International Tickets Price Increase

[Robinski]

From the FAI site.

The FAI today announced details of its ticket pricing structure for the new season commencing with the friendly against Bulgaria on 18th August 2004

Tickets for friendly Internationals will now range from €20 to €48 giving an average of €31 per ticket.

Tickets for the World Cup Qualifiers, which begin with the match against Cyprus at Lansdowne Rd on 4th September, will range from €30 to €60. This gives an average of €39 per ticket.

Commenting on the price increases FAI Chief Executive Officer, Fran Rooney, said, “Despite the increased costs associated with staging International matches through insurance, security etc, this is only our second increase for competitive games in ten years.”

“Our ticket prices, however, are still substantially less than the average of those charged for other major events in this country and we have kept schoolchildren tickets at the low level of €4 to €6,” Mr. Rooney added.

Demand for tickets for Ireland’s international matches remains high with full houses for the three friendlies played this year. Competitive matches are always sold out through the blockbooking and 10-year ticket systems.

A waiting list of over 1000 remains on the blockbooking system.

[Macy]

Fair enough, although I'd like to see some form of discount for eL season ticket holders/ club members. Fleece the 6 games a season lot for as much as possible we can to invest in the footballing infrastructure in this country. However how long before the players want an increased cut?

[tiktok]

€30 is fair enough for the North Terrace during the qualifiers.
Fair play for leaving the schoolboys tickets as low as they have as well.

I'm happy enough to pay it.

[Robinski]

Yeah, I don't think it's astronomical and as you said tiktok, good that the schoolboys tickets are still very low.

[NeilMcD]

Fair enough, although I'd like to see some form of discount for eL season ticket holders/ club members. Fleece the 6 games a season lot for as much as possible we can to invest in the footballing infrastructure in this country. However how long before the players want an increased cut?


I have no problem with the price increase as it is only the 2nd increase in 10 years according to rooney. HOwever i do take exception to the quote above about fleeciing the 6 games a season lot. I grew up in clare and we travelled to ireland games up and down to dublin, missing school and work. The nearest league of Ireland team to me was Limerick, who i am not going to support as they were over 50 or 60 miles away and i felt no allegiance to them. Now that i am living in Dublin i am not going to radomly pick some team to support. I go to Ireland games home and away, and I feel that no body has the right to look down on me with their snobbish attitude to football.

[Macy]

Nothing snobbish about it - you go to a few games a season, so can afford to pay more than people who are putting hundreds of euro a season into Irish football.

[NeilMcD]

HOw do you knwo what i can or cannot afford. How do you know that i dont dontate money to soccer clubs around the country. How do u know that i dont coach teams. Are you goign to start means testing people going to Ireland games or something. The league of Ireland is a great spectacle but to be honest it is people like you that have put off friends of mine going to games. As even when they do go they get looked down upon as they have not been going for the last 10 years.

[Macy]

Yeah right, I never experienced that when I started going regularly when I moved over here, and have never heard of anyone else experiencing that. That's a convenient excuse IMO.

If you can afford €30 every few months, you can afford €50 every few months. If you can't then so be it - miss one away game and you'd easily pay for all the home games.

[NeilMcD]

I dont want to miss games plus it is not the money it is the principle that you think that as you go to EL league matches that you deserve to have cheaper prices at Ireland games. I am an Ireland fan that goes home and away to games and you want people who may only go to some ireland games to get cheaper tickets than me. The tickets should be priced on the basis of quality of seating and then cheaper ones for schoolboys. Plus that is the experience of me and others, so it is not a convenient excuse. As I said I dont have a team to support other than ireland and i dont really feel like radomly picking and team for the sake of it and who i dont have any passion for. I do however support ireland and you dont have any right to tell me that i should pay more for tickets than you.

[cullenswood]

NeilMCD is making a somewhat valid point, There are some "snobs" who just because they go to eL games think that they are better Ireland supporters than others. I grew up in Meath, so no teams there in eL and there was no way I wanted to support a Dublin team! I went to college in UCD and supported them when I was there, (there was usually only about 50 people at the games, but we won promotion when I was there). I have left college a long time since, and can't really make it to the games anymore, but this should not mean I am less entitled to a ticket to Ireland games.

I also enjoy following a certain English Premiership team (never been to a game though), which seems to be utter heresy on these boards, but I follow them because I love footy.

[Macy]

Not saying anyone is better supporter, or necessarily more deserving, just that supporting senior football in Ireland should be rewarded. Thats not the same thing as saying that those that don't should be punished.

[Dodge]

NeilMCD is making a somewhat valid point, There are some "snobs" who just because they go to eL games think that they are better Ireland supporters than others.
Don't think thats the case at all, I think they might feel they are better football supporters but no everyone who goes to eL games goes to international games.

If the FAI could leverage the international tickets to get people into league games I'd be all for it...

[NeilMcD]

what aboute the scenario of a guy that coaches soccer teams in Kerry or Sligo and goes to junior football games all the time, should they have to pay more than someone who is a season ticket holder at an EL club. THe idea of reductions for EL fans is a nice idea but it is deeply flawed for many reasons.

[gspain]

Seems reasonable - 3 friendlies were great value.

Rugby Internationals are €70 for seats now.

Football is cheaper on the continent but we do need the money to rebuild Lansdowne so happy to pay. It will be tough on families trying to bring 3-4 people to a game.

[pete]

If you not willing or able to pay €30 for a North Terrace seat then its just tough.

As said above the IRFU charged €70 to sit watching Italy this year so its comparable.

People are quick to bitch 'n moan about the FAI selling tv rights to Sky, not pay for players 1st class airline seats & now a few quid extra for international matches! Where do ye think they gonna get the cash to pay for all that?????

:rolleyes:

[NeilMcD]

Who has said they are not willing to pay the €30. I agree with the increase. I dont agree with macy's idea that EL fans should be rewarded with cheaper tickets than those that dont go to EL games.

[Schumi]

If you not willing or able to pay €30 for a North Terrace seat then its just tough.

As said above the IRFU charged €70 to sit watching Italy this year so its comparable.

People are quick to bitch 'n moan about the FAI selling tv rights to Sky, not pay for players 1st class airline seats & now a few quid extra for international matches! Where do ye think they gonna get the cash to pay for all that?????

:rolleyes:
Exactly it's only a fiver a few times a year so it's not going to bankrupt anyone and the FAI could do with the extra money I'm sure. €30 is still good value anyway.

[Junior]

Macy,

What about the Expat or 2nd generation supporters living outside of Ireland, should they pay extra for tickets?? It is unlikely that these people will get to EL matches or perhaps do not have a great interest/affinity in it because of where they have lived etc....

On the point of promoting the EL. Would the FAI/EL clubs consider offering a free ticket to a game of your choice in the EL with each International ticket issued.

The EL clubs might have to take a sting (i.e. In those fans that would have attended the EL match anyway) but this could potentially introduce new supporters.

I am not that close to the attempts made vy the FAI et al to increase interest in the EL, but I have been attending Lansdowne road for many years and it has never been glaringly obvious that they are trying to plug it.

[tiktok]

On the point of promoting the EL. Would the FAI/EL clubs consider offering a free ticket to a game of your choice in the EL with each International ticket issued.
The EL clubs might have to take a sting (i.e. In those fans that would have attended the EL match anyway) but this could potentially introduce new supporters.

To redirect it a bit

That's a good idea, to be honest if I used a voucher I'd probably use it to go to a game I wouldn't normally have seen e.g. DCFC or Pats but not involving Cork City. And while they might lose out on the entrance fee, I'd probably be more inclined to buy the programme or a bag of chips ;) as I'd gotten in free, so in the end the club would still be up a few quid over that If i'd stayed away.

for the record, the only people I have a problem with are those in Landsdowne with corporate tickets and no interest, I think the EL allocation already does enough for the EL fans

[Macy]

IMO, there's a difference between eL supporters paying less to putting a premium on non-eL fans. Even with no reductions for eL supporters, the price should be higher anyway, given it's one of the FAI's major revenue streams.