FAI Cup 2021

[D24Saint]

Lower tiers sold out. That must be at least 20k tickets or thereabouts. What is the spread of seats in the Aviva ie number of seats in lower tier, premium & upper tiers ?

[2 Year Contract]

Lower tiers sold out. That must be at least 20k tickets or thereabouts. What is the spread of seats in the Aviva ie number of seats in lower tier, premium & upper tiers ?

Doesn’t appear to be easy to find this sort of capacity info online. I was trying to find a stand by stand capacity last week and couldn’t find anything so I’d imagine a tier by tier capacity list would be even harder to find.

Whats the story with ticket money for the Cup Final? Is it a case of each club getting the money for the tickets they sell, or an equal percentage split of the total crowd, or do the greedy guts FAI keep all (or a percentage) of ticket sales for the 'right' to play in the aviva?

[sbgawa]

From what i hear the FAI maintain the cup final is essentially breakeven every year.
Clubs get buttons

[PartySaint]

Doesn’t appear to be easy to find this sort of capacity info online. I was trying to find a stand by stand capacity last week and couldn’t find anything so I’d imagine a tier by tier capacity list would be even harder to find.



Full capacity is 51,700
Premium level 11,000
Boxes 1,300
Leaving a split of 39,400 between the 2 tiers

The big sections on the lower East and South stands hold 850 each. not sure what the capacity of the North Stand is but think it is about 3,000/3,500

[forza]

Full capacity is 51,700
Premium level 11,000
Boxes 1,300
Leaving a split of 39,400 between the 2 tiers

The big sections on the lower East and South stands hold 850 each. not sure what the capacity of the North Stand is but think it is about 3,000/3,500

Just had a little look at the seatmap and their seems to be about 14k or so left on Ticketmaster, if these numbers are accurate the crowd could eventually pass 40k even with little promotion from the FAI, imagine if they really cared.....

I dread to see the state of the pitch though, Ireland are playing Argentina and New Zealand there beforehand in the egg chasing in the 2 weeks leading up to the game.

[PartySaint]

Just had a little look at the seatmap and their seems to be about 14k or so left on Ticketmaster, if these numbers are accurate the crowd could eventually pass 40k even with little promotion from the FAI, imagine if they really cared.....

I dread to see the state of the pitch though, Ireland are playing Argentina and New Zealand there beforehand in the egg chasing in the 2 weeks leading up to the game.

Some of the sections never went on sale on Ticketmaster so there's probably about 25,000 still to go.

[forza]

Some of the sections never went on sale on Ticketmaster so there's probably about 25,000 still to go.

I wasnt aware of this, cheers.

[Nesta99]

Just had a little look at the seatmap and their seems to be about 14k or so left on Ticketmaster, if these numbers are accurate the crowd could eventually pass 40k even with little promotion from the FAI, imagine if they really cared.....

I dread to see the state of the pitch though, Ireland are playing Argentina and New Zealand there beforehand in the egg chasing in the 2 weeks leading up to the game.

The Autumn Internationals are always 2-4 games in the weeks or even days prior to the cup. Having been at 6 in a row the pitch was always excellent even when the weather wasnt. The type of pitch is designed not to break up underfoot with the plastic weave integrated in to the natural turf, the grounds people also do a good job obviously. The old Landownne Road pitch was always good craic to see at a soccer match after the rugby - Jack probably asked for a rugby match to be played the day before as part of his tactical masterclass. I will probably be made an ass of now by a rare banjaxed pitch. One of the benefits of the planning objections to the height of the ground originally has had an unplanned benefit where the pitch gets proper sunlight. The new Wembley pitch was a disaster when opened first with large areas permanently in shadow, hence the of the use of the huge artificial light systems that ye see now at nearly every large stadium.

[Longfordian]

From what i hear the FAI maintain the cup final is essentially breakeven every year.
Clubs get buttons

I'm not sure what the story is now, it hasn't been something we'd have needed to know for quite a while, but as far as I can recall by the time of our last cup final in 2007 it was just flat prize money paid to the clubs and the FAI kept all the money from ticket sales. In 2003 and 2004 the gate receipts were divided between clubs and the FAI I think.

[2 Year Contract]

The Autumn Internationals are always 2-4 games in the weeks or even days prior to the cup. Having been at 6 in a row the pitch was always excellent even when the weather wasnt. The type of pitch is designed not to break up underfoot with the plastic weave integrated in to the natural turf, the grounds people also do a good job obviously. The old Landownne Road pitch was always good craic to see at a soccer match after the rugby - Jack probably asked for a rugby match to be played the day before as part of his tactical masterclass. I will probably be made an ass of now by a rare banjaxed pitch. One of the benefits of the planning objections to the height of the ground originally has had an unplanned benefit where the pitch gets proper sunlight. The new Wembley pitch was a disaster when opened first with large areas permanently in shadow, hence the of the use of the huge artificial light systems that ye see now at nearly every large stadium.

The pitch was in absolute rag order for the cup final last year as well as the Dundalk Arsenal game a few days later following the rugby being played on it

https://youtu.be/arktD8n53mU

[2 Year Contract]

FAI president has confirmed there’s 30k tickets sold already in this article https://www.thesun.ie/sport/football/7931994/fai-cup-final-government-covid-rules/

Pats have sold all their lower tier and premium allocation with just 2 blocks left in the West stand upper and 2 in the East upper. Bohs have sold all their lower tier allocation while there’s currently 9 upper tier blocks and 5 premium blocks with tickets still available for them. 2 upper tier blocks and 1 premium are available at the moment for neutrals via General sale. Hopefully ticketmaster will release more premium blocks for pats given there was only 3 allocated to pats

[Nesta99]

The pitch was in absolute rag order for the cup final last year as well as the Dundalk Arsenal game a few days later following the rugby being played on it

https://youtu.be/arktD8n53mU

We obviously have different standards. It's not perfect and with a lot of wet weather it probably couldnt be, but it wasnt a mud bath or cut to shreds.

[2 Year Contract]

We obviously have different standards. It's not perfect and with a lot of wet weather it probably couldnt be, but it wasnt a mud bath or cut to shreds.

I should say that I meant rag order by Aviva standards. It’s still a lot better than the likes of Finn Park or Bishopsgate during the start/end of a season but it was definitely the worst I’ve seen the Aviva's pitch anyways

[Nesta99]

BCD didnt make it too easy to assess (thats missing a cup final and a European game against Arsenal grrrrr!). It didnt jump out that players were struggling with the surface but then again a bad Aviva surface would probably still be preferred by Dundalk players t0 Oriel. So yeah probably relative.

[Buller]

FAI president has confirmed there’s 30k tickets sold already in this article

Wow. This year has the potential to break the Cup final crowd record!
For reference, biggest crowd in the Aviva has been 36k for Rovers v Sligo in 2010.
Crowds in Dalymount 1940-1980 ranged around 20k to 35k.
1980s saw a massive drop to 10-15k.
Record was set in Dalymount 1945 Rovers v Bohs - 44,238

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/FAI_Cup

[EatYerGreens]

Am tempted to go along to the Final myself as a neutral.

[ToberonaTornado]

I'm heading to the final.(Supporting Pats)
Are the premium level tickets worth it? In terms of - i'd like to have a few pints at the match etc... I've been to all of the Dundalk cup finals at the Aviva over the past few seasons but was always in the singing sections etc.

[Nesta99]

I'm heading to the final.(Supporting Pats)
Are the premium level tickets worth it? In terms of - i'd like to have a few pints at the match etc... I've been to all of the Dundalk cup finals at the Aviva over the past few seasons but was always in the singing sections etc.

I think its worth it, especially if the game is pure muck lol. Pints wouldnt be the cheapest. It beats rushing a pint in a pub to get in before KO knowing you can head to the ground a bit earlier and get a beer in. You could walk the way 'round the Aviva premium level previous years so always got a quiet bar at HT in one of the sections. Its also a quicker getaway post match when used to the routine.

[CuanaD]

Premium is great, well worth the extra cash if you have it

[Nesta99]

I took my elderly Dad and couple of the kids the 1st SRFC game, chilly day, so was good that he could head in to the warmth of the premiu area, have a beer and still be able to see the game. Of course to beat the crowd we left with a couple of minutes to go and missed the Duffy equalizer. Was only when we got to Connolly Station and the game was still on copped that it had gone to ET and penos. Bit of a blessing as id have been more than peeved off after losing a peno shootout watching live. But then George Best left the Camp Nou with minutes left of the '99 European Cup final only to walk in to a bar and see Man Utd lifting the trophy lol. You can probably gauge the atmosphere better in general when not in amongst the rowdy bunch. The last final v Cork was by far the best atmosphere including most RoI games. Not near the rugby match atmosphere though tbh. To be able to mingle with other club fans in the premium area was great too. Few Cork lads i'd still have contact with after a good auld chat before and after one of the finals.

[bohsmug]

Premium is a very enjoyable way to watch the final as a neutral. It's usually what I do. Grab an aul pint or two and all that. AFAIR you can hang around for a pint after the game before you move on but not 100% on that. Been a few years now since I was at one because I opted not to go to the one in 2019 for some reason I don't care to remember.

[Martinho II]

Yeah Im in premium section too myself as my best pal and his brother are huge bohs games so looking forward to the big day out!

[D24Saint]

I always go premium for cup finals. In normal times it’s definitely worth the extra , it will be interesting to see how it pans out next week.

[ToberonaTornado]

Thanks everyone for the replies regarding the Premium level tickets. Deffo going to buy the tickets now.GRMA Always good to know in advance.

[2 Year Contract]

Ticket bought, Bohs fan for the Afternoon.

Changed your mind? ;)

[EatYerGreens]

Can anyone confirm what Premium level entails for the extra cost ? I know there's access to a bar there, but is there anything else ? Fancy padded seats ? Free programme ? A lock of John Delaney's hair ? A high five from Stephen Kenny ?

Is it less crowded/manic there ? Smaller queues for the jacks and food ?

Am wondering whether it's worth paying double for it, so would be grateful for any information. Thanks.

There don't seem to be any Premium tickets left in the Pats end any more either. Is that just because Ticketmaster haven't released some more sections yet ?

As an aside, the Ticketmaster site is terrible. It shows a plan of the stadium, but doesn't label the stands. And there is no correlation between the seats listing on the right of yuor screen and the map of the stadium on the left, so you have no idea where the seats you're thinking of buying are located in the stadium (especially, again, as it doesn't label the stands on the map). Crazy how poor it is for a company who exist to literally do nothing other than sell tickets online.

[DCSIL]

Can anyone confirm what Premium level entails for the extra cost ? I know there's access to a bar there, but is there anything else ? Fancy padded seats ? Free programme ? A lock of John Delaney's hair ? A high five from Stephen Kenny ?

Is it less crowded/manic there ? Smaller queues for the jacks and food ?

Am wondering whether it's worth paying double for it, so would be grateful for any information. Thanks.

For the 2018 Final, was in Premium level, there’s a Couple of Bars and places to get food, nice and relaxed. Decent view but not too high up, this was down the side.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Main advantage is slightly nicer seats and a bit more leg room. Generally easier to get to a drink as well. And if it’s baltic you can actually stand inside and watch it through the window although never understand why people do that. In general don’t think it’s worth the money but when it’s only €15 difference I went for it for Sunday. Usually it’s a lot more expensive.

[2 Year Contract]

There don't seem to be any Premium tickets left in the Pats end any more either. Is that just because Ticketmaster haven't released some more sections yet ?

Yeah Pats sold their allocation of premium blocks but I wouldn’t hold my breath in terms of being given extra ones seen as they were sold over a week ago and still no sign of more.

[D24Saint]

Main advantage is slightly nicer seats and a bit more leg room. Generally easier to get to a drink as well. And if it’s baltic you can actually stand inside and watch it through the window although never understand why people do that. In general don’t think it’s worth the money but when it’s only €15 difference I went for it for Sunday. Usually it’s a lot more expensive.

It’s worth the little bit extra for the cup final but wouldn’t pay for Ireland or rugby games. A lot of companies buy tickets for that level at them games , I think the rugby match v NZ was over €150 quid a pop. I normally have a pint and stand behind the glass when I’m a neutral at the cup final.

[nigel-harps1954]

I had premium tickets for an Ireland game a few years back. Was nice to be able to have a pint and a bit of grub without the bigger queues. Nice seats, but it's nothing overly special either. For the sake of 30 quid for the cup final though it's worth it for a once off.

[CuanaD]

"Is it less crowded/manic there ? Smaller queues for the jacks and food ?"
Exactly that

[Johnnie C]

Disappointing to see that junior fixtures are fixed for next Sunday, including FAI Junior Cup games. Pre-covid no other fixtures took place on cup final day for a few years back now. Not like there's pressure to play games given how mild the weather has been to date.

[EatYerGreens]

The price for Premium seats on Ticketmaster bizarrely appears to have increased to €33.25 now !?

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

It’s that not just the usual robbing fees by Ticketmaster?

[D24Saint]

It’s that not just the usual robbing fees by Ticketmaster?

Yeah three quid is nothing. I got tickets for the Eagles and the fees really sting. It was hard to Take it Easy after that.

[lofty9]

On the premium seating now, with covid they won't let you stand behind the glass and watch the game with a pint. It can be taken to your seat, which is better IMO.

[D24Saint]

On the premium seating now, with covid they won't let you stand behind the glass and watch the game with a pint. It can be taken to your seat, which is better IMO.

Lovely that’s even better. I’ll need a sup if it goes to extra time & penalties.

[ger121]

Long suspended for the final. Bizarre stuff really. When the ‘New FAI’ seems very like the Old FAI.

[sbgawa]

Bradser was suspended for one of the recent cup finals, always seems a bit harsh imo

[ger121]

Bradser was suspended for one of the recent cup finals, always seems a bit harsh imo

Was he? Yeah a ridiculous rule no matter what club you support.

[PartySaint]

35,000 tickets sold as of this morning the FAI have confirmed.

The Aviva record will be beaten can the all time one be beaten?

[redobit]

Was he? Yeah a ridiculous rule no matter what club you support.

Plenty of players have missed cup finals too Id say. I know Richie Ryan missed the 2010 final cause of suspensions. Always thought suspenions shouldnt cross over competitions.

[Buller]

35,000 tickets sold as of this morning the FAI have confirmed.

The Aviva record will be beaten can the all time one be beaten?

Amazing stuff! I'd say it will, the buzz is only growing for this one if anything.

[lofty9]

Amazing stuff! I'd say it will, the buzz is only growing for this one if anything.


I've two kids looking for me to drive from Derry for it...Where's my St Pat's jersey!?

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Plenty of players have missed cup finals too Id say. I know Richie Ryan missed the 2010 final cause of suspensions. Always thought suspenions shouldnt cross over competitions.

Blinkhorn as well. They changed the rules after that so accumulation of yellow cards wouldn’t keep you out of the cup final but red card suspensions do.

[Nesta99]

Bradser was suspended for one of the recent cup finals, always seems a bit harsh imo

See! made little difference whether on the bench or not, his job was done prepping in advance and someone else could think on their feet during a game - rabbit in headlights.

[D24Saint]

I've two kids looking for me to drive from Derry for it...Where's my St Pat's jersey!?

A lend can be arranged 😀

[Yossarian]

Blinkhorn as well. They changed the rules after that so accumulation of yellow cards wouldn’t keep you out of the cup final but red card suspensions do.

Not sure about that. Chris Shields missed the 2019 final due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

[2 Year Contract]

Not sure about that. Chris Shields missed the 2019 final due to an accumulation of yellow cards.


It was changed so that players that accumulated 4 yellows wouldn’t miss the final (Shields missed the 2019 final due to 8 yellows) but it wasn’t until 2020 that it was changed again to mean players wouldn’t miss the final for any amount of yellows over the season

The changes in ruling for cup final suspensions are in this article

https://www.thesun.ie/sport/football/7960663/stephen-odonnell-keith-long-banned-fai-cup-final/