Im against what your calling foreign games being played in Croke Park, not because the games didnt originate in ireland but because i belEIve its very hard for the GAA to compete with these sports, all the media outlets in this country are hooked on the premiership and the heineken cup get unprecedented coverage of late, it is very hard for us keep the youth oF the country playing our games and so i dont think allowing our best asset be used as a platform to promote other sports is very beneficial to the GAA.

wingback (Louth) - Posts: 141 - 28/01/2009 13:32:05    192030

Wingback, GAA is played predominantly in the summer months and soccer and rugby are not so they aren't really competing for media time

Sisco87 (Tipperary) - Posts: 759 - 28/01/2009 13:50:13    192067

I don't agree with you Liam on alot of points.
1. What's wrong with being different? All the countries you refer to are colonised countries. Most colonised by who?
2. I'm proud of our native sports and their uniqueness. I'm proud of being Irish and yes I support and am proud when all other teams play other sports for Ireland and do well.
3. Lastly you are wrong in most of the countries you speak of there is alot of rivalry in their sports. I know Aussies who prefer Rugby union and would have not time for Rugby league no matter what level it's played at. I know there are people in the UK who follow soccer and wouldn't have much time for those Rugby toffee heads.
4. Do you not think that the soccer and rugby associations in Ireland look on the GAA as competition and don't crave for members of the GAA to step over the line and take part in their sports which because of their professionalism already have a huge edge on the GAA as can be seen at the moment in relation to AFL. If Australia was next door to us we would be loosing 30 or 40 players each year and not 2 or 3.
5. Do you not think that if the Rugby or soccer associations thought opening the doors of Landsdowne up to the GAA would loose members that they would let the GAA waltz in.
You are living in Lah-lah land Liam.
As I said I support all Irish people and teams etc.. 100% but I would rather see them go to the way-side than our beautiful uniquely Irish games.
Just because the world is becoming a smaller place doesn't mean we have to suddenly loose our identity and become like the hoards.
It's great to see people from Africa and Asia etc.. come to Ireland and play our games but I'd rather they came and played GAA than soccer, rugby or any other games that have been introduced into Ireland from over-seas.
So before you start writting your typical open-minded Dublin dribble with the usual comments like 'only in ireland', 'so typically irish'. Thanks for the compliment!!

ColinWex (Wexford) - Posts: 901 - 28/01/2009 13:52:17    192074

Fair play Liam, great post and couldn't argue with anything in your post. Some people on this website and in general seem to think that hating other sports (I can't bring msyelf to call them foreign sports) somehow makes you a better Irish man, but as you rightly point out its small minded and pathetic. Sport enriches all of our lives, and while there is no doubt that a good game of hurling is vastly superior to all other sports, most of our lives would be a lot sadder were it not for sport in general.

fatboy slim (Galway) - Posts: 80 - 28/01/2009 13:55:20    192078

Bit of a rant but I do agree.

In tyrone if you train tuesday and friday and play a match on Sunday you are committed. If you go out others night running or to the gym you are applauded at your efforts at trying to get fit.
But if you do all of that, and train with a soccer team on a wed and play on Saturday, you are not getting fit, putting in more effort, you are a disgrace and get called names for not being as committed.

There is competition growing in Tyrone from cubs going to two bit hurling clubs against football. Is this not competition.

A lad playing an irish league match for a wage (while a student) rushes from it to play a championship match, not cause he had to because he wanted to, is this not commitment? Joining a full time soccer team and having to quit GAA, but when asked to help out in the championship team while on the verge of joining his boyhood heros in the champions league and weeks before making his full international debut, agreeing only for others to block him. IS THIS NOT COMMITTMENT?

The GAA is an amateur sport but has committment unseen else where. Kids should be encouraged to play any sport they wished. The health and fitness of these kids is more important than you ar me going to watch him play in a park once a while.

gottabetrue (Tyrone) - Posts: 300 - 28/01/2009 14:05:23    192095

God the Louth posters seem to have achip on their shoulders on this matter. Anything to do with there proximity to the Six counties I wonder?. If they are all so worried about foreign anything why are so many of them spending their hard earned euro across the border.
Now onto the Croke Park issue, If Lein v Mun in the Heinekin Cup semi and hopefully it will, It's 2 IRISH teams looking for a bigger venue. Bruce Springstein, Neill Diamond and the likes can get a spot in croker why can't two Irish teams look for a spot in croker. Remember alot of the lads playing actually played gaelic as youngsters and some have even played at a decent level. Look at the likes of Shane Byrne and Eric Miller going back to the GAA. I hope the greater good wins out here and the decent folk in the GAA come to their senses and make an offer NOW that if it's and all-ireland semi that croker will be made available.

Diego (Meath) - Posts: 1205 - 28/01/2009 14:08:56    192101

Reply to Slayers points, part 1 How are soccer and rugby our competitors? Er, they are competitors if you actually try to play or manage at any level. Any coach of either code will tell you that they are COMPETING for the same players. GAA is a sport, not a merchandise Slayer. If a youngfella prefers soccer he prefers soccer, having it in croker is not gonna make the blindest bit of difference! What you think playing soccer in croker will make a kid MORE likely to play soccer? Next ... And who are we for that matter?GAA is amateur, remember! I'm Slayer from Limerick, but you're the guy who applauded the Cork hurlers 'striking'. How can amateurs go on stike? I applaud them for not just laying down and allowing a dictator tell them what to do just like he has done for generations. I applaud them for having the courage of their convictions to follow through on their word. And I still applaud them. Next ... GAA is a sport, designed to keep the young men and women of Ireland fit and well, instil local pride and give auld fellas something to talk about! Its not a commercial entity designed to make profit for the jack and jill who play and watch it! Really? So how did the GAA re-finance Croke Park? Why did soccer & rugby only want Crok Park? Think 'Commercial Entity' Liam .... Re Read my post Slayer, I said Its not a commercial entity designed to make profit for the jack and jill who play and watch it! Hence, at ground level, ie Jack and Jill its meant to be about playing a sport, not making money! Next... Young people should be encouraged to play ALL sports Fair enough, but do you want to kill them and force burn out? Because if you play all sports, that can happen. Agreed, so let them try them all as kids and pick one or 2 as they get older. And if they pick soccer and rugby you can be damn sure it wont be due to Traps miserable team boring us all to tears in a half empty Croker! Next..

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 28/01/2009 14:11:31    192103

Reply to Slayers points, part 2 You don't hear the Maoris or native aussies giving out about people playing Rugby, the South Africans or Indians screaming blue murder about people playing cricket, or the Americans giving out rubbish about people playing soccer! No, but do those countries have a sport unique to their culture that is also a viable commercial entity, making a profit? Maybe those countries native inhabitants see the money they can make because Cricket, Soccer & Rugby are all professional. Do those countries play games that require the level of fitness & skill of hurling or Gaelic football? If they had those games would they still give their all like most GAA players? Ever heard of Aussie Rules Slayer,u know, that game where we sometimes play a compromise type thingy every so often? .. Next This is uniquely Irish, and sure where else would u expect it! If it's uniquely Irish, then I guess I'd expect it in Ireland. Spot on son. Next The Irish Language is more a part of our culture and heritage than anything, but how many of you "Gaels" can speak that fluently? I don't see the link: Do you need Irish to play GAA? No. I thought the debate was on Foreign games? Do you need to be foreign to play soccer/rugby? Next.... We should have enough confidence in our own product to be confident they will still want to watch and play GAA also Hmm, now you're calling GAA a 'product' having earlier stated it was not a 'commercial entity'. Confusing. The product refers to what they are giving us as entertainment on the pitch and is not related to commercial products. It's a term of phrase. So now you're a pedant too? Next... And if they don't (play GAA), thats the GAA's own fault. Not because we "let them" use Croke Park.! When Christy Ring and Nicky Rackard Finals are under the constant threat of not being played in Croke Park while soccer & rugby games are played there, which will young kids aged 5-12 want to play in order to be seen at Croker? Play for a Christy Ring hurling team and at best play in front of 5,000 people in a less well known Stadium, or play soccer/rugby and if you do well play in Croker? Also, as you pointed out the GAA is amatuer, so if you're getting no money to play a more physical sport in smaller stadia to smaller audiences, compared to the chance of good money, playing a less physical sport in one of Europe's best stadiums? Kids aged 5-12 don't play a game thinking, I wanna play in Croker. They play a game they can enjoy, have fun and will get them away from their homework. Give them exposure to all games, and let them choose. And if GAA is appealing enough to them, they will choose GAA. Do you seriously think a kid from Kerry is more likely to pick up a hurl if he saw a Kerry hurling team playing a Carlow hurling team in front of 2000 people in an empty to the point of embarrassment Croke Park? There's no bigot, like an Irish Bigot! I agree. You personally don't come across as a bigot whatsoever. You are a fella with a contrary opinon to mine which I respect. But there are plenty here, you wont have to look to hard to find them, and they are straight up "bring back the ban" type bogots. Now get up the yard, Bishop John Charles McQuaid wants his sliothar back! no idea what this means, but I'll end by saying that sometimes giving a soap box to the wrong person can encourage hysteria. Google him, interesting character to say the least.

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 28/01/2009 14:11:53    192105

When wembley was closed, i didnt see any soccer played in twickenham

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4649 - 28/01/2009 14:17:28    192115

I see Geordan Murphy singing the GAAs praises in the Times today. Down with that sort of thing.

JayoCluxton (Dublin) - Posts: 2688 - 28/01/2009 14:25:21    192123

I think alot of you are way out of line. There is no hate of other sports, there is rivalry. My preference is GAA and I would rather see GAA thrive than any of the other sports which are not traditionally Irish. I'd prefer to see Wexford win the All-Ireland than Ireland win the soccer World Cup. Of course I can see the comments coming in now saying I'm unpatriotic now but that's the great thing about the GAA it's more about your community than anything. It's more personal!! I'd still be proud of the Irish soccer team if they won. I've nothing against people playing soccer and I don't believe that it makes them any less Irish than me but these comments like 'typically irish' and stuff gets right up my nose. There is nothing wrong with loving, wanting to promote and see our national games at the top of the pile. Just because it's still amateur doesn't mean that it has to be sub-standard and sure leave the professionalism to the rugby and soccer guys. The people who play GAA may play at an amateur level but the organisation as a whole is alot more professional than soccer and rugby in Ireland so I think to throw that whole sure why should we care it's only an amateur organisation into the ring is a pure and utter insult to all involved in GAA. People are belittling GAA here just because it's not an international sport it's OK for rugby and soccer guys to have no time for GAA but it's sinful for people involved in GAA to say they have no time for soccer and rugby. Where do we stop with Rugby and Soccer when do we close the doors. Do we only open the doors when there is a big game on? And sure because it's a big game it would be unpatriotic for the GAA not to open the doors again for the good of the Irish people. The soccer and Rugby organisations in Ireland couldn't even go and build a stadium big enough for their own International games but sure that will be the GAA's fault and the GAA's problem from now until the end of time.

ColinWex (Wexford) - Posts: 901 - 28/01/2009 14:30:40    192135

Bad Monkey, big difference letting an Irish soccer fan into stadium and an english soccer fan into a stadium, BIG difference!
And are you actually suggesting the GAA follow the lead of the English Rugby Football Union.......Surely not!
FOR SHAME!!!
Both professional sporting bodies in direct competition for players to take them to the world stage and make them money bad monkey

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 28/01/2009 14:39:14    192150

Breffni39
County: Cavan
Posts: 354

191917 First things first Liam - Do you actually mean what you are saying in that post? You're not gonna come back 5/6 pages into this thread saying you didn't mean it, it was a wind-up and you actually hate foreign sports?

Ha, he has a point, Liam????

Loyal2TheRoyal (Meath) - Posts: 4522 - 28/01/2009 14:42:49    192161

As long as any rugby or soccer match or even a music concert doesn't prevent a gaelic football or hurling match from being played in Croke Park then I have nothing against non-gaa games being hosted there. I think people need to realise that its not the handful of extra soccer or rugby games played in croke park that sway our youth to chose either of those games ahead of gaelic football or hurling. Where you're from, what games you and your friends play most helps make kids minds up. Not to mention the non-stop coverage of soccer on sky sports and setanta day in day out makes kids from an early age far more impressionable and wary of the soccer superstars and everything that goes with it. Gaelic football and hurling are not professional and are not advertised nor shown on television at the same length over the year as soccer or even for that matter rugby is so in that regard it can't compete. A few extra non gaelic games played at Croke Park is not going to change this. Just think of Italia 90, no games had to be played at Croke Park in order for soccer to simply take over the mindset of the public as to what the biggest sport in the country was at that time. For all the die hard gaels out there that people speak of, very few were showing up to gaelic games when a match (even non Irish ones) were on tv at Italia 90. I think 3,000 people showed up at the Leinster hurling final that year!! Like you said yourself Slayer, soccer and rugby are hardly preventing the Nicky Rackard or Tommy Murphy finals being played there as much as poor organisation on the part of the GAA. If we recall last year, it wasn't for the sake of making a few extra shillings a soccer or rugby match was going to generate at croke park it was to facilitate all 4 games that were on one particular weekend last year which meant that there was talk about the Christy Ring being played on a Friday night. I'm not even sure where that game ended up being played in the end.

holymoly (Dublin) - Posts: 757 - 28/01/2009 14:42:59    192166

liam you said that it was a uniquely irish thing, i was merely pointing out that you were wrong but of course you just cant accept

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4649 - 28/01/2009 14:43:05    192167

ColinWex

Excellent post and I agree with you 100%

Yop (Wexford) - Posts: 362 - 28/01/2009 14:44:56    192173

Bad.monkey england have lots of stadiums we don't

Sisco87 (Tipperary) - Posts: 759 - 28/01/2009 14:48:51    192178

I would have to say that there is competition for people playing sport.I will watch soccer and rugby because I like sport in general.If you don't think that either of the other 2 sports or gaelic games are not products then they all are spending millions on pr for nothing.They spend to attract people to their particular sport and there is nothing wrong with that.There will always be a level of prtectionism in all sports which is only natural.Rugby schools only play rugby likewise football and hurling schools.I was against the opening of Croke park from a solely lets not promote other sports which might detract from us point of view.The vote was taken and I accepted it,that's the democratic thing and it made sound financial sense.But when the term is up then let it finish.that's my view and it's as valid as anybody elses.I have nothing against either soccer or rugby,I don't call them foreign games but I am interested in gaelic games and their promotion.As for this o.t.t artificial dismay that cetain individuals display from time to time well the Kevin Myers comparison was bang on.

northpole (Derry) - Posts: 739 - 28/01/2009 15:01:48    192194

Monkey, u misunderstand. I am not saying the stadium thing is unique to ireland, i am saying the "only play gaa, kids shouldnt be exposed to other games" is....its unique, and pathetic

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 28/01/2009 15:30:54    192229

ColinWex Good points, well made. Colin, I am on record here as saying that I would rather Dublin won one all ireland than see Ireland win 3 world cups each in soccer AND Rugby My preference is now and always will be GAA. But this idea that we are in "competition" with soccer and rugby, especially when it comes to kids, is terrible I remember being an U12 Footballer and soccer player, we got to the U12 soccer final that year, our GAA "manager" fixed a training session for the night of our final! And warned us anyone not there was dropped. True as God. And that rubbish still goes on today. All the time. Its disgraceful, but sadly it IS stull typical. And thats the grass roots of some lads arguments here Colin

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 28/01/2009 15:35:20    192232