Creedon unperturbed by low supporter turn-out

Tipperary manager Peter Creedon has dismissed the focus on football support in the Premier County.

There was surprise at the low turn-out in Semple Stadium for Tipp’s win over Antrim in the qualifiers but Creedon pointed out his native Cork don’t draw huge football attendances either.

“We’re realistic about the attendances, we’re not making a big issue over it at all really,” he said.

“There wasn’t a big crowd on Saturday in Semple Stadium but I’d say a lot of the crowd had been out with the U21s on the Wednesday night and in Cork for the Munster hurling final the previous weekend. But the Cork footballers wouldn’t have huge crowds following them a lot of the time to away games either.”

Creedon said the players have taken their winning championship run “in stride”.

“Things have kind of fallen into place for us really. The win over Offaly was a nice start, and to be fair, Wexford and Antrim are in Division 3 the same as ourselves, so the players would always have felt we would have a chance of beating them.

“The fact that we had the home draws as well, that helped, naturally enough, but we’ve made that point to the players, that these are teams we should feel we can beat.

“But our expectations for Tipperary football over the next five or six years would be to get up to the top tier and to progress, definitely. At the moment we’re focused on training and on giving a good performance against Down this weekend.

“The run of championship games has been excellent, but the talent’s there — we’re solid enough at the back, we’ll compete away at midfield — and we’ve had a little bit of luck as well. Wexford could have sneaked a goal against us, Antrim might have gotten a goal, so in that sense things have fallen into place for us along the way as well.”

Down are the next obstacle and Creedon says they represent a step up in terms of quality.

“Every game has to be taken on its merits, and we’re just thinking about Down now. We know that we have to improve a lot because Down are a Division 1 team, it’s a big jump for us.

“We have to increase the pace at which we play because no doubt they’re going to be gunning to get back into Croke Park as well.

“It’s going to be tough, but we’re looking forward to it. We were probably more comfortable with the Wexford game because we were underdogs. No matter what people say to you, when you’re expected to win a game it does put a bit of weight on the shoulders, I don’t know why.

“We probably felt that a bit against Antrim, but we still got through.”