What are they smoking in Birr?

A forum to air your views on Offaly GAA matters and beyond.
frankthetank
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Re: What are they smoking in Birr?

Post by frankthetank »

I don't think this year's Galway SHC final is a fair comparison with the situation in Offaly at the moment. Pearse Stadium is currently unavailable as they are doing work on the pitch so the situation becomes more similar to our own if both pitches are available next year. Then it'll be very interesting to see where Galway choose to have their final.

Also going on this year's attendance of over 5,300 in OCP for the final either the game would have to be all ticket with people missing the chance to attend if SBP was chosen or the game would remain in OCP. And if Kilcormac/Killoughey get back to final you could add at least another 1,500 to the attendance.

Personally I feel SBP has the capacity to host Offaly's league games as our attendances wouldn't get near testing the SBP capacity but the county hurling final is going to remain in OCP for attendance reasons.

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joe bloggs
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Re: What are they smoking in Birr?

Post by joe bloggs »

Frank don't be talking rubbish about having an all ticket co final a problem. That's what they have in Tullamore already. You walk up and buy a ticket outside the ground and then hand it in at the style. The same will happen in Athenry at their final. I have yet to see the new official capacity for birr but with all the extra work that has been completed I would be amazed if a co final would breach the figure that will be set even in this ultra health and safety conscious world.
I'm delighted that the fans in Galway have been listened to. I've had the pleasure of attending finals in Galway for many years, seeing many great teams like Kiltormer, Athenry and Sarfields winning finals in Kenny Park, Duggan Park and even in Loughrea. I've also seen Portumna collecting many titles in Pearse Stadium , but the atmosphere there, just like in OCP is never the same. I really noticed this difference about five years ago when attending a replayed final in Kenny Park between Clarinbridge and Loughrea, having being at the drawn game a couple of weeks earlier. The simple fact is that its difficult in larger venues to generate an atmosphere when it is half full. I know the quality of the game also plays an important part in this equation but you are more likely to feel a buzz in the air in a tightly packed ground.
Apart from atmosphere there is also the question of access to the venue. Athenry is centrally located in the heartland of Galway hurling country, making it the logical choice for county finals unlike Pearse Stadium. The stand there is small and seats are at a premium but you won't find too many looking for a return to Salthill
'if your not part of the solution, your part of the problem' J. McClean

frankthetank
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Re: What are they smoking in Birr?

Post by frankthetank »

Joe,

By "all ticket" I mean there will be a set number of tickets set aside for the game and when these are all sold the game is a sell out. No one else is allowed in. OCP employs a ticketing system which is slightly different.

From recent reading I was doing its common practice in GAA to make games "All Ticket" if the game's attendance is expected to go over 80% of the grounds capacity. (I'm open to correction on the percentage figure). This would be certainly be the case for a county final in SBP.

Anyways this is all conjecture until a final capacity is put on a completed SBP by H&S. Things will be much clearer then. There's no way the county final could be played in SPB if the capacity is 5,500 or less. And this is the figure I would hazard a very uneducated guess that will be placed on it. I certainly hope it's higher though.

Sharp Eye
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Re: What are they smoking in Birr?

Post by Sharp Eye »

frankthetank wrote:I don't think this year's Galway SHC final is a fair comparison with the situation in Offaly at the moment. Pearse Stadium is currently unavailable as they are doing work on the pitch so the situation becomes more similar to our own if both pitches are available next year. Then it'll be very interesting to see where Galway choose to have their final.
Pearse Stadium was unavailable last year for the football & hurling county finals. Pearse Stadium is available this year. The Galway GAA CCC have made their decision to host the County Hurling Final in Athenry as they took into account the wishes of hurling supporters in the county.

The Offaly Senior Hurling Final will return to Birr: It is just a matter of when!!!!!

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bracknaghboy
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Re: What are they smoking in Birr?

Post by bracknaghboy »

Its a real shame for Galway people that only a few hundred supporters will be sheltered from the elements on Sunday. The rest will have to brave whatever a late Autumn Sunday afternoon has to throw at them. There will also limited adequate facilities for the disabled or elderly.

However, comparing Galway and Offaly with regards to grounds is not comparing like with like. Our county ground is bang in the middle of the county and only 25 mins away from any corner of the county and there are no traffic issues so its ideal. Pearse Stadium is buried away the far side of the city and it can take 2 hrs to get across to it and longer to get out, it doesn't really suit anybody.

We have a ground with facilities that are the envy of many many county's around the country. We should be proud to hold all major club and intercounty games there and the next step should be flood lights. We should be a county moving forward and returning games to Birr would be a retrograde step.

frankthetank
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Re: What are they smoking in Birr?

Post by frankthetank »

Just short of 2,000 paying customers at the Offaly vs Kilkenny U21's in the Walsh Cup in SBP and just over 1,400 at Offaly's biggest league game of the year vs Laois in OCP. That's a 30% drop in attendance if we're going to be sensible and compare attendances between the two venues this year.

substandard
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Re: What are they smoking in Birr?

Post by substandard »

I don't get this. It's the same team, same players whether it's on in Birr or Tullamore. Supporters support, die-hard supporters will travel all over the country to support the team- except to Tullamore.

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bracknaghboy
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Re: What are they smoking in Birr?

Post by bracknaghboy »

frankthetank wrote:Just short of 2,000 paying customers at the Offaly vs Kilkenny U21's in the Walsh Cup in SBP
Exactly. These were "customers" in Birr. The 1400 in Tullamore yesterday were "supporters".

greenairfield
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Re: What are they smoking in Birr?

Post by greenairfield »

From what I hear there wasn't even 1400. Regarding the 'customers' we will need them customers to put much needed funds into the county. Look it's clear whats needs to be done for various reasons and that's bring hurling HOME!!

substandard
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Re: What are they smoking in Birr?

Post by substandard »

From what you heard- so you didn't see for yourself?
What is clear that needs to be done?
What are the various reasons?
Is it fair to say that you would go to see Offaly play in Birr, but that you wouldn't go to see them play in Tullamore?
If it's not fair to say that, then fine. But if it is, then why?
I'm just curious as to why there could be such discrepancies between attendances in two venues max 40 minutes apart to support the same team?

greenairfield
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Re: What are they smoking in Birr?

Post by greenairfield »

I often go to tullamore but couldn't make it yesterday if that's okay.

The various reasons are the following hurling in South Offaly has suffered since it has been taken away from Birr.

It is not the only reason but it's a huge factor. It's great that Na fianna and clubs are making strides, but while Clareen, Birr, Kinnity drumullen etc etc are suffering at there expense.

So to get the interest back down this end and create the buzz around been an 'offaly hurler' again we need more games back here and considering the state Offaly hurling we need to do it asap.

Offaly hurling has lost its identity and while it's great to get hurlers from all over the county the core need to be from traditional hurling areas if we want to move forward.

substandard
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Re: What are they smoking in Birr?

Post by substandard »

That's A1 o.k., and I hope you see that what I was saying wasn't meant to be a cut at you, but just that I wonder is there an element of thinking that if a match isn't being played in Birr, then f***ed if I'm going to go to Tullamore. Personally, I think a long-term approach has to be taken to raising the standards of hurling in Offaly, and for that to happen there needs to be a unified approach to improving the coaching across the board from the first time a youngster takes a hurl in their hand at club, school, development squad and county teams. Any barriers, either real or perceived/ imaginary, must be removed- and top of this list is geography. You acknowledged the progress of Na Fianna and Co, but I can't see how that is at the expense of the other clubs you listed. Success and failures are cyclical- population, coaching, just being overshadowed by stronger opposition happen. One line I've often read here is that "the hurlers/talent aren't there". This annoys the shite out of me. When the talent isn't as obvious, then you must work harder. I saw it quoted somewhere here about Rynaghs going 19 years without winning a minor title. Does that make them a small/ lesser club? The current seniors would have won what at underage intercounty? Yet they keep their shoulder to the wheel, keep training, keep trying to improve, keep trying to compete. These are real heroes- fighting for a dream that in all realities will likely never happen. They will be forgotten the next time there is a successful Offaly team. Then, they will only be referenced as the dark years of Offaly hurling. But in 10-15 years, the current 10 and 11 year olds could be winning Leinsters and competing for All-Irelands, if the effort is made, if the structures are put in place, if the barriers are levelled, and if the dream is nurtured. Why not? Why the f*** not?
I can assure you one thing- nurturing a divide, and a misguided sense of who and where is entitled to this dream will guarantee it won't come to pass. All it will do is ensure the failings of the past will live on into the future.

greenairfield
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Re: What are they smoking in Birr?

Post by greenairfield »

You make some great points and over anyting else hard work is the key specially into schools. But still after years of bad results and trust me with years to come, I still don't know if we coped on and learnt from our lessons. I am not certain if we even have the right lads at county level to drive the whole thing on which is really worrying and I am pretty certain we don't have the right men coaching either.

kaiserchief
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Re: What are they smoking in Birr?

Post by kaiserchief »

Will ye ever just shut up about this bring hurling back to birr bullshit.

Everyone writing up the same response, if people are not willing to travel 30 mins to support our team. God help us trying to fill Croke Park if it ever happens again in my life time.

And the main reason na fianna, ballinamere, Belmont and other clubs in north offaly are doing well in underage nowadays is not because of senior league matches been in OCP but because they put in a lot of effort for the last 10 to 15 years and are only now reaping their awards. My opinion Birr like offaly took their eye off the ball at that time because they where winning are now feelin the effects of that.

Can't wait to see how many south offaly cross the so called border in two weeks. Maybe the limerick fans will give ye a lift over.. start thumbing lads.

substandard
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Re: What are they smoking in Birr?

Post by substandard »

There is no quick-fix, I'm afraid, and we have to be fair to those that are coaching and in administration in both club and county level. It's the easiest thing in the world to criticize from the outside. For the next 10 days, everyone in the country is either a political expert or an economist, but it doesn't mean that too many of us would be a good minister or taoiseach!! That said, there is no doubt that fresh thinking and maybe new blood involved at all levels could freshen things up. I keep going back from time to time to the coaching forums around 2003 or 2004, when I got involved in coaching up here. I learned so much from that, and the format, where people from different clubs sat together in groups and discussed issues and devised training sessions and drills with the guidance of coaching tutors and respected coaches was a brilliant concept- a pity it didn't continue. I wonder could it be resurrected?

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