Wee Irish rant

[Junior]

Perhaps a larger national stadium is the answer!!!!

[tiktok]

I think Conor's post more or less hits the nail on the head, it's better than anything i've posted on this topic anyway. I'm probably biased toward the EL because i'm a city fan, but i do believe that we get an exceptionally raw deal.

having said that i'm not suggesting that Junior or martybhoy should be excluded,as i've said i want to have real fans in the ground. Bluebeard is probably right that the allocation to companies as a PR excercise is what we should be angry about, i don't know the % but it only seems to get bigger every year.

[Mondo]

Originally posted by Junior
Perhaps a larger national stadium is the answer!!!!

A LARGER National stadium??? Where IS the National stadium to enlarge?

[soccerc]

Originally posted by Bluebeard
I 3% is a ridiculously small alocation for the national League to be getting in my opinion, and that should be addressed.

Bluebeard, the eircom League clubs get considerably more than 3% of tickets allocated to them.

The 3% I am referring to is the allocation "specifically" for supporters of eircom League clubs who for various reasons have not had access to the allocation their club receives. To my mind they are the bread and butter of supporters domestic league football in Ireland and should thus be recognised and rewarded as such.

Without a domestic league we would not under FIFA and UEFA rules be permitted to enter a team representing the country in international competition. Therefore, it is my belief that these fans should be regarded as stakeholders in the game in Ireland resulting in access to match tickets.

Those "fans" who want to see Ireland play but who support a team in a different jursdiction must accept that their place in the pecking order is lower than dare I say it "real fans". ( Don't take me up wrong I dislike that expression but to me supporters of foreign teams who spend money going to watch them play in a different country and who have never attended an eL game yet criticise it as being "crap" are not fans or supporters of Irish football).

As I previously said all clubs affiliated to the FAI have differing routes for ticket access but in the normal course of events these tend to find their way to "committee men" and sponsors.

As someone else pointed out it was only after 1987 that demand for tickets became an issue and even then their have been games at which attendances have been low.

The Russia game will be the fourth occasion that this special allocation has happened and it will be the same for the friendly with Turkey.

After that, I do not know yet how the process currently in place will progress as the World Cup campaign should see a different approach taken to international match ticket sales. That said, while I am not in a position to guarantee that eL fans will continue to get ths allocation I would be confident that the arrangement will remain in place with one or two minor adjustments in it's administration.

[lopez]

Originally posted by Conor74
...the best way of ensuring that those who care about the game here get to see the national side is by distribution through clubs and county leagues first.

You must be a 'half pint full' optimist if you think that the allocation of International tickets to EL clubs, county leagues, etc. etc., will lead to the distribution of the tickets to the 'real fans' whoever the **** they are when they're at home.

Even though I'm not a 'real' Irishman, and therefore not a 'real' Irish fan, I know enough about Ireland, especially L a n g e rland, that even less tickets will end up with 'real' 'Irish' fans than they do at the moment. The country's full of Charlie Haughey wannabes. Didn't the Rugby international tickets get distributed through the clubs? Where do they all go to now? How many pieces of silver were obtained?

Speaking of 'real' 'Irish' fans, how come that when we have a **** period, they are conspicuous by their absence. Indeed, I never had much trouble getting tickets in the prior to the Charlton days that some of you think has stiched up the 'real' 'Irish' fan. In fact I never even got a ticket for most matches because it was pay on the door.

Martybhoy, I think there is a supporters club in Warrenpoint. A mate of mine moved back there and got me a ticket for the last game against the OSC in '94. Wonderful night!

[Junior]

Originally posted by Mondo
A LARGER National stadium??? Where IS the National stadium to enlarge?

very pedantic, I hope you understood the sarcasm in my post. I'll repahse: A LARGE National Stadium...better?

[Macy]

Originally posted by lopez
Didn't the Rugby international tickets get distributed through the clubs? Where do they all go to now? How many pieces of silver were obtained?

The people I know who are involved with Rugby clubs always get tickets for the games... Obviously some clubs choose to essentially tout their tickets to travel agents (as in the past people in Merrion Square also, allegedly), no system is perfect... At least the money raised by those tickets goes directly into those clubs, and ultimately the members of those clubs can stand for their committee and see a change in the method of distribution (as I believe some eL club fans have done successfully on this issue)... Whats fairer - the block booking system where it seems people can pick and choose the matches they go to and still get tickets to the big games?

[Junior]

Originally posted by Conor74
This argument is starting to bore me!

Look, if I agree with those who knock the eL, and yes yes yes all tickets should of course be distributed through Man Yoo, the Irish League in NI, Seltic and Liverpool FC, and eL fans should wash their mouths out for suggesting otherwise, can we start a new topic?

has anyone suggested any of those methods? who are you agreeing with?

[A face]

For the record .... I think eL fans are entitled to far more than those Man yooooooooooo fools etc.


I actually wont be happy until we have first say on everything that happens nationally


Any argument made that differs from that isn't worth the time od day .... get in the Q and wait your turn when you are called. Fools


End of ......

[dahamsta]

Originally posted by A face
For the record .... I think eL fans are entitled to far more than those Man yooooooooooo fools etc.

I agree, although I think calling them fools is a bit much. They watch the British game because they think it's better quality, and the amount of people that think this way should tell you something.

adam

[lopez]

What I was saying was that clubs, either through fans or the committees, will put the club's interests first. This may include, selling all the tickets to touts for desperately needed cash.

Having had a block booking in the past, (through the RISSC in London) but sadly no longer, I don't think this was either dificult to obtain, nor discriminating except to those on low incomes or the dole.

My suggestion is keep the block booking but add a substantial levy/offer a substantial discount for season ticket holders of EL clubs, for applicants living in the 26 counties. EL clubs should also offer one-match membership, as done by some Spanish clubs for instance, known as 'socio amigo', for us outlanders, giving us a stake in an EL club. Anything but increase the bureacracy in the distribution of tickets.

[gspain]

Rugby is not ideal either - for the England game many clubs sell their allocation to Mike Burton for corporate hospitality (touts with suits). He pays well for them and they use the money to run the clubs.

The block booking system discriminates against poorer fans who have to stump up up front for every game incl all the friendlies and potentially against country based fans although I used to travel from Limerick, Cork & Galway for friendlies when I lived in those cities. However by and large it does give tickets to the fans who go to every game and not just pick the plum ones.

However it does give fans tickets. My father has been block booking since the 70's and going long before that. I've been going since I was 8 (originally on his ticket ) but then in my own right. Block bookings have been open for Euro 88 campaign, Italia 90 campaign - opened up again for USA 94 and again for Japan before the first qualifier.

There was huge hype in 89 for the Spain game and basically tickets were not available then until after Euro92. Many people held off on taking block bookings for USA 94 until after the Albania and Latvia home qualifiers then made rush again.

If you are a LoI fan and regularly attend games the chances are that you are known to the club and if you look for International tickets and commit to take them for all games then you will usually get them. However if you turn up the week or month before a big game looking for tickets they won't have them as the guy who was buying them for Macedonia & Liechtenstein has probably got them. Most clubs operate the block booking scheme too.

Frankly there are far more of the "event junkies" at the friendlies than the competitive games.

[Schumi]

Originally posted by Macy
The people I know who are involved with Rugby clubs always get tickets for the games...

My dad is involved with a junior club and effectively people have to buy a ticket for every game (friendlies etc.) to guarantee tickets for the big 6-nations games. This seems to me to be a better way to run the system. Why should people get tickets to the big World Cup qualifier games and then not bother going to the smaller friendles?

Obviously some clubs choose to essentially tout their tickets to travel agents

And this is something that really annoys clubs who look after their members as the money gained from this goes to paying players and coaches more money than they would otherwise be able to.

[lopez]

Originally posted by Conor74
BTW Lopez, do you have any idea of how popular rugby is now?

Yes, and despite your aversion to the game, I think locally this is brilliant: Something that the EL can follow. But isn't this down to the Celtic League and the Heineken Cup. Better than playing the three other provinces in what were the opportunity for the selectors to look for who had the best connections sorry best all-round skill to play for Ireland.

Originally posted by Conor74
And no, if you follow Bath or Saracens in England...

Er, we plastics have our own team in London thank you very much, unless you are going to compare it with Celtic and claim it is really an English club, founded by English people, for English people.

[Footie_Fan]

Originally posted by Junior
I personally have supported the National side for about 15 years, have a block booking at Landsdowne and travel to a high proportion of Away fixtures. Is some fella who has been supporting Galway Utd for the last year or so more worthy of a ticket than I? you say he is, I say he isn't.

The Block booking system was there for all to apply for i.e. all football fans, now EL fans think that they have a right to start complaining at how tickets are being distributed, any reason why these fans are not on the block booking system in the first place?

Totally agree!!! I am a block booker as well... if all these EL fans wanted tickets why didn't they apply for the block booking scheme at the start? Where were all these EL fans when there was only 5000 at Lansdowne for the friendly against the North in aid of Omagh. Notable by their absence in the friendly v Paraguay while those present nearly froze. If Ireland were not doing well this conversation wouldn't be held. But if the EL fans weren't there you could guarantee the block bookers would be.. supporting Ireland through thick and thin and therefore block bookers have more right to tickets then everyone else. We go to EVERY game!

[lopez]

Originally posted by Footie_Fan
...Where were all these EL fans when there was only 5000 at Lansdowne for the friendly against the North in aid of Omagh...

A very interesting point here, FF, because the poor attendance at the Omagh benefit game was blamed on... the club final of a foreign country (well the northern bit of a foreign country) for which EL fans on this forum are continually blaming for undermining Irish club football, and whose supporters' booing of a certain club's rival's players (and ex-players), when they play against Ireland, has created more than a little fuss in this forum.

[MariborKev]

There are a significant number of block bookers who are also EL fans

[Footie_Fan]

Originally posted by Maribor
There are a significant number of block bookers who are also EL fans

This is true but I am talking about the EL fans and all the other fairweather Irish supporters for that matter who just want the big match tickets and feel it is there god given right to them.

[Bosco]

Originally posted by Footie_Fan
This is true but I am talking about the EL fans and all the other fairweather Irish supporters for that matter who just want the big match tickets and feel it is there god given right to them.

FF i agree that if you have been to the majority of ireland games home and abroad you have a right to tickets.But don't you dare call el fans fairweather supporters we are the ones who follow are teams through thick and thin week in week out around the country, we are not the ones who go along to a football match every 2 months because the cream of irish players playing in england are in town.Unless you are an el fan yourself as i notice you live in dublin,are you?
It may be easy for you to get the day or evening off once every 2 months to see some live football .But by this day for most el fans it may be their 3rd match that week and therefore 3rd day in a week.
If you do follow ireland through thick and thin around the world fair play to ya but don't presume that we are only there for the big names and big matches

[Schumi]

Originally posted by Footie_Fan
Where were all these EL fans when there was only 5000 at Lansdowne for the friendly against the North in aid of Omagh.

And where were all the block bookers?