Double Header

[azoffaly]

According to our old friend LaoisGAA, it looks like a Double header in Carlow next Saturday. Both teams need us now. It's easy to follow them in All Ireland finals and such. Let's get out there.

Time TBA

Times 5.30 Football
7.15 Hurling.

[Lone Shark]

5.30pm throw in for the football, 7.15pm throw in for the hurling.

And just like AZ said, they need us now. They need us there, and they need to hear us getting behind them. This summer could look very grim or a lot more cheerful by Saturday evening.

Plus the Foundry (the nightclub) is class - though I'm not sure if I'll be able to stay around for it. Those who will won't be disappointed though ....

[azoffaly]

Jaysus. Just realised the Sister in law and her husband and young lad are up to our new house this weekend. I'll have to do a fair bit of persuasion now!

[Ron]

Does this mean that we can all have 10 pints instead of 5?

A better chance of starting the evening with a win than finishing it one. But we'll have to just hope for the best! Maybe its no harm to get out of Croker and into a smaller ground for the hurlers, Waterford will be well supported no doubt!

[Lone Shark]

AZ, you'll have a big family day out in Carlow - what could be better?

[azoffaly]

You're preaching to the choir LS. I'll put you in touch with herself I had to harrangue her for a pass to the Limerick - Kerry game on the Sunday

[Ron]

Will we all fit in Carlow? (I suspect that all the Offaly support will!). But some fella from Waterford was on sportscall yesterday evening and he reckoned that it mightn't hold everyone. Carlow will bring a good few home game and all (say 9,000 or so). Waterford will be well supported and especially as its only up the road now (say 15,000). On the Leinster GAA website the ground only has a capacity of 19,000 but I think it may have been increased on top of this.
Where we all going to fit?

[Bord na Mona man]

The great thing is, we'll be in first to get the best seats and spots on the terrace.
If anyone gets locked out it will be Waterford.

[Ron]

That must be why they are complainin so!! I presume the "plans" will be posted on the site?


Waterford have questioned the GAC’s decision to fix an All-Ireland hurling and football qualifier double-header for Dr Cullen Park on Saturday.

The Waterford and Offaly hurlers have been fixed to meet in the Carlow venue on Saturday evening after the Carlow/Offaly football qualifier which throws in at 5pm.

The decision to stage the Offaly hurlers and footballers at the one venue has been welcomed by Offaly fans, but Waterford officials fear that Dr Cullen Park won’t be able to accommodate all the supporters wishing to attend both games.

"They tell us in Croke Park that Dr Cullen Park can hold 20,000. We wouldn’t accept that," said Waterford secretary Seamus Grant.

"Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fine pitch. We’ve played football there and a lot of good redevelopment work has been completed. But we just have concerns," he added.

An estimated 20,000 Waterford fans attended the Munster SHC semi-final against Cork in Thurles a few weeks ago and while only about half of that figure would be expected to travel to Carlow, it would still put enough pressure on the capacity.

Carlow football manager Liam Hayes is also expecting a big turnout from the home supporters.

"I would expect anything up to 9,000 of our supporters to go to Carlow. They want to get behind the team again. But I’d fear that some would stay away because they might feel it would be a tight squeeze," he said.

[Lone Shark]

The more I think about this the more likely I think it is that these games will get moved. The question is whether it's to Portlaoise or Kilkenny. Technically we're supposed to be at home for the Waterford match, so you'd hope Portlaoise, though Carlow mightn't concede that. But to be honest I have to say that 20,000 in Dr. Cullen sounds optimistic - and realistically between the three counties this could have anything up to 30,000 looking to attend. Throw in the inability to make it all ticket and you have a potentially awkward situation. I know I'll be making sure to arrive in loads of time anyway.

The nightmare scenario is that they move the hurling but not the football.

And the final and real scary concern - with all this crush, will there be pressure on our beloved Shark to relinquish his "space"?

[Bord na Mona man]

If Offaly hurlers were playing on their own, I'd expect 500-600 Offaly supporters.
With the footballers, that'll add 1,000-1,500 (at a stretch) Offaly fans. No more than that.
Newbridge had 11,000 last year for Offaly vs Kildare. Arguably a more attractive fixture against a normally heavily supported county.
Offaly - Carlow standalone certainly wouldn't exceed that.

Fact is, these qualifiers aren't big box office. 12,000 @ Offaly vs Clare last year.
Waterford are not going to travel in the same droves as they would a Munster match.
If they brought 10,000+ then we'd have problems. They won't after what happened last Sunday.

[Lone Shark]

I think that with it being a relatively short hop to Carlow, both footballers and hurlers on the same card, I would expect in the region of 5000 Offaly supporters. We brought more than that to Dublin for another expected hammering, and that was hurling alone and a lot more expensive.

Carlow brought nearly 10,000 to Croke Park for a match against Wexford, where they played well. Now they have a scalpable big gun on their home patch? It's hard to come up with reasons why they should have any less for this game on a Saturday evening before boozing.

And then Waterford - a well populated county who are as close to an All Ireland as they ever were. They brought 20,000 to the match against Cork - I expect about 10,000 of them here.

[Bord na Mona man]

Can't see anywhere near that number going.
Cast your mind back to Mullingar vs Roscommon in 2003 and last year in Newbridge. We brought 2,000 at most to closer venues than Carlow.
Also we're expected to beat Carlow and lose to Waterford.

I think that with it being a relatively short hop to Carlow, both footballers and hurlers on the same card, I would expect in the region of 5000 Offaly supporters.

[Lone Shark]

Can't see anywhere near that number going.
Cast your mind back to Mullingar vs Roscommon in 2003 and last year in Newbridge. We brought 2,000 at most to closer venues than Carlow.
Also we're expected to beat Carlow and lose to Waterford.

True, but you have to remember our football support is the more fickle of the two, and always has been. The hurlers tend to bring a hardcore of 2-3000 to championship irrespective. Add in the extra 1000 or so for the footballers, another five hundred or so who wouldn't go normally but will because the two teams are on the one card and it'll be seen as "value" and another few hundred because Carlow is a nice town for a Saturday night out in (as opposed to Mullingar or Newbridge!!) and you won't be far off 5000. At least that's my guess.

[Bogman]

Offaly footballers and hurlers have both managed to frustrate their supporters in their last outings so I wouldn't expect a huge turn-out on Saturday. I hope there is a big following but I wouldn't expect it.

Offaly support on Saturday - 1500 tops for me.

Carlow support - I was there for a League match last year when Carlow were still in Division Two contention and there was a very small crowd. By the way Carlow should have won, they led by six points at one stage in the second half. It took a great display from Roy Malone (early substitute) and the introduction of Jimmy Grennan to swing it our way! Hopefully we have come on since then!

I don't have a great feel for Waterford support but unless the Deise turn out in massive numbers I would expect the venue to hold them all,