FAI scraps ticket bundling policy

Dean820

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2011/0330/fai_ireland.html

Following poor ticket sales for the Republic of Ireland's Euro 2012 qualifying game with Macedonia and the friendly with Uruguay, the FAI are to scrap the policy of selling tickets in bundles for multiple games.

In a statement released today, the Association said that 'following a review, it will sell all of its upcoming home matches (Northern Ireland, Scotland, Slovakia and Armenia) on a single basis'.

A disappointing attendance of 30,000 turned out for the crucial qualification game with Macedonia and that appears to have forced the organisation's hand.

Ebbs

Obvious step really. We might even get affordable ticket prices too.

super_furry

"Tickets for friendly internationals will continue to cost €30 and €45, while tickets for Euro 2012 qualification games will be priced at €60 and €45."

Knocking a tenner off the prices across the board would be the next step, but they won't take it until no-one turns out for the friendlies.

bonerm

Shows you the only way to deal with price-blackmailers like the FAI is to vote with your feet.

PHB

I'm still furious that they wouldn't offer me a block booking ticket after we left Croker and now they are begging for people to join it. Why they didn't offer it to me I don't know, especially since i rang up and complained. Since then, I just get tickets to the qualifiers from touts because it's way cheaper.

Zaph

super_furry wrote: »

"Tickets for friendly internationals will continue to cost €30 and €45, while tickets for Euro 2012 qualification games will be priced at €60 and €45."

Knocking a tenner off the prices across the board would be the next step, but they won't take it until no-one turns out for the friendlies.

They should have been offering kids tickets at a fiver a go for the Uruguay game. Get them interested in going to internationals and at least get some extra bodies into the stadium to generate a bit more atmosphere. Surely 10,000 tickets at a fiver each is better than 10,000 empty seats?

curry-muff

About time, bundling was absolutely ridiculous, it put many people off attending matches, look at the state of the stadium against Uruguay.

The_Hustler

It was a better atmosphere than Saturday.

I see some of your point Zaph about the kids, but I don't see how a load of kids would improve the atmosphere. There was some boys behind me on Saturday and they were extremely annoying banging our chairs, etc

Trampas

FAI are still living in a crazy world. It is not the bundle the issue but the price of the tickets

tim_holsters

I would've gone on saturday if the ticket price was cheaper, this bundling issue is not the issue. Decrease the price of the tickets FAI.

eclectichoney

€60 is just too much these days. If they don't want to reduce the prices outright maybe they could do an offer of 3 games for the price of 2 or something? Or keep your ticket stubb and get 25% off the next match etc.

iregk

Thats one step yes but still. €45 for a ticket up at the roof, no thanks. If they lowered the prices they'd get people in, simple as that.

Actually I've taken it a step further and wrote an email into the ticket office discussing the pricing and bundle policy.

Zaph

The_Hustler wrote: »

It was a better atmosphere than Saturday.

I see some of your point Zaph about the kids, but I don't see how a load of kids would improve the atmosphere. There was some boys behind me on Saturday and they were extremely annoying banging our chairs, etc

Well most of the kids would have adults with them, so that would increase the adult attendance as well.

the untitled user

The_Hustler wrote: »

I see some of your point Zaph about the kids, but I don't see how a load of kids would improve the atmosphere. There was some boys behind me on Saturday and they were extremely annoying banging our chairs, etc

You'll have that.

Get them in young and get them to make a habit of going to games regularly and you'll have the makings a very loyal following down the line. It'd be better than the 'Plastic Paddy's' people complain about so much.

yabadabado

Why cant the FAI introduce a few different pricing zones.top price of €60 down to €25 depending on seats/area.The bundle could have worked if it was making it cheaper to attend both games.

daithijjj

England v Ghana
International Match
8pm, Tuesday 29 March 2011
Wembley Stadium

Ticket Prices £40, £30, £25, £20
Family Enclosure £20 Adults/£10 Children under 16

They should just add 10% to euro conversion, 80k at that game and a great atmosphere.

double GG

The Majority of Irish supporters are from a working class background so money during the recession is tight. Petrol has gone through the roof and with ticket prices so high.....

Take a Family from Galway who would go to a game. A family of five, €45 euro a pop for cheapest seat, thats €225 for tickets. Car needs petrol to go to the game. €50 maybe? Something to eat during/after the game, €30 minimum. Then take in other possible expenses. Lets say overall it won't be far off €350 to go to a game.

Currently tickets are nothing short of a rip off especially for kids. How bad does it look to have all those empty seats?


Why not Cut the cheapest tickets to €35, the cut will easily be got back from revenue on the day from food and drinks etc. and plus it would possibly mean more people would attend. The €5 children's ticket is a good idea too.

FAI, DROP TICKET PRICES OR ATTENDANCES WILL CONTINUE TO DROP.

PEOPLE CANNOT AFFORD THESE PRICES.

It's either going to a game or paying the heating bill.

Pal

I don't go because I don't like the new stadium.

Rather watch Bohs for 20 than Ireland for a tenner.

Fittle

The_Hustler wrote: »

me on Saturday and they were extremely annoying banging our chairs, etc

Are you 90
I brought my young lad and his pal (both 8) to two of the recent internationals and at both of them, the men in front were complaining about the kids kicking their seat:rolleyes:

Kids are kids - they sway their legs all over the place, at the cinema, on the bus etc...if the FAI want to have fans at matches consistently, they need to get the kids into the stadium while they're young, so that they continue to go to every match. And they obviously need to reduce ticket prices. And obviously need to dissuade 90yr olds giving out about the kids in the seats behind them.

It's a football match. Not a night at the opera.

Michael Collins

Fittle wrote: »

Are you 90
I brought my young lad and his pal (both 8) to two of the recent internationals and at both of them, the men in front were complaining about the kids kicking their seat:rolleyes:

Kids are kids - they sway their legs all over the place, at the cinema, on the bus etc...if the FAI want to have fans at matches consistently, they need to get the kids into the stadium while they're young, so that they continue to go to every match. And they obviously need to reduce ticket prices. And obviously need to dissuade 90yr olds giving out about the kids in the seats behind them.

It's a football match. Not a night at the opera.

What possible reason is there to kick someone else's seat? They're watching the match after all, not playing it.

Make the standard ticket €20, and advertise it. Get a full stadium, similar revenue but get people actually going and talking about the matches.

stovelid

Fittle wrote: »

Are you 90
I brought my young lad and his pal (both 8) to two of the recent internationals and at both of them, the men in front were complaining about the kids kicking their seat:rolleyes:
.

As in 8 months old?

TangyZizzle

Michael Collins wrote: »

What possible reason is there to kick someone else's seat? They're watching the match after all, not playing it.

Were you not a kid at one stage? They don't need a reason to swing their legs. They just do it.
If it bothered you so much, would you not have mentioned it to whoever the kids were with?

stovelid

TangyZizzle wrote: »

Were you not a kid at one stage? They don't need a reason to swing their legs. They just do it.
If it bothered you so much, would you not have mentioned it to whoever the kids were with?

Depends on what swinging your legs means. If it means persistently kicking the back of somebody's seat, I wouldn't let my kids do it.

Nor would I have been allowed to as a child.

Raskolnikov

€45 to €60 without bundling for a qualifier is fair enough in my eyes. I think removing the bundling will be enough to sell out the stadium even at those prices. The issue I have is the was a friendly costing €30 to €45 a ticket. Who the feck will want to pay €45 to watch the Ireland B team play Uruguay?

iregk

Fittle wrote: »

It's a football match. Not a night at the opera.

Funny statement that. I was at an Ireland match in croker before and like that some kid who couldn't control his legs battered the back of my chair all game. I turned around and said it to the father if he'd mind asking the kid to stop kicking the chair. I got a response back not too dissimilar to the above quote.

Little while later we stood up to sing and I got a tap on the shoulder from the father complaining that his kid couldn't see and would I sit down. "its a football match, not a cinema" I told him.

yom 1

I have contacted the FAI 3 times since the start of the year to try and organise about 30 tickets for a couple of U8 teams I help to run. And not once did I get a single reply from them......not even a please f*ck off. I was absolutely delighted to see attendances so poor for the two games.

When you have clubs trying to organise tickets for their schoolboy teams and they cant even get a reply out of courtesy, there is something seriously wrong in the setup.

Mister men

Won't go until they introduce real world pricing.

Fittle

stovelid wrote: »

Depends on what swinging your legs means. If it means persistently kicking the back of somebody's seat, I wouldn't let my kids do it.

Nor would I have been allowed to as a child.

In my case, they were swinging their legs and barely tipping the back of the chairs in front of them. And they weren't doing it for 90 minutes either:rolleyes::rolleyes: Jays, it appears some people have never been 8:rolleyes:

stovelid

Fittle wrote: »

In my case, they were swinging their legs and barely tipping the back of the chairs in front of them. And they weren't doing it for 90 minutes either:rolleyes::rolleyes: Jays, it appears some people have never been 8:rolleyes:

/shrugs

To be fair, there's only your word to take for it so it's pointless to argue.

I'd stop my boys kicking a chair (8 is old enough to listen and obey) and take them home if they continued to act up, but then again I agree that some punters do overreact as well (especially when kids are involved) so who really knows what went on.

Fittle

iregk wrote: »

Funny statement that. I was at an Ireland match in croker before and like that some kid who couldn't control his legs battered the back of my chair all game. I turned around and said it to the father if he'd mind asking the kid to stop kicking the chair. I got a response back not too dissimilar to the above quote.

Little while later we stood up to sing and I got a tap on the shoulder from the father complaining that his kid couldn't see and would I sit down. "its a football match, not a cinema" I told him.

Look, the kids I had with me weren't battering the back of anyones chair all game. And when the person in front asked me to get them to stop - HE was the one with the colourful language, not me! I got them to stop. But kids swing their legs without even knowing they're doing it.

fkiely

Has anyone thought of those of us who have purchased the season tickets when they're calling for a price reduction? I'd imagine that's the biggest obstacle in the FAI not reducing prices as there would be uproar among those of us who shelled out that much money.

Fittle

stovelid wrote: »

/shrugs

To be fair, there's only your word to take for it so it's pointless to argue.

I'd stop my boys kicking a chair (8 is old enough to listen and obey) and take them home if they continued to act up, but then again I agree that some punters do overreact as well (especially when kids are involved) so who really knows what went on.

Clever use of words there to insinuate I'm lying. Nice one.

stovelid

Fittle wrote: »

Clever use of words there to insinuate I'm lying. Nice one.

Go off and start another thread about it?

Poster has temerity to disagree with something that happened to me as a mother at a football match - what would you all do?

OhNoYouDidn't

I do have to chuckle at the posters who want top class international football in a world class stadium for €20.

How do you propose the FAI pay for the Aviva while keeping the grassroots show on the road?

Irish match tickets were steep back in the Dalymount days. They are cheaper now then they were in Croker. People are staying away for reasons more than price.

iregk

Fittle wrote: »

Look, the kids I had with me weren't battering the back of anyones chair all game. And when the person in front asked me to get them to stop - HE was the one with the colourful language, not me! I got them to stop. But kids swing their legs without even knowing they're doing it.

I'm not saying you kids battered the back of someones chair. I'm also not defending the person in front of you who asked them to stop.

Did you ask your kids to stop? when you noticed they were still kicking the chair did you ask them again? how many times did you ask them to stop before taking them out of the ground?

Rob113

Fittle wrote: »

In my case, they were swinging their legs and barely tipping the back of the chairs in front of them. And they weren't doing it for 90 minutes either:rolleyes::rolleyes: Jays, it appears some people have never been 8:rolleyes:

It's not ok for kids to be kicking the back of someones chair regardless of age. If my 3yr old was doing it she'd be told to stop and she would as she understands the difference between right and wrong.

doncarlos

fkiely wrote: »

Has anyone thought of those of us who have purchased the season tickets when they're calling for a price reduction? I'd imagine that's the biggest obstacle in the FAI not reducing prices as there would be uproar among those of us who shelled out that much money.

You not get a letter saying that there would be a refund?

*edit* FROM EMAIL;

"We are writing to all our season ticket members to confirm that your account will be credited with the difference by the end of June 2011 which will include the reduction for the match against Wales. We will be in contact with you again to clarify the amount. The reductions are as follows."

The Rooster

fkiely wrote: »

Has anyone thought of those of us who have purchased the season tickets when they're calling for a price reduction? I'd imagine that's the biggest obstacle in the FAI not reducing prices as there would be uproar among those of us who shelled out that much money.

That's a nonsense argument.

You paid an amount based on the price on offer. You were clearly satisfied enough with the offer to accept it. Just because the price subsequentrly changes (whether up or down) doesnt mean your price should change.

Airlines, hotels, etc. do this all the time. No reason why the FAI shouldnt do it to maximise attendances. It doesnt impact one little bit on you what price FAI sell those seats at, you've already bought yours at a price you were willing to pay.

doncarlos

The Rooster wrote: »

That's a nonsense argument.

You paid an amount based on the price on offer. You were clearly satisfied enough with the offer to accept it. Just because the price subsequentrly changes (whether up or down) doesnt mean your price should change.

Airlines, hotels, etc. do this all the time. No reason why the FAI shouldnt do it to maximise attendances. It doesnt impact one little bit on you what price FAI sell those seats at, you've already bought yours at a price you were willing to pay.

Hardly a nonsense argument, a season ticket was bought on the premise that tickets to games would be €50/€40. If these ticket prices drop it makes the value of the season ticket go down.
People forked out €350 in one go (including taking tickets for meaningless friendlies & Celtic Cup) and your suggesting that the FAI should take a "tough shít" mentality to these people??

Pauleta

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

I do have to chuckle at the posters who want top class international football in a world class stadium for €20.

How do you propose the FAI pay for the Aviva while keeping the grassroots show on the road?

Irish match tickets were steep back in the Dalymount days. They are cheaper now then they were in Croker. People are staying away for reasons more than price.

I have to chuckle at that. Ireland are a mid table international side that have never ever played good football, hasnt qualified for a tournament in 11 years and is consistently ranked around the 30s in the rankings and the stadium is hardly "World Class". It barely made the standard set to host Europa League final. Stadiums like Lansdowne Road are a dime a dozen now a days.

You can see Spain and Germany play superior and entertaining football in probably a better stadium for cheaper. Who the hell do Plain Jane, middle of the road Ireland think they are charging these prices. Its like Tesco charging the more for their tesco value cola than Coca-Cola.

Dempsey

Pauleta wrote: »

I have to chuckle at that. Ireland are a mid table international side that have never ever played good football, hasnt qualified for a tournament in 11 years and is consistently ranked around the 30s in the rankings and the stadium is hardly "World Class". It barely made the standard set to host Europa League final. Stadiums like Lansdowne Road are a dime a dozen now a days.

You can see Spain and Germany play superior and entertaining football in probably a better stadium for cheaper. Who the hell do Plain Jane, middle of the road Ireland think they are charging these prices. Its like Tesco charging the more for their tesco value cola than Coca-Cola.

Thats just bullsh!t tbh. And just because its on the lower end of the capacity scale for European Finals doesnt make it less than a world class stadium considering the facilities it has.

I'm glad they have done away with the bundling of tickets but that alone isnt going to fill the stadium on a regular basis.

OhNoYouDidn't

Pauleta wrote: »

I have to chuckle at that. Ireland are a mid table international side that have never ever played good football, hasnt qualified for a tournament in 11 years and is consistently ranked around the 30s in the rankings and the stadium is hardly "World Class". It barely made the standard set to host Europa League final. Stadiums like Lansdowne Road are a dime a dozen now a days.

You can see Spain and Germany play superior and entertaining football in probably a better stadium for cheaper. Who the hell do Plain Jane, middle of the road Ireland think they are charging these prices. Its like Tesco charging the more for their tesco value cola than Coca-Cola.

I was referring to Uruguay...

And you ignored the whole point. The FAI have bills to pay. The Ole Ole brigade are their cash cow. Forget about LoI prices for international football.

Michael Collins

Take a look at how the August Rugby internationals at the Aviva against France and England are priced:

Adult tickets range between €20 - €40, with the premium level at €50.

Schoolboy tickets are at €10.

You can also get a family ticket for 2 adults and 2 kids for €60.

OhNoYouDidn't

Michael Collins wrote: »

Take a look at how the August Rugby internationals at the Aviva against France and England are priced:

Adult tickets range between €20 - €40, with the premium level at €50.

Schoolboy tickets are at €10.

You can also get a family ticket for 2 adults and 2 kids for €60.

Are you sure they were that cheap?

But they never went on public sale, so its a moot point.

Fr Tod Umptious

This is definitely a step in the right direction, and good to see the FAI do it.

At least now a tickets to a competitive game will be only e45 and not anything up to e90.

The Rooster

doncarlos wrote: »

Hardly a nonsense argument, a season ticket was bought on the premise that tickets to games would be €50/€40. If these ticket prices drop it makes the value of the season ticket go down.
People forked out €350 in one go (including taking tickets for meaningless friendlies & Celtic Cup) and your suggesting that the FAI should take a "tough shít" mentality to these people??

People forked out €350 because they thought it represented value at the time. What they are getting will not have changed one iota, so there's absolutely no way they should be entitled to a refund if prices subsequently drop.

If you buy a flight to the US with Aer Lingus for €600. And then they drop the price to €400, do you think you should get a €200 refund? Of course not.

If you buy a TV in Harvey Norman's for €500, and then the following week you see its reduced to €350, do you look for a refund? Of course not.

CiaranC

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

I was referring to Uruguay...

And you ignored the whole point. The FAI have bills to pay. The Ole Ole brigade are their cash cow. Forget about LoI prices for international football.

They should let the ole olers pay full whack, they only go to a handful of games a year and can afford it, then distribute another 10 thousand to LOI season ticket holders at a reduced price. Put all these LOI fans in one area of the ground. Then Id go.

Dont be at yourself

CiaranC wrote: »

They should let the ole olers pay full whack, they only go to a handful of games a year and can afford it, then distribute another 10 thousand to LOI season ticket holders at a reduced price. Put all these LOI fans in one area of the ground. Then Id go.

The problem is that the ole olers aren't paying. The stadium is half empty.

It's not even about the recession. Even if the whole country was minted, 45e is too expensive to watch a midweek friendly. People can afford it, but it's not value for money.

CiaranC

NekkidBibleMan wrote: »

The problem is that the ole olers aren't paying. The stadium is half empty.

It's not even about the recession. Even if the whole country was minted, 45e is too expensive to watch a midweek friendly. People can afford it, but it's not value for money.

Then I guess the FAI are pretty ****ed.

Dont be at yourself

CiaranC wrote: »

Then I guess the FAI are pretty ****ed.

Price the tickets at 20 and 45. Get bums on seats, in the ground, creating atmosphere and buying hotdogs etc.

Het-Field

CiaranC wrote: »

They should let the ole olers pay full whack, they only go to a handful of games a year and can afford it, then distribute another 10 thousand to LOI season ticket holders at a reduced price. Put all these LOI fans in one area of the ground. Then Id go.

Another closed-minded rant.

Well done.