Ticket allocation discussion

**aidz1** · 10/01/2009, 1:08 AM

posted some of this on ybig but whats the views on here??

I am not a full block booker, merely the waiting list block bookers (WL).

For away games, tickets are first offered to block bookers (after ray treacy travel!!).
If the away quota is taken up, i will normally receive a pfo from the fai.
Even though i have already attended the 2 aways of this campaign i think this system isnt the fairest. i have been traveling to aways for the last 6 years and have always had to endure this hassle.

I would have thought a better system would be giving priority to full bb with previous attendance at home and aways, then bb waiting listers with home and aways and then full bb with home only...

As expressed on another thread here, what does p1ss me off more though is the fact that there seems to be a lot of bb's sitting on (hoarding) several bb tickets and then selling on. This prevents any on the waiting list from becoming full bb'ers which would free up more bb space, aleviating my problem in getting our end away tickets.

**Newryrep** · 10/01/2009, 12:56 PM

Originally Posted by aidz1

posted some of this on ybig but whats the views on here??

I am not a full block booker, merely the waiting list block bookers (WL).

... end away tickets.

This was touched on before but the general consesnus was that tickets were only a problem on Basle Mk 1.

Having said that I am the same as yourself only a waiting lister so am hoping to get tickets for Bari from the FAI. From a personal point of view home games should be separate from away game. The Scots appear to have the fairest system where home games dont count and the last 10 away games including friendlies are taken into account and awarded a point.

Depending on away allocation, a minimum number of points will get the tickets and those on the next points go into a ballot - thus you could of gone to maybe 5 out of 10 games and still get a ticket.

Since it has to start sometime it would have to be the next away game preferably an unglamourous one like Tbilisi or a friendly. BB should be offered tickets first, then waiting listers then general public etc.

If you went to (Tblisi originally)Mainz and Podgorica you should get priority over a home BB or anybody else for Bari.

If you are consistantly going to away games/away friendlies I dont believe a BB should have a priority for the glamourous tie.

The glamour tie for Scotland is away to Holland - obviously demand will exceed supply but given the allocation the feeling is that those on 3 points and above will be guaranteed tickets, those on 2 points should be alright and those on one point would go into a ballot.

My 2 cents anyway as a waiting lister and somebody who is only likely to go the only half the away games/away friendlies.

**Cowboy** · 10/01/2009, 6:00 PM

Thats a fair point. Not counting home games for away tickets makes a lot of sense.

**Nah Nah Nah Nah** · 10/01/2009, 8:06 PM

Originally Posted by Cowboy

Thats a fair point. Not counting home games for away tickets makes a lot of sense.

Sense isn't a word in the FAI dictionary.

I can't see them changing it. They will want to look after the people who give them money for their home games first

**lopez** · 10/01/2009, 11:50 PM

Originally Posted by Nah Nah Nah Nah

Sense isn't a word in the FAI dictionary.

I can't see them changing it. They will want to look after the people who give them money for their home games first

I think it's time this issue was raised with the FAI. I don't think they care either way. Away games are outside their financial remit. What the FAI may want are away tickets going to the consistently good (i.e. loud) supporters that were in Bratislava and Prague and not the a*seholes that were in Basel 1. However, as a solely away game merchant, I do have a valid interest in an SFA system being adopted. (Perhaps the finals of a major tournament could be excluded).

The only trouble is that as the FAI sell their packages for long terms (10 years in the past, although I don't know if this continues) that the value of selling the packages could be wrecked by taking away the away game perks. Then again, the need to now declare the antrant's name on the ticket means that the blockbookers can only book tickets for away games if they are actually going to attend.

PS. I reckon 3-4K for this game, as it's midweek, so no prob with tickets.

**Beal Feirste** · 11/01/2009, 1:04 AM

To be honest as a regular attendee at home matches and a regular attendee at away matches there will be no problem at getting at ticket for the bari game. If the FAI dont get you one you will get it off fellow fans or outside the ground. Remember amsterdam, paris, sttugart etc etc. Focus your attention on getting accommodation (we secured 2 quadruple rooms in a b&b near the stadium - wif a pool - but it was a real struggle to get somewhere close to bari). WBISC Slan

**Newryrep** · 11/01/2009, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by Beal Feirste

To be honest as a regular attendee at home matches and a regular attendee at away matches there will be no problem at getting at ticket for the bari game. If the FAI dont get you one you will get it off fellow fans or outside the ground. Remember amsterdam, paris, sttugart etc etc. Focus your attention on getting accommodation (we secured 2 quadruple rooms in a b&b near the stadium - wif a pool - but it was a real struggle to get somewhere close to bari). WBISC Slan

BF, dont thnk there will be a problem at Bari myself as Lopez says its midweek and not that easy to get to but would prefer to have my tickets in hand rather than spend the time over there (which isnt that much) running around trying to source 2 tickets beside one another. Imagine a game in Rome on a Saturday every man and their dog will want to go. Bulgaria might be harder ticket wise

dont think anything will happen regarding away tickets but it couldnt be that difficult to keep a record

**Newryrep** · 11/01/2009, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by lopez

I think it's time this issue was raised with the FAI. I don't think they care either way. Away games are outside their financial remit. What the FAI may want are away tickets going to the consistently good (i.e. loud) supporters that were in Bratislava and Prague and not the a*seholes that were in Basel 1. However, as a solely away game merchant, I do have a valid interest in an SFA system being adopted. (Perhaps the finals of a major tournament could be excluded).
The only trouble is that as the FAI sell their packages for long terms (10 years in the past, although I don't know if this continues) that the value of selling the packages could be wrecked by taking away the away game perks. Then again, the need to now declare the antrant's name on the ticket means that the blockbookers can only book tickets for away games if they are actually going to attend.

PS. I reckon 3-4K for this game, as it's midweek, so no prob with tickets.

Would this not be the prime reason for having it ? - rewarding those who travelled to all the away games both in terms of cost and time off, imagine going to Tbilisi, Podgorica, Bari, Sofia,Cyprus and not getting offical tickets from the FAI for the world Cup in SA?

**jbyrne** · 11/01/2009, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by elroy

The FAI will probably get an allocation of about 5k. Id imagine there will be more than that travelling. But seeing as the capacity of the stadium is 58k, there should be no problem with tickets. I think someone pointed out that when Italy played Scotland there in the last campaign it wasnt sold out so should be able to pick up tickets over there.

we are entitled to 15% of capacity and thats 8,700. cant see more than that going so tickets wont be a problem. also, i heard that only 37,000 attended their last bari qualifier against the scots so we will probably get as many as we need. tickets wont be a problem i feel

**Greenforever** · 11/01/2009, 1:02 PM

Originally Posted by Newryrep

Would this not be the prime reason for having it ? - rewarding those who travelled to all the away games both in terms of cost and time off, imagine going to Tbilisi, Podgorica, Bari, Sofia,Cyprus and not getting offical tickets from the FAI for the world Cup in SA?

Won't happen, if we qualify for SA the FAI will get in the region of 7,000 tickets per game, anyone getting tickets for away games directly from FAI will get them no problem, IF you get your tickets through a 3rd party you cant blame the FAI if that party lets you down.

Any genuine person who is a regular at the away games WILL ALWAYS get a ticket. If you attend away games surely you have seen lads with extra tickets hanging onto them to see if they come across another regular before offloading an extra ticket.

Personally I've never had a problem getting tickets and have always been able to source extra tickets if needed.

**Newryrep** · 11/01/2009, 1:25 PM

Originally Posted by Greenforever

Won't happen, if we qualify for SA the FAI will get in the region of 7,000 tickets per game, anyone getting tickets for away games directly from FAI will get them no problem, IF you get your tickets through a 3rd party you cant blame the FAI if that party lets you down.

Any genuine person who is a regular at the away games WILL ALWAYS get a ticket. If you attend away games surely you have seen lads with extra tickets hanging onto them to see if they come across another regular before offloading an extra ticket.

Personally I've never had a problem getting tickets and have always been able to source extra tickets if needed.

GF I dont disagree with you and I know a few of the lads on here after meeting them in Mainz as well as some of the lads from Warrenpoint who I hope would sort me out but as I said if you are only in a place for a couple of days I dont want to spend the time running around trying to source 2 tickets side by side. I was booked for Tbilisi went to Mainz and have applied for Bari/sofia

**Nah Nah Nah Nah** · 11/01/2009, 1:53 PM

Originally Posted by lopez

I think it's time this issue was raised with the FAI. I don't think they care either way. Away games are outside their financial remit. What the FAI may want are away tickets going to the consistently good (i.e. loud) supporters that were in Bratislava and Prague and not the a*seholes that were in Basel 1. However, as a solely away game merchant, I do have a valid interest in an SFA system being adopted. (Perhaps the finals of a major tournament could be excluded).

The only trouble is that as the FAI sell their packages for long terms (10 years in the past, although I don't know if this continues) that the value of selling the packages could be wrecked by taking away the away game perks. Then again, the need to now declare the antrant's name on the ticket means that the blockbookers can only book tickets for away games if they are actually going to attend.

PS. I reckon 3-4K for this game, as it's midweek, so no prob with tickets.

How come you don't go to the home games?

**Greenforever** · 11/01/2009, 2:29 PM

Originally Posted by Newryrep

GF I dont disagree with you and I know a few of the lads on here after meeting them in Mainz as well as some of the lads from Warrenpoint who I hope would sort me out but as I said if you are only in a place for a couple of days I dont want to spend the time running around trying to source 2 tickets side by side. I was booked for Tbilisi went to Mainz and have applied for Bari/sofia

Agreed, did you get yout tickets for Mainz direct from FAI? Did you go to Montenegro? If you are not allocated tickets PM me and il try and source tickets.

**Greenforever** · 11/01/2009, 2:31 PM

Originally Posted by Nah Nah Nah Nah

How come you don't go to the home games?

Cant answer for Lopez but I know many wgo only go to away games as they dont live in Ireland!

**Newryrep** · 11/01/2009, 2:47 PM

Originally Posted by Greenforever

Agreed, did you get yout tickets for Mainz direct from FAI? Did you go to Montenegro? If you are not allocated tickets PM me and il try and source tickets.

Yeah got the Mainz tickets from FAI as I had requested Tbilisi tickets, didnt go to Montenegro because of cost of getting there from Tblisi so made other arrangements that were too expensive to cancel after the game was re-arranged. Thanks for the offer of help

**EastTerracer** · 11/01/2009, 3:28 PM

Originally Posted by Greenforever

Won't happen, if we qualify for SA the FAI will get in the region of 7,000 tickets per game, anyone getting tickets for away games directly from FAI will get them no problem, IF you get your tickets through a 3rd party you cant blame the FAI if that party lets you down.

Any genuine person who is a regular at the away games WILL ALWAYS get a ticket. If you attend away games surely you have seen lads with extra tickets hanging onto them to see if they come across another regular before offloading an extra ticket.

If only this were so. Although I've always been a block-booker (since the early 80s) and have always received a ticket for an away game, when it comes to the major finals the FAI have always struggled to come up with tickets for the travelling fans. The 7,000 allocation for South Africa sounds like an improvement but in Italy and the US the official allocation was around 3,000. When it comes to a major finals, sponsors and the FAI officials get priority and then whatever remains is allocated on a lottery basis amongst all the block-bookers who apply. I got nothing from the lottery in 90 and 94 and had to rely on scavenging. If you get a regular away allocation but are not on the block-booking list then I think you'll be very lucky to get an "official" allocation for the finals.

As Greenforever says above though there will always be genuine fans who have spare tickets and will look after someone who's stuck. The fans' ticket distribution system is far more efficient than the FAI's - just think back to Giants Stadium!

**Greenforever** · 11/01/2009, 7:17 PM

Originally Posted by EastTerracer

If only this were so. Although I've always been a block-booker (since the early 80s) and have always received a ticket for an away game, when it comes to the major finals the FAI have always struggled to come up with tickets for the travelling fans. The 7,000 allocation for South Africa sounds like an improvement but in Italy and the US the official allocation was around 3,000. When it comes to a major finals, sponsors and the FAI officials get priority and then whatever remains is allocated on a lottery basis amongst all the block-bookers who apply. I got nothing from the lottery in 90 and 94 and had to rely on scavenging. If you get a regular away allocation but are not on the block-booking list then I think you'll be very lucky to get an "official" allocation for the finals.

As Greenforever says above though there will always be genuine fans who have spare tickets and will look after someone who's stuck. The fans' ticket distribution system is far more efficient than the FAI's - just think back to Giants Stadium!

In fairness to everyone that was 14 years ago, nowadays the FAI have comprehemsive records of all tickets which they didnt then.

Also given that there were no more than 3,000 IMO in Mainz and probably half that in Montenegro it is fair to say that we overstate the true numbers who regularly attend away games.

If memory serves me right there was no problem getting tickets for Japan and Korea.

**elroy** · 11/01/2009, 10:08 PM

Originally Posted by jbyrne

we are entitled to 15% of capacity and thats 8,700. cant see more than that going so tickets wont be a problem. also, i heard that only 37,000 attended their last bari qualifier against the scots so we will probably get as many as we need. tickets wont be a problem i feel

I thought it was just 10% we were entitled to?? All the same, we should receive enough tickets.

My only issue with tickets for this game is that from having attended a few Serie A recently, tickets are issued with your name on it. So if you try to access the ground with a ticket and dont have ID to match you could be refused. I have never been asked for ID on entering the stadium but you need to produce passport etc when buying tickets. The system works quite well and was brought in a few years back to combat the crowd trouble they were experiencing at Serie A games. Im not sure if the same policy applies to the national teams games, unlikely I would think.

**lopez** · 11/01/2009, 11:13 PM

Originally Posted by Newryrep

Would this not be the prime reason for having it ? - rewarding those who travelled to all the away games both in terms of cost and time off, imagine going to Tbilisi, Podgorica, Bari, Sofia,Cyprus and not getting offical tickets from the FAI for the world Cup in SA?

I would personally agree with you there, but the main thing is that there are people who go just to away games, then they should IMO be the first for away competitive match tickets, as they are with the SFA.

Originally Posted by Nah Nah Nah Nah

How come you don't go to the home games?

I live just outside London so leave is short, costs etc. I used to go to home and away but I gave up my own block booking about 12 years ago. I go to the odd game, but competive games at Lansdowne Road were always hard to get to. I also prefer away games and go to the friendlies aswell.

I suppose that costs, leave are as much a problem for those in Sligo, if they were relying on public transport. It probably would cost me less from Luton Airport to Dublin than someone like you by train. And of course, it's a lot cheaper for me from London to away games. Often �10-�20 for a friendly where Ryanair fly to within 100 miles before all the other 'taxes' bump it up to nearly a ton.