Croker why bother going?

**wexfordclockend** · 17/03/2007, 7:14 PM

I, being a avid London Irish Gooner have never seen Ireland play at home although been to Wembley a few times & some games in Europe.

I'll admit that the main reason despite being offered tickets for Lansdowne Road is that I didn't want to line the pockets of the IRU who I heard used to take 50% of the gates at Lansdowne Road when the football team played there. Over the years another reason is that I felt that the money from the world cups & internationals was wasted not to mention the rugby cash & that the FAI & IRU were a total joke regarding building a new stadium.

I've followed the Wexford hurlers over the years & been to Croker more than a dozen times & thought it was a good thing that the football games were to be played there. All the Hurling supporters I've met have almost all been avid football fans as well & seemed grand to me? I don't bother following Gaelic Football so I don't know about the fans there although it's certainly a much better game than bloody rugby!

Now it appears to me that a lot of people on here can't stand the GAA so why go to their stadium then, why not boycott it like I did Landsdowne Road?

Also why blame the GAA for the failures over the years to promote football in Ireland, to builld a decent stadium & build up the Eircom League?

Personally to me Irish football looks to be in a mess, run by a bunch of incompetents who are supposed to be professionals, & let's face it the FAI will be making 5-6 times more money like the IRU did the other week when playing in Croke Park. So the GAA are being fair IMO.

**wexfordclockend** · 17/03/2007, 7:16 PM

Double post

reder · 18/03/2007, 12:21 PM

Your obviously not a supporter of the team, wexfordclockend, so you wouldnt understand. Keep fishing!!!

**theleprechaun** · 18/03/2007, 3:45 PM

it is the irfu not iru

**Noelys Guitar** · 18/03/2007, 4:31 PM

You have a point. It is a disgrace that we do not have our own stadium. The FAI have had despite their bad image a couple of very forward thinking people in their ranks ie the great but sadly no longer with us Dr Tony O'Neill. I worked out at UCD in the early 80's and spoke with him a few times. If his plans had been implemented we would have had a football stadium built I reckon by around the mid 90's. The fact that it is 2007 and we still don't have a stadium is ridiculous. The IRFU more than the FAI will get the new re-development of Landsdowne finished (such as buying out 2 objecting householders. Brilliant). Thinking of the really great people you meet playing football from Kerry to Derry (and the Holloway road!)and following the team all these years makes you wonder why we have never had the right collection of people running the game at the very top? I would love to hear people's opinions of why this is so?

**tetsujin1979** · 19/03/2007, 12:51 AM

Originally Posted by Noelys Guitar

such as buying out 2 objecting householders. Brilliant

The GAA do this all the time when a house goes up for sale around Croke Park

**billybunter** · 19/03/2007, 1:12 AM

you are probably still standing at the clock end. Just make sure you wear your hard hat for the next few months.....

maybe switch to an alarm clock end, and put on the coffee.

**paul_oshea** · 19/03/2007, 10:51 AM

wexford good post, but you wont get the response you were hoping, on here it will just be one stupid line to respond to a post with up to 20 lines. attacking you rather than asking or answering questions related to your post.

its a very good point, those who despise and give out shouldnt bother going. it smacks of hypocrisy of the highest order to me...

reder · 19/03/2007, 1:50 PM

So Paul, if you dislike a club or country you should not travel there and support your own team? No shamrock rovers fan should attend the game on Sat or next Wed as they have an outstanding issue with South Dublin GAA over Tallaght.

Im quite sure that if the gooner got a ticket for spurs away, he would go even though he hates them. I have never agreed with Iran's anti-western policies but I went there (and loved the people and every minute I spent there!) but by your logic and the gooners logic, I should have stayed away.

Gooner didnt bother going to Lansdowne because he is not a proper supporter. End of story. wexfordclockend is probably you typical london GAA fan. He is just looking for someone to take his post and respond with the same response that have been posted on this site 1 millions time over.

I have no problem discussing this with you Paul but I am not going to be dragged into a silly debate with someone who doesnt bother to attend games.

**wexfordclockend** · 19/03/2007, 10:53 PM

Seems that going away games does not count me in as an Ireland fan then?However it seems there will be many fans that don't go regular to Ireland games in Croke Park due to the extra capacity anyway, are all these not proper fans?

I would admit to having seen Wexford play many times more than Ireland, & I'm obviously a keen football fan as I have been following Arsenal most of my life!

I'm very interested in this whole stadium debate & was involved with local supporters in supporting Arsenal's move to a new stadium against some minority local NIMBY residents.

So that's the reasons I made the posts!

**citizenerased** · 20/03/2007, 11:48 AM

I agree with clockend, people are such hypocrites on this forum,,giving out absolute stink about the GAA, yet they will still go to their house. I for one am delighted Rovers fans wont be goin, as they probably will meet up witht the cardiff 'Firm' and cause shiite like the always do

**lopez** · 20/03/2007, 2:06 PM

I'm sure the people here moaning about the FAI not having their own stadium can list the football associations in Europe that actually own their own national stadium. Clue: It will be a lot more easier than listing the countries that don't.

**elroy** · 20/03/2007, 3:21 PM

lads cut off the whole gaa/fai/irfu ****e, we had enough of it the last few years. "foreign games" have now been played and are been played in croker and guess what, no - one died!! Realistically everyone is gaining from this venture, the gaa, the fai and the irfu.

So now lets cut the crap we've had for the last two years and go and enjoy the games in a top notch stadium.

Clockend, you are entitled to your opinion, but despite how much i get disilliusioned with the irish team and football in this country, i still love the sport and even more supporting ireland too much not to go. If Ireland win im ecstastic, if they lose, im depressed - following no other sport gives me such highs and lows - in a nutshell thats why i go to every game i can. It doesnt matter where or who we play I'll try my best to be there.

**bmozza** · 20/03/2007, 3:25 PM

Originally Posted by wexfordclockend

I, being a avid London Irish Gooner have never seen Ireland play at home although been to Wembley a few times & some games in Europe.

I'll admit that the main reason despite being offered tickets for Lansdowne Road is that I didn't want to line the pockets of the IRU who I heard used to take 50% of the gates at Lansdowne Road when the football team played there. Over the years another reason is that I felt that the money from the world cups & internationals was wasted not to mention the rugby cash & that the FAI & IRU were a total joke regarding building a new stadium.

I've followed the Wexford hurlers over the years & been to Croker more than a dozen times & thought it was a good thing that the football games were to be played there. All the Hurling supporters I've met have almost all been avid football fans as well & seemed grand to me? I don't bother following Gaelic Football so I don't know about the fans there although it's certainly a much better game than bloody rugby!

Now it appears to me that a lot of people on here can't stand the GAA so why go to their stadium then, why not boycott it like I did Landsdowne Road?

Also why blame the GAA for the failures over the years to promote football in Ireland, to builld a decent stadium & build up the Eircom League?

Personally to me Irish football looks to be in a mess, run by a bunch of incompetents who are supposed to be professionals, & let's face it the FAI will be making 5-6 times more money like the IRU did the other week when playing in Croke Park. So the GAA are being fair IMO.

Just whose pockets do you think you're lining when you pay 60 Euro's for a hurling match ticket then? Do you think the money goes to people who pump money back into the sport?? Or sit on it and make themselves rich. I've been involved in the GAA all my life and it's well publisised that the latter happens alot more that the former. Maybe we should just concentrate on the sport that we love that's put in front of us, support our teams and discuss what we see instead of trying to get too smart delving into the world of politics that lies beneath every sport.

**sylvo** · 21/03/2007, 11:19 PM

I'd rather see more people like Wexfordclockend who stick with their principles then the usual event junkies who bandwaggon the big events and are nowhere to be seen for the so called lesser games, if it all goes pearshaped on Saturday will all the event junkies be back on Wednesday night.

I think Wexfordclockend has made a very good point.

**sylvo** · 21/03/2007, 11:25 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

wexford good post, but you wont get the response you were hoping, on here it will just be one stupid line to respond to a post with up to 20 lines. attacking you rather than asking or answering questions related to your post.

its a very good point, those who despise and give out shouldnt bother going. it smacks of hypocrisy of the highest order to me...

You going to Cusacks for a jar before the game on saturday.