That and some kind of involvement of the European Court of Arbitration for Sport is the ideal scenario here.
I agree thereâs no need for the games to be in Croke Park but theyâd probably get 20,000 to the game handy enough (from Mayo alone probably) so I donât think it makes sense to force that many people to miss the game
Mayo and their fan base is a massive cash cow to the GAA.
The GAA want and need the big boys in the Super 8âs, full crowds, competitive games etc. Everyone knows the football championship structure is a joke and they (the Croke Park suits) need the Super 8âs to be a success to take the heat off them and for a healthy balance sheet.
Cavan & Kildare wouldnât be nearly as big a draw financially as Tyrone and Mayo. These decisions on venues are purely about money and nothing else. Hope Kildare stand firm on this. Whether their ground can take 6k or 60k is their business.
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20k for the Mayo Kildare game in Croke Park? You think so?
Iâd say 14k would be more realistic with about another 8k for Tyrone Cavan.
At the end of the day, the rules and the result of the draw means that should be the case. I think the game makes for a cracking atmosphere in Newbridge and really adds to the excitement and intrigue.
Fair play to Kildare, it may just be optics but theyâve made a big objection at the same time.
Kildare to be thrown out and while the case winds its way through the courts the All Ireland Final to be played and Dublin to win, only for it to be decided on the Monday after the all Ireland that Kildare were illegally thrown out of the championship and the Dubs are forced to play Kildare in an extra all Ireland final the following weekend. The Dubs having been in Coppers all week are rightly outraged but the GAA insist the fixture goes ahead as quickly as possible due to the potential fixture chaos. Kildare whoâve been riled up by a summer of injustice are ready and have a point to prove against a hungover and sore Dublin team who have had no chance to prepare. Dublin proceed to beat Kildare by 25 points and Kildare are reduced to an absolute laughing stock.
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Was it possible for Mayo to be drawn as the home team?
Mayo brought 10,000 to Limerick and they were always going to beat us. Theyâd be expecting some sort of game from Kildare so Iâd imagine thatâd bring a few more out. Kildare would surely manage 7 or 8k themselves
Course it was
Yes.
Just wondering. Thought it could have been seeded. Game would surely have gone ahead in Castlebar had that happened.
The attendance at Thurles was 11k apparently.
You genuinely think that the GAA made this call in order to see mayo through to the next round, in order to make (speculatively) more money? Really?
Are you wearing your tinfoil hat?
Well the GAA 100% made the call not to play it in Kildare on a money basis obviously.
How so? Theyâre going to play it in Croke park instead where it will lose money.
I thought the GGA needed 35k at Croke Park to break even?
Not as outlandish as you might thinkâŚ
Kildare v Mayo is a relatively big game. As a stand-alone game in, say, Portlaoise youâd get 15k/20k if not more. As of now theyâd apparently only get under 10k in Newbridge, where both teams met in the league without issue. Itâs purely a monetary decision, moving it to Croke Park as a double header to appease the Sky overlords is an extension of this.
Not a massive leap to suggest the GAA bean counters want the teams with biggest followings at the business end of the championshipâŚ
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Yes it is a massive leap.
Exactly.
No itâs not.The Gaa want Mayo in the super 8âs.End of.
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Didnât Kildare have their caps out recently looking for a dig out?