Johnny Come Latelys and Bandwagon Jumpers

RuggieBear

zaph wrote:

The way I see it, a lot of extra people are watching cricket now because there's an Irish team competing and they're doing quite well. It's like when Jordan were in Formula 1, all of a sudden there were thousands interested in a sport that I'd been quietly watching for years. The key difference however, is that unlike F1 some of the new cricket fans can actually get involved and play the game. This can only be good for the future of the sport in Ireland as a) some genuinely talented players may be unearthed that may have otherwise been undiscovered; and b) the more that play, the higher the profile and the whole thing expands exponentially.

I do also think that the ICC have been instrumental in gaining new fans in places like Ireland through the promotion of limited overs competitions. I'm not really a fan, but in the past if there was nothing else on tv and I came across a one day match I'd watch it for a while. If it was a test match I'd switch off immediately as I think that format is mind-numbing. Now I know there are a lot of subtleties to the game and this is heresy to the real cricket fans here, but the one day games remove a lot of the perceived stuffiness attached to the sport and usually offer genuine excitement for the entire match. And who knows, if I watch enough of them I might actually start to enjoy test matches.

Banned for heresy!!!!!:p

mikeruurds

zaph wrote:

The way I see it, a lot of extra people are watching cricket now because there's an Irish team competing and they're doing quite well. It's like when Jordan were in Formula 1, all of a sudden there were thousands interested in a sport that I'd been quietly watching for years. The key difference however, is that unlike F1 some of the new cricket fans can actually get involved and play the game. This can only be good for the future of the sport in Ireland as a) some genuinely talented players may be unearthed that may have otherwise been undiscovered; and b) the more that play, the higher the profile and the whole thing expands exponentially.

I do also think that the ICC have been instrumental in gaining new fans in places like Ireland through the promotion of limited overs competitions. I'm not really a fan, but in the past if there was nothing else on tv and I came across a one day match I'd watch it for a while. If it was a test match I'd switch off immediately as I think that format is mind-numbing. Now I know there are a lot of subtleties to the game and this is heresy to the real cricket fans here, but the one day games remove a lot of the perceived stuffiness attached to the sport and usually offer genuine excitement for the entire match. And who knows, if I watch enough of them I might actually start to enjoy test matches.

Wait till you see a 20/20 or Pro20 game [20 overs per side]

cgf

I see the bould Bertie has lept abord the wagon.

I guess every few votes count at the end of the day.

DMC

Indeed, on Sky Sports News this morning!

He won't get too many votes from the NCU or NWCU contingent

county

DMC wrote:

Indeed, on Sky Sports News this morning!

He won't get too many votes from the NCU or NWCU contingent

yeah seen that,probably packing his suitcase and sun cream atm:rolleyes:

Dr Galen

hey all

first post here but have been lurking and reading discussions for quite a while now. Somewhat of an armchair cricket fan. I confess I was one of those who classified cricket as boring and too complicated until a few years back when a former work colleague convinced to play along in TCD one summers afternoon. Since then I'm hooked.

For any newbies (newer than me that is ) Wikipedia and the BBC site taught me a lot, but no substitute in my book, than to just watch the game.

Now to my question, have we any decent cricket grounds in Ireland/Dublin. I know of a few, and I'm not talking Oval/Old Trafford standard here. Could Ireland's success (long may it last) in the WC help promote the sport to the point where some lotto money might get thrown at the game......

Wishbone Ash

nurse_baz wrote:

have we any decent cricket grounds in Ireland/Dublin

Castle Avenue in Clontarf would be our premier ground (in the ROI) and is usually used for internationals.

county

lotto money for cricket,now that sounds a good idea,in saying that surely some lotto money has gone to cricket in this country,or does it just go to the GAA:rolleyes:

DMC

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Castle Avenue in Clontarf would be our premier ground (in the ROI) and is usually used for internationals.

Although not ODI class yet, iirc. The Civil Service CC grounds in Stormont is, though.

I would agree that the ICU needs the Govt/Lotto/Sugar Daddy delete as appropriate to give us a super-club grounds and facilities that could be transformed into a 5-10,000 seater ground..

mike65

I can imagine John O' Donoghue is dipping his nib in an inkwell to write a nice media-friendly cheque (only to have Bertie rip it out of his mit and present it by hand to Tom Prior of the Irish Cricket Union in Jamica!).

Mike.

Gyalist

lotto money for cricket,now that sounds a good idea,in saying that surely some lotto money has gone to cricket in this country,or does it just go to the GAA

I seem to recall the clubs that hosted games for The ICC Trophy in 2005 received Lotto funds for things like improved covers, new sightscreens, etc.

TrueDub

Gyalist wrote:

I seem to recall the clubs that hosted games for The ICC Trophy in 2005 received Lotto funds for things like improved covers, new sightscreens, etc.

Quite a lot of clubs have received funds for capital projects, mostly building & renovation works. It's usually just a matter of asking for it, having the right proposal and jumping through the right red tape hoops.