GAA to explore means of enhancing All-Ireland matchday experience

With the addition of live music acts this year, the GAA had attempted to draw spectators into the stadium well before throw-in.

Tue, 12 Sep, 2023 - 20:52

John Fogarty

The GAA are to explore ways of enhancing the All-Ireland senior final match-day experience.

With minor finals no longer part of the programme and spectators arriving into Croke Park later, it is hoped the presentation of the two biggest days in the GAA calendar can be bolstered in the coming years.

With the addition of live music acts this year, the GAA had attempted to draw spectators into the stadium well before throw-in, but it is now agreed more has to be done to promote pre-match entertainment.

In July, there were complaints on “The Sunday Game” about the timing of the presentation of the silver jubilee All-Ireland winning teams to the crowd when Croke Park was largely empty.

Offaly had requested their 1998 winners be presented to the crowd at half-time. However, they were informed by Croke Park that time constraints did not allow for it and a compromise of 2.45pm, over 15 minutes before the Limerick and Kilkenny teams entered the field and 45 minutes prior to throw-in, was agreed.

At the following Sunday’s football final, complaints emanated from the 1998 Galway All-Ireland SFC winning group about the management not being allowed to join the team on the pitch and some of the players receiving tickets with restricted views of the Dublin-Kerry game.

Meanwhile, a new football review committee has been established by GAA president Larry McCarthy to look at ways of bettering the game as a spectacle.

Featuring Billy Morgan, Pat Gilroy, Michael Murphy, Malachy O’Rourke, Mickey Ned O’Sullivan and current playing rules committee chair David Hassan, the42.ie report the body will stage its first meeting next week having already analysed several Allianz Football League and championship matches this year.

For the freshers college competitions later this year, the playing rules body is trialling two rule changes: kick-outs clearing the defending team’s 45-metre line and no backwards free-kick, sideline or mark kick between the 20m lines.