one of them is Duff again
Croker has alot more of this crowd though

[Lionel Ritchie]

Let's not get misty eyed here.

There were plenty of "event junkies" in LR as well.

I don't think he intended to over-egg it. He did qualify the mexican wave thing as "being done as a form of entertainment" -by which I'm guessing he meant rather than with the spontaneity of too long ago.

But yeah ...the 'Lansdowne Library' tag didn't just fall out of the sky.

I'd prefer us to play more of our qualifiers in smaller grounds -not bigger ones -though I know it'll be LR all the way when it's ready.

While I agree we should never say never and I acknowledge that the GAA had to come a distance to let football in - I cannot wait to get out of Croke Park.

[MariborKev]

I remember at the last France game in Landsdown a fella behind me askin his mate who the Irish players were all the way through the match.

Nadir was for me when people around we cheered the Chilean winger Liverpool had signed whilst abusing Joe Gamble when his name was announced in the squad.

Like others, can't wait to get out of Croker.

[Schumi]

I believe it might be closer 1.5m to rent Croke Park. At those numbers the entire ticket prices for the extra 20-25k would go into the GAAs back pocket.

The FAI & IRFU would be in a much stronger negotiating position with Lansdowne Road available so I'd expect the price to be significantly lower. Having said that, the last few games have shown that there isn't sufficient demand for tickets to require anything bigger than Lansdowne outside of maybe a game every two years and it would be silly to move from a stadium that the players are used to.

BTW, does anyone know the capacity of Croke Park with seats on the hill?

[janeymac]

Aside from the fact Croke Park is not suitable for football it makes no economic sense as you mention.

I believe it might be closer 1.5m to rent Croke Park. At those numbers the entire ticket prices for the extra 20-25k would go into the GAAs back pocket. This is even before considering Corporate Boxes, stadium access etc...

Slow day for the Indo journalists to even mention this.

As far as I remember the rental was 1.2m for a 'clean' stadium. If 60K+? tickets were sold there was something added on/additional commission payable I think.

You are also forgetting that the FAI had a lot better and greater corporate facilities available in Croke Park - not to mention the cut out of what an extra 20-25k plebs would eat and drink!

Also, it would be great for Dublin/Ireland if it had two good stadiums available to be able to bid for sporting finals/tournaments like the Heineken Cup Final, Champions League etc.

As for it being a slow day for a journo - someone from Dublin GAA was supporting the idea before Xmas - now Clare GAA are talking about it.

The canvassing has started - expect a motion at a GAA agm in the near future.

[Greenforever]

Croek Park seated 76,000 - 26,000 extra seats at €50 = €1.3m, I reckon the GAA would take 50% of this and it would make economic sense for the FAI.

Croke Park for Rugby - Hill 18k (i think) Seats 64K

Additional income for Rugby 15K seats at €70 PLUS 18K on hill @ €50 = €1.95m plus extra boxes etc.

I've previously said I reckon the England game will remain in Croker and quite possibly a few more as even paying the GAA €1m per match the IRFU will be quids in and I think 32,000 rugby club members without tickets will force the issue.

I think it will be very rare to see Soccer if ever at Croker but Lansdowne will end up been a predominatly Soccer stadium.

I would expect a Champions League final in Croker as well as a Heineken Cup Final every few years as the ERC move the final around.

Finally I can't wait to get back to Lansdowne and stay there.

[mypost]

We have 6 more games at Croke and then we're out for good.

As for the ground been unsuitable for football, there is nothing wrong with a pitch far away from the fans, it happens in most countries, including some of the biggest stadiums in the world. There'll be no problem with atmosphere in Bari, and the pitch'll be just as far away from the crowd as Croker.

The problem is, our fans don't sing at home games. A lot of this is to do with the fair weather element, and poor ko times, especially 3pm games. The atmosphere at LR has been poor for a long time too, mainly for the same reasons.

[Claret Murph]

Once Lansdowne is open I am sure that will be it for Croke Park and rightly so , Think about the people who have shelled out for 10 year tickets for the new Lansdowne they would not be too happy even if they were to be given tickets for the big match at Corke Park if there was one .
Remember Lansdowne is home I always feel that we are playing away when we are in Croke Park

[jbyrne]

both tenants, irfu in particular, made more money in the first year using croke park than they did in any year using Lansdowne. The additional revenue from additional punters, higher capacity for corporate seats etc far outweighed the additional rent it was costing

[gspain]

I think it would be abad move to go back there. We are too far from the pitch. A football pitch is just too small and hence the loss of atmosphere.

Playing the odd game there would mean losing home advantage too.

[BaZmO*]

I don't think playing the odd game in Croker is a viable option anymore, not since the FAI have decided to do group tickets sales, i.e. you have to buy the ticket for the "more desirable" game along with a ticket for a game against a "less desirable" team thereby guaranteeing the FAI the full income for both matches.

I suppose you could limit the amount of sales like so that you only sell enough to fill Lansdowne and any other tickets that are required thereafter are sold to fill Croker. But in all honesty, I can't ever see the FAI going back to Croker, I'm glad too. Never liked it for Soccer matches.

As someone has already said, it just seems like a slow news day for the journos. It is funny to see the GAA realise how much of a gravy train the last couple of years has been for them.

[Torn-Ado]

Like some people said on here, it's good to have the option. Every qualification game will be played in LR, obviously. Perhaps it could be used for friendlies in spring when the siix nations is on etc.