Admission prices---the GAA are killing the goose that lays the golden egg

[Jinxy]

I've payed €15 for a terrace ticket to see the two matches in Portlaoise on Sunday. I think that represents excellent value. The season ticket is also a great deal. Some people would still find something to moan about if the GAA payed them to attend a match - then again I'd have to be payed to watch the rubbish that Donegal and Antrim served up last Sunday.

The top board of the Gaa are killing our game and what hey have decided to do today and invite an unwanted visiter to our home of the Gaa is not going to help.    Who made this decision for this to happen?  The ordinary member doesnt seem to get his vote in the say of these thing any more

We're used to being hated by everybody. Joe Sheridan will be there whether you like it or not.

There was me thinking Joe was still missing since Mick Foley put him in his back pocket! 

There isn't a man in the country with pockets big enough to hold Joe.

[lfdown2]

30 euro for the stand in the Sligo v Leitrim is far to much! GAA main target should be to get bums on seats & in doing so they would make more money than those turn away prices.

Not so long ago an All Ireland semi final was 30 euro or less for a seat.

It's the likes of this statement that annoys me (nothing personal Blow)

Could you tell me how much extra the GAA would make by reducing ticket prices and getting (how many?) extra in through the gate. This is pie in the sky.
If someone was able to tell me how much it cost for Ballybofey to host Sunday's game (or anywhere else for that matter) how much was gained from ticket sales and the gain/loss maybe it would be an argument worth listening to. The GAA in 1800's may not have had for example the same insurance restrictions. It's all very well reducing ticket prices but this will feed down to the clubs as well.

There has not been one reasonable argument in this thread for the reduction of ticket prices it's all teary eyed nostalgia. Thank god our amateur organisation isn't run that way!

[Blowitupref]

Yes where all well aware these matches don't come cheap to host however when will we draw a line & say that should be a set price?

As already stated on this thread it's a Div 4 team playing a team just got relegated to div 3 so both set of fans will be low on confidence, when most of these fans discover the price they will give it a miss.

IMO a 30 euro seated ticket should be for a more high profile game in the latter rounds.

[Lone Shark]

I've said all this before, but I will do again.

(1) Kids should be free, unless the game is all ticket. If it's all ticket, then they should pay full price. After all, kids don't get the significance of an All Ireland final or a Leinster Final and it makes no sense for the GAA to turn away a paying customer to accommodate a child who would have just as much fun and be just as likely to get hooked at a league or minor match. But in general, forcing people to pay for kids when seats are left empty is madness. For games where there will be a low crowd, I'd even be in favour of reducing the adult admission price by €3 for every kid they bring along.

(2) After that, the vast bulk of the cost of going to games is the add ons, so the GAA reducing prices by 30-40% will only knock 10% off the cost of the day out. I don't think the extra tenner is going to make a difference here. If people were that money conscious the pubs wouldn't be doing any business, and the local delis would sell nothing and everyone would bring their own wrapped sandwiches, but we all know that kind of economising is the exception, not the rule.

(3) Anyone can see the GAA's books - if less money comes in from ticket revenue, it has to be made up elsewhere. In all this debate, nobody has said where money could be saved, instead talking about the game being "amateur" when we all know that there are still huge costs incurred in fielding county teams.

Intercounty championship are one of the few times that non-club members chip a few bob into the overall kitty. I don't know about ye, but making ends meet for me is damn tough these days, and yet I'll be expected to renew a club lotto ticket soon, to buy one or two annual County board draw tickets at €100 each (the club gets billed for them whether they get sold or not, so I don't want to let them down) and then Offaly will also expect me to join the county board lotto, but that I will be skipping. (It was started on the basis of replacing the €100 ticket draw, but they've now decided to keep both, so feck that for a game of darts)

At least if I pay into O'Connor Park or Croke Park next weekend to see the county, I'll get something for my money - but I'd really prefer to see the daytrippers pay a few bob as well and take the strain off the rest of us. The ten or twenty quid I might save in match ticket prices I'd end up having to pay five times over in some other fundraiser later in the year to compensate for the lost revenue if ticket prices were cut.

Surely anyone involved in a club can see this?

[PAULD123]

Yes where all well aware these matches don't come cheap to host however when will we draw a line & say that should be a set price?

As already stated on this thread it's a Div 4 team playing a team just got relegated to div 3 so both set of fans will be low on confidence, when most of these fans discover the price they will give it a miss.

IMO a 30 euro seated ticket should be for a more high profile game in the latter rounds.

HOW MANY TIMES - PAY 15 EURO AND STAND IF 30 EURO IS TOO MUCH TO SIT

[PAULD123]

I've said all this before, but I will do again.

(1) Kids should be free, unless the game is all ticket. If it's all ticket, then they should pay full price. After all, kids don't get the significance of an All Ireland final or a Leinster Final and it makes no sense for the GAA to turn away a paying customer to accommodate a child who would have just as much fun and be just as likely to get hooked at a league or minor match. But in general, forcing people to pay for kids when seats are left empty is madness. For games where there will be a low crowd, I'd even be in favour of reducing the adult admission price by €3 for every kid they bring along.


(2) After that, the vast bulk of the cost of going to games is the add ons, so the GAA reducing prices by 30-40% will only knock 10% off the cost of the day out. I don't think the extra tenner is going to make a difference here. If people were that money conscious the pubs wouldn't be doing any business, and the local delis would sell nothing and everyone would bring their own wrapped sandwiches, but we all know that kind of economising is the exception, not the rule.

(3) Anyone can see the GAA's books - if less money comes in from ticket revenue, it has to be made up elsewhere. In all this debate, nobody has said where money could be saved, instead talking about the game being "amateur" when we all know that there are still huge costs incurred in fielding county teams.

Intercounty championship are one of the few times that non-club members chip a few bob into the overall kitty...

...Surely anyone involved in a club can see this?

(1) Totally agree about the kids pricing. Not sure about adult reduction just for bringing a kid along but certainly sounds like an excellent proposal to consider

(2) Bang on, petrol (let alone food, drink, etc) would have cost more than the match ticket for an Antrim fan, Nothing GAA could do about that. The admission price is not the issue it is the cost of the day. even a free ticket would still leave the spectator with a substantial trip cost.

(3) Once again totally correct

And on your last point about non-members chipping in through the ticket price - again totally agree with you.

All your points are clear, structured and considered. All I hear is selfish whining about why ticket prices should be reduced, not one person has proposed a viable alternative or addressed your issues above.

[neilthemac]

reduce adult tickets prices for GAA members.
present your membership card/number (everyone should have one) when buying tickets for a discount (at ticket booth or online)

have dedicated family seating in grounds that is reduced in price.

give discounted tickets for clubs to bring bus load of kids to a game (if certain amount of adults pay for their tickets). have the area for club tickets reserved so its mainly kids - terraced.

improve the catering, shops and merchandising facilities inside each ground. (if only on a temporary basis)
provide decent grub.
sweets, minerals, crisps
booths selling county jersies, flags, clothing, posters etc
Get temporary bar licences for county grounds to get supporters into the place early and create a pre-match atmosphere. (rugby crowd are very good at doing this)
The profit made on these ventures would cover the reduced ticket prices (and come out with a surplus)

[ross4life]

Yes where all well aware these matches don't come cheap to host however when will we draw a line & say that should be a set price?

As already stated on this thread it's a Div 4 team playing a team just got relegated to div 3 so both set of fans will be low on confidence, when most of these fans discover the price they will give it a miss.

IMO a 30 euro seated ticket should be for a more high profile game in the latter rounds.

HOW MANY TIMES - PAY 15 EURO AND STAND IF 30 EURO IS TOO MUCH TO SIT

Not everyone has the choice of standing, what if you bring along small kids or you have someone disabled? i didn't buy a season ticket last year & the highest profile game i went to was the OF double header in Croke park Ross v Cork, Kildare v Meath & the cost of a seated ticket was 35€.

BTW it's 20€ to stand up on Sunday.

[PAULD123]

Yes where all well aware these matches don't come cheap to host however when will we draw a line & say that should be a set price?

As already stated on this thread it's a Div 4 team playing a team just got relegated to div 3 so both set of fans will be low on confidence, when most of these fans discover the price they will give it a miss.

IMO a 30 euro seated ticket should be for a more high profile game in the latter rounds.

HOW MANY TIMES - PAY 15 EURO AND STAND IF 30 EURO IS TOO MUCH TO SIT

Not everyone has the choice of standing, what if you bring along small kids or you have someone disabled? i didn't buy a season ticket last year & the highest profile game i went to was the OF double header in Croke park Ross v Cork, Kildare v Meath & the cost of a seated ticket was 35€.

BTW it's 20€ to stand up on Sunday.

Disabled people get in for free, Children get in for €5. OAP's and Students get €10 reduction on all tickets.

I have said before though that small children should get in for free to matches that are highly unlikely to be full.

[gerry]

todays prices

Cork v Clare(€20),Kerry v Tipp(€20),Laois v Longford & Kildare v Wicklow(€25), Sligo v Leitrim(€30), Carlow v Westmeath(€20)