Saturday 14 June 2008

Hurling set-up attracting poor crowds

The hurling championships are supposed to move up another gear this weekend with the semi finals in Leinster and the Ulster final.
The hurling public however, are voting with their feet on the current set-up.
By the time all three games are played, including the first outing of the All-Ireland champions Kilkenny, there will be fewer people at the three games this weekend than were in Cork last week for the Munster game between Cork and Tipp.
The GAA will not face any inquiries after this weekend's games about too many people trying to get into the ground!
Despite the much-awaited Dublin revival in hurling half of Nowlan Park was empty for today's game against Wexford.
It will be the same tomorrow when the Cats face Offaly and Antrim take on Down.
Tomorrow's games have a real air of predictability about them.
In the first we will be interested only in how long Offaly can live with the champions.
In Ulster even if Down win they won't have a place in this year's Liam McCarthy with Antrim already set to face Galway in a fortnight's time.
Outside of Munster the games lack any real meaning and I thought that today's crowd at what should be the only competitive hurling match of the weekend said it all about what the public think about the status quo.
This uneven and unfair build-up to the latter stages isn't doing anything to promote hurling, do we have to wait until the hurlers are playing in empty venues before this malaise is dealt with?

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