I went to Semple Stadium yesterday to support Tipperary. I was really looking forward to it. Unfortunately I left the stadium with a sour taste in my mouth and I won't be returning in a hurry.

Firstly the tickets, 30 euro is a bit steep in my opinion,I bought two tickets for the covered stand, At most large sporting events or even the cinema you can now choose exactly which seats you wish to buy at the ticket office or online, with the Gaa of course it is a total lottery. So our seats were rubbish, in the covered stand practically sitting in line with the end line. I have never felt so cramped or claustrophobic. Knees in my back for the full 70 mins. There was also a lot of confusion over the unclear seat row markings which nearly led to a punch up near us.

Half time rolls around and its painfully slow getting out to the shop. There is no queuing system at the shop so its a free for all with everyone pushing and shoving.

The PA speaker system at the stadium also needs to be upgraded. I couldn't understand a word that was being said and anyone sitting around me had the same complaint.The sound quality/ clarity is laughable.

All in all it was an uncomfortable visit and I couldn't wait to get out of the place.

hurlinortoggin (Tipperary) - Posts: 30 - 02/06/2014 09:33:04    1596534

I don't understand why semple isn't the stadium in munster getting the facelift instead of pairc uí caoimh. Cork and semple could get upgraded, more safety, better seating etc and look really good for the 70 million they're spending to bull doze pairc uí caoimh and build the Murphy bowl.

hurlinspuds (Cork) - Posts: 1494 - 02/06/2014 10:19:03    1596556

No point complaining here. Write an email to Munster Council and Tipp Co Board

valley84 (Westmeath) - Posts: 1903 - 02/06/2014 10:20:42    1596557

There is no queuing system at the shop so its a free for all with everyone pushing and shoving.

Is this a windup, seriously ? It!s a GAA match. If you're not fast your last. Get out of your seat a couple of minutes before halftime while still keeping an eye on play. Make sure your at the stand exit, still watching the play, when the ref blows the halftime whistle, then you're first out to the jacks, the shop, the bar, for a smoke or whatever.

Asking for a queuing system at a match is like asking for a queuing system in the pub. It won't happen and besides the banter queuing for stuff at the match is mighty.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7943 - 02/06/2014 10:27:29    1596565

Another 30k rather?

ZUL10 (Clare) - Posts: 708 - 02/06/2014 10:33:37    1596569

GreenandRed - if you were ever at a decent stadium around the world, they all having queuing system for food/beer/shop etc

valley84 (Westmeath) - Posts: 1903 - 02/06/2014 11:23:43    1596599

There no reason why there could not be an orderly que for the shop green & red instead if the free for all we get.Imagine if everyone had the same idea as you and got up to go a couple of mins before half time? Chaos would ensue.

Condorman (Dublin) - Posts: 983 - 02/06/2014 11:33:49    1596609

All in all it was an uncomfortable visit and I couldn't wait to get out of the place.

________________

Not surprised considering the result.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13654 - 02/06/2014 11:39:19    1596615

Ah shure aren't we all still only hairy-arsed paddies. Let's not be getting above our station and expecting to be treated like modern Europeans.
Besides being able to step back into the 1970s like I did yesterday in O'Moore Park brings a whiff of nostalgia to the nostrils. Or maybe that was urine!

Maroonatic (Galway) - Posts: 1066 - 02/06/2014 15:09:52    1596816

We're not like most modern Europeans. Sure aren't we 120BN in debt? The hairy cave man stereo type isn't too far off and our stadiums are decent considering.

Jack_Goff (Meath) - Posts: 2920 - 02/06/2014 15:14:51    1596820

I like the idea that ticket prices should be reduced and stadiums should be upgraded - politicians might be able to make such promises but anyone who lives in the real world knows that such a situation is unlikely. Anyone who gets served 70 minutes of entertainment like that yesterday for €30 and decides they wont be going again because, among other things, there was no proper queing system for the Taytos, well I just don't know what to say really.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 02/06/2014 15:27:50    1596829

Irish people refuse to demand a decent stadium infrastructure. In fact EVERY new stadium that is proposed is instantly written off as a white elephant and a waste of money. I even remember some people opposed to Lansdowne being redeveloped.
Until we start demanding better stadiums we will continue to have to suffer this nonsense. Personally I'm sick of getting soaked in uncovered terraces, getting a sore hole from wooden seats and a sore back from backless concrete benches. With awful toilets and no traffic management plan.
'Ah but shure the ol ground is grand as it tis'

RoyalBadger (Meath) - Posts: 571 - 02/06/2014 16:18:28    1596869

hurlinortoggin


Was this your first time in Semple? Most Tipp people know what to expect from a match in Thurles, none of this can have been a surprise.

But yeah, its not a modern stadium, not even close Whats irritating is, they keep giving it "facelifts", but they never really upgrade it. I remember when they closed down the old stands for a year to put a new roof on it, I was excited at the prospect at the time. But what did we end up with? An old style roof that covered less than half the stand. Then they "refurbished" the old stand. I thought "yeah, new seats, nice". Well, no. We just ended up with plastic bowls hammered into the existing coliseum era seating. And so on. Continuous redevelopment, but a half a**ed job each time.

Listen, we don't need a 53,000 capacity stadium. Redevelopment up to now seems to have been trying to steer clear of reducing capacity. But if we ended up modernizing the stadium, but reducing the capacity by 5,000 or even 10,000. I think that'd be a worthwhile trade off. For the money we've spent putting endless plasters on Semple over the last 15 years, we could have had a 35-40000 capacity stadium with decent (almost modern) facilities. Instead we have a Soviet era 53,000 capacity discomfort zone, with the worst paint job this side of the Danube.

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 02/06/2014 16:55:04    1596899

Don't worry, it's only a few years until all the matches will be played in Murphy Park. Then you'll be begging to go back to Thurles.

RebelCork (Cork) - Posts: 789 - 02/06/2014 17:07:22    1596905

Lack of infrastructure in all regional grounds. Portlaoise has poor access and little parking.

Thurles is very similar.

The calls for Dublin out of Croke Park are valid. But no ground outside Croke Park could cater for the Dublin bandwagon.

The initial poster has a point, if you are paying top dollar for tickets, a decent seat and decent infrastructure should be a minimum standard.

JayP (Dublin) - Posts: 1772 - 02/06/2014 17:11:58    1596910

It was 15 euro into limerick v Tripp in the football the night before ,yet it was 30 euro into the hurling equivalent the next day, seems very expensive considering you have a double header of Leinster SFC games in croker this Sunday and its 25 euro into stand and 15 euro the hill. 5 euro cheaper despite the big difference in the quality of seats

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 02/06/2014 17:17:46    1596916

MARLON_JD

my first time seated in Semple ya. Spent my youth drinking and smoking in the terrace but this time I wanted to have a good view of the game and I couldn't face the terrace sober having to listen to the same 3 Tipp songs being sang over and over so I said I'd chance the stand.

Hopefully SKY will end up pumping a lot of money into the sport and standards will improve.

hurlinortoggin (Tipperary) - Posts: 30 - 02/06/2014 17:25:27    1596921

30 quid is ridiculous for a ticket

Brianmac78 (Dublin) - Posts: 1168 - 02/06/2014 19:22:28    1596988

30 quid onto the hill for the league final!

Scandal!

But 30 quid into a stand to sit on a bench.......bit scabby!

JayP (Dublin) - Posts: 1772 - 02/06/2014 19:35:34    1596996

There's a queuing system in place for pints in croke park and it works well, not sure why it's not applied to the shops. Most GAA stadiums outside croke park are poor enough in terms of facilities, comfort, aesthetics etc, kinda what I'd imagine soviet era stadiums to look like. The main stand in tullamore is quite good though. If counties used that as a template they could do a lot worse.

ballydalane (Kilkenny) - Posts: 1256 - 02/06/2014 20:01:27    1597005