All-Ireland anyone?

**Poor Student** · 20/08/2006, 8:04 PM

I'm not the biggest GAA fan by any means, but there doesn't seem to be one thread here regarding the championship and we're one game away from the Gaelic football final. As far as I remember Paul O'Shea is a Mayo fan? I was at Mayo v Laois today. Mayo were much improved on last week. Some of their defending was excellent today and they prevented what appeared to be a few dead on points. They really steamrolled over Laois for most of the first half. I haven't caught the Dubs in action on TV this year and I don't know what to expect for Mayo. As usual they kicked plenty of wides and they'll be worn out after today. They'll also have the Croker disadvantage against them.

**Aberdonian Stu** · 20/08/2006, 10:01 PM

I reckon Dublin are a better team than Mayo but will be hindered by having too easy a quarter final. The Dubs will probably do enough to win but I fancy Kerry to take Sam.

**shakermaker1982** · 21/08/2006, 11:06 AM

come on Mayo!!! Due an All Ireland surely? Kerry-Cork was not a great game yesterday and I think the winner of Mayo/Dublin has a great chance of lifting the Sam.

**Poor Student** · 21/08/2006, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by shakermaker1982

Due an All Ireland surely?

Never say that when it comes to Mayo. Kerry have halted Mayo in their last two finals. Mayo are eternal bottlers, I doubt they'd beat Kerry even if they made it.

**magic moments** · 21/08/2006, 12:36 PM

mayo are not bottlers! hope we put it up to the dubs on sunday come on MAYO!

**Poor Student** · 21/08/2006, 12:49 PM

Originally Posted by magic moments

mayo are not bottlers!

They haven't won the All-Ireland in over 50 years! They were a bad let down against Kerry last time. MacDonald looked very knacked at the end of the game yesterday. There's not much recovery time before the Dublin game.

**Trainee** · 21/08/2006, 3:28 PM

Dublin will beat mayo by about 4-5 points on sunday

In the final I think it will be close game & i dont think kerry will be able to cope with the Hill 16 factor I think Dublin may win the final by 1-2 points

**SUB of the day** · 21/08/2006, 9:02 PM

speaking of Croker, if we can remain in contention come Spring 07, 75,000 fans at home games could secure 2nd place.

**RogerMilla** · 22/08/2006, 8:22 AM

kerry often coped with the hill 16 factor before....
Mayo to beat dublin , it's time the wheels came off this bandwagon

**oconghc2** · 22/08/2006, 9:58 AM

Originally Posted by RogerMilla

kerry often coped with the hill 16 factor before....
Mayo to beat dublin , it's time the wheels came off this bandwagon

thought the quality on sunday was poor! love mcDonald as a player - class distributor but couldnt help feelisng that he was actually hindering some of Mayos play going forward - taking too long and complicating things when a simple pass forward would have set the other forwards on the way!

as for the dublin bandwagon - true there are some dubs who get carried away but it doesnt seem any diffrent to me from what ive seen with other counties!! the only difference is that all the other counties like to build up the hype around the dubs hoping that they'll fall!! Ive felt that dubs supporters have been quietly confident this year but with a huge sense of caution.

Thought it was a pathetic attendance the last day - can understand that its expensive to travel - you just see the importance of dubs supporters for the GAA in terms of tkt revenue on days like this.

**Aberdonian Stu** · 22/08/2006, 10:23 AM

I think the Dubs fans still expect a lot and probably too much but are a lot more sensible than a few years back.

The fans left the Westmeath game knowing that while we shone for 25 minutes and won handy that a lot more needs to be done.

Personally I think this team will win an All-Ireland, just too much talent there not to, but not this season as I think Kerry are stronger.

I think the return of O'Shaughnessy next season (out injured this year) God willing will be the crucial change.

His skillset, or seeming lack thereof, result in him being under-rated but there isn't a defender in the country that can match his workrate.

At the end of the day he's a player who gets the job done and can lock down players that are far more naturally talented and skillful than him. Bottom line, he's a difference maker.

**paul_oshea** · 22/08/2006, 1:58 PM

pinenapple, Im not really a mayo fan, im from roscommon, but I used to go to all the mayo games when i was younger as my father was from there and brought us there rather than the roscommon games, i got sense eventually though and saw the light!!!

Mayo arent strong enough for dublin. Dublins half back line is very good. Both teams have one thing in common in abundance....which is.....the ability to miss a load of chances, but if you can create enough then that isnt too much of a worry, however I think in mayos case it is more of a worry than dublin.

Thought it was a pathetic attendance the last day - can understand that its expensive to travel - you just see the importance of dubs supporters for the GAA in terms of tkt revenue on days like this.

here, there were two minor teams playing before, each get 5,000 each, so thats 10,000 straight away off the total attendance for the kerry v cork game, as i doubt either would have waited round, dont get confused with the empty seats, there were 82,000 tickets sold for sunday....

**Risteard** · 22/08/2006, 2:00 PM

Might get more reaction out of a hurling thread.

**oconghc2** · 22/08/2006, 2:13 PM

here, there were two minor teams playing before, each get 5,000 each, so thats 10,000 straight away off the total attendance for the kerry v cork game, as i doubt either would have waited round, dont get confused with the empty seats, there were 82,000 tickets sold for sunday....

werent kerry playing in the minor too? your point is valid - but the upper canal was empty throughout - i just feel a lot of empty seats takes away from a big games! It just adds to the debate really - why not do up the gaelic grounds(limerick) even more or pairc u� ca�omh - durlas �ile could do with a make over - and spread these type of games around? The dubs will fill out croker by themselves - (bigger population) but the GAA will miss out on all these fans due to the other games on the day!

**Poor Student** · 22/08/2006, 2:34 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

pinenapple, Im not really a mayo fan, im from roscommon, but I used to go to all the mayo games when i was younger as my father was from there and brought us there rather than the roscommon games, i got sense eventually though and saw the light!!!

It's Poor Student, not Pineapple.

Talk about trading down, Paul!

Mayo arent strong enough for dublin. Dublins half back line is very good. Both teams have one thing in common in abundance....which is.....the ability to miss a load of chances, but if you can create enough then that isnt too much of a worry, however I think in mayos case it is more of a worry than dublin.

Mayo could have had twice as many points in the first half against Laois. Some of the misses were shocking. Young Mortimer is a very disappointing player for me, he often loses his footing and has some bad misses.

here, there were two minor teams playing before, each get 5,000 each, so thats 10,000 straight away off the total attendance for the kerry v cork game, as i doubt either would have waited round, dont get confused with the empty seats, there were 82,000 tickets sold for sunday....

If you mean last Sunday, well one of the minor teams was Kerry. A lot of the folk from Mayo would have booted off immediately to catch the train before the semi and I saw plenty of Laois fans exiting too.

**Milesmayhem24** · 22/08/2006, 2:42 PM

[QUOTE... there were 82,000 tickets sold for sunday....[/QUOTE]

If there were 82,000 tickets sold then only 60,000 or so turned up! They measure the attendance coming through the gates (with their new supermarket checkout counters)

As for the game next Sunday, I can't see Mayo beating Dublin. They were decent enough against Laois but Dublin won't let them run at them the way Laois did. They'll be physically too strong for Mayo.

I'd be worried against Kerry though. Dublin have lorded over it in in midfield in every game this year but it'll be a different story against Darragh O'Se and the Kerry half backs and forwards (although McGarrity and Harte will be tougher than anything they've come up against so far).

I agree that this Dublin team have an All-Ireland in them but unfortunately I don't think it'll be this year

**Aberdonian Stu** · 22/08/2006, 2:49 PM

The Mayo-Laois game should have been played Saturday along with the minor due to be on in Croker next week. The Tommy Murphy could then have been played yesterday and the result would be less of a fiasco for this Sunday's match!

To say tickets are in short supply is an understatement. In Dublin around demand outstrips supply by more than 3-1.

Every county has taken it's full allocation. While Dubs fans will be hit hardest numbers wise the other 5 will also lose out.

This should never be the case in the Tommy Murphy Cup as it sort of goes against the whole ethos of the competition (people from weaker counties get a big day in Croker yet could still miss out on getting a chance to see it live).

**Thunderblaster** · 22/08/2006, 11:20 PM

My biggest celebration would be if the GAA were to be abolished in the morning. Couldn't care less who would win the All Ireland. Soccer Rules!! Amen!!

T-6

**bennocelt** · 23/08/2006, 8:57 AM

Originally Posted by Thunderblaster

My biggest celebration would be if the GAA were to be abolished in the morning. Couldn't care less who would win the All Ireland. Soccer Rules!! Amen!!

T-6

doh
dont you mean football rules!

**dahamsta** · 23/08/2006, 12:06 PM

Lads, this is the Other Sports forum and the the OP and other posters in this thread want to talk about another sport.

If you want to talk about football, how about doing it in a football forum?

adam