Rugby now more popular than football AND GAA?!

**Colbert Report** · 29/03/2011, 3:27 AM

11.98 Euro for an u-16 ticket, not bad for a working man. He can go to the match with his child for 45 euro. Friendlies are such a waste of time...

**jbyrne** · 29/03/2011, 7:24 AM

Originally Posted by mypost

Most people pay their tickets well before the game takes place, and so their costs on gamenight are considerably lower.

not sure what this point is about. the ticket still had to be paid for at some stage

**elroy** · 29/03/2011, 9:21 AM

If anyone wants to go along tonight and hasnt a ticket or even better wants to bring their kid, we have two west uppers going spare, bang on half way line. PM me if interested. Will let the two go for 30e. Meet outside the ground tonight.

**gustavo** · 30/03/2011, 11:44 AM

Re-opening thread with new title

**Kingdom** · 30/03/2011, 2:32 PM

Don't know if there was many from here who went last night? We went as per usual, same general area, and there was some laugh. There was a bigger group of us in the SS than I expected, or any of us expected, and I'm quite hoarse again this morning, which is usually testament to how good (or bad) the atmosphere is.

The FAI could do themselves a favour and close the upper tiers (or at least shoe-horn) people into the lower tiers first.

**zero** · 30/03/2011, 4:35 PM

in a rare (unprecedented?) display of wisdom, the fai have scrapped the painful ticket bundling scheme:

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2011/...d_tickets.html

good.

**paul_oshea** · 30/03/2011, 4:48 PM

you require the flys assistance

**OwlsFan** · 30/03/2011, 5:07 PM

A supporter following Man U or other Premiership team or indeed any club side has to fork out for 25 home games a season. The Irish supporter is asked to shell out for 3 or 4 home competitive games a season and he moans about the price. As I said before, there is a hard core support of about 25k and the rest of the country will join the band wagon and not worry about the price if there is any success. C'est la vie.

**Jinxy** · 30/03/2011, 5:17 PM

Originally Posted by mypost

Most people pay their tickets well before the game takes place, and so their costs on gamenight are considerably lower. A lot of people use private buses, and trains, either local or national. Irish Rail put extra trains on, and night trains back. For food, people can get it at reasonable prices away from Lansdowne. I don't pay for food or drink at Lansdowne, just a couple of Euro for transport, and a bit more for food elsewhere. That's about as far as it goes. No programmes, no merchandise. Don't need it.

Television is a major factor in rugger's appeal. So much so that RTE are prioritising U-20 egg-chasing over senior LOI football on a Friday night. TV can make even the most mundane sports games glamourous. Ireland games are always on RTE, the province games are always on tv. People take notice when you're on tv. If Rovers progress in European competition this summer, we'll be on tv much more often, and LOI will attract much more interest than normal. If Ireland qualify for the European finals, come next June 12 months, everyone will be watching our games, and nobody will give a flying banana about rugby.

Our attendance on Saturday night would have sold out the old Lansdowne, it only looks poor because of the stadium's much bigger capacity now.

Ryle Nugent is head of sport in RTE.
Unsurprisingly lot of their budget is heading in the direction of rugby coverage.

**Junior** · 30/03/2011, 6:54 PM

I wonder will same be considered for the Block Booking Scheme (i.e. compulsory purchase of friendlies)? Probably not and normally I wouldnt think it should be, I suppose its just the heavy skew towards friendlies in this current block booking that has made it seem unreasonable in my opinon.

**jbyrne** · 31/03/2011, 7:13 AM

Originally Posted by zero

in a rare (unprecedented?) display of wisdom, the fai have scrapped the painful ticket bundling scheme:

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2011/...d_tickets.html

good.

the FAIs block booking and season tickets were previous displays of wisdom where loyal fans get rewarded. their away ticket distribution and the free train to Zilnia when the slovaks changed the venue for our recent qualifier are other cases in point.
its not their fault that we live in a land of event junkies. over 45,000 were willing to pay as much as €70 to watch man utds reserves play last august, enough said

**Macy** · 31/03/2011, 8:39 AM

Originally Posted by Jinxy

Ryle Nugent is head of sport in RTE.
Unsurprisingly lot of their budget is heading in the direction of rugby coverage.

A lot of it's still going to football - they must be paying a fair whack for the epl highlights package - it's just not going to domestic football, unlike the rugby. And what reaction do you think they'd get from the greatest fans in the world if they dropped that (on the basis the highlights are FTA on BBC later) in favour of putting the money into domestic football coverage, or even underage games?

**pineapple stu** · 31/03/2011, 8:52 AM

Originally Posted by OwlsFan

The Irish supporter is asked to shell out for 3 or 4 home competitive games a season and he moans about the price.

In fairness, most LoI season tickets will cost less than going to the three competitive Ireland games this year. It is expensive.

**jbyrne** · 31/03/2011, 8:59 AM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

In fairness, most LoI season tickets will cost less than going to the three competitive Ireland games this year. It is expensive.

is it? i have a fantastic seat in the east upper that costs me about €34 a match, a 1/3 the cost of a rugby ticket. i think its value for money

**pineapple stu** · 31/03/2011, 9:07 AM

I've been paying E50 for all the competitive games so far; that's E150 for the three games (the article linked says competitive tickets are between E45 and E60; don't know how you're paying E34? Should have kept that one quiet!). There's info on LoI season tickets here - between E100 and E200.

**Kingdom** · 31/03/2011, 9:57 AM

Originally Posted by jbyrne

the FAIs block booking and season tickets were previous displays of wisdom where loyal fans get rewarded. their away ticket distribution and the free train to Zilnia when the slovaks changed the venue for our recent qualifier are other cases in point.
its not their fault that we live in a land of event junkies. over 45,000 were willing to pay as much as €70 to watch man utds reserves play last august, enough said

There's an element of truth to that jb. A guarenteed ticket scheme is a good idea, but does it not lose it's merit if it's a pick and choose system?
I find it hard to be either black or white on the issue. I do feel ticket prices are too high, but I don't feel that way because the product isn't good or because the opposition are poor either.
Like any young family money is tight in our gaff, but Ireland matches are about the only social luxury I have so I sacrifice elsewhere to make sure I make the games. I live down the country too, so it's not always convenient to get to the games, or more specifically, to get home from the games. I wanted to stay till the end of the Uruguay game so it meant missing my last train, getting a train that doesn't go as far and getting a taxi the rest of the way - that wasn't cheap. It probably isn't worth it, all things considered, but I can just about justify it at home so no hassle there. I don't drink as a result this keeps matchday costs quite low, but it doesn't stop me going into scruffy's or wherever for the pregame singsong.
Something that I would like to see would be a proper price grading. Lumping all sections, all tiers, all oppostion together is just plain lazy. A few pints on a train shouldn't be enough to effectively bribe a group of supporters into silence. It's for times like this that Delaney should justify the salary. A structure where competitive games against top 25 in rankings = €x, then competitive against 25-50 = €x-5, 50+ = €x-10. Then apply the same system (but dropped by 10% across the board). There has to be a better way.

The only thing I do feel guilty about is the referring to the 45k at the United game as event junkies - for the simple reason, that I'm an event junkie - I don't go to LOI games on a regular basis - so it's a bit hypocritical whinging about others.

**Stuttgart88** · 31/03/2011, 10:14 AM

There's no easy answer to all of this. This is one of those threads where almost every post has had some substantial truth to it. I think if David Kelly is tarred & feathered it'd be a good start.

**Kingdom** · 31/03/2011, 10:34 AM

Any policy of inflicting pain or embarrasment on that man is worthwhile.

**paul_oshea** · 31/03/2011, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by Junior

I wonder will same be considered for the Block Booking Scheme (i.e. compulsory purchase of friendlies)? Probably not and normally I wouldnt think it should be, I suppose its just the heavy skew towards friendlies in this current block booking that has made it seem unreasonable in my opinon.

I'm in the position at the moment where I can afford to pay for the season ticket including those friendlies, so I am happy to do so.

I understand the FAI need money and its almost like jp mcmanus(no i dont have any money like him only example i could think of) paying little tax but giving money to the things he likes, me being an exile I feel its a duty almost.

However I can understand that many people cant and would be annoyed about this, but the FAI will hardly send out an option to say whether or not you want the friendlies on the application form in the future( i didnt use that "other" dread term like stutts does)....

**paul_oshea** · 31/03/2011, 11:57 AM

Kingdom your point about top 25 ranking, Urgauy is 7th in the world, yet no one was there.....

JD gets paid to do his job, his jobs remit cant encompass getting people who don't have the money to go to games, or who just don't have the same interest in supporting our National team anymore. We are quite a fickle bunch of people really - not me but You(national lottery finger)