Tickets Wanted for True GAA Fans
Talking Balls 2 Comments »
Well here’s where the tickets go. Remember, Croke Park’s capacity is 82,300.
Tickets not available for circulation, in other words some other fella has bought these seats and unless you get lucky, you haven’t a chance. If you know someone on the other hand, an afternoon of prawn sandwiches and hobnobbing with Joe Brolly and the rich and famous could be yours: Long Term (on Cusack Stand) 4,143; Premium and box tickets 10,528; Miscellaneous 122.
TotalAvailable for general circulation: 14,793
These are the tickets that are allocated though county boards and clubs. If you’ve played your part, that’s a head start on All Ireland Day. Make sure you have paid your club membership tho’. People crawling from the woodwork need not apply: County allocations 24,422; Competing county allocations 26,028; Extra for competing counties 5,676
Some of the following allocations inevitable raise a few eyebrows. The Ard Comhairle are the Powers That Be, the High Druids of the GAA. These are the anonymous men and women of the association that do much of the donkey work. Some are as useful as a set of rosary beads in a mosque, others are genuine skins that oil the wheels of the association: Ard-Chomhairle 786; Provincial councils 385
If you know any former presidents, be nice to them. If you don’t, then make a point of getting to know them. Visit them in their dotage, wipe them down and clean up after them; buy them chocolates and whiskey; do them favours. Whatever it takes. They have a shed load of tickets. Alternatively, get yourself elected and you can go to All Irelands from here to eternity: Former presidents 641
The next batch go to the worthy lesser lights of the Association and their maternal cousins. Join your local handball team; coach camogie (some people will go to any lengths) or coach ladies football: Handball 162; Camogie 120; Women’s football 140
The diaspora have long carried the torch in foreign fields. The Singapore Sarsfields, St Ultan’s Ulan Bator or Pearses Phnom Penh. Wherever a ball is kicked or sliotar pucked – tickets are to be found: Overseas 520.
Given the contribution schools and colleges make to the whole effort, no-one can really quibble with teachers getting a perk now and then. Most games teachers have it sorted so they get nearly every year: Schools/education 2,586
Public representatives are politicians. note there is one ticket going free as DUP Minister Gregory Campbell can’t make it on Sunday. Staff and sub-committees are what they say on the tin, so the people that suspend players and make decisions that we argue about in the pub get to go to the All ireland. Guaranteed. Sponsors we feel is a bit low especially now there’s so many of them: Public representatives 132; Staff and subcommittees 1,496; Sponsors671; Ard-Stiúrthóir 326
Why they let the media in the door of Croker is beyond us. Certainly we haven’t been let in yet. After all nearly every winning captain in memory has slagged of the media from the steps of the Hogan. Why not just tell the media to feck off, they’re not getting in and let that be that: Media 245
The following tickets are the players allocations, so if you know someone on a county panel, offer him inducements for his allocation of one or two tickets. Players like things like drink, sweets, pizza, lying in bed and shirt tuggers. If you can oblige with any of the above they will be happy (well the player we’re thinking of will be!). Otherwise leave players from competing counties alone – they have other things to worry about: Minor teams (on day of game) 70; Jubilee teams + CLG/INTO 313; Player’s tickets (competing counties) 540; Intercounty panels 1,920
Finally, match officials get 66 tickets, so they have mates there if the abuse gets really bad. That’s not to mention the National referees panel who get 42 tickets and finally Croke Park workers or Páirc an Chrócaigh teoranta get 220.
The scores on the doors then add up to a Grand total of 67,507
If you haven’t got sorted by now, at least you now know where to look. Otherwise, try going to a few matches next year or better still do something for your local club!
September 19th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
To those of us who have gone to every Kerry match this year and can very close to not getting a ticket i take offense at the comment about going to matches as it does not entitle you to tickets.
Last year a comment was made if you could prove you were at all the matches they would see if a ticket could be gotten. Unfortunately, on going in to the first match this year Kerry V Clare fans were told that there were no receipts available to prove you had paid for a ticket!!!! You may find it difficult to prove you were there unless they accept a date stamped photo of you with the players and pitch in the background!
September 20th, 2008 at 10:05 am
Aileen – thanks for your post. To me the system is patently unfair – people who regularly go to matches should get tickets. IMO so should people who contribute to their club. Come All Ireland final time there are too many that appear from the woodwork.
Maybe you can give us your fan’s perspective on the Galvin incident that day?