Friday 3 June 2016

Raised on songs and stories...

Atmosphere building on Hill 16, Croke Park.
Tribal passion is a common theme among many sports teams, none more so than Dublin GAA. Fans flock in their thousands to a particular brand: the Hill 16 brand. The iconic Hill 16 stand in Croke Park is synonymous with Dublin GAA fans. The terraced stand awash with sky blue jerseys is a permanent staple of GAA matches throughout both the league and championship campaign. There is a sense of pride for a Dublin fan standing on Hill 16.

Hill 16 certainly adds to the atmosphere in Croke Park and this is something many Dublin fans want to be included in. The electric atmosphere and jovial spirits, which culminate in section B4 behind the goal, creates a mindset where fans yearn to be part of the 13,200 Dubs on Hill 16 in order to further increase their team’s chances of victory.

The impact of the 16th man is often referred by players and officials in the GAA. The roar of a crowd can be the motivating factor in Brian Fenton fielding that last kick-out or Johnny Small blocking down that last scoring opportunity. Sports arenas are noted for their decibel level and Croke Park is no different. Studies have found that the decibel level of a seated crowd at a match averages at 110 while a terraced crowd reaches 120. The size and grouping of the supporters is also a factor. Subsequently, this is an extremely influential factor for the Dublin team as Hill 16 is the only terraced area in Croke Park and it is also the biggest collection of one team’s supporters.

Dublin goalkeeper, Stephen Cluxton, kicks Dublin to an historic All Ireland victory.  
Hill 16 creates a bond between fans and players. Consequently, there is an enriched fandom towards the players. In a three year study from 2010 to 2013, it was proved that Dublin are more clinical when shooting towards Hill 16 than towards the opposite end of the pitch at the canal end of Croke Park. 


Rob Carroll of thevideoanalyst.com notes that: “The average free taking success rate across all teams in the football Championship is 65%. In Croke Park, Dublin have averaged a success rate of 66.6% of frees kicked into the Canal End whilst all of their opponents have managed 65%. However, when Dublin kick into the tranquil Hill 16 their average rises to 75.4% and their opponents’ drop to 59.3%. This provides a huge advantage to Dublin as it represents an increase of 10% in accuracy when kicking into the Hill whilst their opponents accuracy drops 5%.”

Fans want to be part of the action. Standing on the Hill ensures you are part of the team. There is statistical proof that being a fan on Hill 16, cheering on Dublin, improves their record on the pitch. There is nothing more empowering than knowing you’re actively helping your idols on the pitch. Sport inspires young fans. Sport touches the depths of our emotions. Sport engages our minds. The GAA embodies all of these characteristics. 

Indeed it might be difficult to explain why a fan loves a particular sport when caught up in the emotion and bias of love towards a particular team. However, overall there are clear and concise reasons why a Dub can become so enriched with Dublin GAA. You may be battling many problems socially, but for that 70 minutes when you are a fan watching your team play, they ebb from you like a tributary river into a calm lake. The highs and lows of unpredictable entertainment ensures sports fans are hooked in a world of fandom for life, something the Dubs know all too well.

 S.DAWSON 03/06/2016

Thursday 3 March 2016

Shelbourne and the Red Scare


Friday night lights returns to Tolka Park tomorrow as the League of Ireland enlivens our weekends for another year. Scrub your Adidas soles clean, dust off your winter jacket, and find that matching scarf: The Reds are back. A freshly painted, from the outside at least, dilapidated stadium awaits the few hundred brave men and women who will venture down to see a young Shelbourne team play against an eager group from Cobh. 

The social aspect of renewing friendships is high on the cards for many people tomorrow night; let's hope the jovial atmosphere off the pitch resonates with the players on the pitch. Although spirits may be high amongst the Shelbourne faithful, there is a lot of disdain towards the current Board of Management, and rightly so. 

In the weeks leading up to the 2016 season, there has been a call to arms from Shelbourne Football Club. Volunteers wanted, apply immediately! However, these have only come to light after posts revealing the sheer disregard the current Board of Management have for the fans of this club appeared on the Reds Independent forum. This is just one example of the gap between the club’s management and fans. The club, frankly, needs a new dawn.

Now, this isn’t another appeal for everyone to come together and join the 1895 Trust in one big neo-socialist co-op. That should go without saying; Trust or bust and all that jazz. Although, unless there is a radical overhaul in the hierarchy of the club then extinction is imminent. The issue of Dalymount creeps over us all like an eerie shadow. For many, a move to Dalymount Park will only result in the slow death of our club. Although, without any viable alternative mooted then it appears, for now, blocking a move to Dalymount will only result in a quicker death for our club. Any recent update from the Board of Management? Of course not.

In recent history, Shelbourne has gone from a monopolistic owner in Ollie Byrne to a loyal bunch of club patrons who saved the club from collapse. It appeared, from the outside, they had nothing but loyal intentions for Shelbourne Football Club. However, it would seem their vested interests are with a select few  “good Shelbourne people”  as Joe Casey, Shelbourne chariman, once remarked at a fans forum. It is not progressive for the club to continue their social media escapades with people placed in these positions purely on personal relationships. This ‘jobs for the boys’ attitude reaffirms our archaic marketing presence. The club has even ignored offers of free advertising on Facebook. Free advertising.

Another prime example which has left many Reds in awe is the reselling of the club bar into private ownership. Nobody should make an effort to support the bar until it is back in the hands of the club. Personally, I’m appalled the club sold the bar to some charlatan, considering the loss they made from the previous private owner by swindling stock and late rent for many months. Lessons have to be learned.

One of the few enjoyable moments from last season was the positive atmosphere in the club bar. A plethora of Reds made the effort to get down early to have a pre-match pint in the club bar and to return after the match before heading on to pastures new. We knew all profits were going to the club. We were paying player’s wages while creating a welcoming atmosphere. It galvanised supporters amidst very bleak results on the pitch. If it was destined to return to private ownership, it should have been tendered to real fans of the club. If not in the hands of the club, at least it could have been in the hands of fans who would return profit to the club. Again, this forward thinking by the club is usually scoffed at. 

The current board have assisted in building this club up from the bottom. We graced the heights of the Premier Division only to be quickly shot back down to the graveyard that is the First Division. There is no denying the BoM have put the club first on many occasions but some of the self-serving egotistical decisions, which have been all too present in recent years, are overshadowing the great work which was seen at the start of their tenure on the BoM.

From the wealth and glory of the UEFA Champions League in 2004 to the near extinction of a destitute, broken club in early 2007. Shelbourne football club has been in the spotlight of Irish sport for a variety of reasons over the past two decades. Our rise and fall coincided with one of the most dramatic men in Irish sporting history – Ollie Byrne.

Tragically, the fall was authored by the intense blinding love and attachment of Byrne to this football club. He was a man with the air of an old time salesman, who saw laws and regulations as a game to beat. He was also the man who made the strongest, and most misguided, attempt yet to push Shelbourne into unimaginable heights rubbing shoulders with European super clubs. However, there is no denying that Ollie Byrne was a still a criminal fool and an enemy of all that’s decent, honourable, and true in society.

Life at our Drumcondra club is much different since Ollie Byrne's tragic death in August 2007. There are no queues along the Richmond Road as last minute tickets are desperately sought. Trips to La Coruña, Split, and Lille have been replaced with journeys to Ballybofey, Cobh, and Cabinteely. Home matches being played in front of many thousands of fans have turned into games with average attendances lingering just over the 500 mark.

The club is on its knees and to make matters worse for the long suffering diehard fans, a proposed stadium move to Dalymount Park, home to our local rivals Bohemians, seems to be a done deal behind closed doors. The current BoM are almost recluse in their nature. Social media activity is at a minimum and their insular communication resonates worry amongst the Shelbourne faithful.

The future is dark, grim, and bleak – it’s not good. Shelbourne, much like many League of Ireland clubs, is an old institution, in more ways than its age. The language and customs of a traditional Dublin – one that feels somewhat forgotten in the past decade or two – lives on at the club. Well known witty characters and a distinct attitude in the stands makes The Reds a special kind of home for many of the fans.

However, this special home for many fans is blighted by the current BoM. Ollie Byrne may have come and gone and a new Shelbourne, fighting for survival, has been borne out of his actions. We need unity to save our prestigious football club, something which will not be possible until the current Board of Management loosen their reigns on the club. 

I can’t help but think the addition of Glenisk and Pro-Stats, which first-team members had to acquire instead of commercial management at director level, are just a front. A mere ‘let’s keep the recovery going’ announcement from Shelbourne. The recovery has stopped; it’s a time for change, cooperation, and communication.

Without change, we will all be brought on another ride by misguided owners at Shelbourne Football Club. Have we learned nothing from the Ollie days? Transparency is of paramount importance if any improvement, no matter how small, will be seen in Tolka Park anytime soon. 

S.DAWSON 03/03/2016