Gripe with the GAA

[JBM on the 21]

After what has gone on this week with the rescheduling of the Cork - Waterford match, I have a few gripes to get of my chest


To me the GAA seems obsessed with the maximizing of profits:
Three issues stand out for me:


(1) Scheduling of Dublin matches on their own and in Croke Park.

Let's say Dublin play Kerry in the All-Ireland semi. Why should the game be played in Croke Park? Its not an All-Ireland final.

People will trot out the argument that Croke Park holds over 80000 and thus is the only stadium that could cater for this game - that's great but is it fair when you have 80000 Dubs and only 2000
from Kerry (who most set out from their homes at 6am that morning to catch the train up. Try telling a man down in Waterville who has two young lads onto him about going to the match in Dublin - that's a 7 hour trip to Dublin (not much change from 500 euro from the day out)
 

(2) Regarding the Cork -Waterford match next Sunday, the obvious choice would have been Thurles, but realizing that due to the recent history of Kilkenny - Wexford matches, they
would be lucky to get 30000 in the gates; put the Cork/Waterford game on after it, that will add 50000 more (and it is all pure profit, they get a nice tidy profit with the inflated ticket prices
at Croker without having to worry about opening Thurles as well.
(3)Does it really make sense to have a situation like last Sunday with 4 Munster counties converging on the Naas dual carriageway - it took me 7 hours to get back home to Cork.
  On top of that (here's the beauty), they are charging an extra 10 Euro (tickets are 45 Euro because it is a semi-final day) for the match next Sunday!.
I know a lad who took the wife and two kids to the match last Sunday (cost him well over 500 by the time the day was finished and now he is being asked by his kids to go again next Saturday to see the Sligo match, stay over night to attend the Waterford match the next day. Was it beyond them to maybe reschedule the matches (i.e move the Meath/Tyrone to Sunday or Kilkenny/Wexford to Saturday to allow a doubling up of the Cork games) and before anyone says anything about rescheduling, it has already happened this summer :
The Leinster Council also decided last night to put the Wexford v Kildare/Offaly football semi-final back by a week to Sunday, July 2 when it will be played as part of the doubleheader with the Kilkenny v
Wexford Leinster hurling final. That leaves the Dublin v Laois football semi-final as a stand-alone fixture on Sunday week. It will have a 2.0 throw-in which is good news for TV fans as it can now be shown
'live'.

The GAA should not forget where it has come from and  start realizing that the organization was built from the ground up by generations giving their free time to their communities to develop pitches and community halls and not asking for anything in return. When they start going down the road of catering for the corporate fan, then they deserve what they will get.

If the GAA had some vision, they would redevelop Thurles and move more of the matches there. Then again, they finished the redevelopment of the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick over 3 years ago
and it has yet to see a major final
Cork should get rid of Frank, he is obviously not doing his job!

[armaghniac]

Whatever you think of Dublin in general it makes sense to use a venue that accommodates the maximum proportion of people who want to attend to attend rather than giving games to venues just to say that you moved it around.

There may only be 2000 Kerry people there, but quite a few more Cork people found it possible it attend last week.

A lot of this has to do with long term and premium tickets in Croke Pk where there is an understanding, real or implied, that most big games will be held there. I think long term ticketing needs to looked at, as mentioned in another thread.

[Gnevin]

Are you finished crying ?
Your the type would come on here crying that you where being made played in the sticks and you have every right to in Croke Park.

[Tyrone Dreamer]

By maximising profits you maximise attendances. These guys are in charge of running the gaa and if they werent trying to maximise revenue and attendances then serious questions have to be asked of their ability to hold such positions. I see your point about playing it in Thurles but think both teams would rather have another go in Crole Park.

[JBM on the 21]

What you are both saying regarding premium ticket holders and trying to maximize profits is fine but this is a replay, so it was never intended as part of the income projections for Croke Park at the start of the season.

[Gnevin]

What you are both saying regarding premium ticket holders and trying to maximize profits is fine but this is a replay, so it was never intended as part of the income projections for Croke Park at the start of the season.

Hense they have seen the chance to maximize income.

[Rossfan]

[Hense they have seen the chance to maximize income.

And to hell with the ordinary fans of Cork/Waterford?
As the man said -come on GAA remember where we came from and who put us where we are now.

[johnpower]

What you are both saying regarding premium ticket holders and trying to maximize profits is fine but this is a replay, so it was never intended as part of the income projections for Croke Park at the start of the season.

Hense they have seen the chance to maximize income.

Actuallly maximising profit is not a bad idea .Let Market forces take charge . The pricing of tickets could be based on Supply and demand .

[blast05]

giving their free time to their communities to develop pitches and community halls and not asking for anything in return

They do ask for something - they ask for grants and they get them, they look for coaching camps and they get them ....... and of course the money comes from all of these 'additional' gate receipts.
All these gripes suggest the thing that wrecks my head .... that when people talk about the GAA in this context that its as if the GAA is some bloke trying to maximise his profits to have more money for a bigger yacht or another Ferrari.

[Datsun Donaghy]

People will trot out the argument that Croke Park holds over 80000 and thus is the only stadium that could cater for this game - that's great but is it fair when you have 80000 Dubs and only 2000
from Kerry (who most set out from their homes at 6am that morning to catch the train up. Try telling a man down in Waterville who has two young lads onto him about going to the match in Dublin - that's a 7 hour trip to Dublin (not much change from 500 euro from the day out)

Do you really think you would get 2,000 Kerry fans for this game - after all it's not the final!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

500 euro ? - must be pretty spoilt in the first place - might be good to let them slum it on 400 euro! - don't you agree?

[johnpower]

What numbers will Tyrone bring on Saturday or given your recent success will you be waiting for the final Imagine the surprise when you meet the neighbours waiting for you

[2ams]

What numbers will Tyrone bring on Saturday or given your recent success will you be waiting for the final Imagine the surprise when you meet the neighbours waiting for you

monaghan?

[From the Bunker]

Have to agree with original poster, €45 for a replay is rip-off. No disrespect to Kilkenny/Wexford but it is a nothing game which will generate little or no interest in even the participating counties. Look you have to generate revenue, but is the GAA ethic of an Amateur organisation with family orientated values being lost. The biggest fear i always have with people paying big money to attend matches is that it heightens the weight of pressure on AMATEUR players. if you are paying PROFESSIONAL prices in a PROFESSIONAL stadium to see games, you expect more and the player is who it falls on. GAA is PROFESSIONAL in approach but really is amateur and this is the abuse when you look at entry prices!

[blast05]

Have to agree with original poster, €45 for a replay is rip-off.

Precedent was set last year when Mayo v Laois replay was played as a curtain raiser to Kilkenny versus Clare i think. Not even the same sport so you had a large chunk of the Mayo following leaving cos they had zero interest in the hurling

[magickingdom]

E45 for an ai q-final and semi-final is hardly a rip off. some of the ticket prices for concerts during th summer were twice that price..