Hyde capacity unlikely to be tested by Dublin/Mayo rematch

The latest installment of the Dublin/Mayo rivalry, which takes to the road in Dr. Hyde Park this weekend, doesn’t appear to have caught the imagination of the general public.

While Dublin fans are expected to travel in large numbers, partly to enjoy the novelty of just getting out of Croke Park, the game, it appears, hasn’t set pulses racing in Mayo who will be visiting the Hyde for the third time this season.

As of Friday morning, up to 14,000 tickets have been sold for the game, which is a long way short of Dr. Hyde Park’s current capacity of 23,900.

Former Mayo senior footballer Lee Keegan, writing in his RTÉ online column, agreed that there was little hype in his native county about the game this week.

“The usual buzz that precedes a game against Dublin is fairly absent this week, partly because it isn't a knockout fixture but also because the expectation around this Mayo team isn't what it was a few years ago.

“It's an exciting novelty to get them (Dublin) out of Croke Park for a change even if it does entail going to the pitch beside the graveyard again. I know we always win there but that's because we're usually playing Roscommon.

“There wasn't a massive away contingent the last day out there and you could forgive Mayo fans for being a little sick of the place.

“The bookies have Dublin at 1/5 and they're usually not that far wrong,” he opined.

However, businesses around Roscommon Town are set for a major economic boost as a result of the game taking place in the Hyde.

Hotels, bed and breakfasts and guesthouses are booked up for the weekend as the “Blue Army” comes to town.