GAA attendance numbers often spark debate, particularly when they appear to be dwindling. In recent times, the football championship has seen a disappointing turnout, even for matches involving Dublin at Croke Park. It’s no longer a secret that the Leinster senior football final needs a change of venue from Croke Park. Moreover, it might also be time to start considering alternative suitable provincial locations for certain All-Ireland quarter-finals.
Last Saturday, I was unable to be present at Croke Park for the Dublin-Roscommon match as an adult football league club match had been scheduled in our county on the same day. This clashed head-on with the Dubs’ game. We had a game against Whitehall Colmcille on Collins Avenue at 6.30pm, and similar scheduling conflicts impacted numerous other clubs, leaving most of us with no opportunity to watch the game at Croke Park. Sometimes, it feels like we shoot ourselves in the foot!
John and Paddy Small were spotted stretching their necks from the Dublin team bus as they passed Whitehall’s pitch, trying to catch a glimpse of the scoreboard to see the progress of Ballymun’s game. It was interesting, to put it mildly.
It was only post our game that I heard about the poor attendance at Croke Park – the sight of empty seats was so striking that it appears no official attendance was even declared during the game.
However, I wasn’t caught by surprise. A few contributing factors have led to the low turnout, with the current championship format chief among them. I have discussed this previously: having three teams move ahead from a group of four is nonsensical.
You can reasonably predict the three teams coming out of each group, so essentially, all we’re witnessing is a riffraff over table positions. Dublin fans are cognizant their team will qualify for the knockout stages, and they choose to not attend games – perhaps due to economic considerations, commitment of time, frequency of games or simply the lack of competition – or maybe all these reasons combined.
However, the championship’s structure doesn’t make this a difficult choice, since everyone is certain that Dublin will have more occasions to shine this summer.
Perhaps the Dublin players’ consistent victories have led to their current predicament. It’s questionable whether there’s any value in playing a game at Croke Park in front of a mere 12-15,000 spectators. Imagine how haunting it would have been to warm up last Saturday. It probably felt reminiscent of the Covid-affected matches. Observing the replay during the week revealed the audible sidelines shouting. From an aesthetic perspective, it presented terribly for the GAA with the vacant stands suggesting that fans are unwilling to pay to watch the game. This has a ripple effect, resulting in a game atmosphere devoid of energy, momentum, or real fervour. The applause and cheers for scoring points are almost heart-wrenching in their desolation.
And it isn’t solely a Dublin problem. Only a pitiful 7,602 attendees showed up at Pearse Stadium for the recent Galway-Derry match, a championship decider between two of the country’s best teams. It’s clear that something’s awry with the current system. It seems that as fans don’t see enough at stake in these matches to make their time and money worthwhile, they opt to avoid attending.
Throughout my career as a Dublin player, the question of playing away from Croke Park regularly surfaced. Although we recognised the issue, our answer was consistently the same – we’d be eager to play no matter where the venue was – and that wasn’t mere lip service. Over the years, there was a prevailing sentiment of missing out on experiences at various venues across the country, notably in Leinster.
Since not many other Leinster teams were in Division One, our only chance to play against most provincial counties was in the championships, but these matches were invariably set at Croke Park.
The reasoning behind the Leinster Council’s delay in scheduling a Dublin championship game outside of Croke Park remains a mystery to me, but one thing is clear: every Dublin player in that changing room yearned for the experience of an away championship match.
Reflecting on my professional sports career, I cherished the chance to play on various pitches, and my vivid memory of the 2016 match against Laois at Nowlan Park is a testament to this. I particularly remember enjoying a pre-game pint with Dublin supporters outside the ground, the cheers for Eoghan O’Gara that wouldn’t have filled Croke Park, and indeed the pristine state of the pitch itself.
Away games were my favourites, mostly because the fans would join us on the pitch after the match. Within moments, a throng of young fans would surround us, eagerly seeking autographs and photographs. These encounters brought a delightful excitement which I found precious.
This was a stark contrast to the experience at Croke Park where, following the final whistle, players would generally be directed straight into the tunnel, with little fan interaction. At times, this approach felt rather mechanical and devoid of enthusiasm.
Although my intercounty career didn’t include an official championship encounter at Parnell Park, I do fondly recall the one league game I played at the park during the pandemic lockdown in October 2020 against Meath. That night held great personal significance as I was able to break the remarkable scoring record previously held by Jimmy Keaveney.
Today, we face a puzzling situation where Croke Park may be too large for some Dublin football matches, whilst Parnell Park might be too compact.
It’s anticipated that the forthcoming Leinster senior hurling final will attract a larger crowd than the recent football final between Dublin and Louth. This will be a deserving outcome for our committed Dublin hurlers.
Fortunately, the club fixtures, which were initially arranged for the same day of the Leinster SHC final, have now been shifted to Sunday.
In my view, the Leinster Council needs to consider relocating the 2025 Leinster football final from Croke Park. Regardless of the teams reaching the decider, the match would undoubtedly be more memorable if staged in Portlaoise, Tullamore or Navan. The time for this change is undoubtedly now. There’s no benefit in delaying this decision any longer.
Although it may seem unimportant, on a deeper level, the urban march leading up to the regional finals is truly integral to our sense of self within the GAA. This ceremonial procession where sportspersons pass by various sections of audience in the stadium, ushering in a spurt of energy as people rise in unison, wave flags and attempt to outdo the cheering from rival sections, is very emotionally charged. This rally of support is something the players thrive on, and it cultivates a genuine mood and sense of occasion.
Contrastingly, a languid trail behind the musicians in an empty Croke Park tends to negate this effect. Take, for instance, the vibrancy and sound that the march brought to Clones in the lead up to the Ulster final contest, putting Armagh against Donegal – it’s a crucial element of the GAA.
Hence the suggestion – let’s host the regional finals at regional venues.
Moreover, there’s a case to made for the GAA to ponder upon moving some of the All-Ireland quarter-finals away from Croke Park.
While I comprehend that there exist commitments to benefactors and season ticket possessors, it’s important to remember that championship matches ought to be gripping events that individuals genuinely anticipate. Yet, you would be hard-pressed to claim that’s the actual situation at present.