Semi-final replay huge boost for GAA coffers

WHATEVER about the contrasting emotions for Cork and Kerry players and supporters after the sensational climax to the All-Ireland football semi-final at the weekend, the replay will boost GAA central funds in a year in which revenue from the National Leagues took a serious hit because of a combination of factors.

By pairing it with the other semi-final between Tyrone and Wexford in Croke Park on Sunday it more or less guarantees a capacity crowd.

At a general level, however, GAA Financial Controller, Tom Ryan, points out that overall returns are not as bleak as some people have been suggesting.

“Broadly speaking, they are there or thereabouts,’’ he commented yesterday. “The doom and gloom circling around is a bit over-stated, but that’s not to say you would be complacent by any means.’’

Despite predictions of a low turn-out for last Sunday’s game, the attendance of 35,137 was still quite respectable in the circumstances. Nevertheless, it was noteworthy for the reason that it was only the fourth time in the last eight years that the crowd was below the 40,000 mark.

“The attendance was better than we anticipated. The fine weather probably helped,’’ Ryan added.

As he pointed out in his report to this year’s annual Congress, Association finances are becoming increasingly dependent on a small number of games at the latter end of the championships. For example, the semi-finals and finals in hurling and football last year generated 23% of total revenue.

While the hurling championship more than held its own — boosted by the quarter-final replay between Cork and Waterford — the returns from football were considered disappointing.

He commented: “Remember the era of 15,000 people attending an All-Ireland semi-final is barely 20 years ago and it’s an era that we can’t afford to re-visit.’’

In broad terms, Munster finances will be down this year, predictably given that they had two hurling replays last year involving Limerick and Tipperary. Dublin’s big attendances will have kept Leinster well on track, Connacht returns are expected to show a slight increase, while Ulster had a replay in their final.

The situation regarding the National League finances is that the decision not to have semi-finals, the venues for the finals (Parnell Park for Divisions 1 and 3, Navan for Division 2), and the loss of revenue from some attractive games involving the Cork teams while they were on strike had a major negative impact. However, the 2007 returns were given a huge boost by the Dublin/Tyrone sell-out for the first ever game under lights in Croke Park — which generated in excess of 600,000.

According to Ryan: “We are back pretty much to where we were in 2006 and in the two previous years. Returns are going to be substantially down, but there is no underlying weakness in the competitions. We are going to have to do things differently next year, in terms of fixtures, choices of venues and marking.

The previous three All-Ireland football semi-finals which produced attendances below 40,000 happened last year, (Cork v Meath), 2005 (Cork v Kerry) and 2004 (Kerry v Derry).

In sharp contrast, games involving Dublin over the same period (they played in three semi-finals) attracted an average attendance of 81,000.