'We're not the culchies coming up the road' - Rossies boss Burke lashes Croke Park call

Compared to the 30,000-plus that took in the corresponding group game with Dublin 12 months ago, Saturday saw a tiny attendance with an official number not even provided 

SLIM PICKINGS: Dublin supporters, in the Cusack Stand, before he GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Round 1 match between Dublin and Roscommon at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile

Roscommon manager Davy Burke has questioned why Croke Park was opened for this evening’s All-Ireland SFC game against Dublin that attracted such a paltry crowd.

Compared to the 30,000-plus that took in the corresponding group game with Dublin 12 months ago, it was a tiny attendance, the official number not provided as is usually the case at half-time. Burke wished it had been played elsewhere. 

“Tullamore, Parnell Park, I'm sure both sides would have been happy to play it anywhere, we wouldn't have minded," he said after Dublin's 12-point win.

“This isn't a day out for us. We stayed in Castleknock Hotel last night, it probably cost us half an arm and a leg. This isn't a day out for us, we're not the culchies coming up the road, you know that kind of way? We're here to win football games, we'll play it anywhere. 

"Coming out here, why is this place open today, like? It doesn't need to be open today. It could have been packed into Tullamore, packed into Parnell, packed in anywhere, you know that kind of way? There would have been a better atmosphere.

“We want to be here for quarter-finals, semi-finals, we don't want to be here for dead rubbers or whatever these are, you know that kind of way?” 

Dublin boss Dessie Farrell acknowledged the poor attendance but it wasn’t his chief concern obviously.

“To be honest, we were so focused on the job at hand we knew Roscommon was going to be a really tough game, so I wasn’t paying any attention to what was going on around me so it’s obviously a disappointing crowd. There’s obviously a lot of different sports, and activity, on today. But yeah look it, it is what it is as they say.” 

Farrell felt Roscommon didn’t get enough credit in the build-up to the game and was pleased with his side’s clinical finish when they pushed from two points up to 12.

“There's probably a narrative that had developed around this game that it was going to be Dublin at a canter or whatever. We definitely weren't expecting that. We knew that Roscommon had five weeks to prepare for this game, that's a long time planning and prepping for one opposition, for one opponent," he said.

“So we knew they were going to come with all guns blazing, they're very organised, well drilled and stuck to their game plan very, very well. We anticipated it was going to be the back end of this game when it was going to be won.” Burke rued his team’s poor finish when they conceded 2-4 without reply from the 59th minute.

“We probably didn’t think it was a 12-point game but we’re at the very top level of football here lads and Dublin are ruthless. You make a couple of mistakes, they go down the field and you look at the pace of that second goal. It’s hard to live with that. If you give the ball away cheap, that’s what they’ll do to ya.”