Ticket Allocation

**Saint Tom** · 25/04/2005, 5:42 PM

Have been thinking a lot recently of how unjust the allocation for ticketing is done by the fai. Could we not implement a similar system to the scots. All tickets for away internationals are distributed on a points basis. 2 for an away game and 1 for a home game.

Surely in this day in age the fai could arrange a list of people who actually attend games and not have the farcical situations that have happened in Switz (2003) Faroes and allocations they receive for major finals. there are people who were in Isreal and booked Faroes and cant get tickets to landsdowne ffs!!

Just a thought.

**Colie** · 25/04/2005, 6:03 PM

[QUOTE=Saint Tom]
There are people who were in Isreal and booked Faroes and cant get tickets to landsdowne ffs!!
QUOTE]

I'm one of them!

Lets petition for a points basis for match tickets.

**Green Tribe** · 25/04/2005, 6:05 PM

That's fair enough

**Superhoops** · 25/04/2005, 6:40 PM

Originally Posted by Saint Tom

Have been thinking a lot recently of how unjust the allocation for ticketing is done by the fai........there are people who were in Isreal and booked Faroes and cant get tickets to landsdowne ffs!!

Loads of people who have never been to a home match before went to Paris, then Israel, then Faroes think yhey should be automatically entitled to tickets for home games.

**Colie** · 25/04/2005, 6:51 PM

Originally Posted by Superhoops

You don't need to be Einstein to work that out. There were 2500 in Israel, even if half of them, say 1250, wanted to go to Faroes, not even half of that number would have got tickets.

But, hypothetically speaking, if we'd been to all the home & away games prior to the Faores game we'd have more chance of getting tickets for it as a result of a points system.

The issue is here is about home games. Say we did get tickets for all the away games we would then get tickets for the home games by default on a points system. The way it ends up for me, I go to all the away ones but have to blag (or tout) home tickets, which wouldn't happen in a rewards scheme. My Swiss ticket in the Autumn would be guaranteed.

Eh up, what's this? Sneaky edits?

I understand what you're saying about the Paris & all that, but I honestly don't think there's too many people that went to Paris, Israel & Faroes that think they have a right to tickets, but if they went to all the rest of the games, the world cup (hopefully) & then on into the Euro qualifiers etc... then I guess they would deserve them; so I'm up for a rewards scheme of some sort. Makes sence & I'd say some FA's must do it??

**Superhoops** · 25/04/2005, 10:06 PM

Originally Posted by Colie

Eh up, what's this? Sneaky edits?

I understand what you're saying about the Paris & all that, but I honestly don't think there's too many people that went to Paris, Israel & Faroes that think they have a right to tickets, but if they went to all the rest of the games, the world cup (hopefully) & then on into the Euro qualifiers etc... then I guess they would deserve them; so I'm up for a rewards scheme of some sort. Makes sence & I'd say some FA's must do it??

Collie, sorry dont know what happened there, meant to add para re home games, not delete original.

I think you will find that FAI operate a scheme of sorts, BB's who go regularly to away games normally get priority for tickets (Basel 2003 was probably an exception). I have been a BB since 1989/1990 WC qualification and have got tickets for every game even when they are tight (inc. that Basel game), I assume it's cos I go to every game. Since BB's began there have been several 'ballots', I cant have been that lucky to be 'drawn' in every one. There are 7 of us in the same boat and we all have had tickets every time. I suspect other posters on this forum like gspain are long standing BB's and regular away travellers, also get tickets for every game. I know 2/3 BB's who applied for tickets for this game but were unsuccessful, coincidentally, they do not travel to every away game, but pick and choose what games they want to go to , usually the one's for which tickets are tight.

For this Faroes game, I was advised by FAI Ticket Office that only BB's have been allocated tickets. I know about 6 people who are not BB's who applied and none of them got allocated. Perhaps other Posters know different!

**gspain** · 26/04/2005, 8:09 AM

I did get tickets for Basle and the Faroes also.

I'm not aware of any system that favours people who travel away however there may be an ad hoc one or maybe not. In reality very few away games outside of major finals have been a problem.

By and large they actually do a pretty good job of ensuring that tickets are distributed fairly. OK you are going to get problems like Basle 2003 and if we qualify next year will be a total disaster but how do you satisfy such a huge demand? The block booking system is a lot fairer than anything the IRFU or the GAA operate

I wasn't allocated tickets for USA 94 despite attending all 12 qualifiers although I did eventually get F.A.I. tickets after quite a bit of lobbying.

As i didn't come out in the lottery for TSTs I'll also be depnding on the F.A.I. for tickets if we qualify for Germany. There isn't a stadium in Germany we wouldn't sellout on our own.

**Cowboy** · 26/04/2005, 9:12 AM

Originally Posted by gspain

As i didn't come out in the lottery for TSTs I'll also be depnding on the F.A.I. for tickets if we qualify for Germany. There isn't a stadium in Germany we wouldn't sellout on our own.

what about 2nd phase ?

**gspain** · 26/04/2005, 9:51 AM

Originally Posted by Cowboy

what about 2nd phase ?

I said it in another thread and hope I'm wrong but my understanding now is

1) Phase 2 - for TSTs not sold in Phase 1

2) Phase 3 - after draw individual tickets not taken up by qualifying countries

Presumably all our TSTs are sold out. I'm going to grab another country. Even if we qualify and draw a country with poor support eg Saudi then the F.A.I. will probably get first call o ntheir tickets anyway rather than being sold to the public.

**Beavis** · 26/04/2005, 10:01 AM

For starters, World Cup Finals tickets should be guarenteed for fans who have made every qualifying game. I'm sure there are no more than a few hundred and they could be easily accomodated.

**stojkovic** · 26/04/2005, 11:36 AM

There were "fans" in Paris who have never been to a game before, h or a, and probably never will again. It was an 'event'.

There are fans who only go to away games, Cyprus for a week etc, and have no intention of setting foot in Lansdowne.

There are fans who get tickets for Lansdowne and they havent got a clue what they are watching, we all have stories, I have two. Two ladies cheered Steven Reid for half an hour thinking he was Morrison and the time two blokes argued that we've been ****e since Keane went off at half time (Keane played til 82nd min).

Maybe an intelligence test (quiz) should determine who gets tickets !

**Paulie** · 26/04/2005, 12:21 PM

I know it's easy for me to say it as a block-booker but I think the current system is, with regard to home games anyway, reasonably fair. The problem is that no matter what way the tickets are distributed there are going to be people left disappointed. As for a loyalty system, well as far as I can see there's one in place already. As long as block-bookers continue to go to all home games and always take up their ticket regardless of the quality of the opposition then I know that they will continue to have the offer of tickets regardless of the demand or how important the next game is. I have no sympathy for people who choose to not go to a match because basically they could not be arsed and then whinge when they are not offered tickets for the big games. If you go to one, you go to all.....simple as that. So far as the away tickets are concerned, again the block-bookers get the priority. The FAI could do a bit more on this front, maybe on their computer system where the contact details of people who travel to away games are kept they could also keep a record of the away games that people have applied to the FAI for tickets forwith people building up loyalty points or something like that. Anyway as I said, as a BB it's easy for me to say this, but regarding home games at least I think they have this one fairly right. Just look at the Swiss and French FA's. When we were playing them Irish fans were able to go on to their respective websites and purchase tickets. Imagine the uproar if that happened here.

**Colie** · 26/04/2005, 12:26 PM

Good points above

Guess I'll just have to wait till I get the BB but I'm around 800 or something.

It's the home ones that annoy me not having a ticket for. I guess if you could sign up for all the games, h & a, at the start of the tournament in a package, it'd be handy.

**Saint Tom** · 26/04/2005, 5:35 PM

tickets for home games should be guaranteed for people who travel to games away from home. i dont think anybody will dispute this. surely some form of loyalty scheme should apply here

**4tothefloor** · 26/04/2005, 8:46 PM

Originally Posted by Saint Tom

tickets for home games should be guaranteed for people who travel to games away from home. i dont think anybody will dispute this. surely some form of loyalty scheme should apply here

Not necessarily. Not everybody can afford to travel to the away games, neither financially or time-wise due to work commitments. Sometime in the future, I'll be able to go to all the away games, but as of now I just can't afford it for various reasons. The fact that you can go to away games doesn't entitle you to a home ticket any more than me i'm afraid.

In any case, the away day\travel clubs of most FA's and European clubs are completely seperate to the process of applying for tickets for home games. You'll find that season ticket holders will always get offered tickets first, and after that they are offered to fans based on loyalty for the competition in question. It never works the other way around, i.e. those who go to the away games get home tickets.

I think the system that Liverpool FC have introduced is the fairest and best. Each fan who wants to apply for tickets has to have a 'fan card', which is a credit-card type card that records all your ticket purchases. You then qualify for tickets through your loyalty rating on a competition by competition basis, i.e. applications for tickets for the FA cup semi-final will most likely fail if you've only been to premiership games, and vica versa\ditto for all other competitions. Maybe we might have the technology to do this in the new LR?

**Cowboy** · 26/04/2005, 9:02 PM

Originally Posted by 4tothefloor

Not necessarily. Not everybody can afford to travel to the away games, neither financially or time-wise due to work commitments. Sometime in the future, I'll be able to go to all the away games, but as of now I just can't afford it for various reasons. The fact that you can go to away games doesn't entitle you to a home ticket any more than me i'm afraid.

I

with respect thats total nonsense, everybody makes choices, some sarcrifice a lot to go to away games and those that do on a regular basis are more entitled to go to home games than those that do not. This point was well made to Fran Rooney when he visted the ROISSC london bracnch function after the Jamaica game where the point was made that some in the small group who travelled to georgia/albania and numerous other games were not given recognition for this, and AFAIK Mr. Rooney accepted this point.

The " i cant afford to go" arguement does not wash , as I've said we all make choices

**Superhoops** · 26/04/2005, 9:57 PM

Originally Posted by Cowboy

with respect thats total nonsense, everybody makes choices, some sarcrifice a lot to go to away games and those that do on a regular basis are more entitled to go to home games than those that do not. This point was well made to Fran Rooney when he visted the ROISSC london bracnch function after the Jamaica game where the point was made that some in the small group who travelled to georgia/albania and numerous other games were not given recognition for this, and AFAIK Mr. Rooney accepted this point.

I remember reading somewhere that the guys in ROISSC London brought 35 people to Georgia and Albania away games, they were away for a week and it cost them something like £800/900, but when it came to the game in Basle that October, they got less than 20 tickets. If that was the case then the FAI should be ashamed of themselves for not ensuring that everyone who went to Tbilisi (there were less than 400) got a ticket for Basle.

**MariborKev** · 26/04/2005, 10:07 PM

Where's Alan Hunter when you need him

**Superhoops** · 26/04/2005, 10:15 PM

Originally Posted by Maribor

Where's Alan Hunter when you need him

Who?

**soccerc** · 26/04/2005, 10:37 PM

Originally Posted by Cowboy

with respect thats total nonsense, everybody makes choices, some sarcrifice a lot to go to away games and those that do on a regular basis are more entitled to go to home games than those that do not. This point was well made to Fran Rooney when he visted the ROISSC london bracnch function after the Jamaica game where the point was made that some in the small group who travelled to georgia/albania and numerous other games were not given recognition for this, and AFAIK Mr. Rooney accepted this point.

The " i cant afford to go" arguement does not wash , as I've said we all make choices

Yes, people make choices, some to ensure they feed and clothe their kids, keep up the mortgage payments. If you are in apositioon to do that and go on every away trip then count yourself lucky.

Some make their sacrifices weekly, supporting and following their team in the eircom League and they too should be accomodated. What makes someone who only goes to internantioanl games more superior to those who actively support the domestic game.

While Fran Rooney accepted some of the points raised at the ROISSC function (A group of people I have the upmost respect for btw) he, I understand , pointed out that the Basel tickets (2003) were distributed on a pro rata basis and their was no other fairer way under the system to allocate tickets.

This is an issue that no matter what method is employed will not please all of the people all of the time.

Finally the The " i cant afford to go" arguement does not wash , as I've said we all make choices is a condescending attitude to supporters who literally cannot afford to make those trips.