yup, and a very valid point Rocko. More so than any of the other hogwash been put up already. And relates back to what I said in that Dublin are to an extent unfortunate that the main stadium is in their city. Its not their doing, but they are the beneficiaries of the situation.
[QUOTE=“tazdedub, post: 1003613, member: 312”]Are you both stupid. It doesn’t matter whether it’s an advantage or not the fact of the matter is that as long as the other counties in leinster and the Leinster council are happy for dublin to play all their leinster championship matches in Croke park then it’s not going to change. It is not dublin fault that the other are giving away their home advantage.
As for the qualifiers and quarter finals which are run by the gaa and not the provincial councils then it is up to gaa to decide where dublin play their matches.[/QUOTE]
fuck me you are fair dumb. Did I not already say multiple times that it is not Dublins fault, that it is the GAA who make the fixtures. Dublin benefit from this. How can you dispute either? And some Council representative trying to fob his way out of explaining it is not clear evidence. Rockos point on corporate punters is much more of a factor than a Leinster council representative.
Gman what is stopping other counties or provinces asking the gaa if they could play their big games in Croke park? Ulster did it a couple of years ago.
[QUOTE=“tazdedub, post: 1003613, member: 312”]Are you both stupid. It doesn’t matter whether it’s an advantage or not the fact of the matter is that as long as the other counties in leinster and the Leinster council are happy for dublin to play all their leinster championship matches in Croke park then it’s not going to change. It is not dublin fault that the other are giving away their home advantage.
As for the qualifiers and quarter finals which are run by the gaa and not the provincial councils then it is up to gaa to decide where dublin play their matches.[/QUOTE]
Not the point I’m making. Dublin have a huge advantage over every other county due to a number of circumstances, one being playing all their games at home. The rationale or parties responsible is not relevant to me, I’m merely pointing out that Dublin have a huge advantage with this.
I’d imagine fixture congestion and corporate events is the biggest hindrance. From what I recall, that Ulster final was played on a Saturday before the Leinster final. If you set a precedence with that, then it would be utterly pointless having provincial grounds at all. People still like the romanticism of provincial finals in ‘heritage’ stadiums. Ask munster people where the Munster hurling should be and they will all (except Cork lads) say Thurles. the demand for that Ulster final was out of the ordinary, and I havent seen anything like it since, bar this years Munster final when there was talks of it being moved to Thurles.
If there is an advantage to Dublin playing all there matches in Croke park then that advantage as has been stated before has been given to Dublin by the other counties in leinster who are happy for dublin to play all their leinster championship matches there.
So when people come on bleating about Dublin having this advantage then they can’t blame dublin they can only blame themselves for agreeing to Dublin playing their matches their.
Yep but the option is still there for other provinces to do it if they wish? It’s not like the gaa are saying you can’t play here because this for dublin only.
[B]Feng Shui “guru” the key to Dublin success
by Whacker Keaveney, The Northside Shout, August 20th, 2014[/B]
It’s generally accepted that the Dublin football team have taken preparation to a level unprecedented in GAA history, with fitness coaches, dietary experts, sports psychologists and an extensive team of statisticians all helping Jim Gavin’s men achieve an optimum level of performance.
But what is perhaps less known is that Dublin have also been employing the services of world renowned Irish Feng Shui expert Dr. Diarmuid Couch. Better known for his work on BBC’s “Changing Rooms”, Couch is now revolutionising the area of pre-match preparation by literally changing Dublin’s changing room. The Eastern philosophy of harmonisation of the body with the surrounding environment is being used by the men from the East as their secret weapon in their bid to retain the All-Ireland, and so far, it’s working.
"I suppose it all began when my wife was hounding me to buy a new sofa for the sitting room and she made me watch “Changing Rooms”, said manager Jim Gavin. “I was immediately impressed with Dr. Diarmuid’s work. For us, it’s about maximising our harmonisation in a balanced, holistic environment to achieve optimisation of resources within a framework of streamlined positivity, and Diarmuid is a key part of that.”
“Diarmuid and myself have worked to translate the five elements of Feng Shui - metal, earth, fire, water and wood into a comprehensive philosophy that encompasses all elements of Gaelic football. Metal symbolises that we need to be hard. Earth tells us that we need to be grounded. Fire is what needs to be in our bellies going out onto the pitch. Water reminds us to always stay properly hydrated. Wood demonstrates, eh actually I’m not sure what that demonstrates, you’ll have to ask him that.”
Couch and his team move into the Croke Park dressing room three days before each match to set it up exactly to his specifications. It’s a logistical operation which is only slightly less complicated than that needed to set up the stage for large concerts at the venue.
“It’s not cheap, but we believe it’s absolutely worthwhile and all thanks to our sponsors AIG, Vodafone, Google, Microsoft, Shell Oil, Budweiser, Ford, Etihad Airlines, Coca-Cola, and Paddy’s Centra, Killester for making it possible”, says Gavin.
Large framed prints of Dublin successes of yesteryear adorn the walls, which are painted in a pastel shade of blue with navy architraves and skirting, to match the Dublin colours. Each player is invited to bring an item from home, be it a cushion, a clock, or an ornament to make them feel comfortable - but each item must be below 50cm at its widest point so as to avoid clutter. Each player’s locker contains a personalised pillow, small potted plant, and personalised good luck message from a Dublin supporter.
Couch’s attention to detail shines through. “Everything has to be right, from the positioning of the pictures down to the position of the lampshades. Even the slightest misalignment of a picture frame can create negative energy. It’s crucial to avoid that, Even though I like to use corner sofa units in my day to day work, I avoid this with Dublin, as we never want to be cornered. Each sofa the players sit on is made from the same material as an O’Neill’s size 5. We want to feel comfortable with the ball, and the best way of promoting that is by feeling comfortable with the material its made from, even when not playing or training, and thanks to O’Neill’s for letting us do that”, says Couch, whose work has gained international acclaim.
“One is never more comfortable than when one is at home, and we want to literally create an atmosphere of home. This is Croke Park, this is our house, this is our territory. Although it’s not our home venue obviously - that remains Parnell Park, despite us not playing a league or championship match there since 2010.”
"We arrange the room slightly differently according to the opponent, but the players are always uppermost in our minds when we go about this. We encourage players to use the Feng Shui philosophy at home too, drawing up a tailored training plan for each squad member, according to each player’s position. So for the match against Donegal, for example, we’ve encouraged Diamuid Connolly and Bernard Brogan to pile up 13 chairs in front of each door and try to get through the door without touching any of them. For Ger Brennan, we’ve just said “sit down and relax, as you’re not going to be getting up off the bench for this match.”
“We’ve had total buy in from the players”, says Couch. “We took our lead from them in the development of the master plan for the room and they had some really interesting insights into how they thought it should be arranged. I see myself merely as a facilitator. What myself, Jim and the rest of the backroom team are very much about is a player-centric approach to Feng Shui. And I’d like to think we’ve achieved that. We have, I think.”
The players certainly appear to be happy with the set up. “Yeah, they’re lovely couches - very comfy”, says midfielder Michael Darragh McAuley.
For Couch and Dublin, it’s a case of sofa, so good.
That’s wonderful, @Sidney. This (especially) and your efforts across a couple of other threads earlier today are vastly superior to anything I’ve ever read from that Waterford Whispers character.
[QUOTE=“tazdedub, post: 1003626, member: 312”]If there is an advantage to Dublin playing all there matches in Croke park then that advantage as has been stated before has been given to Dublin by the other counties in leinster who are happy for dublin to play all their leinster championship matches there.
So when people come on bleating about Dublin having this advantage then they can’t blame dublin they can only blame themselves for agreeing to Dublin playing their matches their.[/QUOTE]
Nobody is bleating about it. They are stating a fact - Dublin have an unfair advantage over everyone else by playing every single championship game at home. You can talk about the rationale or logic behind it but your head is buried in the sand if you don’t think it’s a considerable advantage to them.
You should try to viralise it, or whatever the verb is, under the banner of TFK on twitter or Facebook if Sidney agrees.
Liam Dunne was.
http://thescore.thejournal.ie/liam-dunne-wexford-943156-Jun2013/?&r_dir_d=1
The money argument is definitely one factor - 43k x €25 is greater than 25k x €25, and that floats county board’s boats - end of
But other teams also want to play Dublin there in earlier rounds (in both codes). They get a run out before the qualifiers in the hope if they get back there and they’ve faced as big a crowd they’re likely to get. That’s huge for teams on a run.
Back in the 80’s all Dublin league matches were in Croke Pk as well. This argument was around then as well. as soon as other counties catch up, and we start losing again this will be forgotten about
I’m personally bored out of my tree going to non events in Croker. I’d fuckin love a road trip down to Wexford Pk or Thurles, a la Pearse Park in 06. Scorcher of a day and a great buzz around the place.
[QUOTE=“Arseboxin, post: 1003683, member: 423”]
I’m personally bored out of my tree going to non events in Croker. I’d fuckin love a road trip down to Wexford Pk or Thurles, a la Pearse Park in 06. Scorcher of a day and a great buzz around the place.[/QUOTE]
That’s the thing a lot of folks I know are getting bored as well and would love a road trip. Also the numbers going to Dublin matches, especially the early rounds, have dropped off. Before you were nearly gaurennted nearly 70k for each match but now you are lucky to get 50k for an early round match.
You are bleating on about it. If it was such an advantage surely we would have won more than 2 All Ireland’s in the last 15 or so years. We have taken huge beatings in Croke park from Tyrone, Kerry and Mayo and there was no moaning then. We have also lost to Armagh, Laois, Meath, Cork and im not sure but we might have lost to Kildare and westmeath as well,But I stand to be corrected on the last 2, in the last 15 years.
You could make similar points about the provincial championship and the advantage it gives various counties. Fuck it, the whole county system is unfair I.e Leitrim or Louth vs the size of Dublin or Cork.
[QUOTE=“Arseboxin, post: 1003683, member: 423”]Liam Dunne was.
http://thescore.thejournal.ie/liam-dunne-wexford-943156-Jun2013/?&r_dir_d=1
The money argument is definitely one factor - 43k x €25 is greater than 25k x €25, and that floats county board’s boats - end of
But other teams also want to play Dublin there in earlier rounds (in both codes). They get a run out before the qualifiers in the hope if they get back there and they’ve faced as big a crowd they’re likely to get. That’s huge for teams on a run.
Back in the 80’s all Dublin league matches were in Croke Pk as well. This argument was around then as well. as soon as other counties catch up, and we start losing again this will be forgotten about
I’m personally bored out of my tree going to non events in Croker. I’d fuckin love a road trip down to Wexford Pk or Thurles, a la Pearse Park in 06. Scorcher of a day and a great buzz around the place.[/QUOTE]
Back in the 70s and 80s most major Dublin club games were played in Croke Park as well. I played in a couple of county finals in Croker in what could be best described as a funereal atmosphere. A max of a few hundred people in a stadium designed for 90,000 people. That was back in the time when the main dressing rooms were in the corner between the Canal and the Hogan, where Mullins and Talty beat the shite out of each other in 1983.
[QUOTE=“Arseboxin, post: 1003683, member: 423”]Liam Dunne was.
http://thescore.thejournal.ie/liam-dunne-wexford-943156-Jun2013/?&r_dir_d=1
[/QUOTE]
Fairly sure @gmail was referring to Football and not Hurling
those were the days.
didn’t supporters use to spit on opposing teams as they came through the tunnel. I remember when any self respecting dub wouldn’t be caught dead in the canal end in those days.
There was great views on the Canal End especially if you went around to the corner that Con Houlihan used to stand at. In those days (until Hillsborough) you could rock up to an All Ireland and pay at the turnstile and stand on the terrace for an All Ireland.
[QUOTE=“Arseboxin, post: 1003683, member: 423”]Liam Dunne was.
http://thescore.thejournal.ie/liam-dunne-wexford-943156-Jun2013/?&r_dir_d=1
The money argument is definitely one factor - 43k x €25 is greater than 25k x €25, and that floats county board’s boats - end of
But other teams also want to play Dublin there in earlier rounds (in both codes). They get a run out before the qualifiers in the hope if they get back there and they’ve faced as big a crowd they’re likely to get. That’s huge for teams on a run.
Back in the 80’s all Dublin league matches were in Croke Pk as well. This argument was around then as well. as soon as other counties catch up, and we start losing again this will be forgotten about
I’m personally bored out of my tree going to non events in Croker. I’d fuckin love a road trip down to Wexford Pk or Thurles, a la Pearse Park in 06. Scorcher of a day and a great buzz around the place.[/QUOTE]
Liam Dunne and the hurling is a fairly separate issue. I know that the Wexford board are not happy with Dublin football getting all games in Croke Park. Rockos point on corporate tickets being a factor is most likely the main factor. The Leinster council have to bow to the money, and I would hazard a guess that this was the way it was presented to reps at Leinster council, more or less not having a choice in the matter.
Also, 43k (even though there hasnt been 43k in the last 4 years for a 1/4 final) is for a double header. Why would a double header in croke Park only provide an attendance of 25k for 2 games if it was taken out of Croke Park? In my view, it would be 25K plus 20k or whatever, ie pretty much the same total, but if we are led to believe that they need 20k to break even in Croke Park, then surely 45k plit over 2 grounds is worth more than 45k in Croke Park? Plus you get 2 packed grounds with a far better atmosphere and a bit of life back into the championship.