GAA pricing itself out of the game

luap2007

Its crazy the money they charge to see a game!

looseygoosey

Gophur wrote: »

Yep.

Who, in all fairness, wants to see both Carlow v Wexford and Dublin v Kildare?
Very few, if any, so packaging it as €30 for 2 games is disingenuous.

In any case, I voted with my feet/wallet and don't support these prices.

I can see that your not a proper GAA fan at all , more of a summer fan or whatever they call it , i'm from Kildare so i'm very interested in the kildare game naturally , but i would love to see the carlow/wexford match aswell.
I like to watch football no matter what the quality or significance, i want to watch the carlow match to see if they can pull off a shock and to see their best players and also want to be there if they pull off a shock.

€30 is very good value for 2 entertaining matches and this is the view of the majority of true GAA fans so you GOPHUR are WRONG....sorry

kippy

Browney7 wrote: »

Right you wrote this first. I agree with you, they do get plenty capitation grants to help run the organisation.




Problemchimp replied with the above highlighting that Irish sports council funding for all three organisations is more or less equal.



You responded with the above to try and rubbish problemchimps argument on capitation grants. 191 million euro was allocated to the redevelopment of Lansdowne road.

I had a look at the 2008 lottery funding grants that were given out http://193.178.1.186/pdfs/08allocationswebformat.pdf. Everything from sports halls to Judo to sailing to rugby to GAA. Everything.

THe national lottery has indeed provided a good deal of funding for GAA clubs. The grants are there to be applied for. Sure the Munster branch of the IRFU got 3 million. Fair play to the clubs if they can get them. Indeed my own club applied for one and got one to build a hurling wall and to improve the pitch but they had to stump up a nice bit of cash aswell.

Although it is an amateur organisation it cost the Limerick county board €609,341 to run the hurling and football teams. Covers doctor's, physios, gear, team holiday etc. I'd imagine Tipp, Cork, Dublin would be in and around the same. Someone has to pay for this too.



I responded to Cummybaby earlier on whereby he said if it was a U2 concert or a Euro qualifier he'd expect to pay big prices for food. Why not in Croke park though for a Leinster semi final? Fair enough you havn't mentioned other organisations but I felt you were insinuating the GAA were the only ones to receive funding.

As you said I didnt suggest that the GAA were the only ones to get funding - just that they got a hell of a lot.
I am aware that things cost money to run, despite it being an amateur organisation however I make the point that things shouldnt really cost that much more to run than they did 5 years ago - and when you take into account increased revenue from the other avenues I mentioned, one would think the GAA should have plenty money to support the grass roots levels.
I spotted today that ticket prices for the next series of all ireland games are higher than last year (excuse is the levels below were cheaper and that they would have to take a "loss" if tickets went down in price on last year).

DamnTasty

Jesus you'd swear the prices were overly extortionate! If you have genuinely only interest in one team just get a season tic for 75 and avail of later stage discounts.

Your county plays a few championship games a year usually as some sort a double header and if it's in the fine surroundings of croker, all the better. ( usually a sign your team is doing well)

I'm going to breffni park and croker this weeked to take in four games and it's 40 euro. Not bad value in my book. Plus the revenue or 80 percent of it is pumped back into counties.

Its hard times for nearly everyone these days. Of course we can question the gaa expenses but the financials speak for themselves. About 80 percent is reinvested in clubs and counties. If they got bums on seats by charging a fiver in the gaa at grass routes level would in someway suffer and it would be simply bad management.. It's a balancing act..

As for those who say they only really go to support their own team- so be it. Champ venues have rarely ever been single fixtures with no fixture preceding it. it's not a case of 'oh we can charge more now' Costs are kept down and there's a larger attendance- makes sense to me...

At the end of the day the gaa know who they are accountable to- it's members. Fair enough bad decisions are made now and again regarding pricing buts it's never been overly excessive.

ontheditch2

A serious case of a chip on the shoulder with some of the posters. Could ye not make school football team as a child and feel disgruntled with the GAA ever since.

Anyway, to add my bit.
Where does all the money go??
An associate is involved with development squads and a few weeks ago, they brought 60 kids down the country. The costs included:
2 Buses for 8 hours each
A food bag, which had a bottle of water, sandwich and bar.
Went for hot food after the matches.
Were given new hurleys, new sliotars, first aid kit, water bottles and 3 sets of jerseys (which were returned)
New pair of socks and shorts for each player (which must last for the year)

For that alone, the cost i reckon would be between €3,500-€4,000.

That was only for the U14 Hurling team. So imagine this happens with the U13 Hurling and Football, U14 hurling and Football, U15 Hurling and Football, U16 Hurling and Football, U17 Hurling and Football, Minor hurling and Football.

So you are talking if each team went to one blitz during the year, that costs the county board €30,000-€40,000.

And all the Hurling teams have a big competition in the last week of August, and physios, more food etc are there.

That is just a small proportion. Think of teams playing a match away, getting food and buses alone is a huge cost on the county board.

That is just a small insight as to where some of the money goes.

kippy

ontheditch2 wrote: »

A serious case of a chip on the shoulder with some of the posters. Could ye not make school football team as a child and feel disgruntled with the GAA ever since.

Anyway, to add my bit.
Where does all the money go??
An associate is involved with development squads and a few weeks ago, they brought 60 kids down the country. The costs included:
2 Buses for 8 hours each
A food bag, which had a bottle of water, sandwich and bar.
Went for hot food after the matches.
Were given new hurleys, new sliotars, first aid kit, water bottles and 3 sets of jerseys (which were returned)
New pair of socks and shorts for each player (which must last for the year)

For that alone, the cost i reckon would be between €3,500-€4,000.

That was only for the U14 Hurling team. So imagine this happens with the U13 Hurling and Football, U14 hurling and Football, U15 Hurling and Football, U16 Hurling and Football, U17 Hurling and Football, Minor hurling and Football.

So you are talking if each team went to one blitz during the year, that costs the county board €30,000-€40,000.

And all the Hurling teams have a big competition in the last week of August, and physios, more food etc are there.

That is just a small proportion. Think of teams playing a match away, getting food and buses alone is a huge cost on the county board.

That is just a small insight as to where some of the money goes.

Again, an interesting way to start a post - completely going off topic in an effort to muddy the argument.
I ain't disputing that there are costs involved in running teams/clubs etc etc. I just question whether these costs have gone up in the last number of years (as ticket prices have) while at the same time revenue has increased for the GAA.

Fair enough lads, if ye are happy enough with ticket prices, I and many others like me have stopped going to matches in the past few years, attendances appear to be down again this year and this will continue so long as the GAA continue to keep prices as they are or raise them.

hardybuck

Anyone else think that county boards are charging too much for club games also? I've paid €10 to stand on a ditch and watch an intermediate game in the middle of winter!

Surely we should be encouraging more people to get out and support their clubs by charging nothing for junior and intermediate games until semis or finals, and a very low amount for senior games before say the quarter finals stage?

If you want to get out and support your club every week as well as supporting your county, then you are really seeing the cost.

The Maverick

kippy wrote: »

...I spotted today that ticket prices for the next series of all ireland games are higher than last year (excuse is the levels below were cheaper and that they would have to take a "loss" if tickets went down in price on last year).

Are you refering to the €10 increase in All-Ireland tickets here? I really can't understand the complaining about this, it will effect 4 sets of fans each year. Are you saying if your county reached the final, you wouldn't buy a ticket because it would be €10 more than last year? Nevermind the fact that you would have saved €5 each on the semi and quarter final tickets, so overall you would not be down money. If your team was "lucky" enough to go through the qualifiers, you would have saved an extra €5 on every game they played.

Browney7

hardybuck wrote: »

Anyone else think that county boards are charging too much for club games also? I've paid €10 to stand on a ditch and watch an intermediate game in the middle of winter!

Surely we should be encouraging more people to get out and support their clubs by charging nothing for junior and intermediate games until semis or finals, and a very low amount for senior games before say the quarter finals stage?

If you want to get out and support your club every week as well as supporting your county, then you are really seeing the cost.

This is very true. I always get round this by carrying in a hurley and saying I'm doing the water for the team:pac: They shouldn't charge anything more than a fiver for club games I think.

kippy

The Maverick wrote: »

Are you refering to the €10 increase in All-Ireland tickets here? I really can't understand the complaining about this, it will effect 4 sets of fans each year. Are you saying if your county reached the final, you wouldn't buy a ticket because it would be €10 more than last year? Nevermind the fact that you would have saved €5 each on the semi and quarter final tickets, so overall you would not be down money. If your team was "lucky" enough to go through the qualifiers, you would have saved an extra €5 on every game they played.

You would be paying the same as last year - prices should be coming down, not staying static.

UpTheSlashers

kippy wrote: »

You would be paying the same as last year - prices should be coming down, not staying static.

Worst case scenario you would be paying the same as last year. Many fans will end up paying less than last year as a result of most games costing a fiver less in admission.

nice_guy80

I don't think they've tackled costs at the upper end of the association.
there are full time officers in every county and province who are on better wages than they were 5 years ago due to increments. how many of them have taken a pay cut?

the amount of money wasted on paying travelling expenses, overnight and meal allowances to officials, referees, managers to travel to meetings up in Croker is ridiculous. Implement all the new technology out there and do video conference calls - that will cut down big time on

Have a proper season ticket for sale. I would like to buy a season ticket for all club games in my county - cannot do it.
Or an inter county season ticket that allows me to attend any inter county game (once I prebook a ticket for each game), say up to AI quarter finals. Cannot do it.
Both would be easy enough to arrange - use ticket scanners to record activity!

The facilities in most GAA grounds are terrible.
Look at what the rugby provinces are capable of delivering at their grounds and you see the gulf in quality in terms of looking after fans' needs

mobby

Having paid €2.50 for a tea bag and some boiled water a few weeks ago, :eek: wont be caught on that again. Crazy prices for food and drink at GAA HQ. Just bring your own.

goingpostal

I won't be going to any Inter-county matches this year or any other year, until the GAA cops itself on. Ticket prices should have been slashed. Didn't anyone tell them that the country has been taken over by the IMF and is going through what is far worse than a recession? The formats of both championships is an issue too. Too many pointless matches. It is very hard to get excited about the provincial championships anymore, for me neither championship really gets going until late July, when the matches become straight knockout. It feels like the league has been extended into the summer. And only two or three teams in either championship has a chance of actually winning it. Then you have the price of petrol, the price of food at the grounds, the Go-Safe vans lurking in every ditch trying to catch you for another "ticket";). Against this, I can sit at home, eat and drink food on my couch, watch the matches for free on RTE2 HD on my 32" flat screen TV. Why would I bother going to matches? I know the atmosphere is far better when you are there, but it ain't worth 100euro for a day out and all the hassle of going to and fro. The true-believers alone can't keep the game going, the GAA needs lazy agnostics like me too, whether they like it or not. They are not presenting me with a compelling proposition. The exact opposite, really.

bruschi

I'm going to throw out a big generalisation and tar a load of people with the one brush, but any of the people I personally know who complain about tickets prices, are those who go to games when their team is winning, and only for championship. They wouldnt bother going to league games and only complain then about how hard it is to get tickets etc the further their team gets, and about how expensive it is.

Expense is what you make of it. I dont think its any way at all expensive for €20 to watch 2 games in Wex Park last week. I think that is unbelievable value. But that is because I want to see those games, and I enjoy going to watch them.

this whole argument of the AI final prices came up this week too, and its pretty much the same argumetns again here. People complaining about an increase, but forget to mention the decrease in the games before that. complete double standards, and just trying to whinge about the GAA using ridiculous points. I'll complain about them on other things, but to complain about the AI final going up by ten quid, but not to mention the €5 reduction on games previous to that?

kippy

bruschi wrote: »

I'm going to throw out a big generalisation and tar a load of people with the one brush, but any of the people I personally know who complain about tickets prices, are those who go to games when their team is winning, and only for championship. They wouldnt bother going to league games and only complain then about how hard it is to get tickets etc the further their team gets, and about how expensive it is.

Expense is what you make of it. I dont think its any way at all expensive for €20 to watch 2 games in Wex Park last week. I think that is unbelievable value. But that is because I want to see those games, and I enjoy going to watch them.

this whole argument of the AI final prices came up this week too, and its pretty much the same argumetns again here. People complaining about an increase, but forget to mention the decrease in the games before that. complete double standards, and just trying to whinge about the GAA using ridiculous points. I'll complain about them on other things, but to complain about the AI final going up by ten quid, but not to mention the €5 reduction on games previous to that?

To address your first point. I am from Mayo and to be honest I havent been to a Mayo match unless it has been in Galway (Living in the city), in the past three years - mainly because of costs of travel, food etc and tickets. It works out cheaper when you take out the travel costs etc. So cost has been a factor in what I go to.
I've been to every Mayo match that has been in Galway in the time I have been in Galway.
Your point is appreciated however - but the drop in attentances this year surely prove that cost is a factor for everyone, not just the group you outline.

To address your final point.
When you work out the figures and attendances involved the whole "lower ticket prices for the earlier rounds, higher prices for the later rounds", I bet you'll find that the price "cuts" work out cost neutral from the GAA at worst and possibly, they end up making more money than they did last year from gates - taking out the drop in attendances into account even.

bruschi

kippy wrote: »

To address your first point. I am from Mayo and to be honest I havent been to a Mayo match unless it has been in Galway (Living in the city), in the past three years - mainly because of costs of travel, food etc and tickets. It works out cheaper when you take out the travel costs etc. So cost has been a factor in what I go to.
I've been to every Mayo match that has been in Galway in the time I have been in Galway.
Your point is appreciated however - but the drop in attentances this year surely prove that cost is a factor for everyone, not just the group you outline.

To address your final point.
When you work out the figures and attendances involved the whole "lower ticket prices for the earlier rounds, higher prices for the later rounds", I bet you'll find that the price "cuts" work out cost neutral from the GAA at worst and possibly, they end up making more money than they did last year from gates - taking out the drop in attendances into account even.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2011/0620/1224299224612.html

THE GAA could be facing an annual deficit of over €800,000 as a result of the adjusted ticket prices announced over the weekend

as regards costs, it is indeed a factor, but what makes it worse for me is not ticket prices, but increase in petrol more so, and then food. But I see people complaining about costs of hotels and food and petrol, and none of these have anything to do with the GAA.

kippy

bruschi wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2011/0620/1224299224612.html


as regards costs, it is indeed a factor, but what makes it worse for me is not ticket prices, but increase in petrol more so, and then food. But I see people complaining about costs of hotels and food and petrol, and none of these have anything to do with the GAA.

Of course "profits" are down, there are less people going to matches because prices are still too high - the point I was making is had attentances remained the same as last year the current pricing structure would have meant an increase in revenue for the GAA based on numbers purchasing cheaper tickets and numbers purchasing the more expensive tickets.
http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=149797

I never said that they had anything to do with the GAA - however there are ways of reducing transport and food costs for the fan, not so much the ticket price.

bruschi

kippy wrote: »

Of course "profits" are down, there are less people going to matches because prices are still too high - the point I was making is had attentances remained the same as last year the current pricing structure would have meant an increase in revenue for the GAA based on numbers purchasing cheaper tickets and numbers purchasing the more expensive tickets.
http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=149797

I never said that they had anything to do with the GAA - however there are ways of reducing transport and food costs for the fan, not so much the ticket price.

you are reading the article wrong.

Based on last year’s overall attendance figures, the €5 reduction will result in about a €1.6 million drop in the overall gate receipts, while the €10 increase in All-Ireland final tickets will bring in an additional €800,000 – or roughly half the deficit

their profits are down on reduced attendances anyway, reagardless of the pricing structure, but basing it on last years direct attandances, the €5 reduction and €10 increase will cost them €800k.

It wasnt you I was making the point about the other costs, just sick of people who use it as an argument when complaining about ticket prices.

kippy

bruschi wrote: »

you are reading the article wrong.

Based on last year’s overall attendance figures, the €5 reduction will result in about a €1.6 million drop in the overall gate receipts, while the €10 increase in All-Ireland final tickets will bring in an additional €800,000 – or roughly half the deficit

their profits are down on reduced attendances anyway, reagardless of the pricing structure, but basing it on last years direct attandances, the €5 reduction and €10 increase will cost them €800k.

It wasnt you I was making the point about the other costs, just sick of people who use it as an argument when complaining about ticket prices.

Sorry, I misread the article.
Fair enough.