The popularity of football in Ireland

IRISHSPORTSGUY

Will the GAA stranglehold ever be broken amongst youths, especially in rural areas? Rugby is becoming a 'threat' too, shall we say.

Hopefully the lads that qualified for the U17 Euros last year live up to their potential, the likes of Robert Brady, Conor Clifford, Conor Hourihane, Aaron Doran et all.

zAbbo

I'd be very surprised if Soccer wasn't the most played sport in Ireland

That_Guy

I reckon it's the most followed sport in Ireland regardless of whether it's the Premier League or the Eircom League here.

Mitch Connor

IRISHSPORTSGUY wrote: »

Will the GAA stranglehold ever be broken amongst youths, especially in rural areas? Rugby is becoming a 'threat' too, shall we say.

Hopefully the lads that qualified for the U17 Euros last year live up to their potential, the likes of Robert Brady, Conor Clifford, Conor Hourihane, Aaron Doran et all.

Robert Brady went through a quiet patch for United around the turn of the year, but he has since been showing a lot of promise and has made a few reserve appearances (and captained the youths I think). Impressing for United on both the wing and through the centre.

On the main subject, I don't think 'Soccer' will ever take over from GAA, especially in rural areas. Rugby is becoming a threat now, but it will be interesting to see what happens if some of the Munster and Leinster players follow the money to France, if the success isn't there I could see the popularity Rugby has gained being eroded somewhat.

iregk

Mitch Connor wrote: »

Rugby is becoming a threat now, but it will be interesting to see what happens if some of the Munster and Leinster players follow the money to France

That argument has been going for years. The truth is the money isn't there anymore in France, apart from Toulon which is more of a Man City like experiment. The English game is also on the decline financially and next year they are going to struggle to keep up with Ireland and France.

French Rugby though is in a financial melt down at the minute. While they still have class players and great production lines there is no chance of the Munster and Leinster players jumping ship as the cash just isn't there.

Benedict XVI

That_Guy wrote: »

I reckon it's the most followed sport in Ireland regardless of whether it's the Premier League or the Eircom League here.

I agree, just look at the amount of posts on this board compared to the GAA board.

With the exception of the Championship during the summer GAA support is far more locally based.

Rugby will never be a threat to either soccer or GAA as it still mainly draws it's players for selected schools and both it's main club competitions are on pay TV

zAbbo

The great thing about Rugby and the attraction it has in Ireland, is that it's professional and we've got some of the best players in the world living and playing here in Ireland like Brian O'Driscoll, Ronan O'Gara, Paul O'Connell, Rob Kearney etc.

This is supplemented with imports who are at the top end of world rugby - Rocky Elsom, Doug Howlett & CJ Van Der Linde

Of course, success breeds spectators, evident with over 80,000 attending the HCup semi earlier this year, and Ireland cleaning up on all major trophies.

The tax exempt status, protection and central contracts from IRFU, along with the restrictions in foreign players in both England and France - mean it would take an incredibly lucrative contract to move abroad.

Rugby is more accessible and welcoming than some sports in Ireland, and may appeal more to the casual fan - evident with high turnouts for both Munster and Leinster, where match day is a real family event. Season tickets for around €200 certainly help that.

I think rugby bridges the gap of being a world class sport (a reason PL supports cite) as well as being local and community based (like GAA).

One major difference is the tiered system with Irish rugby, where the national team is the most important, with central contracts and a governing body, filtering down to provinces, clubs and schools, where players developed from grass roots enter a system to produce professional players for their country.

Compare that to soccer, where young Irish soccer players showing potential judge success by signing up for a UK club, and their eligibility for the national team is more or less dictated by the level they achieve abroad.

Something which certainly distances the casual fan from following his local club.

IRISHSPORTSGUY

zAbbo wrote: »

I'd be very surprised if Soccer wasn't the most played sport in Ireland

At playgrounds in school I would hazzard a guess it is. In rural areas particularly though, I don't think a lot of parishes have football clubs.

CiaranC

IRISHSPORTSGUY wrote: »

Will the GAA stranglehold ever be broken amongst youths, especially in rural areas? Rugby is becoming a 'threat' too, shall we say.

Hopefully the lads that qualified for the U17 Euros last year live up to their potential, the likes of Robert Brady, Conor Clifford, Conor Hourihane, Aaron Doran et all.

Are you taking about football as a spectator sport or as a participant sport?

There are twice as many football players than GAA players in Ireland I think.

The GAA national league attracts similar crowds to the League of Ireland, its only the handful of summer "championship" games that draws the GAA bandwagoners out.

Benedict XVI

zAbbo wrote: »

The great thing about Rugby and the attraction it has in Ireland, is that it's professional and we've got some of the best players in the world living and playing here in Ireland like Brian O'Driscoll, Ronan O'Gara, Paul O'Connell, Rob Kearney etc.

This is supplemented with imports who are at the top end of world rugby - Rocky Elsom, Doug Howlett & CJ Van Der Linde

Of course, success breeds spectators, evident with over 80,000 attending the HCup semi earlier this year, and Ireland cleaning up on all major trophies.

The tax exempt status, protection and central contracts from IRFU, along with the restrictions in foreign players in both England and France - mean it would take an incredibly lucrative contract to move abroad.

Rugby is more accessible and welcoming than some sports in Ireland, and may appeal more to the casual fan - evident with high turnouts for both Munster and Leinster, where match day is a real family event. Season tickets for around €200 certainly help that.

I think rugby bridges the gap of being a world class sport (a reason PL supports cite) as well as being local and community based (like GAA).

One major difference is the tiered system with Irish rugby, where the national team is the most important, with central contracts and a governing body, filtering down to provinces, clubs and schools, where players developed from grass roots enter a system to produce professional players for their country.

Compare that to soccer, where young Irish soccer players showing potential judge success by signing up for a UK club, and their eligibility for the national team is more or less dictated by the level they achieve abroad.

Something which certainly distances the casual fan from following his local club.

What a load of utter crap

The popularity of Rugby in this country right now is pure bandwagon.

As soon as the provinces and country stop winning (and it will happen at some stage) the numbers will drop back considerably.

CiaranC

http://www.irishsportscouncil.ie/Research/Publications/Ballpark_Figures/Ballpark_Figures.pdf

Irish Sports Council report showing twice as many footballers as Gaelic football players. There are more footballers than all GAA sports combined.

The idea that GAA is massive here is a myth. The GAA consists of old boys sitting in taxpayer funded clubhouses watching Manchester United on Sky Sports.

stovelid

CiaranC wrote: »

.

The idea that GAA is massive here is a myth. The GAA consists of old boys sitting in taxpayer funded clubhouses watching Manchester United on Sky Sports.

Bollox.









They watch Liverpool and Celtic as well. :pac:

Benedict XVI

CiaranC wrote: »

http://www.irishsportscouncil.ie/Research/Publications/Ballpark_Figures/Ballpark_Figures.pdf

Irish Sports Council report showing twice as many footballers as Gaelic football players. There are more footballers than all GAA sports combined.

The idea that GAA is massive here is a myth. The GAA consists of old boys sitting in taxpayer funded clubhouses watching Manchester United on Sky Sports.

Ah, it's turning into a GAA bashing thread, no surprise there.

Soccer gets more participants than GAA agreed, however because of the presence of England, league soccer in Ireland will never have attendances like the GAA gets.

Also soccer gets far more press coverage than GAA, however most of that coverage is again of English and other leagues

zAbbo

Benedict XVI wrote: »

What a load of utter crap

The popularity of Rugby in this country right now is pure bandwagon.

As soon as the provinces and country stop winning (and it will happen at some stage) the numbers will drop back considerably.

Professional rugby in its infancy in this country, with only 10 years under it's belt.

Of course there's an element of bandwagoners, as with any successful team, these are essential to continuing growth and success further down the line. How else could Munster and Leinster fill croke part despite their home stadiums combined capacity around 45,000? - that's why I mentioned spectators and not fans.


If Ireland win the world cup, do you think Tolka Park will start selling out?

elshambo

Benedict XVI wrote: »

Ah, it's turning into a GAA bashing thread, no surprise there.

GAA heads are Gas, anyone says anything not 1000% positive about the gaa, even if heaven forbid the have figures to back it up, they are GAA BASHING ONE EYED LOI WEIRDO's:eek::o

Now fair enough, the two lads above are GAA BASHING ONE EYED LOI WEIRDO's but in this case its not bashing, its maths!

elshambo

zAbbo wrote: »

If Ireland win the world cup, do you think Tolka Park will start selling out?

Start selling out?

Tolka Park sold out years ago when it got that dream team lot in and its soul has been in the toilet ever since!

For shame, etc etc

iregk

Benedict XVI wrote: »

What a load of utter crap

The popularity of Rugby in this country right now is pure bandwagon.

As soon as the provinces and country stop winning (and it will happen at some stage) the numbers will drop back considerably.

I'm trying to stay out of this argument but I have to pull you up on this one. Your taking a far to simplified point and not even looking the overall context of the game here.

Club rugby in this country used to enjoy massive crowds where as the provinces had very little. A few years ago after a disastrous spell the IRFU decided to do something about it and completely revamped the structure in this country. The result is professional rugby is still relatively new in this country, as someone said roughly 10 years. A lot of the club following stayed away from the pro game for a while and gradually started switching over as the top players did. So to compare a sport in its infancy as far as professionalism goes to a sport that has been professional for for god knows how many years is really picking and choosing what suits your argument.

I do agree there is an element of bandwagon but thats largely due to a much higher visibility and exposure of the sport. A lot of the bandwagon fans may turn into real fans and lets not kid ourselves that's how most fan bases start.

Johnny Utah

CiaranC wrote: »

Are you taking about football as a spectator sport or as a participant sport?

There are twice as many football players than GAA players in Ireland I think.

The GAA national league attracts similar crowds to the League of Ireland, its only the handful of summer "championship" games that draws the GAA bandwagoners out.

CiaranC wrote: »

http://www.irishsportscouncil.ie/Research/Publications/Ballpark_Figures/Ballpark_Figures.pdf

Irish Sports Council report showing twice as many footballers as Gaelic football players. There are more footballers than all GAA sports combined.

The idea that GAA is massive here is a myth. The GAA consists of old boys sitting in taxpayer funded clubhouses watching Manchester United on Sky Sports.

Hey, no need to have a go at the GAA :mad:

There are some fine athletes that line out for the local parish every week, and they don't even get paid!

Don't knock it till you've tried it! :cool:

Diabhal Beag

When you see more Wicklow jerseys than Man Utd then you'll see the soccer stranglehold broken.

themont85

As a much bigger rugby fan than football one I'd concede that rugby will never be as big as soccer here. Soccer can be played anywhere, anytime. Rugby is more difficult to just pick up and play, all the elements of contact ect can't be replicated on a schoolyard where a couple of jumpers and even a tennis ball can suffice for a game.

Pro Rugby over soccer, however, will definately bring more numbers to rugby. It would be foolish to say rugby support will drop of if success goes. Of course it will to an extent, just like it does in any sport and any team. But Leinster and Munster are creeping towards having average gates of 20k in a couple of years, that is not a lot by PL standards but in Ireland its massive. When you have the best players from Ireland/abroad here that will attract numbers compared to say the LoI where it is far from that with respect. The IRFU managed to condense a lot of club support in rugby to the provinces and are attracting new fans all the time.

The GAA are a constant threat. The GAA will remain a force here as long as it remains ameteur and RTÉ give it blanket coverage for the summer. No other organisation has the reach they do and the means of having the best facilities available.

SectionF

I think this discussion is hampered by conflating football a la ManU, Celtic and all that, and Irish football. They're not the same, and never will be.

Actual participation in football is stratospheric. The seemingly impossible trick is to turn that into support for the game at its highest level here.

But that loyalty, by and large, is foreign to Irish fans, and the media setup up isn't going to change its formula of GAA (nationalism and [false] amateurism), British football (showbiz and cheap copy), and rugby (easy wins and, outside Munster, class aspiration).

Benedict XVI

themont85 wrote: »

The GAA are a constant threat. The GAA will remain a force here as long as it remains ameteur and RTÉ give it blanket coverage for the summer. No other organisation has the reach they do and the means of having the best facilities available.

The reason RTE give as you say 'blanket' coverage to the GAA is because they bought some of the rights to show games on TV and broadcast them on the radio.

RTE have very little rugby TV rights, due to the fact that they cannot compete financially with Sky, but if they had then would give 'blanket' coverage of that also.

SectionF wrote: »

I think this discussion is hampered by conflating football a la ManU, Celtic and all that, and Irish football. They're not the same, and never will be.

Actual participation in football is stratospheric. The seemingly impossible trick is to turn that into support for the game at its highest level here.

But that loyalty, by and large, is foreign to Irish fans, and the media setup up isn't going to change its formula of GAA (nationalism and [false] amateurism), British football (showbiz and cheap copy), and rugby (easy wins and, outside Munster, class aspiration).

Support for the game here will always and ever be hampered by the fact that you have access to a massive league in England right next door.

Dub13

Just a mod note that we are watching this thread.

Lets try not to make this into another Soccer V Gaa war type situation like we had a while back.Keep it clean and on topic folks.

themont85

Benedict XVI wrote: »

The reason RTE give as you say 'blanket' coverage to the GAA is because they bought some of the rights to show games on TV and broadcast them on the radio.

RTE have very little rugby TV rights, due to the fact that they cannot compete financially with Sky, but if they had then would give 'blanket' coverage of that also.

Ye I know all that, I do follow rugby you know. And the GAA are smart enough not to sell to Sky, that is my point, it keeps the game available to all for all big events.

dfx-

IRISHSPORTSGUY wrote: »

Will the GAA stranglehold ever be broken amongst youths, especially in rural areas? Rugby is becoming a 'threat' too, shall we say.

No we shouldn't. There is no sport that should be classed as a threat as long as sport is taken up. It's a sad indictment of a parochial, tribal mentality that it is used.

To the first question, no. There's too much "I've voted Fianna Fáil for generations and always will"-ness attitude towards the GAA the further you get from the Spire

Kirnsy

dfx- wrote: »

No we shouldn't. There is no sport that should be classed as a threat as long as sport is taken up. It's a sad indictment of a parochial, tribal mentality that it is used.

To the first question, no. There's too much "I've voted Fianna Fáil for generations and always will"-ness attitude towards the GAA the further you get from the Spire

+1

as for the second part. In the same way that soccer fans grow up in United / Liverpool houses and become supporters, there are many Gaa households who have the same thing. Its not just the GAA.

micks

CiaranC wrote: »

http://www.irishsportscouncil.ie/Research/Publications/Ballpark_Figures/Ballpark_Figures.pdf

Irish Sports Council report showing twice as many footballers as Gaelic football players. There are more footballers than all GAA sports combined.

The idea that GAA is massive here is a myth. The GAA consists of old boys sitting in taxpayer funded clubhouses watching Manchester United on Sky Sports.

There is also the sporadic nature of the GAA games, in Dublin it can take up to 12 months to play a league campaign of 15 games, why cant they play weekly and let the clubs with dual players catch up? instead of fortnightly and then have a gap of 6 weeks, they are a great organisation which also goes to back up the myth because they can be more organised and have loads of "members" in clubs and a football club wont have members signed up which gives the impression that there is more members of the GAA
Throw in the fact that many players play for multiple teams in a club ie U16/Minor/U21/Junior should be 4 panels of 20 approx yet my local GAA club has 25 to 30 players supplying their U16/Minor/U21/Junior teams. In football its rare that a player will play for more than 1 team and almost never more than 2 common in GAA though.
Contrary to popular belief the FAI has improved its network at grass roots and very well organised locally throughout the country.
Many more people watch football from U7 up throughout Ireland than GAA EVERY weekend throughout the season
Football spectators dont only attend LOI.

DSB

Until we've regular attendees of football (and that doesn't include your sons team), and I'm not for a second implying it has to be LOI football, football really isn't that popular in Ireland.

paulcorr

elshambo wrote: »

GAA heads are Gas, anyone says anything not 1000% positive about the gaa, even if heaven forbid the have figures to back it up, they are GAA BASHING ONE EYED LOI WEIRDO's:eek::o

Now fair enough, the two lads above are GAA BASHING ONE EYED LOI WEIRDO's but in this case its not bashing, its maths!

and im sure there the first ones to put on the tv when there county is playing

DSB

paulcorr wrote: »

and im sure there the first ones to put on the tv when there county is playing

I wouldn't anyways, I had no interest when Dublin were playing yesterday, and it was on in the next room.

elshambo

paulcorr wrote: »

and im sure there the first ones to put on the tv when there county is playing

Playing what?

Sligo V's Galway was in my front garden sunday

I did a Shankly and closed the curtains

Johnny Utah

elshambo wrote: »

Playing what?

Sligo V's Galway was in my front garden sunday

I did a Shankly and closed the curtains

You live in Croke Park?

Cool.

gustavo

paulcorr wrote: »

and im sure there the first ones to put on the tv when there county is playing

http://www.better-english.com/easier/theyre.htm

therecklessone

gustavo wrote: »

http://www.better-english.com/easier/theyre.htm

micks

Johnny Utah wrote: »

You live in Croke Park?

Cool.

But the match was in sligo