Price hike on way?

[cavan4ever]

20 February 2007


It is understood the GAA are on the verge of announcing a major increase in ticket prices for this year's All-Ireland championship matches.

An All-Ireland stand ticket for a final currently costs 60 euros but an anticipated 15 percent rise would push the price to 70 euros.

The GAA chiefs are to meet later this week to rubber stamp the increase which is likely to be aped by provincial councils for their SFC matches as well.

The price increases alone could see gate receipts for the two blue riband games in September rise by over one million euros



I think that this is pure greed after getting millions from the soccer and rugby in croker they could have left prices alone for this year aleast.

[Ethan Edwards]

sure the excess money that this increase will bring in will passed on down to the clubs , not 

[Lone Shark]

An All Ireland final when your own county is involved (and sometimes not even) is the experience of a lifetime, and if it's not worth 70 euros to you, it will definitely be worth it to someone else.

We've had this debate a few times before, but here's my personal take on the main points

(1) By the time you factor in the cost of a few pints and food it's a very expensive day out.

It's very little over the cost of a meal out at a Dublin restaurant - and which would be the more memorable? Anyway, the GAA is not responsible for the price of a pint in the Big Tree.

(2) It's a huge burden on families

Kids don't get the All Ireland final - it's wasted on them. All they look on it is a day out to cheer on their county - they don't appreciate how historic it is, in many cases a league game involving their county would mean just enough. Once they get to 13/14, they'll have been working all summer so they can afford it themselves if they want to go. Again, every nine year old in the crowd is another supporter aged from 17-77 that couldn't get a ticket, so the very least is that they should spend it.

(3) The GAA is very well off, they don't need this

I'm sure every club in Ireland could come up with something they could do with the extra money if it became available. I'm nopt saying that they'll be the ones that get it, but generally the GAA does use their money fairly well - whatever else you could accuse them of, waste is not an issue.



Now on the other hand, if they start increasing the cost of league/club/qualifier matches which have huge swathes of empty stadium, that would be greed. By increasing the cost of these games you're penalising each regular supporter by as much as €200 a year. And then at the end of it all they can't even get a ticket for the final, because people are going for the day out, seeing as it costs less than the rugby after all.

[full back]

Hateful Fcukers
What reasons are they giving such an increase.70 euros is some price for the final, especiallly if you followed the county throughout the year, perhaps 15/20  games in all (incl league)
If the profits from renting the stadium out are passed to grass roots fair & well, but I seriously doubt small clubs will receive much financial aid.

[armaghniac]

70 euros is some price for the final, especiallly if you followed the county throughout the year

there's plenty of people in 30 counties who followed their county throughout the year in who would be glad of the opportunity to support them in the final.

The only observation is that they should make good seats €65 and Davin End etc €65.

[full back]

70 euros is some price for the final, especiallly if you followed the county throughout the year

there's plenty of people in 30 counties who followed their county throughout the year in who would be glad of the opportunity to support them in the final.

FFS, Of course everyone would like to get to the AIF.

[Bogball XV]

i have no problem with finals being €70 and tbh I'd push it up a bit more, sure I paid €80 for the rugby the last day, although i did probably enjoy it more than the Kerry v Mayo game (i'm still sick every time I think of the first 10 mins).
The problem I have is the lesser games, the quarters etc, where if myself and the wife head down to a half empty croker we are out 100 between us, my other problem is the catering inside the ground, those sandwiches, hotdogs etc are woeful and disgracefully priced at 6/7 euro each!!  Sorry, i like ranting about that shite!

[lynchbhoy]

i have no problem with finals being €70 and tbh I'd push it up a bit more, sure I paid €80 for the rugby the last day, although i did probably enjoy it more than the Kerry v Mayo game (i'm still sick every time I think of the first 10 mins).
The problem I have is the lesser games, the quarters etc, where if myself and the wife head down to a half empty croker we are out 100 between us, my other problem is the catering inside the ground, those sandwiches, hotdogs etc are woeful and disgracefully priced at 6/7 euro each!!  Sorry, i like ranting about that shite!

would fully agree with what you say there Bogball.
Although having a wife that hates football seems to have its positive side after all!

[The Bottom Brick]

Once they get to 13/14, they'll have been working all summer

Yeah, those sweat shops pay well too, sure why not put it up to a ton...

[Lone Shark]

Once they get to 13/14, they'll have been working all summer

Yeah, those sweat shops pay well too, sure why not put it up to a ton...

I won't lie, there was no shortage of sweating done when you spend a summer turning turf. You work hard, you get paid for it. Where's the harm?

So what did you do all summer as a teenager then Bottom Brick?

[Over the Bar]

I'll have to agree with Bogball.  I have no problem paying 70 or even 80 euros for an AIF.  Well worth it even if my own team arentl playing.  It's when you get flecced for sh1tty back-door games with crap facilities to stand in a bog like the Marshes or over-priced league openers & mc kenna cup ties just cos it's Tyrone and they hike up the price.    For such occasions I save up all the shrapnel from weekends and throw a handful of change down and say "aye its all there" leaving a heap of cents for them to count up. 

[Lone Shark]

Sometimes I wonder how much thought goes into these decisions at all.

Overall I can't imagine too many people complaining about the price of an All Ireland final ticket, but I sometimes wonder do the powers that be actually think about all ticket prices or is it just based on the fact that if the main one rises they should all rise proportionately? I despair every time I go into a league/qualifier game and see swathes of empty seats, all the more so when the game turns out to be fairly decent - less than 4,000 in Portlaoise for our hurling qualifier with Clare 18 months ago jumps to mind, a very engaging clash, even in dodgy conditions. As far as I'm concerned at least 4,000 more kids and the like could have been brought through the gates there if kids were let in free - in fact I'd go so far as to say that the GAA should subsidise adults bringing kids into matches like that, encourage attendance. (€15 entrance for adults, minus a fiver for every child you have in tow, that kind of thing)

We go on about rugby and soccer in Croke Park giving other games a stage, and yet we won't go out of our way to show our own bloody games to kids at all.

Provincial finals and All Ireland quarter finals onwards are when the good time charlies come on board, and when the genuine fans are simply delighted to see their team involved in the business end of proceedings - start charging through the nose then by all means.

[Tony Fearon]

Shocking news. If I paid for my tickets I'd be suicidal

[AZOffaly]

Hoy Tony,

Were you in the Bot on Sunday night?

[Fionntamhnach]

Shocking news. If I paid for my tickets I'd be suicidal

Yeah, you wouldn't be able to watch a certain English Soccer Premiership team based in London called Tottenham Hotspur if you had to shell out money to watch some gaelic football matches instead.