Tipperary secretary fearful at fans fall-off

THE GAA has to be careful to retain the interest of the public for their major games, according to outgoing Tipperary County Board Secretary Michael O’Brien in his report to this weekend’s annual convention in Thurles.

Bowing out after seven years in the position, he asks a number of relevant questions in relation to a fall-off in attendances, wondering if the admission charges are too high or if people are becoming selective because of the increased number of matches in the championships.

In an analysis of the 2005 figures, he points out that the crowd for the drawn Tipperary/Limerick game was 28,552 and it was down to 20,812 for the replay. The attendance for the Tipperary/Clare semi-final was “way down on previous year”, he notes, adding: “These are games which would have tested the capacity of any ground in Munster just a couple of years ago.”

In football, the total attendances at the five games played in Munster amounted to 60,412, or an average of 12,082. Excluding the attendance at the Cork/Kerry final (32,011), the average was just over 7,000.

“This begs the question, why the fall-off in attendances? Are we overcharging?’’ he asks.

“Do our games lack bite because of the second chance system and consequently their attraction?

“Do our stadia not provide the comfort demanded in this modern era?

“Is parking a problem?

“Do people prefer to stay at home and watch the game live on TV?

“Do people prefer to watch two games on TV instead of travelling to the live game?

“Is there too much hassle getting tickets, driving to the game and getting home again?”

He added: “People are becoming more selective and demanding. That is only right. As an association we must meet these demands. We have the greatest games in the world but we must ensure that our patrons do not become disinterested.’’

Elsewhere in his report, Mr O’Brien celebrates the county’s first success in the All-Ireland MHC since 1996 (after what he describes as “a minor 10-year famine in Tipperary”). And while the U-21 team lost in the final to Kilkenny after a replay, he feels that the results reflect the work done at underage level in recent years.

Reporting progress at senior level, he said three goal chances in the first half cost them victory over Cork in the Munster final. And, they bowed out to Waterford in the All-Ireland quarter-final for a similar reason, a failure to translate possession into scores.

Looking to the year ahead, he expresses confidence that the team is capable of “upping” its performance level — and that with necessary improvement “can bring home silver”.

He believes that the future for Tipperary hurling is bright, stating that the necessary steps have been put in place to ensure that there will always be “a conveyor belt” of young players coming on stream for underage teams in the county.