Football at Croke Park

[Billy Lord]

Croke Park is a bogball stadium and is therefore unsuitable for internationally-recognised sports such as football. As for the Hill 16 'atmosphere' - that's a laugh. Superdub must have only been to places such as Old Trafford and Camp Nou, where there is no atmosphere.

[SuperDub]

.....where do the throngs on the hill disappear to outside the summer months?....being such fabulous fans.82000 in July, 75000 awol in January

I think this is a thread on Football in croker not about supporting any gaa team. I just made a comment about the atmosphere on hill 16 which can be good and bad. We all have our own opinions.

There are constant excuses about the atmosphere in croke park. We have had four games so far and I will admit it hasnt been good but its down to the fans to make a decent atmosphere that the opposition will be intmidated by and that hasnt happened.

[SuperDub]

Croke Park is a bogball stadium and is therefore unsuitable for internationally-recognised sports such as football. As for the Hill 16 'atmosphere' - that's a laugh. Superdub must have only been to places such as Old Trafford and Camp Nou, where there is no atmosphere.

Having been to Old trafford once i will admit the atmosphere was poor and that was for a champions league game. I have missed 2 irish away games in the last 10 years so i am safe to say i have experienced some stadiums that have had both good and bad atmospheres.

[kingdom hoop]

.....where do the throngs on the hill disappear to outside the summer months?....being such fabulous fans.82000 in July, 75000 awol in January

Probably hibernate in the pub. Anyway, being such 'fabulous' fans - Irish football supporters - 80,000 in September, 10,000 in December - where did the throngs go?

Point is, on a lot of levels, people tend to be more attracted to their conception of glamour, love is a sorry second. Pretty shameful, and not at all exclusive to Dublin GAA summer match goers. Spice things up for people with a bit of marketing and all of a sudden they become more interested, as evinced by a near full-house at Croker last February for a League match between Dublin agus Tyrone. It was the first floodlit match you see!

Croke Park is a bogball stadium and is therefore unsuitable for internationally-recognised sports such as football.

Variety really is the spice of life. Thank you.

[SUB of the day]

size matters.......fair points from superdub and kingdom hoop, but if you take the 2 stadia in Paris as an example, the smaller one Parc Des Princes 50,000 capacity is renowned for passion and atmosphere, the 80,000 seater Stade De France has no such reputation.My point being, that for a French home game 30,000 less of the same fans,create a buzz and energy not readily attainable in the larger venues.

[Beavis]

I have been in many football stadium around europe and would still say the hill is up there with the best for creating athmosphere.

Have you been there in a while?
I've been on the every Championship year for the hill for the last 7 and whatever buzz there once was is well and truly gone.It is now populated by groups of young lads trying to look tough (or the 'haircuts' as we call them,you know the ones, 13-19 year olds all over Rovers games, diamondie earing optional), 19year old girls dolled up to the nines and 20-35 year olds who have recently realised that its the fashionable thing to say 'I was on the Hill' in work on Monday, all who offer absolutely nothing in terms of vocal support. There is still the odd patch of hardened supporters but they are now in the minority as opposed to the majority when I first started going. I would say that more songs actually came from the stands last year.

The only way anyone could consider it as it as an atmosphere up there with the best in the world is if your your viewing through very dense nostalgia tinted glasses.

[jbyrne]

No roof equates to no "real atmosphere".The soccer fans without a team , that populate it during the summer, do their best, but after 20 renditions of boys in blue, it just sounds tired.

agree. hill 16 badly needs to be roofed to finish off the stadium. i honestly believe it would make a huge difference to the atmosphere

[Jerry The Saint]

19year old girls dolled up to the nines

Are you trying to convince yourself or the judge?

[SuperDub]

The only way anyone could consider it as it as an atmosphere up there with the best in the world is if your your viewing through very dense nostalgia tinted glasses.

I never said the hill was perfect. I would be the first to admit there are many fair weather fans and muppets supporting the dubs and the irish team. Thats just the way things are. The hill can be good and it can be dire but its no better or worse to some of the stadiums i have visited over the years.

[elroy]

The reality is the only time irish fans really get behind the team are at away games

How many home games have you been to?

Even in one of the worse campaigns in years and one of the worst performances in ages (against Cyprus) the following wed at LR against the Czechs was a great atmosphere - far superior to any at the croker games. No doubt despite the shambles the previous sat that the Irish fans were well behind the team that night.

[eirebhoy]

The atmosphere at the Slovakia game in Croker was good. Probably even better than the away game.

[SUB of the day]

How many home games have you been to?

Even in one of the worse campaigns in years and one of the worst performances in ages (against Cyprus) the following wed at LR against the Czechs was a great atmosphere - far superior to any at the croker games. No doubt despite the shambles the previous sat that the Irish fans were well behind the team that night.

The crowd could have gone either way, but the passion of the team,subsequent to the disaster in Nicosia, roused the support to levels not seen since Yugoslavia and Holland.The freakout after Kilbanes goal was cathartic.Curious that all three winners were scored at the Lansdowne end

[SuperDub]

How many home games have you been to?

Even in one of the worse campaigns in years and one of the worst performances in ages (against Cyprus) the following wed at LR against the Czechs was a great atmosphere - far superior to any at the croker games. No doubt despite the shambles the previous sat that the Irish fans were well behind the team that night.

Yes fair point that was a special night but we did have the media baying for blood and the fans reacted by getting behind the team. Lets be honest though 4 games in croke park with 70,000 capacity for 3 games we never really blew the oppostion away by getting really behind the team. Maybe it will be different in the next campaign i really hope so.

[Docboy]

Curious that all three winners were scored at the Lansdowne end

Shame Kilbane's goal wasn't the winner we probably deserved on the night.

As far as the throngs on Hill 16 in the summer, sure there are a lot of people there for the occasion but in fairness come the winter a lot of people are busy coaching and playing whether it be football or the GAA. Furthermore the league is pretty much used as a breeding-ground for up & coming players so the competitive element is frequently missing.