Appetite for travel on wane in Ulster

Ulster SF Ticket sales: Significantly fewer fans are  expected to travel to Croke Park for Saturday's Ulster football final replay between Armagh and Tyrone than did so for the first game between the sides.

The Ulster Council were unable to confirm how many tickets were sold but estimates are falling well short of the 60,000 that attended the drawn match on July 10th.

The curtain raiser between Antrim and Offaly, in the hurling relegation play-off, will swell the turnout when tickets for Saturday go on general sale today.

It brings into question the decision to send the replay back to Croke Park while St Tiernach's Park in Clones lies idle, especially considering it only avoided clashing with a Leinster final replay by a single point scored last Sunday.

So where, and when, does the Ulster Council bring their main event if Saturday's replay produces another draw?

"In such an event they will have to play the following weekend as the defeated team is due out in Round Four of the qualifiers on August 6th," said Central Games Administration Committee (CGAC) chairman Tony O'Keeffe.

Considering the history and dominance of Ulster since 1999, there is a strong possibility that Armagh and Tyrone will be locked together once more after 70 minutes. If extra-time cannot sort the two teams out it looks like Clones may yet stage the 2005 Ulster final.

With beaten provincial finalists Cork and Mayo potentially playing their qualifiers at Croke Park on July 30th - some of last year's fourth round fixtures took place there also - and the following day taken up by the two hurling quarter-finals, the stadium may be out of bounds.

O'Keeffe did confirm that the amount of games the two Ulster finalists have played already this season will be considered if and when dates are set set for further replays.

Another replay will also wreak havoc on the quarter-final draw, which the CGAC hope can take place on Saturday evening.

Incidentally, Cork referee Michael Collins has replaced Pat McEnaney for Saturday.

Meanwhile, Sunday's All-Ireland hurling quarter-final double header looks set to be the second time Croke Park breaks the 80,000 mark this summer. The four counties involved have already taken up over 60,000 tickets: Cork (21,000), Waterford (16,000), Wexford and Clare (12,000 each).

The ticket office in Croke Park is sold out and there are no tickets going on general sale.

Along with the Ulster football replay, tickets for next week's other quarter-final double header that sees Kilkenny play Limerick and Tipperary face Galway go on general sale in Croke Park today.