Proposal for Away Travel Club

[Polster]

Lets not ruin what has the potential to be a good discussion with rubbish. So lets not implement a system which rewards loyalty because 'real fans' can always source tickets and this big football family look after each other.

Sweet Jesus.

What away games in the last 5 years or so have you not been able get a ticket for?

That question can be for anyone here

[Greenforever]

What away games in the last 5 years or so have you not been able get a ticket for?

That question can be for anyone here

The main reasons why people are concerned about ticket allocations going forwardcould be the fact that the away team allocation reduced to 5% from the upcoming UEFA Championship


Had both the German and French not screwed up thier own distribution of tickets for these games tickets would have been a nighmare to get, notice the French are doing eveerything to stop this happening this time around.

[Newryrep]

Cant find yours can you post a link

was on page 2 f the block booking thread

agree in principle disagree with detail , will post what I posted elsewhere

AWAY ALLOCATION SCHEME

Posted this on YBIG to generally favourble comments


Made this a separate thread as I think it deserves it and a few have thought it had merit.

It is not perfect but the Scots use something similar and the majority of them deem it fair.

1.Last 10 away games including away friendlies are taken into account

2. Each away game is allocated a point,those with the most points are allocated tickets down to where the number of tickets available is less than the number of people on the relevent points then a ballot will be undertaken

3.each request for tickets must be backed up by naming who the tickets are for

4. Random checks will be undertaken - in which case proof of travel for the number of recipients will be required - no proof of travel then points will revert to zero

5.FAI reserve the right to have ticket collection in the destination city - failure to collect tickets will result in points will revert to zero

I have not included home games for the following reasons

6. away travel is a more level playing field, the majorrity of fans needing flights/ferries outa Ireland or the UK

7. home games are not a level playing field eg the BB who lives in Drumcondra as opposed to the BB living in London either required days off or money spent attending

8. home games currently are and are likely to be more of a closed shop with little scope for movement

9.....I am not a BB
Last ten away games

Prague - Czech Rep
Cardiff - Wales
London - Columbia
Oslo - Norway
Mainz - Georgia
Podgorica - Montenegro
Bari - Italy
London - Nigeria
Sofia - Bulgaria
Nicosia - Cyprus

Based on the above i would have 3 points

Next game is france after which the france points are added and the Czech points removed

[4tothefloor]

That's unfair, as someone living in Donnybrook would get a point for attending a match in LR, yet someone coming from the UK or the States will get the same point, I.E. It's not fair on these people

Its an away travel club, there are plenty of people who only travel to away games as they live outside Ireland and use all their holidays for away games and couldnt get time off to travel to home games.

Bol locks to that! It's the BB'ers that keep the FAI in business. A BB is effectively a season ticket and there is no football club in the world that doesn't prioritise away tickets for season ticket holders. As a BB who shelves out hundreds of euro per year to watch home games, I do expect some access to away tickets. The amount of hardcore away fans like gspain that go to every game is quite small in the grand scheme of things.

Not including home games just suits those that make no effort to go to home games or who couldn't be arsed. I've a few neighbours who only do aways and wouldn't go to a home game if you paid them. You would have to give credit for both home and away games, and it should be 1 point for every game regardless. Those that travel away regularly and go to home games will still end up with more points and will be the most deserving of tickets. Those that just do either home or away would be on a fairly even footing.

Absolutely no way should people who just go to away games have priority, as that pi**es all over BBers who are the bread and butter of the association. Get off yer lazy arses and go to home games, and shell out the money that normal BB'ers have to! I have much more respect for someone that goes to San Marino at home than someone who thinks he's the bees knees going to sunny Cyprus away.

No need for a membership fee AND ticket levy either, that's just madness. What really needs to be addressed here is the BB scheme for home games. Lads getting 4-6 tickets per game is ridiculous and that needs to be cleaned up. Loyalty needs to be recorded. If that was achieved there would be a fairer ticketing scheme for all.

[Junior]

I would agree with the crux of that post apart from the fact that I do sympathise with those that want to go to home games (and have it recorded by the FAI) but cant because BB is a closed shop at present and they have to source their tickets from elsewhere. Its not always simply a case of they cant be ar$ed going.

[Greenforever]

Bol locks to that! It's the BB'ers that keep the FAI in business. A BB is effectively a season ticket and there is no football club in the world that doesn't prioritise away tickets for season ticket holders. As a BB who shelves out hundreds of euro per year to watch home games, I do expect some access to away tickets. The amount of hardcore away fans like gspain that go to every game is quite small in the grand scheme of things.

Not including home games just suits those that make no effort to go to home games or who couldn't be arsed. I've a few neighbours who only do aways and wouldn't go to a home game if you paid them. You would have to give credit for both home and away games, and it should be 1 point for every game regardless. Those that travel away regularly and go to home games will still end up with more points and will be the most deserving of tickets. Those that just do either home or away would be on a fairly even footing.

Absolutely no way should people who just go to away games have priority, as that pi**es all over BBers who are the bread and butter of the association. Get off yer lazy arses and go to home games, and shell out the money that normal BB'ers have to! I have much more respect for someone that goes to San Marino at home than someone who thinks he's the bees knees going to sunny Cyprus away.

No need for a membership fee AND ticket levy either, that's just madness. What really needs to be addressed here is the BB scheme for home games. Lads getting 4-6 tickets per game is ridiculous and that needs to be cleaned up. Loyalty needs to be recorded. If that was achieved there would be a fairer ticketing scheme for all.

You ignore, conveniently the fact that a large percentage of the regular away support are not on the BB system, mainly because they were too young when it was introduced and filled up. IF a system was to be introduced for home and away surely the away regulars would have as much right to your home BB ticket???

Lads getting 4-6 tickets has been debated endlessly and the reality is that if they were split into individual tickets you would still have little if any movement on the BB list.

Your concern that you as a traveller for the occassional away game may see you not get a ticket in front of someone who goes to a lot of away games and cant get home tickets is selfish in the extreme. Believe me the money you shell out on home tickets is tiny in comparison to the sums shelled out to those who travel to most away games not to mention using up valuable holidays etc.

You mention G Spain as being one of the few that goes to all away games, well I dont think I have met him and Ive being going to away games for a long long time, so maybe there are more of us than you think regular away travelers....having said that I would probably recognise him from a photo.

[Polster]

The main reasons why people are concerned about ticket allocations going forwardcould be the fact that the away team allocation reduced to 5% from the upcoming UEFA Championship

We took about 5% of the tickets for our biggest away match of the qualifiers, to Bari. Don't think we took close to 10% for Sofia either?, an attractive location for both fans and party goers alike.

I'm sure plenty of associations will want to offer us extra tickets that we won't probably need.

However that means a guaranteed extra 3k or so tickets for home games, that we know we will fill for every game.

I would also quickly add that I fully expect any fan that wants a ticket for Paris to get one, even if we only had 5%, enough of us would still travel and get a ticket there. However we would have an extra 5% for Croker in this instance, and I wouldn't fancy many French fans sourcing extra tickets.

When you weigh it all up, not such a bad thing in my opinion.

[gspain]

You ignore, conveniently the fact that a large percentage of the regular away support are not on the BB system, mainly because they were too young when it was introduced and filled up. IF a system was to be introduced for home and away surely the away regulars would have as much right to your home BB ticket???

Lads getting 4-6 tickets has been debated endlessly and the reality is that if they were split into individual tickets you would still have little if any movement on the BB list.

Your concern that you as a traveller for the occassional away game may see you not get a ticket in front of someone who goes to a lot of away games and cant get home tickets is selfish in the extreme. Believe me the money you shell out on home tickets is tiny in comparison to the sums shelled out to those who travel to most away games not to mention using up valuable holidays etc.

You mention G Spain as being one of the few that goes to all away games, well I dont think I have met him and Ive being going to away games for a long long time, so maybe there are more of us than you think regular away travelers....having said that I would probably recognise him from a photo.

No idea who you are either but we probably would recognize each other. I'm normally in a Limerick shirt on the day before the away match.

I think home attendance should be included but if not allocated a ticket then counted as having been there. So you join the WL (helps for away allocation anyway) and then take home tickets as offered. In reality I expect those on the WL to be OK for home tickets anyway.

Currently the FAI effectively subsidise this allocation. Assuming babysis is sorted I don't know of anyone who deserves a ticket for Paris that hasn't got one. It's not a perfect system but a damned good one.

Sure you can implement one that requires proof of travel, hands out tickets in away cities. It costs money and the fans will pay. I do know of people who bought tickets for away matches and haven't gone.

I don't think tickets will be a problem in South Africa if we make it. Poland/Ukraine would hardly excite the event junkies. Brazil is also a long way away and expensive.

The 5% rule could be a problem. England would be a nightmare for tickets. Most of the other major problems would probably give us 10%+ - Holland did a deal with Scotland.

Even then put the proposed 50 euro a year and the 10 euro handling fee towards a a tout and you'll get into virtually any game on continental europe.

[Schumi]

I would agree with the crux of that post apart from the fact that I do sympathise with those that want to go to home games (and have it recorded by the FAI) but cant because BB is a closed shop at present and they have to source their tickets from elsewhere. Its not always simply a case of they cant be ar$ed going.

A fair point but why didn't they join the waiting list? I understand that it's closed for new entrants now but that's only been the case for a couple of years. There can't be many people who travel to every away game but only got into the team in the last three years.

[Newryrep]

A fair point but why didn't they join the waiting list? I understand that it's closed for new entrants now but that's only been the case for a couple of years. There can't be many people who travel to every away game but only got into the team in the last three years.

most are on the waiting list, many for a fair few years with little propect of becoming BB. We may well get regular tickets for LR because of the Vantage club non selling but in all likelhood we will never be BB.

As a BB who shelves out hundreds of euro per year to watch home games, I do expect some access to away tickets. The amount of hardcore away fans like gspain that go to every game is quite small in the grand scheme of things.

Not including home games just suits those that make no effort to go to home games or who couldn't be arsed. I've a few neighbours who only do aways and wouldn't go to a home game if you paid them. You would have to give credit for both home and away games, and it should be 1 point for every game regardless. Those that travel away regularly and go to home games will still end up with more points and will be the most deserving of tickets. Those that just do either home or away would be on a fairly even footing.

Absolutely no way should people who just go to away games have priority, as that pi**es all over BBers who are the bread and butter of the association. Get off yer lazy arses and go to home games, and shell out the money that normal BB'ers have to! I have much more respect for someone that goes to San Marino at home than someone who thinks he's the bees knees going to sunny Cyprus away.

4TTF i am genuinely surprised that your neigbours are away travellers yet couldnt be arsed going to a home game. I seriously cant imagine the number who fall into that catagory in Ireland is that large. The vast majority of the regular away travellers areBB or WL who attended at least in the last 2 full campaigns when tickets were available.

Personnally I think those that travel regularily should get priority over those that travel occasionally over those that dont travel at all.

I have listed why i dont think home games should be included but if it is to be taken into account then a 3 - 1 or 2-1 ratio should be applied. Getting to home games for me is a piece of cake, leave work a bit early on a wed and hour and half down the road - yet I get a point the same as as guy who has to take a day off work flight hotel room possibly.

[Polster]

most are on the waiting list, many for a fair few years with little propect of becoming BB. We may well get regular tickets for LR because of the Vantage club non selling but in all likelhood we will never be BB.



4TTF i am genuinely surprised that your neigbours are away travellers yet couldnt be arsed going to a home game. I seriously cant imagine the number who fall into that catagory in Ireland is that large. The vast majority of the regular away travellers areBB or WL who attended at least in the last 2 full campaigns when tickets were available.

Personnally I think those that travel regularily should get priority over those that travel occasionally over those that dont travel at all.

I have listed why i dont think home games should be included but if it is to be taken into account then a 3 - 1 or 2-1 ratio should be applied. Getting to home games for me is a piece of cake, leave work a bit early on a wed and hour and half down the road - yet I get a point the same as as guy who has to take a day off work flight hotel room possibly.

Any away game I go to, Bulgaria and Cyprus most recently, I always meet guys from back home in Ireland (live in london) that are on a jolly, boys holiday. Yes they are footy fans, but in most cases I feel they would put their man utd or liverpool loyalties ahead of Ireland.

Going to away games does not automatically make you a better supporter.

As a previous poster said, points for home and away games, most logical solution.

[Greenforever]

Any away game I go to, Bulgaria and Cyprus most recently, I always meet guys from back home in Ireland (live in london) that are on a jolly, boys holiday. Yes they are footy fans, but in most cases I feel they would put their man utd or liverpool loyalties ahead of Ireland.

Going to away games does not automatically make you a better supporter.

As a previous poster said, points for home and away games, most logical solution.

You will always get some travellers as you describe, but they generally are one match wonders so wouldnt acquire points and probably get tickets through 3d parties rather than the FAI,

Regards home matches counting, im lucky that a home game is a 15 min jaunt down the road so no effort required, unlike the Thomond Game when I arrived home at 4am and not as a result as being on the beer...home games for people living in Donegal are far harder to get to than the likes of me ..thats why i dont think they should count or if they do at a much lower points level.

[Schumi]

most are on the waiting list, many for a fair few years with little propect of becoming BB. We may well get regular tickets for LR because of the Vantage club non selling but in all likelhood we will never be BB.

Fair enough. My view would be that people on the waiting list who take any tickets offered them should be treated the same as blockbookers when it comes to getting tickets for away games.

[NeilMcD]

No idea who you are either but we probably would recognize each other. I'm normally in a Limerick shirt on the day before the away match.

I think home attendance should be included but if not allocated a ticket then counted as having been there. So you join the WL (helps for away allocation anyway) and then take home tickets as offered. In reality I expect those on the WL to be OK for home tickets anyway.

Currently the FAI effectively subsidise this allocation. Assuming babysis is sorted I don't know of anyone who deserves a ticket for Paris that hasn't got one. It's not a perfect system but a damned good one.

Sure you can implement one that requires proof of travel, hands out tickets in away cities. It costs money and the fans will pay. I do know of people who bought tickets for away matches and haven't gone.

I don't think tickets will be a problem in South Africa if we make it. Poland/Ukraine would hardly excite the event junkies. Brazil is also a long way away and expensive.

The 5% rule could be a problem. England would be a nightmare for tickets. Most of the other major problems would probably give us 10%+ - Holland did a deal with Scotland.

Even then put the proposed 50 euro a year and the 10 euro handling fee towards a a tout and you'll get into virtually any game on continental europe.

Lads I have met the both of you and you are both good looking lads who I reckon would get on like a house on fire so I can set you up on the next trip. I am only a newcomer in relative terms too but there is a lot more people that go to all games that some on here think. I reckon that about between 500 or 600 go to every game home and away.

[Polster]

You will always get some travellers as you describe, but they generally are one match wonders so wouldnt acquire points and probably get tickets through 3d parties rather than the FAI,

Regards home matches counting, im lucky that a home game is a 15 min jaunt down the road so no effort required, unlike the Thomond Game when I arrived home at 4am and not as a result as being on the beer...home games for people living in Donegal are far harder to get to than the likes of me ..thats why i dont think they should count or if they do at a much lower points level.

Donegal isn't far Its not every weekend or even every other weekend in general.

Plenty of us coming over from London to, can we have double or treble points

[Newryrep]

Any away game I go to, Bulgaria and Cyprus most recently, I always meet guys from back home in Ireland (live in london) that are on a jolly, boys holiday. Yes they are footy fans, but in most cases I feel they would put their man utd or liverpool loyalties ahead of Ireland.

Going to away games does not automatically make you a better supporter.

As a previous poster said, points for home and away games, most logical solution.

Would these guys also go to home games Polster.

If they put man u and Liverpool ahead of Ireland then they need their head examined

No problem agreeing to that

[Greenforever]

Lads I have met the both of you and you are both good looking lads who I reckon would get on like a house on fire so I can set you up on the next trip. I am only a newcomer in relative terms too but there is a lot more people that go to all games that some on here think. I reckon that about between 500 or 600 go to every game home and away.

thanks for your kind offer of matchmaking agree with your figure of 500 + going to all games

are you not sure you are one of these barstooler bandwagoners

[Greenforever]

Donegal isn't far Its not every weekend or even every other weekend in general.

Plenty of us coming over from London to, can we have double or treble points

its easier to get from London to Dublin than from Donegal to Dublin

[Polster]

Would these guys also go to home games Polster.

If they put man u and Liverpool ahead of Ireland then they need their head examined

No problem agreeing to that

Nah, thats my point, they wouldn't be bothered going to home games. I know there are a group that go to most away games, and fair play, they should get their tickets. Just not sure what the best system is, as I cant afford to go to all away games, and make Dublin my priority as I am on the BB, and travel from London.

I believe there are a lot of people out there though that put their club sides first, and see Ireland as a chance to go somewhere on the p*ss. Don't get me wrong, I love the sessions home and away, to much sometimes, but again just highlighting possible holes in systems, although as 'greenforever' pointed out, these guys would not be likely to make many away trips anyway, and if there are spare tickets, the more the merrier.

[Polster]

its easier to get from London to Dublin than from Donegal to Dublin

Bus Eireann
West Donegal - Dungloe (Sweeneys Hotel) to Dublin Busáras
Dept - 7.30am
Arrive - 13:20pm

Call it 6 hrs
Fare - 1 Adult Return - €36

Over night in Dublin - Same as London travellers - €10 in the Frankie Fredericks

-----------------------------------------

London - North London area
Taxi to HTR/Luton/Stan - Pick up Paul O'Shea on way, €40
Return flight booked at earliest opportunity - €40/50 return
Taxi from Airport into centre - €20 return

Add on pints and breakfast in airport, cans on plane.....€20

Dept - 5.00am
Arrive in Hariy Lemon/Doyles for early pint - 11am

About 6 hours

-------------------------------------------

Ireland beat France and qualify for South Africa - Priceless

-------------------------------------------

So overall not an awful lot in it, except a bit more expensive from London but not stuck on a bus for a half a day either

So anyone from Donegal, London or the Arann Islands - 3 points for home games.