Harvesting Away tickets

[jmurphyc]

These people are rich if they can afford to jet around the world watching football. No sympathy for them. I recently attended Ireland/Bulgaria at Croke Park and it was the first match I've ever been to in my life! I probably won't be able to afford another match for another ten years. Screw these rich people, everyone should have the same chance to get tickets.

What a ridiculous post. So if someone doesn't earn a lot, and saves for months on end to go to each game, they're rich? I've only been to two away games, but I guess that means I'm still "rich". Despite the fact that other than those games I haven't been on a holiday in about 3 years and am currently a student. Plenty of people are like me, except they actually make more of an effort to save and consequently get to go to even more games. I'd say the average Ireland fan is just like most people except they probably sacrifice other things in order to get to these games. Basically they make more of an effort. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself for not being able to get to these games, perhaps you should do the same if you care that much?

If your proposition became a reality, it would be a very sad day for football. The day that regulars for over a decade should give up their ticket to someone who has only gone to one game would be the death knell for regular fans and a victory for the corporate suffocation of football.

[NeilMcD]

Ahhh just a wind up merchant. Ignore him and he may go away

[Colbert Report]

I'm not trying to wind anyone up. Every Ireland match is an away game for me as I live in Canada. I pay $20 for every match, be it home, away, friendly, etc. just to watch them in the pub! Why are you more entitled to me to get tickets to away matches?

[NeilMcD]

Cause some of us go to all the games. If you do not have a system that rewards people who travel to away games then you could have someone who has been to every game and misses out on the most popular. Some of us were there against San Marino under Staunton and why should we then miss out say on Bulgaria away or Italy at away. Luckily enough there is not a problem getting tickets for away games most of the time.

The scots run a system where they get one point for every away game they go to and the last 10 games are taken into account and those with the most points are first in line for getting tickets.

You live in Canada which I am sure makes it very very hard for you to go to all the away games. But we all make choices in life where to live where to work. You would get a ticket for any away game at the moment. It would onlly be a play off game that you would probably not get a ticket for. So you have the opportunity to get a ticket for these games. What would be wrong is you getting a ticket for a playoff game ahead of all the people who have been to every away game over the last few years.

[Colbert Report]

Fair enough, when you put it that way it does make sense. In fairness though, I don't think you should be rewarded for going to San Marino under Staunton. I don't see how you deserve tickets more than me to a play off game. If anything, I think I deserve them more because you've already seen so many games already. Not trying to wind you up, it's just how I feel. Clearly the FAI sees it your way though, so good luck to you.

[NeilMcD]

[QUOTE=Colbert Report;1154766]Fair enough, when you put it that way it does make sense. In fairness though, I don't think you should be rewarded for going to San Marino under Staunton. I don't see how you deserve tickets more than me to a play off game. If anything, I think I deserve them more because you've already seen so many games already. Not trying to wind you up, it's just how I feel. Clearly the FAI sees it your way though, so good luck to you.[/I

Not only the FAI but every sporting organistion works on this basis to some degree or another. You clearly do not know how ticketing works at football clubs throughout the world.

In addition if people who went to every game were overlooked for a play off game behind a guy like you who goes to 1 game every ten years, there would be uproar and many would be so ****ed off that they may not go to other games and the regulars may turn their back on the game having been overlooked by the FAI. Where would the game be then cause it sure cannot rely on the money from guys like you who only go every ten years.

[Colbert Report]

Fair enough, as I've said clearly you're in the right on this one. Here in North America we don't have any tickets allocated to away supporters - largely due to the distances between cities.

[EastTerracer]

I'm not trying to wind anyone up. Every Ireland match is an away game for me as I live in Canada. I pay $20 for every match, be it home, away, friendly, etc. just to watch them in the pub! Why are you more entitled to me to get tickets to away matches?

There are other options than paying $20 for every game - I believe the Bulgaria game was included in the annual Setanta online subscription package. Also, if you have any friends or family in Ireland check out www.slingmedia.com - I can watch RTE, BBC, ITV and Setanta Ireland over the interweb at no cost beyond the price of the Slingbox.

As for the away trips, I currently live in New York and booked a flight to Sofia for next month's match for less than some of my pals are paying from Dublin. It's not cheap by any means but even from New York it is possible to attend a lot of games with a few financial sacrifices elsewhere.

[Colbert Report]

There are other options than paying $20 for every game - I believe the Bulgaria game was included in the annual Setanta online subscription package. Also, if you have any friends or family in Ireland check out www.slingmedia.com - I can watch RTE, BBC, ITV and Setanta Ireland over the interweb at no cost beyond the price of the Slingbox.

As for the away trips, I currently live in New York and booked a flight to Sofia for next month's match for less than some of my pals are paying from Dublin. It's not cheap by any means but even from New York it is possible to attend a lot of games with a few financial sacrifices elsewhere.


The cheapest flights I can find on expedia from New York to Sofia are $900 US! The average Joe can hardly afford that for a day trip to Eastern Europe. I've no sympathy for these so-called "hardcore" supporters. The FAI should do the fair thing and make every match available to everyone, with a random draw to determine who gets tickets to matches in the event that demand exceeds supply.

[EastTerracer]

The cheapest flights I can find on expedia from New York to Sofia are $900 US! The average Joe can hardly afford that for a day trip to Eastern Europe. I've no sympathy for these so-called "hardcore" supporters. The FAI should do the fair thing and make every match available to everyone, with a random draw to determine who gets tickets to matches in the event that demand exceeds supply.

I booked six months ago and paid $450 (about EUR 330). These things take planning. If you're not willing to pay for the travel costs then why should anyone give you a ticket.

I think your issue is that the travel is so expensive rather than the ability to get a ticket so I really don't know where you're coming from.

[Colbert Report]

No, the travel cost is not my issue here. My issue is that these block bookers get first crack at the important games, including a potential away match this November against England or the North. I don't understand why they receive this privilege. I follow Ireland just as closely and pay to watch every single match. Why don't I have the same chance to get tickets as them? Doesn't make any sense.

[Newryrep]

My issue is that these block bookers get first crack at the important games, including a potential away match this November against England or the North.

Technically I actually agree with you, regular away travellers should get priority over BB's (although it should be noted that the majority of regular travellers are BB's)

Englland are walking their group, they will qualify automatically


I follow Ireland just as closely and pay to watch every single match. Why don't I have the same chance to get tickets as them? Doesn't make any sense.

the above statement doesnt make any sense.

Home games - BB because of their loyality will continue to get tickets which is only right

Away games - imo regular travelllers should be given priority over BB's then BB's then general public. - similar to the Scots system - ie home games have no bearing whatsoever on away ticket allocation

[Schumi]

The cheapest flights I can find on expedia from New York to Sofia are $900 US! The average Joe can hardly afford that for a day trip to Eastern Europe. I've no sympathy for these so-called "hardcore" supporters. The FAI should do the fair thing and make every match available to everyone, with a random draw to determine who gets tickets to matches in the event that demand exceeds supply.

If you can't afford to travel, what good will tickets do you?

[NeilMcD]

No, the travel cost is not my issue here. My issue is that these block bookers get first crack at the important games, including a potential away match this November against England or the North. I don't understand why they receive this privilege. I follow Ireland just as closely and pay to watch every single match. Why don't I have the same chance to get tickets as them? Doesn't make any sense.

So in one post you say you agree with me and you get my point and then one post later and you are big to the same argument again.

The reason they receive the privilege is because they are long serving and valuable customers of the FAI. If you look it as a business. Any business would like to have customers they can depend upon, i.e. guaranteed income coming in. The best way to have this is to have a loyalty system which encourages loyalty. So even from a business point of view it makes sense to reward customers who are prepared to go to every game both home and away. You are not prepared to go due to personnel circumstances. The day the FAI takes into account peoples personnel circumstances is the day they go out of business. It would be like me getting less pay in work due to the fact I have no kids and someone getting payed more because they have 4 kids. This sort of balancing is done by the tax system by how much wages you get. Its the same principle here. You have the same opportunity to register and become a block booker. But you cannot fulfill the requirements as you cannot go to every game. Thats your personal circumstance and the FAI cannnot legislate for everybodys background and story.

You cannot travel because of where you live and you do not earn enough, Tough luck.

[Colbert Report]

"You cannot travel because of where you live and you do not earn enough, Tough luck."


This kind of attitude is precisely why soccer has taken a backseat to sports like GAA football, hurling and rugby over the past fifteen years.

[EastTerracer]

"You cannot travel because of where you live and you do not earn enough, Tough luck."


This kind of attitude is precisely why soccer has taken a backseat to sports like GAA football, hurling and rugby over the past fifteen years.

Nonsense - the same situation applies for any other sport. The loyal customers get priority for tickets. In fact, you have a much better chance of getting a ticket for an Irish football match than you do for 6-Nations rugby or an All-Ireland Football Final.

As many people have pointed out on this forum you will have very little difficulty getting a ticket for most Irish games (just check the ticket exchange on here).

If you just want tickets for the big games (like a playoff or a World Cup finals) then you are kidding yourself if you think you should have the same right as those who travel. There are a million others in Ireland who watch every game on TV as loyally as you do but hardly ever go to a game. Should they also be given the same access to tickets?

[jmurphyc]

"You cannot travel because of where you live and you do not earn enough, Tough luck."


This kind of attitude is precisely why soccer has taken a backseat to sports like GAA football, hurling and rugby over the past fifteen years.

I can kind of understand your frustration (in a sense). If it's the fact that obtaining tickets seems difficult, it's not. It may seem difficult from Canada, but if you travel over without a ticket to the vast majority of games, you'll still almost certainly get a ticket. There's loads of people selling outside the grounds or you could get a ticket sorted from this very site (even getting it at face value).

However, if it's the fact that you want to go to the bigger games - as you said, you'd likely miss out on a ticket for a play off game - then I have no sympathy for you. People who go to all of the games should obviously get the chance to go to the biggest games. If you yourself were a regular for a decade or more and then missed out on a ticket for the biggest game in years due to a lottrery, you'd be incredibly disillusioned.

You may well love and watch the side as intently as the regulars, but the fact is that you have no real way of proving this to the FAI. If you want to go to other games, come over and you'll have no problem. On top of that - sorry to sound like a pr*ck by saying this - but if you love the team that much you'd move over. Clearly something must be keeping you in Canada, which is fair enough, but it suggests that the national team isn't actually your top priority. It is for plenty of the regulars who DO get tickets. I myself was living abroad and didn't really have the opportunity of going to games, but I moved home and now can go to most games.

If you want to see the games that much, you should get yourself on the block booking waiting list.

[zenokelly]

This kind of attitude is precisely why soccer has taken a backseat to sports like GAA football, hurling and rugby over the past fifteen years.

If you actually lived here you'd know that GAA has taken a back seat in recent years.

By the way, maybve the reason why you thing travelling fans are "rich" (from your earlier post) is the fact that I presume the average wage in Canada is possibly 60% of that over here?Just a rough estimate.

Anyway you really are making no sense commenting on something you are not infomed enough on.