Return of replays not a problem, says Skelly

LEINSTER chairman Martin Skelly has said the GAA have nothing to fear about the return of replays to all provincial games next year.

As both Leinster and Munster Council expressed reasonable satisfaction with their attendance figures holding up and the Munster SHC actually showing an increase in crowds for the first time since 2007, Skelly and Munster Council assistant secretary Enda McGuane estimate gate receipts will be down once more.

The lack of a replay in any of their total of four senior competitions is one of a number of contributory factors to their 2011 coffers being lighter.

As things stand, replays only decide provincial semi-finals and semi-finals.

Due to the economy ticket packages in place, Skelly speculates Leinster’s decrease could be around 25% with attendances possibly down between 10 to 12%.

However, after Wexford and Kildare’s motion to bring back replays for all provincial games and All-Ireland quarter-finals was backed at Congress in April, another revenue stream will be open to the four councils next year.

It’s a change Skelly welcomes. “There is a perception that a lot of replays would hold up club fixtures but very little club championship matches are played during the inter-county provincial championships,” said the Longford native.

“We all believe and understand that qualifiers have to go to extra-time but we shouldn’t fear replays in provincial games. A replay can promote our games and the build-up to one can be great. People will talk about it so they’re not all that negative. I know the removal of replays was brought in to streamline fixtures but replays would have little or no impact on the club championships. It would cause no major fixture headache for our counties.”

Factoring out last year’s provincial final replay between Cork and Waterford, the crowd figures for the Munster SH championship broke the 100,000 mark for the competition’s five games — a rise for the first time in four years. “The trend for the three previous years was a drop year-on-year,” said McGuane. “The issues in Limerick and Cork had a bearing on crowds but the growth this year is indicative of the competitive nature of the competition again.”

Excluding last year’s Cork v Kerry replay, crowds for the Munster SF championship were slightly down on 2010.

“There’s a slight drop of 4,000,” stated McGuane. “The main factor for that was the Limerick-Kerry game which, as a Munster final last year, brought in a crowd of over 25,000 but as a semi-final this year attracted 6,500. Factoring out the replays, the attendances came to 65,000, around the same figure as we had in 2009 and a jump of 20,000 on 2008 and a further 20,000 jump on 2007.”

Like Munster, Leinster will take a hit in gate receipts due to their variety of ticket packages they offered such as reduced admission via clubs and family bundles. It’s a phenomenon that is likely to be experienced by Ulster and Connacht as well as Croke Park itself over the next three months.

But Skelly emphasised the Leinster Council are not concerned by the drop.

“We had two replays last year and taking them out we’re probably down between 10 to 12%. As regards income, the reduced ticket price packages will affect us. But we would be satisfied with the attendances. Overall, they’re not that bad and we seem to have got the message out with our ticket packages. This has been such a bad economic year that seeing our hold up, like the Leinster football final go from 48,000 last year to 44,000 this year, is pretty okay,”

McGuane also takes heart from the encouraging figures in Munster’s other competitions. Both the U21 competitions are blossoming with the football matches showing attendances up by 30%.

“The reason for that is staging floodlit matches at local venues. Obviously, the Cork-Kerry game was played at Páirc Uí Rhinn but the games were midweek and that made a difference. That trend over the last few years is steady and going up.’’