Leinster football double bill to test attendance levels

GAA:THE GAA is bracing itself for the first pivotal test of championship attendances this summer. With crowds at the opening-round games down on recent years, across all four provinces, Sunday's Leinster football double bill in Croke Park – which includes the meeting of Dublin and Laois – may well indicate just how worried the GAA should be.

Also on the bill is the meeting of Kildare and Meath, which has its own attractions, and while the Leinster Council are predicting an attendance “somewhere around the 55,000-mark” there is little hope of actually surpassing that.

GAA president Christy Cooney has so far declined to comment on the early-summer attendances, other than saying it’s “still too early to judge”, but last weekend’s round of matches did little to suggest any sudden surge in numbers.

The 31,231 that showed up in Thurles for the Munster hurling quarter-final between Tipperary and Cork actually satisfied most predictions, although was still down on the 36,827 that attended the same fixture last year – and also the average attendance of 38,250 for the last three Munster championship ties between the counties. The 14,302 that attended Dublin’s Leinster hurling quarter-final against Offaly in Croke Park was well down on the estimated 20,000 – raising some questions as to why the game was ever switched from Parnell Park.

And although the 13,107 that attended the Ulster football quarter-final between Armagh and Down on Saturday wasn’t as bad as expected – given the direct clash with the Champions League final – it was well short of the Athletic Grounds capacity of 19,500.

The GAA will next week announce a new range of ticket packages for all central competitions, or in the case of the championship, the All-Ireland quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals, along with the qualifiers in football and hurling. It was initially suggested any reduction would only be part of an overall ticket package, rather than on individual ticket prices – although a direct reduction is now expected on all ticket prices up to and including the All-Ireland semi-finals.

This all comes against the backdrop where total championship attendances for 2010 – including the provinces – were down two per cent compared to 2009, at 1.4 million. Football championship gate receipts were actually up €1 million to €12 million, while hurling championship gate receipts were down €1 million to €7 million.

Still, no county retains the ability to bulk up attendance figures like Dublin, and more specifically the Dublin footballers, which will make Sunday’s double bill so telling. A similar double bill last year, featuring Dublin’s narrow escape against Wexford and Meath’s draw with Laois, attracted 49,757 on what was a dismally wet day. The fine weather forecast for this weekend can only help.

Tickets are priced at €25 for the adult stand, €15 for the adult terrace, €5 for the child stand, with students and senior citizens entitled to a €10 rebate. Group Tickets are being sold via the Leinster Council website (www.leinstergaa.ie).

Dublin manager Pat Gilroy will this morning announce his team to face Laois, after making what presumably will be a few difficult calls. Dublin completed their preparations with a sort of A v B challenge at the Thomas Davis club last Saturday, following on from a comfortable challenge win over Monaghan the previous weekend.

What was most reassuring for Gilroy was the fact both midfielders Eamon Fennell and Ross McConnell are fit after missing the league with hip injuries, although it’s unlikely they’ll be called straight back into the starting line-up – with Barry Cahill, Michael Darragh Macauley and Denis Bastick pressing for the two starting positions.

Likewise with defender and last year’s captain Paul Griffin, who is back to full fitness after missing all of last summer with a cruciate tear, but is unlikely to return to the half-back line in place of Paul Brogan, Ger Brennan and Kevin Nolan.

Eoghan O’Gara also showed up well on Saturday after missing the end of the league through suspension, and is pressing hard for a place in the full-forward line alongside Diarmuid Connolly and Bernard Brogan – although if Gilroy does go on form then Tomás Quinn may well get to nod.