The Gaelic Athletic Association today released their financial accounts for 2016 and the impact of Championship replays on the coffers cannot be underestimated. There was an overall increase in revenues of €4 million to €60.5 million and gate receipts accounted for €3 million of that rise from the previous year.
The Dublin v Mayo All Ireland Senior Football Final was the first replay in the code since 2000 and allied with other high profile games that required a second day such as the All Ireland Senior Hurling Semi Final involving Kilkenny and Waterford, it offset a 5 percent drop in Championship attendances, primarily in football.
It's been a great run for the Association in terms of big replays, with the 2012, 2013 and 2014 All Ireland Senior Hurling Finals all requiring an extra game. Before that, there hadn't been a draw in an All Ireland Hurling Final since 1959.
Referees don't go out to engineer draws, but how much is luck and the timing of the whistle worth? It's not insignificant.
Replays are a bonus to the GAA and shouldn't be seen as anything else, and today's report acknowledges the challenge must be to increase attendances and revenues earlier in the Championship, including the qualifiers.
My take is that the provincial structure has no fizz. The Championship always starts in the same way, with the same rounds of fixtures, and the lop sided nature of competition, especially in football right now, means there is no real heat in the Championship until the latter stages. Perhaps a fixture shakeup, a 'Super Saturday' at Croke Park early in the summer, or a price deal for certain games to attract casual punters could inject passion earlier than when it comes naturally when the entire country is engaged in August and September.
