Emmet Moloney writes for the 'The Irish Farmers Journal' and is a former sports columnist with 'The Kerryman'.

The GAA needs to address the poor attendances at championship matches and this Saturday’s double-header in Wexford Park is the template to follow, writes Emmet Moloney...

When the GAA gets its act together, and in fairness that’s most of the time, it should be applauded. This Saturday night in Wexford Park is a case in point: a double-header with the footballers of Wexford up against Westmeath and the hurlers facing the might of Kilkenny. This is the way to go. How can any self-respecting Wexford man or woman not think about going to these two matches? The footballers are on a bit of a high after a clinical display against Offaly and the hurlers ... well, you just never know with Wexford hurling – when you least expect it, they can appear and bite Kilkenny on the backside.

The week of the 2004 Leinster semi-final I well remember Liam Griffin on the radio on the Friday night. That Sunday Wexford were up against the same Cats, and all was doom and gloom. If you believed Liam Griffin, the Yellowbellies had absolutely no chance. Here was a lesson in talking down your chances. Griffin at this stage was no longer manager, but he knew enough about the camp to know that they were primed to tear into Kilkenny. That’s what they did, in the last real shock of the hurling championship. It took a last-second goal but Wexford gave 70 minutes that day in Croke Park that was imbued with energy, total commitment and belief. They left every drop on the field. It was their last really great day in championship hurling.

No doubt Liam will be out again on the airwaves this week and no doubt he’ll have Kilkenny only needing to turn up to fulfil the fixture. That’s his job and he’s good at it. But Brian Cody has a long memory too. Those dramatic last few seconds in Croke Park are etched in his brain. Kilkenny were going for seven Leinsters in a row, three All-Irelands in a row and that match signalled the beginning of the end for that team. The Cats would reach the All-Ireland final against Cork, but were beaten. The team was deconstructed after that and it was Wexford who rattled the foundations.

Michael Jacob grabbed the last-second goal and TV footage clearly shows Brian Cody beside the goal mouth, falling to his knees and slapping the ground in frustration and anguish at the sight of the net shaking. It’s a wonderful moment in GAA. Will we see it again on Saturday?
I won’t wish any bad luck on the legend that is Brian Cody, but 2004 and 2011 have a lot in common. Dublin have shown that Kilkenny do not carry the same invincibility and Wexford have been showing signs of stirring themselves. A full house in a tight ground? The home support baying for blood? Is it just me or do we have all the ingredients here for a classic night of hurling? Let’s hope so.

Speaking of classics, I wandered into the Gaelic Grounds last Saturday night to witness Limerick catching the Kingdom. I was under the mistaken impression that this could be an All Blacks in Thomond Park affair, where for years after everyone who wasn’t there would claim to be. Well, I won’t be doing much claiming anyway. The game was over before it began because Kerry meant business on Saturday and the home side just couldn’t cope.
The turnstile men could, however, because there was no-one at the match. This is the probably the biggest issue the GAA has to deal with in 2011. This Sunday in Thurles when Limerick and Waterford meet in the hurling championship, the Killinan End terrace is reportedly going to be closed for the match. An acknowledgement if ever there was one of these straightened times.

The recession isn’t the GAA’s fault and it has to get through it like everyone else – but we need more creativity from those at the top. Saturday night in Wexford is the template. The hurlers and footballers of Wexford in two tasty encounters. Forget the live TV, the place will be jointed and the ground bristling with atmosphere. Why couldn’t Kerry and Limerick have played before the hurlers of Waterford and Limerick? Why not have the Cork hurlers and footballers playing double-headers in championship?

It’s sticking out a mile. In business in Ireland in 2011 it’s all about providing value for the customer. They must see the value and they must be tempted by it. The GAA is falling down here. Good luck to intermediate sides, but a curtain-raiser of an inter-county intermediate match is no enticement to bring fans to a stadium. Last Sunday in Croker we had four teams and 41,000 turned up. Not so long ago Meath and Kildare would have put 60,000 in there on their own. Only 41,000 and the Dubs were playing?

Thanks to the qualifiers, no-one is out of the championship yet. Galway, Cork, Dublin, Wexford, Antrim, Limerick and Offaly are just some of the counties that could stage home double-headers in the weeks to come.

Putting on the hurlers and footballers from the same county on a double bill is sticking out as one clear way to attract bigger crowds but the GAA is not doing enough of this, often blaming provincial red tape for not staging them. That’s nonsense. Be like Graham Geraghty and act just a smidgen outside the small square.

More nights like this Saturday in Wexford Park is the only way to go.

As for the game itself, how will that go? The romantic in me would love to see Wexford do what they did in 2004 and tear into the Cats. It’s not beyond the bounds. But alas this is Brian Cody’s Kilkenny and they are smarting. They can go two ways: doubt themselves after the league final beating or take revenge on the nearest team in front of them. On Saturday, that’s Wexford. Please let it be close and please let it be riveting.

We ask the same of Waterford and Limerick in Thurles on Sunday. Two good championship hurling matches every weekend and we’d see the crowds back soon enough. This clash has intrigue written all over it. Limerick, with points to prove (à la the Cork hurlers the year after every strike); the Déise with serious ambitions. The vote goes to Davy Fitz.

The reigning Munster champions are possibly the most under-rated in this year’s championship. If Tipp cannot maintain their standard of hurling this summer, Waterford are the team who could capitalise. I have a 12/1 docket with their name on it and I won’t be throwing that away as quickly as the one I jettisoned at half-time last Saturday night in the Gaelic Grounds! To catch Emmet's latest column, get 'The Irish Farmers' Journal' every Thursday...