Ray Treacy travel to close

**gspain** · 08/10/2009, 7:58 AM

One thing on the tickets that Lopez may be referring to as well though is that Treacy's customers get the best tickets.

There is a rule that the visiting association gets something like 200 category 1 tickets. These always go to Treacy so his clients normally sit on the halfway line as opposed to behind the goal. It caused some minor problems in Norway last year as the Treacy crew were in the away end with the rest of the fans who were standing up too much.

TBH I wouldn't want those tickets anyway as I'd rather be with the fans although I have tried to get them sometimes when I think the match programme will be VIP only and difficult to get.

**lopez** · 08/10/2009, 12:37 PM

Originally Posted by Greenforever

I can't agree with you on this, having attended my first away match in 1980 I have rarely ever had problems getting tickets for away games, and cant remember too many away matches that tickets were a problem.

While Ray was expensive he always provided a 5 star service and nothing was a problem for his clients.

I say this and I never went with him but have met many of his regulars over the years. Also as pointed out the Irish Travel agency in Dolier St were official FAI agents until the eaqrly 90s if I remember right and they sold tickets for home games from there offices.

You're right that for most games this was not a problem, but there have been a few times. The worst was undoubtedly the World Cup 1994, but I'd include Wembley 1991, Liverpool 1995, Belgium 1997 and Switzerland 2003. Treacy was one of a number of official travel agents of the FAI - others included Crosson Travel, who tried to swindle the RISSC in London with an overpriced trip and Funtrek - at the 1990 World Cup, the first one with 'competition' as opposed to one sole travel agent dealing with tickets. I don't think there was much competition in the value for money stakes.

My other gripe with Ray Treacy was his throwing his toys out of the pram when the English FA decided to set aside 6,000 tickets for Irish people living in Britain for the game in March 1991. This was in addition to the FAI's allocation of around the same number, which a large part - 2,850 tickets was split between 38 members of the FAI Senior Council, leaving each member with 75 tickets. The process was you filled out a form in a newspaper and stated which country you supported, and if successful you could buy SIX tickets. I got four this way. This was done to prevent clashes between fans.

Certainly, as a committee member of the RISSC in London in 1991, I knew it was the great negotiating power of my late friend Tony Booth that secured a further allocation guaranteeing a ticket for all the RISSC's 600 odd members from the English FA. This may well have been out of the 6,000 tickets but it certainly was not taken from the FAIs allocation. In fact when Tony first approached the FAI they said they probably wouldn't have any tickets for the us and perhaps should approach the EFA. Again the EFA were being pragmatic, and when the word got out that the RISSC were so successful Treacy got a case of the green-eyed gazumbas

Treacy went off moaning to Michael Carwood in the Sunday Press that these tickets were not going to the 'real fans' - i.e. his customers - and that at most, 300 fans travelled from Britain to games. Carwood, who I can't remember, but I am quoting him from an article I wrote in the fanzine I edited at the time, On The One Road, demanded that 4,000 of this 'English' allocation should be handed over immediately to fans in Ireland and suggested the 6,000 tickets 'may well go to Irish football supporters, but will they be as well behaved as the genuine fans who made us all proud in Germany and Italy?' (Raw Deal For Irish Fans: Sunday Press 24 February 1991) I've never once after this incident considered that tickets were not crucial to the business success or failure of Ray Treacy Travel.

**gspain** · 08/10/2009, 3:14 PM

Originally Posted by lopez

You're right that for most games this was not a problem, but there have been a few times. The worst was undoubtedly the World Cup 1994, but I'd include Wembley 1991, Liverpool 1995, Belgium 1997 and Switzerland 2003. Treacy was one of a number of official travel agents of the FAI - others included Crosson Travel, who tried to swindle the RISSC in London with an overpriced trip and Funtrek - at the 1990 World Cup, the first one with 'competition' as opposed to one sole travel agent dealing with tickets. I don't think there was much competition in the value for money stakes.

My other gripe with Ray Treacy was his throwing his toys out of the pram when the English FA decided to set aside 6,000 tickets for Irish people living in Britain for the game in March 1991. This was in addition to the FAI's allocation of around the same number, which a large part - 2,850 tickets was split between 38 members of the FAI Senior Council, leaving each member with 75 tickets. The process was you filled out a form in a newspaper and stated which country you supported, and if successful you could buy SIX tickets. I got four this way. This was done to prevent clashes between fans.

Certainly, as a committee member of the RISSC in London in 1991, I knew it was the great negotiating power of my late friend Tony Booth that secured a further allocation guaranteeing a ticket for all the RISSC's 600 odd members from the English FA. This may well have been out of the 6,000 tickets but it certainly was not taken from the FAIs allocation. In fact when Tony first approached the FAI they said they probably wouldn't have any tickets for the us and perhaps should approach the EFA. Again the EFA were being pragmatic, and when the word got out that the RISSC were so successful Treacy got a case of the green-eyed gazumbas

Treacy went off moaning to Michael Carwood in the Sunday Press that these tickets were not going to the 'real fans' - i.e. his customers - and that at most, 300 fans travelled from Britain to games. Carwood, who I can't remember, but I am quoting him from an article I wrote in the fanzine I edited at the time, On The One Road, demanded that 4,000 of this 'English' allocation should be handed over immediately to fans in Ireland and suggested the 6,000 tickets 'may well go to Irish football supporters, but will they be as well behaved as the genuine fans who made us all proud in Germany and Italy?' (Raw Deal For Irish Fans: Sunday Press 24 February 1991) I've never once after this incident considered that tickets were not crucial to the business success or failure of Ray Treacy Travel.

Wow never heard this one before. Huge problems with Wembley tickets all right. There were no problems in 95 at Anfield - game wasn't soldout and we got what we wanted.

It always makes me sick when people slag off the London support. I couldn't get over the numbers from London in 1981 going to Holland and ever since.

**Soccer Mom** · 08/10/2009, 3:22 PM

Just found this out. Ray Treacy was in the last Republic of Ireland team of which all the players were born in Ireland !!

**Greenforever** · 09/10/2009, 1:17 AM

Originally Posted by lopez

You're right that for most games this was not a problem, but there have been a few times. The worst was undoubtedly the World Cup 1994, but I'd include Wembley 1991, Liverpool 1995, Belgium 1997 and Switzerland 2003. Treacy was one of a number of official travel agents of the FAI - others included Crosson Travel, who tried to swindle the RISSC in London with an overpriced trip and Funtrek - at the 1990 World Cup, the first one with 'competition' as opposed to one sole travel agent dealing with tickets. I don't think there was much competition in the value for money stakes.

My other gripe with Ray Treacy was his throwing his toys out of the pram when the English FA decided to set aside 6,000 tickets for Irish people living in Britain for the game in March 1991. This was in addition to the FAI's allocation of around the same number, which a large part - 2,850 tickets was split between 38 members of the FAI Senior Council, leaving each member with 75 tickets. The process was you filled out a form in a newspaper and stated which country you supported, and if successful you could buy SIX tickets. I got four this way. This was done to prevent clashes between fans.

Certainly, as a committee member of the RISSC in London in 1991, I knew it was the great negotiating power of my late friend Tony Booth that secured a further allocation guaranteeing a ticket for all the RISSC's 600 odd members from the English FA. This may well have been out of the 6,000 tickets but it certainly was not taken from the FAIs allocation. In fact when Tony first approached the FAI they said they probably wouldn't have any tickets for the us and perhaps should approach the EFA. Again the EFA were being pragmatic, and when the word got out that the RISSC were so successful Treacy got a case of the green-eyed gazumbas

Treacy went off moaning to Michael Carwood in the Sunday Press that these tickets were not going to the 'real fans' - i.e. his customers - and that at most, 300 fans travelled from Britain to games. Carwood, who I can't remember, but I am quoting him from an article I wrote in the fanzine I edited at the time, On The One Road, demanded that 4,000 of this 'English' allocation should be handed over immediately to fans in Ireland and suggested the 6,000 tickets 'may well go to Irish football supporters, but will they be as well behaved as the genuine fans who made us all proud in Germany and Italy?' (Raw Deal For Irish Fans: Sunday Press 24 February 1991) I've never once after this incident considered that tickets were not crucial to the business success or failure of Ray Treacy Travel.

There were no problems for the play off in Belguim in the end if memory derves me right, this brings the no of games tickets were an issue down to 2 in 20 odd years.

For the Switzerland game the FAI distributed all tickets and of the 14 of us who were in Japan all 14 of us got tickets for this game.

Didnt make the England game in 91 for family reasons so cant comment.

**EastTerracer** · 09/10/2009, 2:22 AM

Originally Posted by Soccer Mom

Just found this out. Ray Treacy was in the last Republic of Ireland team of which all the players were born in Ireland !!

I couldn't resist trying to find it.

29-Oct-1975 v Turkey
Paddy Roche, Tony Dunne, Jimmy Holmes, Paddy Mulligan, Eoin Hand, Mick Martin, Liam Brady, John Giles, Ray Treacy, Don Givens, Steve Heighway. Subs: Joe Kinnear and Terry Conroy

Apart from Don Givens (born in Limerick) I believe the other 12 players were all born in Dublin.

The likes of Tony Grealish, Dave O'Leary, Mark Lawrenson, Gerry Peyton and Seamus McDonagh became regulars in the squad soon afterwards and it doesn't seem to have happened since.

**EastTerracer** · 11/04/2015, 4:21 AM

Sad news tonight that Ray Treacy has passed away after a short illness. I saw him play at the end of his International career and also for Rovers.

Those of us of a certain age will also remember that he was on the RTE pundit panel before it became just Gilesey and Eamo.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...-31134186.html