I'm over here a year now from the UK and while I had romantic notions of the GAA as my grandfather played in his younger days I can honestly say that overall the GAA is a lot more attractive than other sports I've been involved with.

I've seen some fantastic club facilities in my journeys round the country which soccer in the UK would quite frankly be embarrassed by. The focus in other sports seems to be on the 'elite' players to the detriment of fans and other participants, which from my limited understanding of the GAA does not appear to be the case.

I think that the fixture lists, inconsistent refereeing, and the 'falling over' which appears to be creeping in are things that make the game difficult for somebody like myself to get to grips with.

But then I paid €5 to go and watch the club finals on St Patricks day and witnessed some incredible hurling, and two of the countries greatest hurlers at present.

GAA is attractive and has high participation rates including ladies and underage, and the set up of clubs all over the world shows that this does not diminish away from this island either.

From my experience of watching lots of sports the GAA lags behind on the "professional" aspects of promoting/marketing the game but then it has it's audience already and could find it difficult to break into other markets without ploughing serious money in that could go to clubs and existing structures.

I would personally like to see more double headers and even triple headers of games and making the games a true family day out.

In summary, I think GAA is an attractive package for young, old, player, supporter, administrator and is a more much accessible sport sport than many other professional sports than you may wish to cast an envious eye at.

Stujey (Dublin) - Posts: 11 - 24/03/2010 09:11:11    597044

Its a lot to do with the media. It seems soccer and especiallly Rugby are sexed up. As a lot of the Gaa coverage is of a negative nature, Fights,County board problems, refs etc. i was at the two Rugby games last week in Croke park and the atmosphere and the games themselves was very bad. In fact at some stage it was like a libarary. I was also at the Club finals where half the crowd attended but most atmosphere was way better and the action and skill level's far exceeded there professional counter parts.
The Gaa should insist in there next tv deal that RTE show at least one live floodlit league match a week instead of it been played on a subscription channel.

galwaybhoy (Galway) - Posts: 83 - 24/03/2010 10:12:45    597096

I have been attending GAA match's Club and County for over 25years a lot as a Neutral , St Patrick's club final day and All Ireland Finals day have always been attractive to the Neutral GAA supporter how many other sports could say that, so yes the GAA is attractive.

williewentwell (Tyrone) - Posts: 1712 - 24/03/2010 10:49:18    597133

I agree with you galwaybhoy, it's how he game is presented in the media to the layman or casual sports fan - you know, those people who are constantly ridiculed and lambasted by GAA people!

It's obviously attractive to people who have played GAA sports but a casual observer wants something more - sexed up tv coverage and mountains of statistics help people understand whats going on.

I was looking at gaastats.com a while back and was wondering why RTE doesn't present more stats - possession, completed passes etc etc.

Floops (Dublin) - Posts: 1623 - 24/03/2010 10:51:36    597138

GAA is extremely attractive however the format and structure has just got way too tiring. I think it's time to do a few things, reduce the number of competitions and restructure the competition.
In my option there should be a Cup competition. This should be as the old format of the championship used to be, knockout. It should involved all teams and should be organised with a draw (everybody in the hat for each province).
Then there should be the main competition which should be the League/championship.
If you look at it there shouldn't need to be more than 6 games for any team in the Cup (I.e. winning team should play no more than 6 games). For example Leinster has 12 teams which should be reduced to 8 in the early part (obviously some teams will get a bye). Both the League/championship and Cup should be played in parallel similar to the FA Cup and Premier League in soccer. The League should be split into 12 or 10 team divisions. It should be two comps, one the League champions and then the top 4 play off for the overall prize.
We still keep the Provincial championship in the cup and then we have a meaningful competition in the League/championship.
Scrap all the other competitions. Both competitions should be completed between the months of March and September (that's 7 months, I.e. 28 weekends for at most 19 games, that's how many a team who wins both the cup and league/championship would play). There is plenty of time off there for club games and breaks).
No games should be allowed to go to draws in the knock stages of any competitions (after full-time and extra time, next score wins). This whole fixture things is a joke. All the games bar the cup games can be scheduled so people know exactly where and when they are on.

ColinWex (Wexford) - Posts: 901 - 24/03/2010 11:27:19    597185

Well said galwaybhoy

mod (Mayo) - Posts: 859 - 24/03/2010 11:47:31    597212

Why not make going to the bigger stadia more attractive. For instance in U.S guys come round the seated area sellin beers and hotdogs. You try gettin a beer in Casement park.

gaelantrim (Antrim) - Posts: 1616 - 24/03/2010 15:48:07    597540

In the right light with enough pints on me...

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20763 - 24/03/2010 16:18:29    597574

gaelantrim
County: Antrim
Posts: 624

597540
Why not make going to the bigger stadia more attractive. For instance in U.S guys come round the seated area sellin beers and hotdogs. You try gettin a beer in Casement park.

plenty of Dogs around Casement, but not a Korean take away insight .

fortyfive (Tyrone) - Posts: 5929 - 24/03/2010 16:23:49    597583

We have great games as a whole but we are not selling them or insisting that in return for live coverage that certain criteria are met... example advertising the actual game on the TV for anumber of slots in the week prior to the game.

The coverage we get is not sufficient and the advent of the floodlit game poses both a challenge and an opportunity for us to play and provide a counter attraction for patrons and players even in the Winter when soccer dominates the airwaves.

Essentially the GAA needs to put the boot in to the PR side of its operations and get them working to make the games more identifiable with the people. Not enough being done in this area at all.

carlowman (Carlow) - Posts: 1872 - 24/03/2010 17:50:14    597712

GAA is fantastic, what other sport could operate until amuter status anywhere else in the worls. we should all be very proud of it.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11540 - 24/03/2010 17:56:17    597722

It's gorgeous!

DHarpsman (Armagh) - Posts: 409 - 24/03/2010 18:06:27    597740

the provincial championship structure is dead. the public are bored of watching cork v kerry, dublin v meath, mayo v galway...etc every year. its killing public interest in the championship

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4649 - 24/03/2010 19:07:51    597794

Stujey, you made some excellent points. I far prefer the GAA as it is, warts and all, and would hate to see it "sexed-up" as somebody put it. Last night I brought my friend's son to an ice hockey match (in Canada). The whole production was like some ridiculously over-the-top Las Vegas show and the actual game seemed almost secondary. Every time there is a break in play, you are blasted with deafening rock music, there is no end of dazzling light shows, and the non-stop video screen images are very distracting. Most of the players are multi-millionaires who are completely inaccessible to regular fans. Our tickets were $150 each (my friend bought them), and as I was sitting there, I was thinking how great it will be to go to a few GAA matches the next time I go back.

Gaillimh_Abu (Galway) - Posts: 1033 - 24/03/2010 19:10:17    597799

I couldn't give a ***** if the point scored is an attractive Sean Canavagh solo run or a Tommy McGuigan free. Whats attractive to me in the journey and the anticipaption of the summer, the pints and banter before the game, the elation and the heartbreak after. The what if's, the questions and the waiting for it all to start again.

Every time i step into croke park i feel proud, because WE built this.

Thats attractive.

KennellyAirways (Tyrone) - Posts: 33 - 24/03/2010 19:54:19    597842

KennellyAirways
County: Tyrone
Posts: 16

597842 I couldn't give a ***** if the point scored is an attractive Sean Canavagh solo run or a Tommy McGuigan free. Whats attractive to me in the journey and the anticipaption of the summer, the pints and banter before the game, the elation and the heartbreak after. The what if's, the questions and the waiting for it all to start again.

Every time i step into croke park i feel proud, because WE built this.

Thats attractive.

was it yourself and Rlf

dhorse (Laois) - Posts: 11374 - 24/03/2010 20:25:50    597877

Most soccer clubs don't even have their own grounds

dammon (Meath) - Posts: 1291 - 24/03/2010 20:32:35    597884

Yeah, hit the nail on the head there Kennelly Airways, it's all about the journey and the days out. Doesn't always have to be rip roaring play to make GF or Hurling attractive.

Tongo (UK) - Posts: 1795 - 25/03/2010 08:14:39    598026

Are ya alright Sharon?

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 25/03/2010 10:08:34    598080

The GAA is about where your from, Soccer is about who pays your wages. Playing with your local club you're playing with all your friends and fellas you went to school with. Playing soccer must of the team don't even speak the same language. What can be more attractive than standing side by side your neighbour or your brother, fighting, pulling, blocking, flaking, the respect from people who you actually know. We don't need to kiss the jersey, it's part of our skin it's part of our life.

Enough said.

Faithfull (Offaly) - Posts: 573 - 25/03/2010 15:24:16    598600