It's a bad decision. Fair enough the 4 quarter-finals were held in Croke Park on that weekend before and they seem to be trying to retain having 4 games in Croke Park on that weekend. Croke Park should be a badge of honour. Provincial winners have earned the right to be their. Qualifier counties should have to qualify for the quarter-finals before getting a game in Croke Park.

Donegal v Galway
Sligo v Tyrone

Provincial venues are the correct place for those qualifiers. Mayo and Monaghan have good reason to be miffed that their opponents will have a game in Croke Park under their belts.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7918 - 20/07/2015 17:51:42    1756583

Might I suggest Hoppy7 that a geography lesson would not go astray.

GPlifer (USA) - Posts: 290 - 20/07/2015 17:53:54    1756586

Galway v Donegal should be in Carrick On Shannon
Sligo v Tyrone should be in Enniskillen

Playing in an empty Croke Park won't even provide good practice for playing there against Mayo and Monaghan

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1140 - 20/07/2015 18:02:33    1756594

Having a qualifier double header in croke park involving 3 counties on the western seaboard in complete madness,surely provincial venues would have sufficed,Tyrone,sligo and Galway combined will probably bring less than 10,000 so the gaa are depending on Donegals increased support in recent years to break the 20,000 mark,bizarre stuff to say the least

bostonredsox (Wexford) - Posts: 4368 - 20/07/2015 18:12:03    1756606

Croke park is a great stadium and everyone can watch the game in a good seat. Lots of games this year across the league and championship were played in big grounds and not a word about it so why the constant crying about croke park? Best pitch about and best facilities.

Badger I'm not sure what planet your on or where you be hanging out if you think there won't be much change out of 500 euro for a family going to croke park. Tickets for 2 adults and 2 children come to 60 euro and allowing 50 for diesel and 5 for a programme doesn't bring you anywhere near that. No one is asking any family to go and spend 300 euro on food. They can easily bring a picnic or get a chippy on way home. Or find a cheap cafe or McDonald's if want to eat out. Some things the gaa get blamed for are crazy.

A Another (None) - Posts: 193 - 20/07/2015 19:49:58    1756658

No qualifier game should be played in Croke Park, after all it is the B championship, unless its a B final which we don't have then wualifier games should be in provincial venues, this decision was made to make the businesses in Dublin happy, fleece the culchies 1 week early this year

riverboys (Mayo) - Posts: 1389 - 20/07/2015 20:12:29    1756668

Yeah I thought Castlebar would have been a good choice. I know a few Donegal supporters would have been happy for it to be in Pearse Stadium with race week on in Galway.

However for many getting to Dublin is much easier than getting to places like the Hyde or McHale Park

Sligo v Tyrone though should defo be in Brewster Park. Madness dragging them down to Dublin when beside each other.

shaggykev (Donegal) - Posts: 213 - 20/07/2015 20:40:39    1756679

20/07/2015 16:44:36 BIG SACKS
The number of people against these venues says it all. Only Ormond thinks its a good choice but his county is not involved so it wont cost him anything. Totally ridiculous. As someone else said Sligo and Tyrone will have little support, Sligo because they will have little hope and Tyrone because they will see it as a formality(rightly or wrongly). Likewise Galway fans havent got behind their team as yet. They remain to be convinced. Take in the races too. Donegal will hardly be full of optimism either and a long journey. Lucky if they get much over 10,000.
Carrick and Ballybofey/Clones would have been ideal venues. SKY keep getting some very bad matches too by the way.
In reality Donegal v Galway will be the only one of the four remaining qualifiers to create any excitement n the build up. I think its a good choice regardless of the counties playing. we're into the last 12 and that means you go to the premier venue.
20/07/2015 16:57:54 PoppinPoints
MaroonDiesel, croker may be the place to play in August, but believe me it is the most hateful place to watch a game when there is virtually nobody there and their is no atmosphere. Someone said we'd be lucky to get 30,000 for the double header....30,000?!? I'd be surprised if we got anything over 10,000. these games will easily get more than 10000. that's only 2500 per county before you take into accunt any neutral which there will be plenty

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 20/07/2015 20:46:23    1756682

Qualifiers in Croke Park because counties gave out about not getting games there, only the big counties. Simple as. Don't know why people giving out about it now. Otherwise Cavan/London should have been in Belfast/Manchester last year as it was a qualifier also.

breffni666 (Cavan) - Posts: 294 - 20/07/2015 21:04:28    1756698

Think it was agreed that these games would be fixed for Croke Park from a long way out. Sligo probably more awkward for Galway than Croke Park, and Donegal supporters weren't happy with Castlebar in 03. Maybe the least controversial thing to do was bang them in Croke Park.

towngoal (Galway) - Posts: 14 - 21/07/2015 08:21:36    1756738

If they weren't played in CP people would be Bxtxxing about the fact that teams like Silgo never get a run out in Croker.

Simple Irish mentality of have a moan all the time.

So nothing to see....now move on

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 21/07/2015 08:48:37    1756746

SeppBlatter there are concerts in croker this weekend so the 4B hgames cannot be played there.

The qualifiers are set up so no losing provincial finalist can be out 6 days later except where the provincial final is a draw.

lowballplease (Galway) - Posts: 935 - 21/07/2015 09:17:36    1756753

The only real proof of how bad a decision this is, is when the attendance is chalked up on the score board. It seems a very poor decision from the outside looking in. Sligo will hardly travel in numbers to witness another tanking. Donegal might travel but in what numbers..Galway arent big supporters anyway. Will Tyrone travel? That's a lot of what ifs.
Another weird one is taking Cork v Kildare to Thurles. Will there be 5,500 at this? 100 from Cork and whatever Kildare bring. This could have been played in a few different grounds.

BanTarleton (Clare) - Posts: 181 - 21/07/2015 09:48:15    1756766

Anybody think the players would prefer to play in Croker than in Carrick ? No disrespect to Carrick, But its nothing compared to croker and i could guarantee any inter-county player would prefer to play in Croke Park than Carrick.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 21/07/2015 10:06:56    1756775

Speaking of venues for knock out matches, all should be played where hawk eye is installed or hawk eye should not be used at all. Cannot understand how the GAA are getting away with playing under different rules I.e. hawk eye. Some day a team is going to lodge an objection to losing a game because of the anomaly.

westisthebest (Galway) - Posts: 444 - 21/07/2015 10:09:59    1756780

I can't see a crowd of more than 20k at this match, could even be a lot less. It just makes no sense to have in Croke Park.

JimTheLegend (Donegal) - Posts: 247 - 21/07/2015 10:15:33    1756783

Semple Stadium is way too big for Cork v Kildare with a capacity of 50k and a crowd of about 10/20k it will be an odd atmosphere. Think Nowlan Park or Portloaise would have been a better choice.

I was at the two matches in Killarney the past few weeks (as a nuetral) and there is nothing like a full stadium for atmosphere although the rain did dampen it for the replay. Playing matches in a half full Croke Park is so annoying. As a kildare fan the early round double headers are very poor and pull small crowd. The GAA should move the games around to different county ground and make it more of a novelty to get to Croke Park. I also like to stand for matches but they don't open the hill alot of the time which means you have to pay more for seated tickets.

lilyabu (Kildare) - Posts: 32 - 21/07/2015 10:26:17    1756789

What's wrong with bringing Cork and Kildare to Thurles? Didn't Kerry and Kildare play there in 2002?

SeppBlatter (Dublin) - Posts: 187 - 21/07/2015 10:43:19    1756794

ormondbannerman
County: Clare
Posts: 9913

The bigger issue with Donegal Galway is not the venue but the throw in time which possibly should be earlier

I don't see too much of an iaaue with fans potentially only arriving home at 11.30 at night. Yes its late but is that really a major problem??

ormond. you are just arguing for the sake of arguing. you made 2 contradictory statements in relation to the original post.
in your first reply you say the late throw in is a big issue yet in your second you see it as not much of an "iaaue" (SIC)

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 21/07/2015 11:27:30    1756829

I remember the good old days of terrible roads, border checkpoints and the subsequent need to stop for food going to Croke for a Sunday afternoon game and not getting home to the early hours of the morning provided the car did not overheat in the long tailbacks at every town on the road.

Naysayer (Antrim) - Posts: 2071 - 21/07/2015 11:29:55    1756832