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Replying To sam1884:  "It's debate and it doesn't matter what I think, there'll be pros and cons. However people can't complain other sports are stealing a march on the GAA when their biggest competitions are run off as quickly as possible.

The interest in Shamrock Rovers qualifying for group stage european competition, Munster planning to host SA at PUC or more column pages to PL soccer shows the GAA's usual exclusive coverage window is being filled by other sports, even before those other sports get to the business end of their seasons.

The fact this thread on a GAA forum is as popular as it's ever been shows the impact."
There's no cons for me. Players and coaches get to have some time off. They are the ones who fill the stadia, do all the hard work. The interest in other sports would be there regardless of it being a split season. What interest is there really in Shamrock Rovers qualifying for the third tier European club competition? Themselves and Dundalk qualified for the second tier competition before, so for Rovers it's a drop in standards. Can't see thousands abandoning the GAA in Dublin because it's a split season to rush to Tallaght to watch Rovers. The South Africa game in Pairc Ui Chaoimh is in November. That PUC is the venue would still be duscussed, split season or not. Would people stop reading about tge Premier League, Champiins League, Europa League if there wasn't a split season? There's, maybe, 50 regular posters with just one user name on Hoganstand. Not even a drop in the ocean in terms of GAA intercounty attendance and TV audience. Plenty of online streams of club games, podcasts still going with club news. Not really seeing any less interest in GAA.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 8005 - 26/08/2022 17:04:09    2438768

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Other sports have always had a huge advantage over the gaa in terms of scheduling anyways imo, I don't know why people are making such a big deal of it now,i don't think it'll make much of a difference.

Because of our sports refusal to take the league seriously, and because of the structure of the championship, most counties only have two or three important gaa matches a year, in comparison to galway United, shamrock rovers, leinster Rugby etc who have two dozen.

Under the old system too the all Ireland finals often clashed with Premier league fixtures, (Sundays often have big soccer games too).

Galway9801 (Galway) - Posts: 1942 - 27/08/2022 08:29:10    2438780

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Replying To KillingFields:  "Nearly every discussion board is the same.
it will likely have a principal focus in case of specific forums like munster rugby forum or a man united forum but will always have sections to discuss multiple other topics other than the forums main topic"
Yes, and different type of involvement anyway. In general (and of course I'm aware there are exceptions), soccer (a game I like) is "beery lads day out" type of involvement. GAA is community and family. Similar games, but very different in terms of participation / involvement for fans. Simply, fans have little to do with pro and semi-pro sports, as they pay people to run their clubs. So it's primarily passive entertainment for fans. All you have to do is buy the odd ticket. Whereas GAA, everyone can (in fact, has to!) contribute time, effort, money.

points50swiththeargyllsonthewrongfeet (Tyrone) - Posts: 293 - 27/08/2022 10:15:57    2438791

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Replying To points50swiththeargyllsonthewrongfeet:  "Yes, and different type of involvement anyway. In general (and of course I'm aware there are exceptions), soccer (a game I like) is "beery lads day out" type of involvement. GAA is community and family. Similar games, but very different in terms of participation / involvement for fans. Simply, fans have little to do with pro and semi-pro sports, as they pay people to run their clubs. So it's primarily passive entertainment for fans. All you have to do is buy the odd ticket. Whereas GAA, everyone can (in fact, has to!) contribute time, effort, money."
Good post. And people forget a lot of the time that soccer first and foremost is a business.

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 2336 - 27/08/2022 13:47:16    2438812

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Central Council have given the go-ahead for Munster to take on a South Africa select XV at Páirc Úi Chaoimh on 10 November.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8826 - 27/08/2022 15:17:44    2438818

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Man Utd 2, Harry Maguire 0,

Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 2299 - 27/08/2022 15:45:25    2438821

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Replying To Bon:  "Good post. And people forget a lot of the time that soccer first and foremost is a business."
No it's not. Far more people play soccer as amateurs than professionally. There are thousands playing soccer all over Ireland every week during the season.

Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 2792 - 27/08/2022 16:36:27    2438828

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Replying To GreenandRed:  "There's no cons for me. Players and coaches get to have some time off. They are the ones who fill the stadia, do all the hard work. The interest in other sports would be there regardless of it being a split season. What interest is there really in Shamrock Rovers qualifying for the third tier European club competition? Themselves and Dundalk qualified for the second tier competition before, so for Rovers it's a drop in standards. Can't see thousands abandoning the GAA in Dublin because it's a split season to rush to Tallaght to watch Rovers. The South Africa game in Pairc Ui Chaoimh is in November. That PUC is the venue would still be duscussed, split season or not. Would people stop reading about tge Premier League, Champiins League, Europa League if there wasn't a split season? There's, maybe, 50 regular posters with just one user name on Hoganstand. Not even a drop in the ocean in terms of GAA intercounty attendance and TV audience. Plenty of online streams of club games, podcasts still going with club news. Not really seeing any less interest in GAA."
Some of your points are correct and the GAA will be ok. However we can't dismiss the impact Leinster rugby is already having on the provinces GAA counties, big counties like Meath and Kildare struggling, also with Cork in Munster. Limerick have a great hurling team at the minute backed by investment which is seeing them keep the effects of rugby at bay. Also the areas where soccer is putting resources and programmes in place, Shamrock Rovers are one of the success stories within their community.

We are competing with other sports and if we acknowledge it or not media/marketing plays a big part in the promotion of games and what decisions people make. Yes the GAA will be ok but it's wrong to say there isn't already a significant number of rural clubs struggling and a the number of counties geniunely competing at inter county level in both football and hurling reducing whilst it's clear other sports have made themselves the number one sport in a number of communities.

As other sports benefit from the media/marketing of their games whilst the GAA is away from the media from July to Feb every year, then from Feb competing with other sports season finales and international competitions the issues that are already in place for the GAA will become more obvious over time in my opinion.

sam1884 (UK) - Posts: 999 - 29/08/2022 13:04:41    2439016

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Replying To points50swiththeargyllsonthewrongfeet:  "Yes, and different type of involvement anyway. In general (and of course I'm aware there are exceptions), soccer (a game I like) is "beery lads day out" type of involvement. GAA is community and family. Similar games, but very different in terms of participation / involvement for fans. Simply, fans have little to do with pro and semi-pro sports, as they pay people to run their clubs. So it's primarily passive entertainment for fans. All you have to do is buy the odd ticket. Whereas GAA, everyone can (in fact, has to!) contribute time, effort, money."
Not a very accurate post. You seem to be looking at Premier League (which generally is a beery day out) and assuming that is all there is to it.

I would guesstimate that professional soccer is much less then 1% of participation. In the LOI there are 19 teams (if you count them all as professional). Our local club has 40+ teams if you count the underage and the male/female sections. Amateur soccer is a huge participation sport across all parishes in the country. And generally it is the same mammies and daddies coaching and making sandwiches in the soccer club, the gaa club, the athletics club etc

Mayonman (Galway) - Posts: 1922 - 29/08/2022 13:21:09    2439022

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Replying To Mayonman:  "Not a very accurate post. You seem to be looking at Premier League (which generally is a beery day out) and assuming that is all there is to it.

I would guesstimate that professional soccer is much less then 1% of participation. In the LOI there are 19 teams (if you count them all as professional). Our local club has 40+ teams if you count the underage and the male/female sections. Amateur soccer is a huge participation sport across all parishes in the country. And generally it is the same mammies and daddies coaching and making sandwiches in the soccer club, the gaa club, the athletics club etc"
There is a massive amateur participation in soccer in Ireland with similarly brilliant volunteers keeping the show on the road. Maybe it's not highlighted as much as the GAA, but it's not insignificant nonetheless. In each soccer club up and down the country you'll find men and women coaching kids, lining pitches, making the tea and sandwiches etc. One great advantage soccer had for years was that it had a very clearly defined calendar & fixture list at junior level. The GAA seem to have finally got that sorted now though.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9774 - 29/08/2022 14:51:51    2439041

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Replying To Mayonman:  "Not a very accurate post. You seem to be looking at Premier League (which generally is a beery day out) and assuming that is all there is to it.

I would guesstimate that professional soccer is much less then 1% of participation. In the LOI there are 19 teams (if you count them all as professional). Our local club has 40+ teams if you count the underage and the male/female sections. Amateur soccer is a huge participation sport across all parishes in the country. And generally it is the same mammies and daddies coaching and making sandwiches in the soccer club, the gaa club, the athletics club etc"
Well said. In Kilkenny there 25 (amateur) soccer clubs, compared to 41 GAA clubs. For a small to medium size county, population wise, like Kilkenny with it's huge hurling tradition and success, that's impressive. And a you say, a lot of kids play both.
I don't know how many amateur soccer clubs there are around the whole country, but I'd guess in say Dublin there are far more than GAA clubs.
The soccer clubs, unlike the GAA clubs, will not get anywhere near the financial support from their governing body like the GAA clubs do. I find it absurd that people on here are equating GAA clubs with professional soccer or rugby clubs

Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 2792 - 29/08/2022 15:31:05    2439053

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Replying To Cockney_Cat:  "Well said. In Kilkenny there 25 (amateur) soccer clubs, compared to 41 GAA clubs. For a small to medium size county, population wise, like Kilkenny with it's huge hurling tradition and success, that's impressive. And a you say, a lot of kids play both.
I don't know how many amateur soccer clubs there are around the whole country, but I'd guess in say Dublin there are far more than GAA clubs.
The soccer clubs, unlike the GAA clubs, will not get anywhere near the financial support from their governing body like the GAA clubs do. I find it absurd that people on here are equating GAA clubs with professional soccer or rugby clubs"
How would soccer clubs get help from their governing body when the governing bodies have to go begging to the GAA for use of facilities etc. GAA clubs, right down to the lowest Division would put professional soccer and rugby clubs to shame.

Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 2299 - 29/08/2022 16:19:49    2439063

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Replying To Cockney_Cat:  "Well said. In Kilkenny there 25 (amateur) soccer clubs, compared to 41 GAA clubs. For a small to medium size county, population wise, like Kilkenny with it's huge hurling tradition and success, that's impressive. And a you say, a lot of kids play both.
I don't know how many amateur soccer clubs there are around the whole country, but I'd guess in say Dublin there are far more than GAA clubs.
The soccer clubs, unlike the GAA clubs, will not get anywhere near the financial support from their governing body like the GAA clubs do. I find it absurd that people on here are equating GAA clubs with professional soccer or rugby clubs"
The reason that the FAI doesn't give the same level of financial support is because it's a basket-case which has just been bailed out by the Irish taxpayer. And the latest fiasco is just one of a long line of ill-fated misadventures.

The other thing to consider is that in Dublin in particular, there are several GAA super clubs which could have 70-80 teams under their banner, counting youths, men's, women's sides etc. It's doubtful that even the likes of Shamrock Rovers have near as many within their fold.

Just for the sake of comparison: an estimated 600 clubs enter the FAI Junior Cup every year, while there are around 2,200 GAA clubs on the island of Ireland.

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 29/08/2022 17:02:46    2439074

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Replying To Saynothing:  "How would soccer clubs get help from their governing body when the governing bodies have to go begging to the GAA for use of facilities etc. GAA clubs, right down to the lowest Division would put professional soccer and rugby clubs to shame."
Tell me, which amateur soccer 'governing bodies' went 'begging' to the GAA to use their facilities, and when?

Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 2792 - 29/08/2022 17:16:32    2439077

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Replying To Saynothing:  "How would soccer clubs get help from their governing body when the governing bodies have to go begging to the GAA for use of facilities etc. GAA clubs, right down to the lowest Division would put professional soccer and rugby clubs to shame."
Does this actually happen? I'm not saying it doesn't but I know that most junior soccer clubs in Donegal would have their own pitches and changing facilities. Or are you referring to the time Croke Park was used when the Aviva was being built?

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9774 - 29/08/2022 18:07:56    2439087

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Replying To Saynothing:  "How would soccer clubs get help from their governing body when the governing bodies have to go begging to the GAA for use of facilities etc. GAA clubs, right down to the lowest Division would put professional soccer and rugby clubs to shame."
Ah Thats big generalisations there. how many GAA clubs put professional soccer and rugby clubs to shame?
Care to provide examples especially of pro rugby sides in ireland whos facilities are put to shame by GAA?

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3758 - 29/08/2022 18:26:51    2439089

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Replying To Saynothing:  "How would soccer clubs get help from their governing body when the governing bodies have to go begging to the GAA for use of facilities etc. GAA clubs, right down to the lowest Division would put professional soccer and rugby clubs to shame."
which professional rugby clubs facilities are put to shame by GAA clubs right down to the lowest division? Examples please?

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3758 - 29/08/2022 18:55:28    2439090

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Replying To Lockjaw:  "Does this actually happen? I'm not saying it doesn't but I know that most junior soccer clubs in Donegal would have their own pitches and changing facilities. Or are you referring to the time Croke Park was used when the Aviva was being built?"
As you say, junior clubs in Donegal have their own pitches and changing facilities and i'm sure it's the same all over Ireland. Most soccer clubs i see have council grounds as pitches with the local council looking after them.

Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 2299 - 29/08/2022 21:38:44    2439102

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Replying To KillingFields:  "Ah Thats big generalisations there. how many GAA clubs put professional soccer and rugby clubs to shame?
Care to provide examples especially of pro rugby sides in ireland whos facilities are put to shame by GAA?"
Take a look around you. Start with the Aviva, even it is a shared stadium. Neither soccer nor rugby are big enough to stand on their own 1 foot.

Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 2299 - 29/08/2022 21:44:34    2439103

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Replying To Saynothing:  "Take a look around you. Start with the Aviva, even it is a shared stadium. Neither soccer nor rugby are big enough to stand on their own 1 foot."
Thats not true and if you're going down that line then theres little point in discussing anything in good faith

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3758 - 30/08/2022 10:03:42    2439118

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