We’ve too many unfilled stadiums, admits Páraic Duffy

The GAA has an excess of stadiums with capacities that are rarely or hardly ever reached, concedes its chief Páraic Duffy.

As work on reconstructing the new 45,000-capacity Páirc Uí Chaoimh begins in the coming weeks, Duffy in his annual report reveals the Munster hurling and football finals are only two of five fixtures outside of Croke Park that attract in excess of 25,000 yet the organisation currently has 10 25,000-plus venues.

The other three game-days are the Connacht and Ulster football finals along with the All-Ireland hurling quarter-finals.

“There will be the odd exceptional additional game that will cross the 25,000 figure,” he acknowledged, “but we should plan for the future on the basis that we have nine stadiums (excluding Croke Park) to cater for a total of six or seven fixtures that may test their capacity.”

Duffy also acknowledged the arguments for rebuilding Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Casement Park are “disputable”.

He said Cork’s situation posed “a greater financial challenge, even with generous support from the government of €30m and Cork County Committee’s own investment of over €10m”.

However, he added: “The redevelopment of Páirc Uí Chaoimh will mean that we will have a modern stadium in each of our three largest cities, capable of meeting our needs well into the future.”

Connacht and Munster are considered as two provinces who have “clearly more capacity than required”.

Duffy remarked: “Semple Stadium, with a safe capacity of 46,414, Limerick’s Gaelic Grounds (44,082), Páirc Uí Chaoimh (45,000) and Killarney (38,325) will be competing to host a maximum of five major championship games in any one season, although Semple Stadium has the reasonable expectation of attracting additional knock-out games in both league and championship.”

However, a lack of seating is a concern for Duffy. “This is a major deficiency in current provision, one highlighted on the occasion of the All-Ireland hurling quarter-finals in Thurles, where the venue simply could not accommodate the demand for stand tickets. Many people who would have attended the games if seating had been available decided to stay at home rather than stand on the terraces. This is a trend we cannot ignore.”

There will a total of 21,000 seats at the new Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

While echoing Liam O’Neill’s assertion that the GAA are addressing player welfare concerns with the recent release of several reports, Duffy accepted the organisation wasn’t helping itself in this area.

“For all that (reports), the feeling within the Association is that we have made little substantial progress. Why is this? In some instances we have simply failed to implement our own decision (eg the closed season), while in others we have reversed decisions previously made (eg the playing of extra-time in the preliminary rounds of the inter-county senior championships).

“Sometimes we have half-heartedly engaged in agreed initiatives that could make a difference, such as with the Managers Charter, which has the potential to establish the rights of clubs. We have made some progress, yet the reality remains that club players are getting a raw deal and that we have serious player-welfare issues among elite players in the 17-22 age group.”

Also at yesterday’s launch, Duffy said the GAA will be “more ready” this year to punish managers who make derogatory remarks about referees before or after games.

In a new move, sideline privileges will be withdrawn instead of long suspensions, which Duffy believes are “more reasonable and fairer”.