Over half an hour to get into Thomond Park...

**legendz** · 10/03/2013, 6:42 PM

Can't say I was impressed with the stewarding of today's game. Landed outside Thomond Park before 5pm and it was after half 5, 15 minutes into the game, that I got into the ground.

Hope they get that sorted ahead of the next games.

**NeverFeltBetter** · 10/03/2013, 6:48 PM

Agree totally. Long queue for tickets, long queue at the turnstiles and a lot of "What's going on?"s being bandied about. Needed more people selling tickets, more turnstiles open. Not sure if you blame Thomond staff or the club. Missed the first five minutes, saw school groups coming in and finding their seats only have 20 minutes had gone. Real shame, worry it will effect neutral/potential followers opinions of the team.

**Jofspring** · 10/03/2013, 8:59 PM

Ya a shame the queues where the way they were but the only thing I will say though is tickets have been on sale for about a week and the ticket booth at Thomond park was open all day but thousands waited till around quarter to 5 to come up to buy tickets. I was there at 4:30 and there wasn't anyone around Thomond park but 15 minutes later the crowd started flooding in and queing to buy ticket. It doesn't happen at Munster games because people pre buy the tickets. I suppose it's a case of trial and error for both limerick FC and the fans. I've seen it happen in Jackman too were the club would ask people to arrive early but there would still be queues 5 minutes into the game.

**NeverFeltBetter** · 10/03/2013, 9:14 PM

It's fair enough to say that people should have pre-bought tickets, maybe they just didn't expect that much trouble to get them. I'm unaware if Thomond even has other ticket booths on hand if needed. It was the wait at the turnstiles that annoyed me more, there were hundred of people at T2 queuing to get frisked (unused to that) and go through one at a time.

If there is an online option (I think you could get tickets online for this game, not sure) I'll take advantage of that in future.

Edit: Oh, and I know they only opened one section in the stand to try and keep all the fans together, but it would have helped a lot of people coming in during the first 20 minutes if they could have moved into the vacant seats in the corner instead of huffing it to the top of the steps and having to maneuver through everyone already seated. I'm guessing there's a financial reason why that part isn't open, but a lot of people would have been seated quicker and easier if it was.

**Pablo Escobar** · 11/03/2013, 12:09 AM

It's a problem that tickets were sold at the gate. They should be sold at a point away from the gate, or else leave people through the gate in the first place. Also, 300 away tickets?? What were your club expecting? The vast majority of our fans paid in cash (no ticket), without being head-counted.

**bluewhitearmy** · 11/03/2013, 12:28 AM

It might be a very simple way to look at things and its unfortunate that people were inconvienienced by it but the way i see it is the lads working for the club have gone from running things in Jackman with crowds in the 100s to running it in Thomond with id say near enough if not over 4000 there. Its a learning curve for them and ive no doubt they will sort it out.

**redron** · 11/03/2013, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by NeverFeltBetter

It's fair enough to say that people should have pre-bought tickets, maybe they just didn't expect that much trouble to get them. I'm unaware if Thomond even has other ticket booths on hand if needed. It was the wait at the turnstiles that annoyed me more, there were hundred of people at T2 queuing to get frisked (unused to that) and go through one at a time.

If there is an online option (I think you could get tickets online for this game, not sure) I'll take advantage of that in future.

Ever since the club moved to the Ticketmaster system in 2008, you have been able to buy match tickets online (there may have been some matches that didn't have this option enabled, but in general this option has always been available).
Tickets were available from the Club Shop on Patrick St, and presumably also from Ticketmaster outlets (e.g. Euro Empire on O'Connell St).

I arrived at Thomond Park at 5:15 and it took just a little over 15 minutes to get seated. Having been delayed earlier, before I arrived at the ground I expected that I would miss about 10mins of the match. Considering the length of the queue that was there when I arrived, I thought it got dealt with reasonably well.

However, once the decision had been made to frisk everyone, they really should have had more security assigned to this duty.

Given the decent performance from the team, let's hope that we will have more crowds of similar size (I agree that the true attendance must have been more than the ~3500 announced).
So apart from some issues that the club has to get to grips with or tackle Thomond Park management on, the lesson fans need to learn from this experience is that you either buy your ticket in advance or you get there earlier. Or buy a season ticket.

**NeverFeltBetter** · 11/03/2013, 10:50 AM

I've never even thought to look up an online option in the last few years, never had cause to really.

**A face** · 11/03/2013, 11:32 AM

This is a great opportunity for fans to volunteer to help out with queues/tickets sales/matchday programme sales/stewarding/etc. ... all of it will make it easier on the club each game.

**da bishop** · 11/03/2013, 9:22 PM

Originally Posted by redron

Ever since the club moved to the Ticketmaster system in 2008, you have been able to buy match tickets online (there may have been some matches that didn't have this option enabled, but in general this option has always been available).
Tickets were available from the Club Shop on Patrick St, and presumably also from Ticketmaster outlets (e.g. Euro Empire on O'Connell St).

I arrived at Thomond Park at 5:15 and it took just a little over 15 minutes to get seated. Having been delayed earlier, before I arrived at the ground I expected that I would miss about 10mins of the match. Considering the length of the queue that was there when I arrived, I thought it got dealt with reasonably well.

However, once the decision had been made to frisk everyone, they really should have had more security assigned to this duty.

Given the decent performance from the team, let's hope that we will have more crowds of similar size (I agree that the true attendance must have been more than the ~3500 announced).
So apart from some issues that the club has to get to grips with or tackle Thomond Park management on, the lesson fans need to learn from this experience is that you either buy your ticket in advance or you get there earlier. Or buy a season ticket.

got my ticket in advance,had no trouble getting in,but do know of several season ticket holders who were delayed entry as people did not seem to know how to deal with things.

**patrickccfc** · 11/03/2013, 9:35 PM

Originally Posted by da bishop

got my ticket in advance,had no trouble getting in,but do know of several season ticket holders who were delayed entry as people did not seem to know how to deal with things.

got mine in advance too thank god cos i wasnt going to.. im sure limerick will sort it out and be better prepared when a big away support is expected.. didnt get to get a match programme ridiculous and i asked countless stewards where i could get one and not one could tell me

**NeverFeltBetter** · 11/03/2013, 9:42 PM

I saw people selling them outside around half an hour before KO, but they were down to the last few. Just sold out I guess.

**patrickccfc** · 11/03/2013, 9:46 PM

Originally Posted by NeverFeltBetter

I saw people selling them outside around half an hour before KO, but they were down to the last few. Just sold out I guess.

was that outside the away entrance though? i was there half an hour before kick off and saw nothing.. ah well

**NeverFeltBetter** · 11/03/2013, 9:49 PM

Yeah, out and to the right, on the path up from LIT.

**patrickccfc** · 11/03/2013, 9:59 PM

ah right, guess il know for next time

**Jofspring** · 11/03/2013, 11:29 PM

Originally Posted by patrickccfc

was that outside the away entrance though? i was there half an hour before kick off and saw nothing.. ah well

Ya I actually bought mine while passing the away entrance. There was 4 lads there and they had about 30 programs each so I take it they just sold out.

**patrickccfc** · 11/03/2013, 11:31 PM

yeah most likely.. shame cos i love collecting them and also passes the 15mins at half time

**Jofspring** · 11/03/2013, 11:36 PM

Originally Posted by patrickccfc

yeah most likely.. shame cos i love collecting them and also passes the 15mins at half time

If your as in to it as some lads then keep an eye on our website. They usually throw whatever they have left up for sale on that but I can't see them having any to be honest with the crowd that was there.