Croker ladies day faces axe

LADIES football All-Ireland final day may have to be staged outside of Croke Park if attendances do not increase by at least 50%.

More than 23,000 people watched the junior and senior deciders but that still falls significantly short of the 32,000 needed to ensure games are financially viable at the state-of-the-art venue.

Ladies finals have been played in Croke Park since the 1980s and the carrot of playing in the ground is a huge bargaining tool in the face of stiff opposition from other sports.