The GAA’s decision to fix Dublin’s first Championship match outside Croke Park for Kilkenny appears to have backfired with thousands of tickets going unsold in Laois.
Fans from the Midlands county are upset with the choice of venue, feeling Dublin – whose last summer trip outside Croker resulted in a nervy two-point win over Longford – should have been made to play a proper ‘away’ fixture in O’Moore Park, Portlaoise.
This week one of Mick O’Dwyer’s selectors from his time at Laois, former Laois player Declan O’Loughlin, called for a boycott. While that has not come to pass, it seems only 1,500 tickets have been sold by Laois County Board – one-third of their allocation.
There are 90,000 reasons why Dublin are headed for Kilkenny and not Portlaoise https://t.co/K99Y1xvZCW
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) May 17, 2016
The Leinster Council are hoping plenty of walk-up sales will contribute to a crowd of 20,000 in the 25,000 capacity Nowlan Park for this evening’s Leinster SFC quarter-final.
Besides Laois anger, Dublin fans are also being put off a rare road trip by a shortage of accommodation in the Marble City, where the Cat Laughs comedy festival is also taking place.
The promotional push has been constant on the Leinster GAA Twitter account all week.
Unique occasion as our football champs play in the home of our hurling champs. Curious Cats should check it out! pic.twitter.com/dKkZhzUmBX
— Leinster GAA (@gaaleinster) June 4, 2016
There will be a number of stand and terrace tickets on sale at the ground this evening. Buy early to avoid late Qs pic.twitter.com/tr4kW5VMU1
— Leinster GAA (@gaaleinster) June 4, 2016
— Leinster GAA (@gaaleinster) June 3, 2016
However most fans have been unmoved by the marketing campaign.
wow could ye not be so obvious with the favouritism towards the Blue Juggernaut lads
— NoFlyZone4Real (@SB50Champions) June 1, 2016
https://twitter.com/niallerkav/status/737889300822560768
you are joking here?? Embarrassing stuff.. This whole fixture saga has been a farce.. The GAA never cease to amaze me #comical
— Ciaran Flynn (@FlynnCiaran) June 3, 2016
https://twitter.com/Woolberto/status/738288672269819904
https://twitter.com/EbbieQuigley/status/738287213138567168
