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Dublin Advantage?

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Much has been said over the last week about the advantage, if any, that Dublin have by playing all there games in Croke Park. What do people on here think? Look, all the Dubs on here are obviously going to say that there is no advantage and that all players want to play in Croke Park, but lets say their game against Kildare last week was played in Newbridge. Would they have come out with the win? Would you be as confident having to travel to Killarney or Castlebar or Omagh for an AI semi final? aidan64 (Kerry) - Posts: 668 - 04/05/2023 16:35:23 2475744 Link
Replying To aidan64: "Much has been said over the last week about the advantage, if any, that Dublin have by playing all there games in Croke Park. What do people on here think? Look, all the Dubs on here are obviously going to say that there is no advantage and that all players want to play in Croke Park, but lets say their game against Kildare last week was played in Newbridge. Would they have come out with the win? Would you be as confident having to travel to Killarney or Castlebar or Omagh for an AI semi final?" Its definitely an advantage, Croke Park has been Dublin footballers home ground since they moved their league game to the venue in 2011, its not the hurlers home ground I would add which is definitely Parnell, footballers have played 1 league or championship game in Parnell in that time which was behind closed doors due to Covid. TerribleFootwork (Wexford) - Posts: 1760 - 04/05/2023 17:20:41 2475755 Link
Replying To aidan64: "Much has been said over the last week about the advantage, if any, that Dublin have by playing all there games in Croke Park. What do people on here think? Look, all the Dubs on here are obviously going to say that there is no advantage and that all players want to play in Croke Park, but lets say their game against Kildare last week was played in Newbridge. Would they have come out with the win? Would you be as confident having to travel to Killarney or Castlebar or Omagh for an AI semi final?" Well, statistics show home advantage to be worth 4 points in Gaelic football.. Kildare played Dublin twice now in Croke Park this year, losing by 1 and 2 points. The last time the sides met in Newbridge (2022) Kildare won. The time before that (1995), Kildare won. Make of it what you will… Sweetspot (Kildare) - Posts: 349 - 04/05/2023 17:23:47 2475757 Link
Replying To aidan64: "Much has been said over the last week about the advantage, if any, that Dublin have by playing all there games in Croke Park. What do people on here think? Look, all the Dubs on here are obviously going to say that there is no advantage and that all players want to play in Croke Park, but lets say their game against Kildare last week was played in Newbridge. Would they have come out with the win? Would you be as confident having to travel to Killarney or Castlebar or Omagh for an AI semi final?" Leinster finals and All Ireland semifinals on are hard to take out of Croke. The playing field should be levelled otherwise. Their neutral group game shouldn't be in Croke Park. All Ireland quarterfinals don't all need to be there either. Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4519 - 04/05/2023 17:43:15 2475763 Link
Man this old chestnut. Did we not spend the whole decade debating this when we were a little dominant? realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8746 - 04/05/2023 19:32:42 2475781 Link
Replying To aidan64: "Much has been said over the last week about the advantage, if any, that Dublin have by playing all there games in Croke Park. What do people on here think? Look, all the Dubs on here are obviously going to say that there is no advantage and that all players want to play in Croke Park, but lets say their game against Kildare last week was played in Newbridge. Would they have come out with the win? Would you be as confident having to travel to Killarney or Castlebar or Omagh for an AI semi final?" Most Dubs agree that Dublin has an advantage from playing in Croke Park. Whether it is important enough to have swung results in our favour is really a matter of opinion as it can't be proved one way or another. Dublin don't mind where they play Leinster championship matches and the fans would welcome more away days. As for League and Super 8/Group stage matches, again I don't think the Dubs have any issue with actually playing their "neutral" match at a genuinely neutral venue. The question of whether Dublin should be allowed to play their home league and championship matches at Croker is actually a separate issue in my opinion. The reason for this is simply that Parnell Park isn't big enough and there would be fans unable to attend matches as a result. Parnell can't be expanded due to its location and Dublin's efforts to build a stadium elsewhere have been unsuccessful so far. Personally I think it's better to have the Dubs using Croker as a home venue than it lying empty for long periods of the year. Báireoir (Dublin) - Posts: 80 - 04/05/2023 20:22:22 2475787 Link
Dubs have lost their last two AI semifinals in Croke Park Mayo were good enough but unfortunately for them not good enough to then win Sam. Dubs were a top 4 team and it showed when it really mattered. Kerry did it in style by following up their win against Dublin with Sam, once again Dubs in the top four, but that's it. The Gavin era is over. Dublin have lost many of the players that made so hard to beat in CP. No doubting though that Croke Park has to be somewhere, wherever it is will be an advantage to that county but it's no use when you're not good enough to win a game. Kildare could have easily followed in the footsteps of a number of teams that have beaten Dublin there recently be it in the league or championship. Sure Clare were brilliant against them not so long ago, it's definitely not your Dublin team of old, 2015-20. There's a number of teams that are perfectly capable of it, teams well beyond Kildare too. Dubs maybe needed that dig in the ribs after the Laois non contest away from Croke Park, so let's see where they are at.. but all the evidence thus far over the last few years is that you're good enough to beat Dublin then that's what will happen. Champions don't need excuses. jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20763 - 04/05/2023 20:38:45 2475793 Link
Replying To aidan64: "Much has been said over the last week about the advantage, if any, that Dublin have by playing all there games in Croke Park. What do people on here think? Look, all the Dubs on here are obviously going to say that there is no advantage and that all players want to play in Croke Park, but lets say their game against Kildare last week was played in Newbridge. Would they have come out with the win? Would you be as confident having to travel to Killarney or Castlebar or Omagh for an AI semi final?" Dublin have played more competitive games out of CP this year than in it. Cork in Cork Limerick in Limerick Derry in Derry Meath in Meath Laois in Laois This is always overlooked of course. LSFC semis and finals are always in CP. i think in the league opposition players would much rather play Dublin in an empty Croke Park than in a packed Parnell Park. I'm sure the CP environs are more familiar to Dublin than most other teams but then again those same environs would be much more familiar to Kerry and Mayo to most teams also. Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4743 - 04/05/2023 23:46:21 2475814 Link
Why don't you go to your club, assuming you have one, and get them to put a motion to the county convention demanding that championship matches involving Dublin - up to and including AI semi finals, finals even? - should be played at neutral venues. If successful then it can go to Congress. Alternatively, you can guilt bomb sad oul fellas like myself on social media :-) BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 3512 - 05/05/2023 08:50:05 2475822 Link
Replying To Sweetspot: "Well, statistics show home advantage to be worth 4 points in Gaelic football.. Kildare played Dublin twice now in Croke Park this year, losing by 1 and 2 points. The last time the sides met in Newbridge (2022) Kildare won. The time before that (1995), Kildare won. Make of it what you will…" Is that not assuming that Kildare would perform better at a neutral venue than Dublin would? Which doesn't seem to have any basis. A Leinster semi-final involving Kildare isn't going to be held in Newbridge after all. Báireoir (Dublin) - Posts: 80 - 05/05/2023 10:16:04 2475841 Link
Dublin would win Leinster regardless of where the games are played but its becoming strange to play games in Croker when the crowds aren't there to justify it. There was 30K at the double header last weekend, with a huge crowd from Louth and Offaly making up alot of that crowd. There are plenty of provincial grounds that could accommodate semi finals and then play only the Leinster final at Croker. PK57 (Louth) - Posts: 1661 - 05/05/2023 10:43:29 2475848 Link
Replying To PK57: "Dublin would win Leinster regardless of where the games are played but its becoming strange to play games in Croker when the crowds aren't there to justify it. There was 30K at the double header last weekend, with a huge crowd from Louth and Offaly making up alot of that crowd. There are plenty of provincial grounds that could accommodate semi finals and then play only the Leinster final at Croker." That's a fair point and no one is disputing it. It's the attempt to blame a team's failings on extraneous factors that people find, well, dishonest to call a spade a spade. BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 3512 - 05/05/2023 11:29:19 2475867 Link
Dublin should definitely play more games outside Croke Park. Croke Park is ultimately Dublin's home ground, that's the inference and acknowledgment in this thread really. TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4516 - 05/05/2023 11:37:41 2475869 Link
Replying To PK57: "Dublin would win Leinster regardless of where the games are played but its becoming strange to play games in Croker when the crowds aren't there to justify it. There was 30K at the double header last weekend, with a huge crowd from Louth and Offaly making up alot of that crowd. There are plenty of provincial grounds that could accommodate semi finals and then play only the Leinster final at Croker." Exactly, could do like Ulster and have both semi's at different neutral venues, last week Louth and Offaly in Navan and Dublin Kildare in Portlaoise could have added alot to each game. TerribleFootwork (Wexford) - Posts: 1760 - 05/05/2023 11:51:41 2475879 Link
Replying To realdub: "Man this old chestnut. Did we not spend the whole decade debating this when we were a little dominant?" Realdub Question for you, if you'd prefer not to answer it then that's absolutely no bother, I know you'd prefer your privacy. I've spoken to my father about the Dub teams that he played on in Croke Park, and his answer was simple, "if we weren't good enough on the day, we lost, champions don't need excuses" Being a former Dub player Realdub, at a time when yiz were not perhaps the all conquering team it later became, did you find having Croke Park as an advantage, I know Dubs teams have pretty much crumbled there during the more difficult times, with hype and the weight of expectation, past Dublin teams have struggled on the Croke Park pitch. Did the same dressing room help? jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20763 - 05/05/2023 12:06:04 2475881 Link
Replying To BarneyGrant: "Why don't you go to your club, assuming you have one, and get them to put a motion to the county convention demanding that championship matches involving Dublin - up to and including AI semi finals, finals even? - should be played at neutral venues. If successful then it can go to Congress. Alternatively, you can guilt bomb sad oul fellas like myself on social media :-)" Maybe you should go to your club and make the same suggestions. Seeing as all Dubs would have no issues with it. oneoff (UK) - Posts: 1620 - 05/05/2023 12:19:39 2475883 Link
Replying To TheUsername: "Dublin should definitely play more games outside Croke Park. Croke Park is ultimately Dublin's home ground, that's the inference and acknowledgment in this thread really." And it's going to remain Dublin's home ground for the foreseeable future, until (and if) the much talked 25,000 seater stadium is built. Moving Leinster semi-finals and neutral All-Ireland group games outside Croker should be the main priority at the moment. Obviously there'll still be complaints about Dublin playing home league and championship fixtures in Croke Park, but they'll be playing at least 3 games per year elsewhere if they reach the group stages. Báireoir (Dublin) - Posts: 80 - 05/05/2023 12:27:00 2475884 Link
Dubs will play where they are told to play. The other Leinster Counties could have every single Dublin match outside of Croke Park if they so wished. In 2016 Laois were rightly angered that they had to play Dublin in Kilkenny. In 2017 Carlow were annoyed that they had to play Dublin in Portlaoise, Laois not so vocal this time around. In 2018 Wicklow had to travel to Portlaoise as well to play Dublin. Both Laois and Carlow very quiet. In 2019 Louth annoyed about not having a home game, of course Wicklow, Laois, Carlow all stayed silent. Glen Ryan the latest to give out about all this, yet time and again Kildare vote for this happen. MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13796 - 05/05/2023 12:33:27 2475885 Link
Replying To oneoff: "Maybe you should go to your club and make the same suggestions. Seeing as all Dubs would have no issues with it." We just do as we're told. We love away trips though and you couldn't meet nicer hosts than in Limerick, Derry and Navan this year. Keep them coming. Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4743 - 05/05/2023 12:45:55 2475892 Link
Replying To Báireoir: "Is that not assuming that Kildare would perform better at a neutral venue than Dublin would? Which doesn't seem to have any basis. A Leinster semi-final involving Kildare isn't going to be held in Newbridge after all." Well it levels the playing field that's for sure. No I don't think it would favour Kildare over Dublin, but Croke Park certainly favours Dublin… Sweetspot (Kildare) - Posts: 349 - 05/05/2023 12:59:55 2475894 Link