Different year - same ole thread.
I love the line re the 'die hard' fans - the GAA 'die hards' are the lads out with the U10s on a Sat morning across the country, driving 3 hour round trips for training mid week etc and not necessarily the lad going to every inter co game. Thats why distribution is through the clubs. I was playing through the 00's with my own club and chairman always made sure we we're sorted for AI final tickets. Havnt been directly involved with the last few years and now dont get tickets.Thats fair I think.
There are 2 clear channels for getting tickets 1) season tickets or 2) get involved with your club. If you do the current distribution system will look after you - if you dont't then don't bother complaining.

blacknamber (Kerry) - Posts: 267 - 19/08/2015 11:43:38    1772401

Red and Black

What is a GAA supporter and what is a inter-county GAA supporter?

In 2010 every GAA member in Down got a ticket - 8,500 ( as there was a low up-take on Club membership that yr) yes not every one of them follows the county team and not every County supporter is a member of the club.... but its club first, then county...

Im involved in my club and my county..... I also have a season ticket, but I'couldn't attended every game this yr because of other activities- in 2 NFL games I was refereeing, in another i was away with a group of underage players...
I didn't get to either of the 2 hurling semi-finals because i was involved on both days with my club.. At club level the 4 All-Ireland tiket ( football) , hurling is more ,is given to the chairman, secretary, treasure, underage mentor, sponsor, for loyalty and committment - at County level - each county Board gets about 300 tickets, each chairman and secretary of sub-committees gets a ticket ( a perk and a reward for the long hours)....
Lets face apart from Dublin , Mayo and maybe Tyrone .... how many real supporters are there - I would say in Armagh we have 2-3,000 who go to every game... When armagh played Galway in the Championship 2 yrs ago Armagh brough 8,000 with them-most made a weekend of it, Galway played armagh this yr and you would be luckly to have a 100 Galway supporters...
Cork and Kerry don't travel in any numbers for NFL games - are they real supporters or are they involved with their clubs on the day/weekend - probably very busy with their clubs...
I find the whole supporter thing strange..... When Down reached the All-Ireland Final in 2010 they had great passionate and colourful support at the Q-F, Sf and Final and the County went mad - great to see,but a yr previously they had their worst ever support at the Fermanagh USFC match in Enniskillen, maybe 800-900, - there is a photograph of me with my Down mate in the following Saturday's Irish Times 'Where have all the fans gone?
Down are like all other counties, when the sucess starts the fans come out, the true fan is the person who travels the long distance in bad weather, knowing they are going to loose - madness? - they are the ones you don't want to see disappointed on the big day...
But I ask you, what is better - Six National tickets orthe All-Ireland tickets availability...
Yes as othe posters commented - there will always be those you feel a ticket is waisted on... especially in hurling as half the country don't realy play or engage but that life andhoping i will be again at the 2 All-Irelands this yr!

cuchulainn35 (Armagh) - Posts: 1688 - 19/08/2015 11:46:53    1772405

19/08/2015 11:32:07
REDANDBLACK30
County: Down
Posts: 746

1772394 Ormond I have already told you how the tickets should be distributed
35,000 each senior teams,5,000 each minor teams and 2,000+
neutral fans.Those who have been to every All Ireland could be
some of the 2,000 neutrals who get tickets, along with the
volunteers you mentioned.

Why on earth would the competing counties get 35,000 tickets each. There would be no surer way of tickets getting into the hands of people who don't deserve them. No county, Dublin included sold anything close to 35,000 tickets for the early rounds of the championship. In fact, no provincial final got close to the 70,000 attendance that your maths would suggest should be there based on 35,000 from each county.
There is no doubt that the current system has flaws, but as many posters have pointed out it has a lot of supporters too, so it is unlikely to change anytime soon.

AHP (Dublin) - Posts: 323 - 19/08/2015 11:49:04    1772407

19/08/2015 11:19:02
REDANDBLACK30
PaudieSaul im not saying that the volunteers shouldnt get tickets or
that their work is not valued, just that they should get a ticket once
every one in the competing counties who has cares about the team
gets theirs.

How could it mean as much to people who have maybe never set
foot in the competing in their lives???

Volunteers should be top of their list when their own counties are
involved, but lower in the list when their not involved.

Yew Tree I respect your opinion and accross other sports that
are professional you would expect (regretably) there to be a
corporate element.But not in the GAA.It is an amateur sport
and the GAA makes loads of money same as other sports,
but does not have to pay players.If the players were getting
paid this corporate element would be more justifiable.Of
course its all hypothetical.The GAA is never going to change
its distribution practices. Why should somebody simply get a ticket because they are from a competing county but may never or rarely attend county games. Someone heavily involved in gaa admin from other counties as those playing the finals has as much of a right to attend games as that person from a competing county.
There is a huge corporate element in GAA and its as justifiable in the GAA as other sports.

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 19/08/2015 11:50:53    1772411

No Paudie Saul but im not saying they dont deserve a ticket to
some finals but just after the people from the competing
counties have got theirs.

Like there are people with very low disposable incomes that
spend money following their counties all season-to go to one
match these days is likely going to cost a minimum of £30-
£40 with tickets/food/travel etc and you want to deny these
people a ticket in favour of a volunteer somewhere in Ireland
who has no affinity to the county???

Volunteers would go ahead of those from the competing
counties who havent been to hardly a match in their lives.
But they would not go ahead of those who attended 3+ matches
in a season following their county,especially as these
people might not have the money etc to get to all matches.

REDANDBLACK30 (Down) - Posts: 1702 - 19/08/2015 11:53:19    1772413

19/08/2015 11:32:07 REDANDBLACK30
Ormond I have already told you how the tickets should be distributed
35,000 each senior teams,5,000 each minor teams and 2,000+
neutral fans.Those who have been to every All Ireland could be
some of the 2,000 neutrals who get tickets, along with the
volunteers you mentioned.
Ormond the problem is these volunteers are getting too high a
percentage of tickets at present and genuine fans are missing
out???This is especially true for finals with the likes of Mayo
where the demand will be sky high.Clubs will have to raffle their tickets, people will miss out and those from all over
Ireland will be there when they have no reason/need to be??? That isn't how things work and never will be. That isn't how sport ticket sales work. The volunteers are those who run competitions etc. They deserve tickets as much or more than someone from a competing county.
These volunteers are genuine fans.
http://www.thejournal.ie/who-gets-all-ireland-final-tickets-583653-Sep2012/

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 19/08/2015 11:55:04    1772419

well said blacknamber

cuchulainn35 (Armagh) - Posts: 1688 - 19/08/2015 11:59:04    1772422

AHP the unsold tickets by each competing county could be returned
and redistributed.

Ormond Im not suggesting that the volunteers are not more deserving
of the tickets than those who have never been to a match in their
lives.Im just saying they should be further down the pecking order
than they are currently.

Cuchulainn the point is there are members of clubs who never go
to county matches get a ticket while those that do follow their
county through thick and thin who are not members of clubs
cant get a ticket.Who cares more about their county team???Thats
why a loyalty card system that DonkeyKong suggested is the fairest
way forward,

REDANDBLACK30 (Down) - Posts: 1702 - 19/08/2015 12:07:28    1772432

I have been lucky enough to get to one All Ireland final in my
life(2010).

My point is that the GAA's unfair system of ticket distribution
means that deserving fans of the counties miss out while others
who have never been to a match in their lives or have never set
foot in the competing counties in their lives are there.

For me this isnt right.But I know it will never change,

REDANDBLACK30 (Down) - Posts: 1702 - 19/08/2015 12:23:16    1772443

19/08/2015 12:07:28 REDANDBLACK30
AHP the unsold tickets by each competing county could be returned and redistributed.
Ormond Im not suggesting that the volunteers are not more deserving of the tickets than those who have never been to a match in their lives.Im just saying they should be further down the pecking order than they are currently.
Cuchulainn the point is there are members of clubs who never go
to county matches get a ticket while those that do follow their
county through thick and thin who are not members of clubs cant get a ticket.Who cares more about their county team???Thats
why a loyalty card system that DonkeyKong suggested is the fairest
way forward, Why don't you write across full page?
There is no reason that could be backed up by facts, reasonable thought that show volunteers should be further down the pecking order. How do you know people who don't attend games get all Ireland final tickets? That isn't the case
19/08/2015 12:23:16 REDANDBLACK30
I have been lucky enough to get to one All Ireland final in my life(2010).
My point is that the GAA's unfair system of ticket distribution
means that deserving fans of the counties miss out while others
who have never been to a match in their lives or have never set
foot in the competing counties in their lives are there.
For me this isnt right.But I know it will never change, How do you know there is lots of people who attend finals who have never attended a match in their lives. Look at ticket distribution for finals. Tickets go to schools, colleges, committees. etc. The tickets are not going to people who have never been to a match in their life.

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 19/08/2015 12:32:44    1772449

Spot on Blacknamber!

bumpernut (Antrim) - Posts: 1852 - 19/08/2015 12:36:00    1772453

AHP the unsold tickets by each competing county could be returned
and redistributed.

Ormond Im not suggesting that the volunteers are not more deserving
of the tickets than those who have never been to a match in their
lives.Im just saying they should be further down the pecking order
than they are currently.

Cuchulainn the point is there are members of clubs who never go
to county matches get a ticket while those that do follow their
county through thick and thin who are not members of clubs
cant get a ticket.Who cares more about their county team???Thats
why a loyalty card system that DonkeyKong suggested is the fairest
way forward

The reason a lot of club members don't go to county matches is because they are usually involved with their club whether that's playing or coaching.
I know for example in Antrim when the county hurling team are playing there tends to be a full set of football fixtures and vice versa. Now given that there are quite a lot of dual clubs and players in the county why should they be penalised at the expense of some buck eejit who's vested interest in GAA is only following his/her said county team.

Without the volunteer the buck eejit will have no county team to follow!

bumpernut (Antrim) - Posts: 1852 - 19/08/2015 12:52:04    1772462

REDANDBLACK30
County: Down
Yew Tree I respect your opinion and accross other sports that
are professional you would expect (regretably) there to be a
corporate element.But not in the GAA.It is an amateur sport
and the GAA makes loads of money same as other sports,
but does not have to pay players.If the players were getting
paid this corporate element would be more justifiable.Of
course its all hypothetical.The GAA is never going to change
its distribution practices.

Corporate sponsership pays for the running of the stadium, contributes to the GAA as a whole. How do you think intercounty teams would fare without corporate sponsors? TV money etc etc.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11563 - 19/08/2015 13:05:29    1772470

cuchulainn35 & blacknamber

Good points from both of you that I hadn't given much consideration.

BlastCalyle (Mayo) - Posts: 216 - 19/08/2015 13:10:50    1772477

Get involved with your club - if you volunteer you will be looked after - also the season ticket is the reward sysyem - you go to the games - you are rewarded with a ticket...
to me its the fairess way...
every county has the man/woman who claims to be their county's best supporter, but the fgures don't add up, the NFL is less well attended than the championship...

cuchulainn35 (Armagh) - Posts: 1688 - 19/08/2015 13:11:41    1772479

Bumper nut there are an awful lot of club members who couldnt
care less about their county team until they get to a final.By paying
a membership to their club which is much less than those that
have actively followed their county team throughout the season have
spent they have significantly more chance of getting a ticket.That is
farcical.

The only fair way to allocate tickets is through attendance.
But the GAA is not interested in fairness.

REDANDBLACK30 (Down) - Posts: 1702 - 19/08/2015 13:11:54    1772480

Yew Tree Joe Brolly said on RTE that Croke Park was paid
for many years ago.So why the need for almost 11,000
corporate seats?? Financial greed.Mickey Ned
O'Sullivan also accused them of this.I dont know enough
about the inner workings of the GAA to comment.

I do agree that teams need sponsors.Would u not agree
that the individuals these companies bring to matches
are not the sort of people wanted at GAA matches???
They know nothing about the game.A few maybe.But
11,000????Thats far to many surely???

REDANDBLACK30 (Down) - Posts: 1702 - 19/08/2015 13:28:43    1772490

We hear this same argument every year, the simple solution is open the season ticket sales and don't cap them, we have this current situation where people who train club underage, players, management and officers expect, demand and take all tickets even though they get free entry to their club matches, free dinnerdance tickets and expenses for travelling to training and games, the inter county supporter gets nothing. There is only 2 ways to deal with the clubs both ways involve no selling of tickets to the public, either the GAA stop giving tickets to clubs or else just give them 20 or 30 Hill 16 and Davin Stand tickets to cover the players and club officers, no other halves getting tickets, let them like everybody else buy a season ticket. In 2012 and 13 my club sold 100 tickets to all Mayo matches, when we reached the All Ireland Finals the county board gave our club X amount of tickets, it depended on whether we were senior, inter or a junior club, players plus their other halves, club officers and their other halves got tickets first, the reaming tickets were raffled, names were put into a hat and drawn, that meant nearly all 100 people that went to every game got nothing, from what I hear this year our club has sold single figure tickets for every game so far, the 100 that were shafted in 12 and 13 now have season tickets

riverboys (Mayo) - Posts: 1389 - 19/08/2015 15:00:45    1772580

County: Mayo
Posts: 456

1772580 We hear this same argument every year, the simple solution is open the season ticket sales and don't cap them, we have this current situation where people who train club underage, players, management and officers expect, demand and take all tickets even though they get free entry to their club matches, free dinnerdance tickets and expenses for travelling to training and games, the inter county supporter gets nothing.

Heres a radical idea, get involved with one of the aforementioned jobs in your club and you'll have a better chance of getting a ticket!

I dunno how rich your club is but I always paid for dinner tickets, entrance fees to matches and very rarely received expenses, hence the use of the word volunteer!

bumpernut (Antrim) - Posts: 1852 - 19/08/2015 15:13:55    1772599

There were 4 counties represented in croke park acrosd the 2 ages last sunday and it wasnt near full. How come?? If theres such a rush for final tickets, how come neither semi was a sell out? Theres only 3 counties there on finals day.. I ve never had a problem getting a ticket or sourcing one for an all ireland. Ireland is a small place and its easy go to another county and get one through a connection.

old yellar (None) - Posts: 2630 - 19/08/2015 15:32:23    1772614