Duffy says congress will be called on to make some momentous decisions

On the impact of television on attendances

“We need to encourage people to attend our games rather than to watch them on television. In a recent ESPN poll of fans of NFL games in the US, 41 per cent said they would rather watch a game on television than in the stands.

“Jonathan Kraft, President of the New England Patriots, offered an interesting perspective at a recent technology summit: ‘If we want people to come to our stadium and find it worth the money, we have to figure out how we give an experience that’s different than the experience at home and give you all the comforts of home.’”

On score detection technology

“A significant development in 2013 will be in the introduction of Hawk-Eye score-detection technology for our major games at Croke Park, an innovation that will doubtless attract significant media and public attention. We’re very comfortable where we are in terms of the technology and all that but the motion hasn’t been passed at Congress.

“If the motion is passed wed expect it to be used for the first Championship game here officially. I think it’s the first weekend in June. All going well it’ll be used then.”

On the role of county secretaries

“The decision in 2007 to initiate the appointment of full-time county secretaries was intended not only to maintain high-quality administration . . . but also to underline a new commitment to financial and commercial management.

“These are worthy goals; however, it can be argued that the association did little to provide the new appointees with the necessary skills and training. The decision of Coiste Bainistí in 2012 that it will, in future, favour the appointment of administrators to work alongside voluntary county secretaries seems to reflect a disappointment that the full-time role has not developed as originally envisaged.”

On the responsibility of fixture makers

“It was disappointing to observe that a number of high-profile games in 2012 were fixed for venues that met none of the criteria for achieving maximum attendances. Venues with superior facilities, better seating and easier journeys for supporters were often not selected.

“CCC (Central Competition Control) committees have a responsibility at all levels to select venues that meet the criteria identified in the 2009 research (into the key factors that encourage and discourage attendances at our games). It is no longer good enough that venues are selected on account of politics or traditional practice.”