Are the GAA outpricing the common fan?

[Bogball XV]

Yeah, pricing is ridiculous, and no matter what people say it is an issue.  One only has to look at the Cork v Waterford replay in hurling to see that.  As far as I can see the association puts too much store in revenue maximisation over and above everything else.  This can also be seen in the TV rights negotiations.
Fair enough if were a professional organisation with players to support, but we're not, any players getting paid have to get paid through some dummy corporation set up by members of supporters clubs, it's nearly as complicated at sub-prime mortgage securitisation.
It's time for the GAA to decide, should we continue with shamateurism in which case why the drive to maximise revenue?  Or should we turn the sport semi-professional wherein at least we can see what we're paying for.

[Louth Exile]

We had this conversation on the train on the way to Croker on Sunday. 70 yoyos for a game is a bit steep, but it is an All Ireland final. In general I dont think ticket prices are too bad, I would be more worried about how tickets are allocated.

The reality of it is that if you applied the most basic of economic principles to AI tickets (Supply & Demand) then they would be costing a damn sight more than €70. This year there was a bit less of a demand but most other years the GAA would still sell it out if charging twice the price.

[Gnevin]

Yeah, pricing is ridiculous, and no matter what people say it is an issue.  One only has to look at the Cork v Waterford replay in hurling to see that.  As far as I can see the association puts too much store in revenue maximisation over and above everything else.  This can also be seen in the TV rights negotiations.
Fair enough if were a professional organisation with players to support, but we're not, any players getting paid have to get paid through some dummy corporation set up by members of supporters clubs, it's nearly as complicated at sub-prime mortgage securitisation.
It's time for the GAA to decide, should we continue with shamateurism in which case why the drive to maximise revenue?  Or should we turn the sport semi-professional wherein at least we can see what we're paying for.

Bogball can you show me the list please?
Stop throwing the players into this . Its got nothing to do with this. The GAA is direct competition with professional organizations and that requires funds. Please tell me what you would get for 20 euro in this country now a days?

[Bogball XV]

Yes and the GAA are funding your club house and your astro pitch and schools competitions .
What does cost of tickets have to do with expectations on players? If the GAA didnt charge anything i'd still expect Dublin to win sam. I've expected it for 13 years nothing will ever change that .

That's the biggest problem imo, the gaa don't fund any of these things, okay there may be a wee grant here and there, but by and large clubs are constantly having funding drives to provide x,y,z as well.  It seems to me that the money paid for admission rarely filters down to the lower levels.  I've said it before, at this stage we all have as many county grounds, turnstiles, floodlights, training pitches, gyms, halls, managers as money can buy, it's got to stop sometime.  People can't be expected to keep on paying.

[Maximus Marillius]

Its still a con...how many full time paid staff are there in the GAA...anyone care to have a guess

[Gnevin]

Yes and the GAA are funding your club house and your astro pitch and schools competitions .
What does cost of tickets have to do with expectations on players? If the GAA didnt charge anything i'd still expect Dublin to win sam. I've expected it for 13 years nothing will ever change that .

That's the biggest problem imo, the gaa don't fund any of these things, okay there may be a wee grant here and there, but by and large clubs are constantly having funding drives to provide x,y,z as well.  It seems to me that the money paid for admission rarely filters down to the lower levels.  I've said it before, at this stage we all have as many county grounds, turnstiles, floodlights, training pitches, gyms, halls, managers as money can buy, it's got to stop sometime.  People can't be expected to keep on paying.

Wee grant my balls clubs raise 1/4 , the lotto and the GAA fund the rest. County grounds are only country grounds  10 -15 times a year the rest of the time local clubs make use of the lights ,the gyms , the halls.

[From the Bunker]

The GAA is an amateur organistaion. This ethos has alway sold the ethics that the players should not be payed for playing and in turn the fan does not have to bear the blunt at the gate of the professional game. The Amateur ethos was sold as "Being of the people" and was part of the voluntary succcess that is so important at ground level in the GAA. This has been all ok in the past, but the emergence of Media, corporate and professional interests have left two very important units of the Association more abused as time goes on, the fan and the player. Both are being heavily exploited. The Fan is paying more and more to see amateur players and the players are being treated more and more like professionals in their duties to play more games, to deal with the media and to sacrafice their day to day paying job.

This clearly cannot continue. Already people have been voting with their feet as venues around the country noticed a down turn in attendances. Players are retiring younger and most players do not want to go beyond club football as they know the unpaid commitment.

From the bunker how much does your internet cost a year?
How much does fuel in your car cost ?

The Biggest sporting event in Ireland only cost 70 Euro for 2 games . The FAI charge this for a crappy friendly, will you cheap c***ts stop f**king moaning .

Yes but the FAI are paying professional players to ply their services. There is no unreal expectation being put on the player. €70 for AI is acceptable enough. But there were many cases where people were asked to fork out €45 for quarterfinals this year.

Yes and the GAA are funding your club house and your astro pitch and schools competitions .
What does cost of tickets have to do with expectations on players? If the GAA didnt charge anything i'd still expect Dublin to win sam. I've expected it for 13 years nothing will ever change that .

Any time my county does well in the AI series there is a definite fall in the christmas spending that year, this is curtailed only by the feel factor if the county is successful. Yes there is an expectation an players, but when you charge PROFESSIONAL prices to see AMATEUR players, people psychologically expect PROFESSIONAL skill and fitness.

[Bogball XV]

Yeah, pricing is ridiculous, and no matter what people say it is an issue.  One only has to look at the Cork v Waterford replay in hurling to see that.  As far as I can see the association puts too much store in revenue maximisation over and above everything else.  This can also be seen in the TV rights negotiations.
Fair enough if were a professional organisation with players to support, but we're not, any players getting paid have to get paid through some dummy corporation set up by members of supporters clubs, it's nearly as complicated at sub-prime mortgage securitisation.
It's time for the GAA to decide, should we continue with shamateurism in which case why the drive to maximise revenue?  Or should we turn the sport semi-professional wherein at least we can see what we're paying for.

Bogball can you show me the list please?
Stop throwing the players into this . Its got nothing to do with this. The GAA is direct competition with professional organizations and that requires funds. Please tell me what you would get for 20 euro in this country now a days?

I'm hardly going to give you a list of players who are paid, but I believe most (certainly of the top) counties have a number of full time pro's (in all but name).
Now, why do we need more and more money to compete with these other sporting organisations?

[Gnevin]

The GAA is an amateur organistaion. This ethos has alway sold the ethics that the players should not be payed for playing and in turn the fan does not have to bear the blunt at the gate of the professional game. The Amateur ethos was sold as "Being of the people" and was part of the voluntary succcess that is so important at ground level in the GAA. This has been all ok in the past, but the emergence of Media, corporate and professional interests have left two very important units of the Association more abused as time goes on, the fan and the player. Both are being heavily exploited. The Fan is paying more and more to see amateur players and the players are being treated more and more like professionals in their duties to play more games, to deal with the media and to sacrafice their day to day paying job.

This clearly cannot continue. Already people have been voting with their feet as venues around the country noticed a down turn in attendances. Players are retiring younger and most players do not want to go beyond club football as they know the unpaid commitment.

From the bunker how much does your internet cost a year?
How much does fuel in your car cost ?

The Biggest sporting event in Ireland only cost 70 Euro for 2 games . The FAI charge this for a crappy friendly, will you cheap c***ts stop f**king moaning .

Yes but the FAI are paying professional players to ply their services. There is no unreal expectation being put on the player. €70 for AI is acceptable enough. But there were many cases where people were asked to fork out €45 for quarterfinals this year.

Yes and the GAA are funding your club house and your astro pitch and schools competitions .
What does cost of tickets have to do with expectations on players? If the GAA didnt charge anything i'd still expect Dublin to win sam. I've expected it for 13 years nothing will ever change that .

Any time my county does well in the AI series there is a definite fall in the christmas spending that year, this is curtailed only by the feel factor if the county is successful. Yes there is an expectation an players, but when you charge PROFESSIONAL prices to see AMATEUR players, people psychologically expect PROFESSIONAL skill and fitness.

20 euro is not professional prices .No one i know has no expectation on players , then spends 20 euro and has some many expectations your talking crap.

A fall in christmas spending . Well Christmas must be crap in Kerry then ,can you back this up with say some facts or figures?
Since spending at christmas has been on the up for a good few years!

[Gnevin]

Yeah, pricing is ridiculous, and no matter what people say it is an issue.  One only has to look at the Cork v Waterford replay in hurling to see that.  As far as I can see the association puts too much store in revenue maximisation over and above everything else.  This can also be seen in the TV rights negotiations.
Fair enough if were a professional organisation with players to support, but we're not, any players getting paid have to get paid through some dummy corporation set up by members of supporters clubs, it's nearly as complicated at sub-prime mortgage securitisation.
It's time for the GAA to decide, should we continue with shamateurism in which case why the drive to maximise revenue?  Or should we turn the sport semi-professional wherein at least we can see what we're paying for.

Bogball can you show me the list please?
Stop throwing the players into this . Its got nothing to do with this. The GAA is direct competition with professional organizations and that requires funds. Please tell me what you would get for 20 euro in this country now a days?

I'm hardly going to give you a list of players who are paid, but I believe most (certainly of the top) counties have a number of full time pro's (in all but name).
Now, why do we need more and more money to compete with these other sporting organisations?

No i want a list of family's who had to declare themself bankrupt after having to spend an extra 10 euro

[From the Bunker]

Gnevin, it's as much the principal as anything else. It's about respect. Most people care more about not being conned than the money. Look most people will not miss the €10 as you say, but if you multiply that by 4 (in a family) and again by 3  (matches)you could be out by €120. Not a fortune, but enough! Gnevin, you are lucky to be living in Dublin which curtails other costs and leaves you with just the cost of your ticket in the main.

[Gnevin]

Gnevin, it's as much the principal as anything else. It's about respect. Most people care more about not being conned than the money. Look most people will not miss the €10 as you say, but if you multiply that by 4 (in a family) and again by 3  (matches)you could be out by €120. Not a fortune, but enough! Gnevin, you are lucky to be living in Dublin which curtails other costs and leaves you with just the cost of your ticket in the main.

Why would you multiply it by 3 ?
You where asked to play an extra 10er so 40 in total and for that you got a other game if you had of been interested .
Bunker pretend i'm giving you 80 euro , please tell me how you will entertain the 2 young ones and the missuses for 4 hours on that.

[From the Bunker]

Gnevin, it's as much the principal as anything else. It's about respect. Most people care more about not being conned than the money. Look most people will not miss the €10 as you say, but if you multiply that by 4 (in a family) and again by 3  (matches)you could be out by €120. Not a fortune, but enough! Gnevin, you are lucky to be living in Dublin which curtails other costs and leaves you with just the cost of your ticket in the main.

Why would you multiply it by 3 ?
You where asked to play an extra 10er so 40 in total and for that you got a other game if you had of been interested .
Bunker pretend i'm giving you 80 euro , please tell me how you will entertain the 2 young ones and the missuses for 4 hours on that.

We've all seen how interested people have become in the extra game over the years, feck all give a damn, so spare me the 4 hours of entertainment, more like 1 and a Half of great entertainment (90% of the time)! Once again the money issue is in principal.

[lynchbhoy]

No i want a list of family's who had to declare themself bankrupt after having to spend an extra 10 euro

While I personally have no problem paying 20, 35, 70 quid for tickets (in case he's reading , I still owe a Derry poster 15 quid for my All Ireland final ticket that he did so well to get me - will call in with the money next time I'm up pal, in the next couple of weeks).

The scenario as I mentioned prev, is when a family go to not just a single game but GAMES
2 adults, 2 kids - thats 6o quid per game - not mentioning the cost of food on such a road trip , petrol etc etc
thats just ONE game, a first rounder, if you were a donegal, tryone , cork, laois or dublin family man...multiply the number of games...that would pay for the back to school clothes , books and more...

OK the family can say no - they cant go as its too expensive, but is that what we want?
While ok for the single /childless person to pay, do you not see where the cumulative cost of multiple tickets for families is a bit steep?

(btw the travel to qualifiers etc easier for Dublin based folks too imo)

[lynchbhoy]

[Bunker pretend i'm giving you 80 euro , please tell me how you will entertain the 2 young ones and the missuses for 4 hours on that.

apologies for interjecting - but thats quite easy btw
Blanch shopping centre - Cinema, video arcade (multiplex) , TGIF/Eddie Rockets for the kids and dad while mother goes mooching around the shops...

(though if it was my missus the 80 budget would be gone in 60 seconds as the film suggests)