National Forum

Promotion Of Our Games

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I was in Dublin for a few days with work last week, in and around the city centre area in a few different places. I was only thinking when I was there that there is a dreadful lack of promotion of our games.
I did not see 1 advertisement / billboard / etc anywhere around the city to indicate that there was hurling matches on in Croke Park, when, where to buy tickets, etc.
To me, this is a big opportunity missed. The GAA should be advertising all over the city, in the airport arrivals, on the motorways, etc. Instead, you would not know there was any game on.
Every tourist we can attract to Croke Park is another €50-60 for the organisation, if we get a few thousand more in it wold be money well spent.
I said the same about the u20 Leinster Final, that Wexford's promotion of the game locally was shambolic.
The media blackout from the 4 competing counties is odd also. In an era where GAA needs to fight tooth and nail with other sports for column inches, social media articles, etc it sounds like another opportunity missed.
GAA players are mainly educated, interesting and clever young men. We should hear a load more from them, not have them in some silo where independent thought is a no-no.
I never believe the myth that any newspaper or social media article is the reason a team lost.
While I'd stop at compelling these players and teams for interviews, every player has a few who are totally at ease with the media. We should use them better.
The GAA should be able to do better on all of these fronts.

ExiledInWex (Dublin) - Posts: 1264 - 10/07/2023 16:23:46    2493635

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Replying To ExiledInWex:  "I was in Dublin for a few days with work last week, in and around the city centre area in a few different places. I was only thinking when I was there that there is a dreadful lack of promotion of our games.
I did not see 1 advertisement / billboard / etc anywhere around the city to indicate that there was hurling matches on in Croke Park, when, where to buy tickets, etc.
To me, this is a big opportunity missed. The GAA should be advertising all over the city, in the airport arrivals, on the motorways, etc. Instead, you would not know there was any game on.
Every tourist we can attract to Croke Park is another €50-60 for the organisation, if we get a few thousand more in it wold be money well spent.
I said the same about the u20 Leinster Final, that Wexford's promotion of the game locally was shambolic.
The media blackout from the 4 competing counties is odd also. In an era where GAA needs to fight tooth and nail with other sports for column inches, social media articles, etc it sounds like another opportunity missed.
GAA players are mainly educated, interesting and clever young men. We should hear a load more from them, not have them in some silo where independent thought is a no-no.
I never believe the myth that any newspaper or social media article is the reason a team lost.
While I'd stop at compelling these players and teams for interviews, every player has a few who are totally at ease with the media. We should use them better.
The GAA should be able to do better on all of these fronts."
The promotion of our games is non existent.

Another fatality of the sea change thats occurred in the GAA within the last few years, this obsession with the actual "game" part of our games been something to get out of the way as soon as possible.

All so a junior b footballer somehwre down the country can have more certainty as to when they can take a holiday but increasingly looking like its simply being used to cater better for the yearly jolly off to the USA who seem to be the biggest beneficaries of the split season, job done Mr President!!

There isnt the time to probably build up to and promote big games anymore, everything must be got out of the way asap. Take this week, do you start a big promotion push for the Hurling final when theres 2 big football semi finals on this weekend? after that then theres 1 week to to the hurling, then 1 week to the football. Simply isnt time.

The promotion and build up to big games used to be great, its not the destination, its the journey that you remember, The biggest games in our organisation are coming up and each one will have around 6 days focus on it and opportunity to promote. Why does it have to be like that?

tearintom (Wexford) - Posts: 1433 - 11/07/2023 10:15:55    2493730

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Replying To tearintom:  "The promotion of our games is non existent.

Another fatality of the sea change thats occurred in the GAA within the last few years, this obsession with the actual "game" part of our games been something to get out of the way as soon as possible.

All so a junior b footballer somehwre down the country can have more certainty as to when they can take a holiday but increasingly looking like its simply being used to cater better for the yearly jolly off to the USA who seem to be the biggest beneficaries of the split season, job done Mr President!!

There isnt the time to probably build up to and promote big games anymore, everything must be got out of the way asap. Take this week, do you start a big promotion push for the Hurling final when theres 2 big football semi finals on this weekend? after that then theres 1 week to to the hurling, then 1 week to the football. Simply isnt time.

The promotion and build up to big games used to be great, its not the destination, its the journey that you remember, The biggest games in our organisation are coming up and each one will have around 6 days focus on it and opportunity to promote. Why does it have to be like that?"
To enable Club Championships to be treated with respect.

Seanfanbocht (Roscommon) - Posts: 1995 - 11/07/2023 11:22:32    2493741

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With the introduction of the split season the GAA need to double down on the promotion of our games. It seems that there is a flurry of games and all of sudden the games drop off a cliff edge with a couple of games remaining. Particularly in football where the games failed to capture the imagination of the general public their was little media attention. The Munster hurling championship was the only saving grace but this may not always be as competitive as this year. The arguments for the split season in that it gives club player certainty to go on holidays does not outweigh the club player having to wait for 8 months for championship matches. All this is leading to is many clubs players not only students going to the US for the summer months knowing they will not miss any championship games. With so many counties out of the championship by end of May now surely those counties should proceed with playing their championships. With the lack of promotion and games being stored away for 6 months of the year it is going to be increasing difficult to attract young children to play hurling or football with no hype, no big games on tv etc. We are in danger of losing a generation of players to other sports if this continues.

journeyman (Limerick) - Posts: 141 - 11/07/2023 12:01:40    2493758

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Sure if tourists turn up the hardcore GAA people would complain about the bandwagoners or "prawn sandwich brigade".

PattyONeill (Derry) - Posts: 249 - 11/07/2023 12:29:05    2493771

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Replying To Seanfanbocht:  "To enable Club Championships to be treated with respect."
There was an issue around organising club games around the old qualifiers system because teams didn't know when they'd be playing championship.

I don't think they actually solved this problem properly and we could have fit the different grades around one another in a more organised manner without having to split the season.

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4335 - 11/07/2023 14:31:33    2493801

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Replying To Whammo86:  "There was an issue around organising club games around the old qualifiers system because teams didn't know when they'd be playing championship.

I don't think they actually solved this problem properly and we could have fit the different grades around one another in a more organised manner without having to split the season."
100% this.

We still have counties out of championships in June and not starting club championships till mid august/september!

And to achieve that we have sacrificed our flagship competitions and their promotion all while flogging intercounty players (who are also club players) by making them play more games in a shorter period of time.

tearintom (Wexford) - Posts: 1433 - 11/07/2023 15:27:47    2493810

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I remember sports Saturday in 96 and I think I still have the video at home somewhere and they did a good three hour preview and it was a good show winterviewing families local villages and some players from both counties it was a good show in general. I remember breaking ball used to be in the naughties was ok probably too short but other than that there is nothing. Ya look at a united v Liverpool game or city Liverpool or Brentford Luton and the hype they put up for basic games compared to what we do is ridiculous for our biggest games. Even something stupid like a soccer am gimic show could be used to promote it.

Wexfordgaa (Wexford) - Posts: 317 - 11/07/2023 16:04:16    2493819

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Replying To tearintom:  "100% this.

We still have counties out of championships in June and not starting club championships till mid august/september!

And to achieve that we have sacrificed our flagship competitions and their promotion all while flogging intercounty players (who are also club players) by making them play more games in a shorter period of time."
But that's up to the counties themselves. There's nothing stopping a county from starting their club championships in June if their inter-county teams are out of both hurling and football by that time. We've done it ourselves in Wexford this year.

If a county decides not to start its club championship until August/September even when the full inter-county season is over by the end of July, what makes you think they'll start their club championships any earlier if the inter-county season reverts to running until September as well?

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2637 - 11/07/2023 16:39:52    2493838

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Replying To journeyman:  "With the introduction of the split season the GAA need to double down on the promotion of our games. It seems that there is a flurry of games and all of sudden the games drop off a cliff edge with a couple of games remaining. Particularly in football where the games failed to capture the imagination of the general public their was little media attention. The Munster hurling championship was the only saving grace but this may not always be as competitive as this year. The arguments for the split season in that it gives club player certainty to go on holidays does not outweigh the club player having to wait for 8 months for championship matches. All this is leading to is many clubs players not only students going to the US for the summer months knowing they will not miss any championship games. With so many counties out of the championship by end of May now surely those counties should proceed with playing their championships. With the lack of promotion and games being stored away for 6 months of the year it is going to be increasing difficult to attract young children to play hurling or football with no hype, no big games on tv etc. We are in danger of losing a generation of players to other sports if this continues."
I checked the overseas Inter-County transfers granted and Sanctions to New York this year.
Transfers amount to approx. 3,800 and short term sanctions about seventy seven.
Surprised some teams can field teams anymore.

Gaa Fan (USA) - Posts: 762 - 11/07/2023 16:45:57    2493843

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "But that's up to the counties themselves. There's nothing stopping a county from starting their club championships in June if their inter-county teams are out of both hurling and football by that time. We've done it ourselves in Wexford this year.

If a county decides not to start its club championship until August/September even when the full inter-county season is over by the end of July, what makes you think they'll start their club championships any earlier if the inter-county season reverts to running until September as well?"
Thats my point.

It was always up to the counties themselves to decide how run their own championships.

So why are we sacrificing so much in terms of our flahgship games? Why shorten the season by so much and increase the amount of games. Majority of counties are still running championships at the same time anyway.

tearintom (Wexford) - Posts: 1433 - 11/07/2023 17:49:59    2493861

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Replying To Gaa Fan:  "I checked the overseas Inter-County transfers granted and Sanctions to New York this year.
Transfers amount to approx. 3,800 and short term sanctions about seventy seven.
Surprised some teams can field teams anymore."
That's only an average of under 2 per Club.

Seanfanbocht (Roscommon) - Posts: 1995 - 11/07/2023 18:45:48    2493876

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "But that's up to the counties themselves. There's nothing stopping a county from starting their club championships in June if their inter-county teams are out of both hurling and football by that time. We've done it ourselves in Wexford this year.

If a county decides not to start its club championship until August/September even when the full inter-county season is over by the end of July, what makes you think they'll start their club championships any earlier if the inter-county season reverts to running until September as well?"
Actually Wexford is a prime example.

We currently run the same championship in 2023 as we did in 2019 but crucially back then we had the opportunity to play 2 rounds in each code in March and April. We had scope and space to run it under those circumstances. Just for perspective in 2019 we got to an All Ireland semi final and our club season ended on the 27th of October. This year it will end on the 15th of October

So basically Wexford we're done by the middle of June in 2023 (17th) and under this new split season we will be finished on October the 15th.

In 2019 under the same club championship system we reached an all Ireland semi final which was played on the 28th of July and our entire club championship finished some 2 weeks later on the 27th because at least we could play games in March/April ie: our choice as a county to do that, something that's now been taken away from us as a choice.

Why change it from 2019 to compress it even further whilst at the same time introduce even more games? The logic would be to do the opposite!

What was wrong with mid and 3rd week of August for all Ireland finals? Why compress it further, where's the chance to promote the biggest games of our sports? All because a fella wants to know when he can definitely take a holiday.

It was worth a try but it doesn't work for me, bring back the opportunity for the buzz and build up and opportunity to promote our showcase games, every other sport in the world does it, we look at it as something to get out of the way!

tearintom (Wexford) - Posts: 1433 - 11/07/2023 19:33:16    2493882

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Replying To PattyONeill:  "Sure if tourists turn up the hardcore GAA people would complain about the bandwagoners or "prawn sandwich brigade"."
Not sure many hardcore GAA supporters would think that. Turning down a chance to fill more seats for games, showcase our culture to tourists beside looking at cliffs and overpriced Temple Bar lefthanded pints. Possibly sell more jersies and merchandise and get some international recognition for our great games. Win win.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7694 - 11/07/2023 20:15:45    2493885

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Replying To Gaa Fan:  "I checked the overseas Inter-County transfers granted and Sanctions to New York this year.
Transfers amount to approx. 3,800 and short term sanctions about seventy seven.
Surprised some teams can field teams anymore."
That's over 100 per county - have a you a link or a source for that? I'm only seeing around 400 in total.

CmonAymonow (Laois) - Posts: 160 - 12/07/2023 10:47:09    2493924

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Well call me naive but I reckon you could sell hundreds or a couple of thousand tickets in the arrivals hall in Dublin Airport if people saw a sign "Hurling, Croke Park, Saturday 6pm" and somebody there to sell them tickets on the spot.
Its just a bit of trying something different.

ExiledInWex (Dublin) - Posts: 1264 - 12/07/2023 11:52:11    2493950

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tyrone gaa refusing tg4/rte from covering games in their club football championships which ridiculously only is starting next thursday
they prefer to have it only streamed on their own online channel.

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3677 - 15/09/2023 21:16:00    2504395

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Replying To KillingFields:  "tyrone gaa refusing tg4/rte from covering games in their club football championships which ridiculously only is starting next thursday
they prefer to have it only streamed on their own online channel."
There are only 15 games in total so I'd say people in the other 31 Counties will hardly notice.

Seanfanbocht (Roscommon) - Posts: 1995 - 16/09/2023 12:18:34    2504428

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Replying To tearintom:  "Actually Wexford is a prime example.

We currently run the same championship in 2023 as we did in 2019 but crucially back then we had the opportunity to play 2 rounds in each code in March and April. We had scope and space to run it under those circumstances. Just for perspective in 2019 we got to an All Ireland semi final and our club season ended on the 27th of October. This year it will end on the 15th of October

So basically Wexford we're done by the middle of June in 2023 (17th) and under this new split season we will be finished on October the 15th.

In 2019 under the same club championship system we reached an all Ireland semi final which was played on the 28th of July and our entire club championship finished some 2 weeks later on the 27th because at least we could play games in March/April ie: our choice as a county to do that, something that's now been taken away from us as a choice.

Why change it from 2019 to compress it even further whilst at the same time introduce even more games? The logic would be to do the opposite!

What was wrong with mid and 3rd week of August for all Ireland finals? Why compress it further, where's the chance to promote the biggest games of our sports? All because a fella wants to know when he can definitely take a holiday.

It was worth a try but it doesn't work for me, bring back the opportunity for the buzz and build up and opportunity to promote our showcase games, every other sport in the world does it, we look at it as something to get out of the way!"
More proof that people were sold a pup by the accountants who freed up Croke Park for other events by stroking the egos of club players whose championship finishes a week or two earlier than any other year. Laughing all the way to the bank.

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 3204 - 17/09/2023 10:30:25    2504479

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Replying To BarneyGrant:  "More proof that people were sold a pup by the accountants who freed up Croke Park for other events by stroking the egos of club players whose championship finishes a week or two earlier than any other year. Laughing all the way to the bank."
tearintom is only giving part of the story in his post about how things currently apply in Wexford, and has left out a very important consideration.

He's correct that our club championships will finish this year on October 15th. Our club football finals are being played that weekend, as all three relevant Wexford winners are fixed to play in the Leinster Championships the following weekend.

What he's left out though is that if Wexford clubs hadn't voted to continue our own version of the 'split season' (i.e. play our club hurling championships in their entirety first, and only then start the football), then we'd have extra time to run our club championships. The hurling wouldn't have to be finished until the weekend of November 4/5, as the Wexford representatives are not due into Leinster action until November 11/12.

Basically, even if we'd started at the same time this year (weekend of Friday June 30 to Sunday July 2), we'd have had 19 weeks to run 16 rounds of club championship (eight round of hurling & eight rounds of football), instead of having only the bare 16 weeks so that it has to be week after week after week.

The club hurling/football 'split season' didn't apply here in 2019 (the year that tearintom compares this year's championship to). If we didn't have it this year, we'd be getting back three of the four April weeks that we've lost through the county/club split season, and so overall net effect would be minimal.

The fact that we're down those three weeks is due wholly to a decision made within Wexford itself (albeit by a very narrow majority), and it's entirely open to ourselves to get those three weeks back next year, by voting a different way when the 2024 club championship structures are up for decision.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2637 - 17/09/2023 13:57:59    2504497

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