Saturday KO Time affecting attendance?

[SuperDave]

I’m on the FAI’s block booking list for Republic of Ireland home games since they started their series of games at Croke Park in 2007. I buy eight tickets @ €50 each for myself, friends and family for every home game including friendlies. I was telephoned yesterday by the FAI to tell me that unfortunately I wouldn’t be getting to see the boys in green playing any time soon at their fabulous new stadium on Lansdowne Road. Due to supply and demand I’m roundabout position 1,200 on the waiting list. That’s fair enough. I only signed up relatively recently and though the Aviva has more capacity (50,000) than the old Lansdowne Road (36,000 fully seated) it is a lot smaller than the cavernous Croke Park (82,300). What gets me though, is that once the bad news had been broken, the chat turned into a sales pitch for premium level Vantage Club tickets. My caller was ringing all the block bookers on the waiting list, who regularly buy six or more tickets for RoI home games, to try and sell the “prawn sandwich” tickets that cost €12,000 for ten years. I simply can’t afford that and told him so. Then his tack changed to “well, if you bought a couple of premium tickets on direct debit, we might be able to get you a couple of general admission tickets as well”. Now hang on... I thought they were all allocated. Hmmm... Apres Match once described the FAI as the best run football association in Merrion Square. They’ve moved offices but some things never change.

WTF? 1,200 and you aren't getting tickets? That's madness!! We have to organise some sort of protest!! Especially if they are giving access to general access tickets as part of vantage club tickets. That is absolutely disgraceful and is a break with FAI tradition.... in that we expect rank incompetence and maybe even a little subtle corruption, but blatant public unapologetic disregard of ordinary fans without so much as lip service to the part they play in the game is a slightly lower new low.

[MariborKev]

I’m on the FAI’s block booking list for Republic of Ireland home games since they started their series of games at Croke Park in 2007. I buy eight tickets @ €50 each for myself, friends and family for every home game including friendlies. I was telephoned yesterday by the FAI to tell me that unfortunately I wouldn’t be getting to see the boys in green playing any time soon at their fabulous new stadium on Lansdowne Road. Due to supply and demand I’m roundabout position 1,200 on the waiting list. That’s fair enough. I only signed up relatively recently and though the Aviva has more capacity (50,000) than the old Lansdowne Road (36,000 fully seated) it is a lot smaller than the cavernous Croke Park (82,300). What gets me though, is that once the bad news had been broken, the chat turned into a sales pitch for premium level Vantage Club tickets. My caller was ringing all the block bookers on the waiting list, who regularly buy six or more tickets for RoI home games, to try and sell the “prawn sandwich” tickets that cost €12,000 for ten years. I simply can’t afford that and told him so. Then his tack changed to “well, if you bought a couple of premium tickets on direct debit, we might be able to get you a couple of general admission tickets as well”. Now hang on... I thought they were all allocated. Hmmm... Apres Match once described the FAI as the best run football association in Merrion Square. They’ve moved offices but some things never change.

Right,

Just to clarify, was it ING or the FAI ringing you?

[harps1954]

Right,

Just to clarify, was it ING or the FAI ringing you?

The FAI. I got the same phonecall from them about three or four weeks ago. I'm around the 1200 mark on the waiting list as well and was told that at a maximum only the first 150-200 on the waiting list "have any chance of being upgraded to full block bookers."

[Greenforever]

The FAI. I got the same phonecall from them about three or four weeks ago. I'm around the 1200 mark on the waiting list as well and was told that at a maximum only the first 150-200 on the waiting list "have any chance of being upgraded to full block bookers."

I think you are mistaken, the FAI are not selling the van tage club and if you were to ring the ticket office to enquire about buying vantage club tickets they willput you in touch with ING.

What you have encountered is a less than honest sales person from ING who is on commission and will say anything to get a sale, knowing he is only on a short term contract and has nothing to lose by lies and misrepresentations and all to gain if some suckers take the bait.

Tickets for LR should be relatively easy to get for all games for genuine suporters who go to al matches,

[eamon666]

MariborKev, The caller definitely identified himself as being from the FAI. Dunno if he was telling lies, but that's what he said. I'm glad harps1954 got a similar call, so I didn't imagine the whole thing. Phew! The caller told me that all the existing Lansdowne Road block bookers had already been contacted to confirm their ticket requirements, and the place was more or less full, and that I was about number 1,200 in the queue virtually standing outside the ground. However, I checked with the FAI ticket office in the last few days and I'm number three thousand and something on their list. Even worse! My big problem, though, is that the FAI are using the ordinary block booking tickets as sweeteners to get people to set up direct debits to buy the outrageously priced Vantage Club tickets. I can get an Old Trafford season ticket for the best (but not premium) seats for just shy of €1,200 per year. The fare on offer there is generally better than what you'll see in Lansdowne Road, but that's another story. I would love to have a couple (or more) of regular tickets for the Aviva and would go to any auld ****e (as I've done over the years at Croke Park and at Lansdowne Road) just to retain my block booking and support the Boys in Green. It's annoying though that the block booking tickets are being frittered away to hawk overpriced corporate seats that are well out of the reach of most people's incomes. Any thoughts, suggestions or comments welcome. Thanks.

[MariborKev]

eamon,

I wasn't having a go- in fact I think it is a disgrace.

However I'd still go with GreenForever's analysis of the situation.

I'd email or phone the FAI and alert them as to the sales practices of the ING staff.

[Greenforever]

MariborKev, The caller definitely identified himself as being from the FAI. Dunno if he was telling lies, but that's what he said.
These sales people always misrepresent themselves, I've had similar sales people telling me they worked for customers of ours over the years, looking for me to provide support advertising for my customers, always to find out they actually work for the advertising medium.

I'm glad harps1954 got a similar call, so I didn't imagine the whole thing. Phew! The caller told me that all the existing Lansdowne Road block bookers had already been contacted to confirm their ticket requirements, and the place was more or less full, and that I was about number 1,200 in the queue virtually standing outside the ground.

I have been on the BB list since day 1, and have never been contacted regarding my ongoing requirements.

However, I checked with the FAI ticket office in the last few days and I'm number three thousand and something on their list. Even worse! My big problem, though, is that the FAI are using the ordinary block booking tickets as sweeteners to get people to set up direct debits to buy the outrageously priced Vantage Club tickets. I can get an Old Trafford season ticket for the best (but not premium) seats for just shy of €1,200 per year. The fare on offer there is generally better than what you'll see in Lansdowne Road, but that's another story. I would love to have a couple (or more) of regular tickets for the Aviva and would go to any auld ****e (as I've done over the years at Croke Park and at Lansdowne Road) just to retain my block booking and support the Boys in Green. It's annoying though that the block booking tickets are being frittered away to hawk overpriced corporate seats that are well out of the reach of most people's incomes. Any thoughts, suggestions or comments welcome.

I would not worry too much, about tickets and for the very odd sold out match you could buy a one off premium level ticket which will be on general sale for all matches, given there is no chance the FAI will sell all 10,000 of these tickets.
Thanks.

aaaaaa

[Newryrep]

If they are trying to flog premium tickets they are hardly going to say you are sorted for the ordinary tickets.

However as the existing BB tickets and new BB tickets are likely to be similar in numbers given the away/premium allocations I too am more pessimistic about becoming a BB.

The lack of uptake on the premium seats may well be advantegeous from a waiting list point of view - if not an FAI finance point of view.

The recession also has possibly had an effect on exisitng BB's

Its all guesswork at this stage not sure when a decision will be made but would rather know sooner rather than later

[Greenforever]

If they are trying to flog premium tickets they are hardly going to say you are sorted for the ordinary tickets.

However as the existing BB tickets and new BB tickets are likely to be similar in numbers given the away/premium allocations I too am more pessimistic about becoming a BB.

The lack of uptake on the premium seats may well be advantegeous from a waiting list point of view - if not an FAI finance point of view.

The recession also has possibly had an effect on exisitng BB's

Its all guesswork at this stage not sure when a decision will be made but would rather know sooner rather than later

They will increase the BB to the very max possible as they are guaranteed sales, you are correct though the old capacity meant about 33,000 tickets available to home supporters and this will only increase by a couple of thousand as the premium level is a seperate area altogether. Don't be surprised if these are eventually offered on a match by match basis for c €20 extra per ticket except the likes of Italy, and suddenly those who purchase them are automatically re offered them on a match to match basis. Bottom line is they can't afford not to sell them so there should be another 5,000 tickets or so available this way. They probably will however categorise matches for these tickets with the likes of Italy costing up to double say Montenegro.

[SuperDave]

No matter who was making the call, they could not have offered the possibility of buying ordinary block booking tickets along with vantage club tickets unless that was possible and they were given authority by the FAI to do it... which leads me to think that this offer must be for real and means the number of people on the waiting list who will get standard block booking tickets may not be as high as we would like it to be. I hope it's not true cos I am about 1,200 on the list but I think the FAI probably need to do something like this to sell vantage club tickets. I just hope it doesn't mean I can't get tickets when Aviva opens.

On a completely unrelated note, I was talking to the ticket office a few months back and as I currently get four tickets at croke park, I asked how many I might get at LR, but they didn't know. Grr. As long as I get at least two, I'll be happy.

[eamon666]

MariborKev, I know you weren't having a go. I just wanted to clarify that the guy said he was ringing from the FAI.

Newryrep, the caller said if I signed up for some premiu tickets, they'd do their best to sort me out for some regular tickets for my friends (I currently have a block booking of 8 tickets at Croker)

GreenForever, I'd say you're right that it probably was some over-zealous ING telesales person in a commission-driven frenzy, misreresenting themselves as an FAI employee. I don't want to get anyone fired from their job, but it makes my blood boil that the FAI might be using precious affordable block booking tickets to shift the overpriced Vantage Club tickets. I just want to be able to stake my claim to a pair of those block booking tickets, which I would use-long term (guaranteed revenue for the FAI).

On your other point, I honestly can't see FAI charging a measly extra twenty quid for premium tickets on a match-by-match basis. I'd expect they'd prefer to halve the prices of the ten year tickets to get guaranteed revenue in before they'd resort to that.

It looks like I've been told two lies already by my caller: 1. they were from the FAI and 2. I was number 1,200 not 3,xxx on the waiting list. Who knows what other bull**** he spun me? I think I'll wait and see how it pans out.

As a matter of interest, has anyone on the Lansdowne Road block booking been contacted by the FAI to confirm their requirements for the Aviva (as my caller said has happened)?

Thanks for the comments and support lads!

[eamon666]

Hi Superdave. Just saw your post. Either my caller was making a genuine offer, sanctioned by FAI, or he was talking ****e to make a sale. I don't know. He already seems to be guilty of 2 porkies

1. He's not from the FAI and

2. I'm further down the waiting list than twelve hundred. It's hardly likely that, you me and Harps1954 are all number 1,200 on the waiting list. Email or call the ticket office and ask them whereabouts you both are on the waiting list.

I currently hold 8 tickets for Croke Park and according to my caller and the Ticket Office I won't be going to any games at Aviva any time soon.

[Greenforever]

No matter who was making the call, they could not have offered the possibility of buying ordinary block booking tickets along with vantage club tickets unless that was possible and they were given authority by the FAI to do it... .

Unscruplous sales people do things like this all the time and I would guess if you complaines to the FAI the unnamed salesperson would deny all, best thing would be if you get another phone call is to say YES I'm interested in taking 2 Vantage club seats if you can guarantee a further 4 tickets on the block booking scheme and ask him to confirm this in writing on official FAI headed paper.....I reckon that would be end of conversation

[elroy]

The FAI hold all the aces here as far as the BB waiting list is concerned so they are going to come out with a definite decision anytime soon. They have approx 12 months before the next game so i would not be expecting any correspondence untill spring next year.

In relation to the premium tickets, if the reports are to be believed they wont sell out so it will be interesting to see their strategy. I cant see them reducing the overall price of the ten year tickets as that would be a bit of an admin nightmare having to refund a portion of the tickets bought so far plus theres no guarantee that it would result in the rest of the premium level selling out.....so a gamble in other words.

[eamon666]

The FAI hold all the aces here as far as the BB waiting list is concerned so they are going to come out with a definite decision anytime soon. They have approx 12 months before the next game so i would not be expecting any correspondence untill spring next year.

Elroy, What is the "definite decision" that the FAI have to make? I spoke to a Lansdowne Road BB friend of mine today who originally had 2 Lansdowne Road tickets and now has 4 Croke Park tickets. He has been told he'll be getting 2 Aviva tickets. The old Lansdowne block bookers seem to have been sorted and the rest of us are on the waiting list. Maybe some of the posters on this forum could confirm this? The only way we'll move up the list is through people giving up their block booking due to changes in personal circumstances (redundancy, reduced imcome, emigration, illness, etc.) or if the team's fortune's change for the worse and people just don't want to spend their hard earned cash following the team. I think if you're on the waiting list, the only option is to go to what games you can get tickets for, and there will be some. If Ireland get to play any big ticket games, I'd say we'll all be back up to Croke Park again on a per game basis. Thoughts, lads?

[Greenforever]

The only way we'll move up the list is through people giving up their block booking due to changes in personal circumstances (redundancy, reduced imcome, emigration, illness, etc.) or if the team's fortune's change for the worse and people just don't want to spend their hard earned cash following the team. I think if you're on the waiting list, the only option is to go to what games you can get tickets for, and there will be some. If Ireland get to play any big ticket games, I'd say we'll all be back up to Croke Park again on a per game basis. Thoughts, lads?

There will always be a bit of movement on the BB list for the above easons, mind you in my own case we have had 2 drop out (geting on in years / health reasons) but the tickets have been snapped up by thier grandkids which imo is acceptable.

THere will NOT be any internationals played in Croker after LR reopens due to the naming rights deal with Aviva.

[eamon666]

Greenforever, I've no problem with grandkids taking over the family block booking. Didn't know that about no more internationals at Croker. So, theroetically, if we had a ECQ or WCQ against England, for which the demand for tickets would be massive, we'd be stuck in Aviva. Wow. Interesting.

[elroy]

The FAI hold all the aces here as far as the BB waiting list is concerned so they are going to come out with a definite decision anytime soon. They have approx 12 months before the next game so i would not be expecting any correspondence untill spring next year.

Elroy, What is the "definite decision" that the FAI have to make? I spoke to a Lansdowne Road BB friend of mine today who originally had 2 Lansdowne Road tickets and now has 4 Croke Park tickets. He has been told he'll be getting 2 Aviva tickets. The old Lansdowne block bookers seem to have been sorted and the rest of us are on the waiting list. Maybe some of the posters on this forum could confirm this? The only way we'll move up the list is through people giving up their block booking due to changes in personal circumstances (redundancy, reduced imcome, emigration, illness, etc.) or if the team's fortune's change for the worse and people just don't want to spend their hard earned cash following the team. I think if you're on the waiting list, the only option is to go to what games you can get tickets for, and there will be some. If Ireland get to play any big ticket games, I'd say we'll all be back up to Croke Park again on a per game basis. Thoughts, lads?

Imagine a scenario where you pay €€€€ for advertising and then it turns out no one sees your ad, you would not be happy. Same logic applies with the aviva, everytime an international is played there, they get exposure, they would not be happy if for every big game its moved to croker. Wont happen. And thats ignoring the financial side of things, if you compared fais profit on a full aviva versus fais profit on a full croker less rent and additional costs, i doubt there would be much difference.
And anyways as can be seen from the attendance at croker, i think an approx 50k seater stadium is about right for us, will no doubt not be enough for the big games but in general the size will be about right.

The definite decision I was referring to was how the FAI are going to allocate the additional BB seats. They may decide to offer more to existing BB's (however I understand this is not the case). It would seem obvious that if there are 5000 additional seats, then 2500 people on the WL get two tickets each but I've learned to expect anything from these guys. At the end of the day, the FAI just want to have guaranteed sales, be it to existing BBs or WLs, I dont think they really mind. They also may come up with some plan where the WLs are offered BB seats but only at premium level, as I said in my earlier post I cant see how they would do this, as an adjustment on price would lead to outcry from those who have bought premium level already.

[Newryrep]

The definite decision I was referring to was how the FAI are going to allocate the additional BB seats. They may decide to offer more to existing BB's (however I understand this is not the case). It would seem obvious that if there are 5000 additional seats, then 2500 people on the WL get two tickets each but I've learned to expect anything from these guys. At the end of the day, the FAI just want to have guaranteed sales, be it to existing BBs or WLs, I dont think they really mind. They also may come up with some plan where the WLs are offered BB seats but only at premium level, as I said in my earlier post I cant see how they would do this, as an adjustment on price would lead to outcry from those who have bought premium level already.

The first case is patently unfair I would be amazed if it was even considered.

There will only be additional BB seats if existing BB gave up their allocation for whatever reason or moved to the premium seat option if say they were 'corperate' tickets but I was advised that not many done that but then again it was in their interest to say that.

Any extra BB seats should be allocated on the basis of the waiting list original request (if the numer is reasonalble say 4 max). I am on the waiting list for 2, am currentlly taking 2 and want 2 at the new Lansdowne.

I thought myself an extra 4000 (small increase in actual seat numbers + existing 'corperate' BB moving to actual corperate tickets) with the first 2000 on the WL sorted. I doubt now it is going to pan out that way

The FAI are in a no win situation unless premium sales rise dramatically (a world cup appearence ?) .

The average guy is currently reluctantly forking out e50/70 for a match ticket the premium ticket prices per game are a no brainer as far as most people are concerned.

[eaststand85]

Does your FAI customer number indicate where you are on the waiting list? I've been on the waiting list for a while but only getting tickets from the BB scheme since the move to Croke Park.

Also, just a thought but only came across this thread by chance, shouldn't the whole Waiting List/Block Booking subject have a thread of it's own with all these posts included? Maybe it does and I just haven't seen it but otherwise maybe one of the Mods could move?