letter in today's City Tribune from an angry Utd fan.

[Conor H]

No need for anybody to start dishing out personal jibes at him either.
He's wrong with nearly everything and one would be right to question his loyalty and manner in which he chose to complain.

Neverthless,we're a MASSIVE Club and slating one of our own when he can't defend himself is Limerick style.

I think some people relish in the privilge of a username and mightn't be half as quick with some of their comments if they were using their real name.

Having said that i'd concur with everything MyTown has said but don't feel the need for this thread to continue.Let's just forget about it and concentrate on how many goals we're going to beat Harps by!

[Tir Oilean]

Yeah I agree time to round this one up there are more pressing matters like the FAI Cup!

[MyTown]

BaileBan:

I'm not an expert on the rules of this forum. I have fallen foul of them on more than one occassion myself. But the use of "handles", "pen-names" or "monikers" allows people to post their opinions freely while keeping their identity secret. Many of us know each other but respect the anonymity offered by the forum. Ideally it should also keep forum users out of the courts. With that in mind you might want to re-register under a new username - or maybe not. The choice is yours.

On the issue of Pearse Stadium: At first I couldn't understand why alternatives like it could not be looked at in the interests of the club but I suspect the time between the confirmation of the fixture and the fixture itself was not enough to push a deal through (remember, a huge amount of the behind-the-scenes work is done by GUFC people in their "spare" time).

I thought the prospect of clearing more of the debt would be very attractive to the local GAA hierarchy. I think it is reasonable to ask if Bob Dylan and Bryan Adams are good enough for the Stadium then why not Galway United?

My personal belief is that local residents would have sought an injunction to stop it going ahead (unless as is the case with Croke Park, they were being offered a helluva deal), regardless of how the GAA hierarchy themselves would have felt about it.

The other issue with the Sunderland fixture is that the main purpose of it is the official opening of the new stand in Terryland - and the Galway & District League could hardly celebrate that in Salthill

Anyway another poster has already suggested enough of energy has been expended on this one, so maybe the moderators will now come on Board and lock the thread.

They have all the power - deciding who gets the last word

[gufct]

Just 2 points John I am not Anti GAA Just a realist - We havent a hope of ever getting the stadium - Croke Park Yes but local & County grounds not a hope.

No one on that friday night bought a kids Ticket at €20 i spent three quarters of an hour explaining to the first 200/400 people in the queue outside what the procedure was and didnt have one word of complaint.

Its very easy to be on the outside knocking what the club does but its harder to do a job voluntarily and face abuse from certain people (not saying you are one) who are knowalls and tell you how to run the club.

Id be more than willing to talk to you the next night i meet you in Terryland.

[Claret Murph]

Mr Cahill as for hiding behind a name most people who use the board and G.net know who I am , a lot has been said and I am not going to add anymore so you can have the last word . If our paths ever cross please don't speak .
GOOD BYE .

[gufct]

John and this my last post on this matter you didnt reply to my point about the Kids Tickets despite stating in your letter that people bought them for €20 on the night.

[GuisaSaigon]

Supporter: an adherent, follower, backer, or advocate
Customer : a person who purchases goods or services from another; buyer

I have always considered myself a supporter of Galway United not a customer of Galway United. As a supporter I try to help my club not attack it. If this deems me "blinkered" then so be it.

This public attempt to damage the club is a strange move for someone who considers himself a supporter of the club.

Cork City who have a much bigger ground than us haven't even put tickets for their Sunderland game on sale to the public. Galway United could easily have done the same but after taking care of season ticket holders, they chose to put a limited number of tickets on sale to the general public.
Childrens tickets had already sold out at this stage. Tough luck John, get over it.
GUST meet every two weeks and were in constant contact with the club in relation to Sunderland tickets. Having attended GUST meetings and club meetings where all aspects of this Sunderland game were discussed, I am happy that the club did their utmost to keep everybody happy.
Unfortunately, this is impossible as there is always somebody waiting to take a shot at United.
Goodbye John.

[Conor H]

In fairness to John he's held his own quite well and has been very acknowledgeable and respectful of other people's efforts and opinions.

What perplexes me John is why you felt the need to go threw the papers?You've maid your points hear in a dignified and low key manner.Was there a reason you couldn't have just spoke to one of the MC and outlined your grievances as opposed to writing the City Rag?

After this hopefully the matter can be forgotten about as it's been exhausted at this stage and is overshadowing a crucial game for us on Friday.

[Conor H]

Was it 40 Euro for a kids tickets ? That is very pricey lads

It was E40 for a stand ticket.

You can bet your right arm Sligo would have charged the exact same if not more.

[Conor H]

Why do so many people fail to grasp the concept of a fundraiser?I mean seriously....

99% of people have no complaints about the prices.GUFC have also allowed 3000 kids in Galway to watch Sunderland for free the night before the match.

We're not taking the ****,as you so elegantly put it,out of anyone.We're bringing over a Club from England to play in a "glamour" friendly.If people were concerned about the prices then why was the demand unprecedented?

Half the City and County were mad for tickets aswell as the red necks that flock to Galway for race week.

[Conor H]

We hope to raise a MASSIVE amount of money but the expenses of this game are nothing short of hefty either.

I wouldn't like to post on a public forum the amount i've heard for a few reasons.Hope you understand where i'm coming from.

[inthestand99]

Why are we still bitching about this. Most of the people creating the negativity about this are not true supporters and only "occasional" visitors to Terryland. Lets move on .....the lads are back training and Friday night is getting closer. Bring on the Harps. Always a nice crew to have in Terryland.

[Paddyfield]

Baileban, if you don't mind me saying, I think that you are making your points better on this website than you did in the City Tribune.

I've been to all the games that you have been to over the last 20+ years too so your loyalty (or mine...!) is not to be questioned. I acknowledge that you felt perplexed by the Club but I could never write to the papers in the manner that you did. It would be like betraying a loved one. However, you did what you had to do and I respect that you did it out of utter frustration. However, you wrote your letter, you got a response, you replied to the response and signed off your reply by saying that you will not discuss the matter any further. This leaves the matter unresolved.

It was always inevitable that the Chairman was going to defend the Club using the same weapon you attacked it with i.e. a letter to the newspaper. I assume that the Club will reply in Friday's City Tribune. Will you break your silence, if needs be?


PS I must know you to see because you have been to the same dreary games in pre-seated, pre-floodlit, pre-historic Terryland when there were only 200 drenched people watching visiting "glamour" teams like Newcastle West and Home Farm.

[Paddyfield]

Was it 40 Euro for a kids tickets ? That is very pricey lads

It was 20 Euro for a kids ticket (in the old stand) and 40 Euro for a kid into the new stand. It's steep but you gotta make hay when the sun shines.

[Trainee]

When Sunderland Prices were frist made Public they were:
Season Tickets:20 euro
Kids Tickets: 20 euro
Ground Tickets:40 euro
New Stand: 50 euro

With the kids tickets they were to be sold to kids with season tickts and family season tickets holders with any un sold to be sold at UCD game( but due to high demand they all so out long before UCD)

So Galway United Contacted all the Local Papers and Galway Bay FM in run up to UCD To Let any one who Wanted to see Sunderland Game, that only 500 tickets would be on sale at 40 euro each.

So its not Galway United's fault Mr. Cahill didnt read this in any of the local media in the run up to UCD,but everyone else who bought tickets must have as they saw no need see the need to complain
Galway Utd were Right Mr. Cahill wrong end of story

[Ceirtlis]

On the Pearse Stadium thing, it would have taken a 2 thirds majority in favour under a vote at a GAA convention for Galway United to be allowed to be played there. This is what was needed for croke park which is only a special dispensation while landsdowne is being done up so as to save matches being brought to Britain, Ireland are still not allowed to play friendly games there. The Sportsground is not big enough, so Terryland is the only place where the game could have been held.
As for being a business in fairness Galway United is not like Tesco or Dunnes. It is kept going mainly by volunteers and noone is out to make a personal profit so letters back and forth in a newspaper do no one any good.

[Patrick Dunne]

Regarding Pearse Stadium, a seat in the stand for a first round Connacht game (Galway vs Mayo) cost E30. This means that the GAA took in over E200K in gate receipts from the main stand alone, from a game that is not even a Connacht semi-final. This is not anti-GAA, just plain fact.

There is no local media criticism of the GAA on their ticket pricing. The GAA are portrayed as dyed in the wool volunteers putting endless hours of effort for the local community.

Of course, the "soccer crowd" are all dodgy business types trying to rip off their supporters. They are all well paid, slick PR characters.

The way this myth is perpetuated maddens me, especially when it is added to by someone purporting to be a supporter of Galway United.

[Patrick Dunne]

Galway United FC have four full-time office staff.

We have up to 100 club volunteers who play a huge role in the running of the club.

We have 20 stewards, 25 people on the Lotto team, 10 programme sellers, 30 people on various club committees. We have GUST members who put up 150 match posters free of charge.

Club officers like Chairman, Secretary, Finance Officer, Lotto Administrator, Event Manager, Facilities Chairman all put in 20+ (and in some cases far more) hours per week on a strictly voluntary basis.

The points raised by baileban were reasonably legitimate, however the manner in which they were aired leave a lot to be desired. Referring to club volunteers as "luminaries", guff about spin doctors and people claiming expenses for club scarves.

Club "luminaries" don't "parade around the front of the stand", they are stewarding, manning the gates, selling programmes and Lotto tickets so you can watch Regilio Nooitmeer, Alan Murphy, John Russell etc play for Galway United.

It is every supporters prerogative not to become involved as a club volunteer. But if you are not going to lead, and you are not going to follow, then at the very least get out of the way.

[gufct]

Top Post Pa and John if you read Trainees post you will see the exact pricing and the fact that it was stressed in all the local media and on the club website for the full week prior to the UCD Game that the only tickets on sale were the €40 ground tickets.

Of the 5,000 people attending the sunderland game mor than half will have paid only €20 .These are the season ticket holders who stumped up there €80, €175 or €300 at the start of the season and I dont think the club should be attacked for looking after these people first.

The costs of staging this game are huge and its not all that long ago that we only got over 800 people at games against Premiership opposition in Terryland so the club was taking a gamble last februrary when they organised this game.

The revenue from this game will enable Tony to bring in 3/4 players to bolster our campaign and may see us break even this season which will be a huge achievement considering the costs involved.

John you have told us all not to be so blinkered well maybe its time you opened your eyes and saw the real world.

[gilberto_eire]

Regarding Pearse Stadium, a seat in the stand for a first round Connacht game (Galway vs Mayo) cost E30. This means that the GAA took in over E200K in gate receipts from the main stand alone, from a game that is not even a Connacht semi-final. This is not anti-GAA, just plain fact.

There is no local media criticism of the GAA on their ticket pricing. The GAA are portrayed as dyed in the wool volunteers putting endless hours of effort for the local community.

Of course, the "soccer crowd" are all dodgy business types trying to rip off their supporters. They are all well paid, slick PR characters.

The way this myth is perpetuated maddens me, especially when it is added to by someone purporting to be a supporter of Galway United.

i have to say theres no critisism of the GAA for ticket pricing cause there fair enough...im a regular attender and a championship game is €20 for an adult and just €5 for an U-16.... this goes up only for the final...I THINK!!.