Hill 16 not open for Meath v Tyrone/Kildare?

Nailz

munchkin_utd wrote: »

yes
one poster said about the lack of cheaper tickets on the hill:

"Disgraceful if true. Grab all association"

I'm pretty sure that's only a shout at that lack of choice for terrace tickets forcing the public to opt for the more expensive option, that doesn't necessarily mean that the more expensive option is a rip off.

Wile E. Coyote

munchkin_utd wrote: »

yes
one poster said about the lack of cheaper tickets on the hill:

"Disgraceful if true. Grab all association"

Unless there's a valid reason other than extorting more money for the stand tickets then it is a bit disgrace not to open the terraces. They can't really use the low turn out excuse when there's three different matches that day.

An extra €10 a ticket might not seem like a lot when you're going on your own but if you're making it a day out with the family (which is what these things should be) it could be an extra €40-50 in the difference.

DoctaDee

Wile E. Coyote wrote: »

........An extra €10 a ticket might not seem like a lot when you're going on your own but if you're making it a day out with the family (which is what these things should be) it could be an extra €40-50 in the difference.

Nope ... if your travelling with yer family i.e with god forbids in tow yer actually paying the same... in the case of 2 adults, 2 children it would've been €15 x 4 for the Hill, whereas it's €25 x 2 and €5 x 2 for Cusack/Davin no family tickets available for Hogan

Frankie Lee

Personally I'd much rather stand at a game than sit, the cheaper tickets are only an added bonus.

Flukey

August is on the way, and the travel and ticket prices moans are here too. Yes, it is not for free to get tickets, to get to venues and have the other aspects of the day out, but would you prefer to be sitting at home with your county out of the championship? We have fans at final whistles being delighted that their team is still in the championship and now going to be playing in Croke Park, and then they start complaining about the cost. There is a cost to following your team. Stay at home with your TV or radio if you want. No one is forcing you to go.

At the final whistles were all of the fans of beaten teams all breathing a sigh of relief that their counties were out and so there was no more costs and they could now start saving for Christmas? For those of you whose counties are still in the championship, would you prefer to be in the situation of those other fans? Of course t would be great if it could be cheaper for tickets, but it isn't. You can cut costs in some of the other things though, like food and drink. Come the final whistles the next day, if your team is still standing I am sure you will be saying it was worth every cent. Alternatively, go to the match and cheer for the opposition and when they win, start that Christmas fund.

keane2097

I'm not too bothered about the price, I usually think GAA is pretty terrific value. I just don't really understand why they wouldn't give fans the choice.

Especially for teams rarely in Croke Park - cheering your team from the Hill is like a rite of passage for a GAA fan, how long will it be before London get the chance again? Even for Cavan it's been 15 years since they've had the chance.

whatnext

To be fair I thing the cost issue is being picked up differently by different people.

For me the cost issue is one that the Hill is being kept closed so that the cheaper alternative is not available and therefore by default they are squeezing an extra 10e out of a lot of people.

I my case specifically, I have a season ticket, but I hand that over to my mum if the Hill is open and not occupied by Dubs, the reason being I can watch the match with old friends that I only ever see on match days now.
There is a different buzz on the hill and when the sun is shining its hard to beat.

But in this instance we are being denied that chance, and for what reason? MONEY. Now if the difference in cost is not a reasonable argument for a fan, then in my opinion its not a reasonable argument for the GAA hierarchy either

Flukey

keane2097 wrote:

I'm not too bothered about the price, I usually think GAA is pretty terrific value. I just don't really understand why they wouldn't give fans the choice.

Especially for teams rarely in Croke Park - cheering your team from the Hill is like a rite of passage for a GAA fan, how long will it be before London get the chance again? Even for Cavan it's been 15 years since they've had the chance.

Well the Cavan fans have had 16 years to save for Croke Park, so it should be no bother to them, and the London fans, bar the ones there for their hurling team a couple of years ago, have had a lifetime to save. As I said, they have a choice, they can go or stay at home. If they go, even if the Hill tickets are not available, they have to pay costs.

The other thing about this is the way it is always portrayed that all fans that go to matches come from within the borders of those counties. Us Dubs always get it thrown at us that we are close to Croke Park. In any other scenario we are told how many non-Dubs live in Dublin. Go to Croke Park on any day and enroute, all around Dublin, you'll see flags of the competing counties hanging out windows. So a lot of the fans supporting their counties won't be going that far. Even if they don't live in Dublin, they may still be closer to Dublin than their home county is. As for us Dubs, there are many Dubliners that don't live in Dublin and regularly travel to Dublin from down the country or abroad to go to games. We have to pay for food and drink and tickets too, even if some of us do have cheaper travel costs because of where we live.

Many of the travelling fans will come up the night before and stay in uncle Paddy and aunty Mary's house and have their breakfasts served up to them and have a dinner waiting for them when they get back there that evening. They may slum with the big brother who's got a musty flat as he prepares for his second year in UCD, or the place may even be empty as he is off on his summer holidays. So that is a total cost for food and accommodation, including tax, of €0. Even us Dubs don't get it that cheap. The flask and the ever reliable hang sandwiches saves money on food. So plenty of people are able to save a lot more money than they like to let on in one way or another. Even if there is a cockroach in the shower of the big brother's flat or aunty Mary doesn't seem to have changed the sheets on the bed since the last time they were there a few years ago, it is worth it for a night or two, all to see their county play in Croke Park.

Dr. Bre

stupid idea to have 3 qualifiers in croker. they should of given teams home advantage. who would go to croker for 6 hours especially if your standing on the hill. there be a better atmosphere in breffni or ruislip for cavan london

Lemlin

I paid €111 for tickets today. 4 adults. 2 kids. €1 delivery fee. I'll pay €5.60 in tolls to get there and back. €10 then for parking at Croke Park.

Then there'll be diesel, programmes and other miscellaneous costs.

It's worth every penny though. First time to see Cavan play in Croke Park in 16 years.

The people on this thread moaning about €25 for 3 matches would give Cavan people a bad name.

It's a tenner or so to go to the cinema and watch some crap that lasts 2 hours.

Flukey

There's never a minor match in Old Trafford and the like, yet you'd probably pay as much or more for a midweek league game there as you'd pay for a latter stage of the championship day in Croke Park. You don't need a plane or ferry to get to Croke Park, with the exception of the London fans.

People will be in Croke Park for 6 hours, but only because they are getting 6 hours of entertainment. It is not as if they are going to be in Croke Park for 6 hours to see one match. I'd like to, but unfortunately I can't go on Saturday, but be it 2 hours, 4 hours or 6 hours, there is nowhere like Croke Park on a big match day, and the big ones are starting to come thick and fast.

rpurfield

Dubliner28 wrote: »

Disgraceful if true. Grab all association

yes because there is no way that the money goes back into things like oh i dunno loads of underage coaches in dublin or facilities for these young folk to play in.

overshoot

an argument of price is a bit crap with it being over 3 games but (as someone who wont be in croker anyway!) i enjoy the terrace more, i just find a better atmosphere there, easier to shout & cheer standing, gather with your friends, (unless someone is going to buy all the tickets!)
sure look at the calls to bring back standing areas in the premier league, the terraces in the bundesliga, especially dortmunds.

matches are enjoyable in themselves cant beat being there but its the little things that add to it!

oh and not having someone stand up infront of you when the ball goes into the corner, do the half stand behind them and then all the calls for everyone to sit down.

in saying all that, standing on a terrace for 3 games would be tough going!

Hammer Archer

Not complaining about the price itself. As others have said, a decent crowd on the terrace creates a better atmosphere. People can stand where they like, groups of fans can congregate together and get songs and chants going. In seats, you're stuck where your ticket says. It feels a bit wrong singing and chanting while sitting and you can't exactly stand up as you'll likely get a belt with a match programme.
Some of the best atmospheres I've witnessed have been in terraces, be it in Croke Park or elsewhere.

DebDynamite

overshoot wrote: »

oh and not having someone stand up infront of you when the ball goes into the corner, do the half stand behind them and then all the calls for everyone to sit down.

Hammer Archer wrote: »

and you can't exactly stand up as you'll likely get a belt with a match programme.

Sorry, going off topic I know, but just tell those people to cop the f**k on. Oh no, someone stood up at a football match :eek: Call the guards..

howiya

Jaysus would love to get some of these cheap tickets for Dublin matches that ye're on about. €35 for the stand last week and the week before. €25 for three matches on Saturday. Milking the cash cow as usual

Hulk Hands

Dubliner28 wrote: »

Disgraceful if true. Grab all association

Isn't that very clever of you, using the letters of the GAA to spell out your little slur.

That's until you realise that the GAA are a non-profit orgaisation where the money gets pumped back into the game. Christ there are some idiots around, and on this thread. Every time I hear someone call the GAA money grabbing or the like I cringe.

The GAA try to come up with a fine balance between letting supporters see games at affordable prices and providing enough money to cater for the present and future needs of the GAA. I think by and large, they do a decent job. 25 quid with fiver kids tickets and students for 15 isnt bad at all, considering the supporters can take their pick of 3 games. I can understand people being aggrieved without the Hill, but there really wouldnt be enough on there to make it logically worthwhile opening it. A better idea mightve been to open the Davin for 15 for an Adult, something they still might do now that Cavan are coming also.

rpurfield

DebDynamite wrote: »

Sorry, going off topic I know, but just tell those people to cop the f**k on. Oh no, someone stood up at a football match :eek: Call the guards..

Slightly off topic but i was in the cusack for the leinster final and two older gentlemen jumped up when bray scored the first point.this then started a row between them and two gentlemen of a similar age to my right which rumbled on till half time.the two on my right got up and never came back for the second half!!it was way over the top the ball wasnt even in play when the two lads jumped up!

DoctaDee

rpurfield wrote: »

Slightly off topic but i was in the cusack for the leinster final and two older gentlemen jumped up when bray scored the first point.this then started a row between them and two gentlemen of a similar age to my right which rumbled on till half time.the two on my right got up and never came back for the second half!!it was way over the top the ball wasnt even in play when the two lads jumped up!

Slightly slightly off topic:rolleyes: ... Dublin played Cork in 1998 NFL Final, myself and 2 friends were in the Hogan in a row above 6-7 Cork lads. Cork were much the better team and the Cork fellas were up and down out of their seats, and my pal had asked them repeatedly to sit down. It got to the stage where they were standing up for no reason (other than to piss yer man off), there was an element of being bad winners about them.

This is where the story gets a bit vague as myself and my other buddy were chatting or not minding what was going on below - but next minute the fisty cuffs break out, we were like a scene from Custers last stand with us 3 on the higher ground holding back the hordes ....we were "escorted" out with about 5 mins left in the game.

Can I just say I don't condone in any way what happened - never occurred again, the situation was kinda forced upon me - but like Black Hawk Down no man was being left behind - strange thing was our lad that got involved first of all was a Tipp man... and yeah Dubs shouldn't be in the Hogan ..mea culpa:D

cson

Hammer Archer wrote: »

Not complaining about the price itself. As others have said, a decent crowd on the terrace creates a better atmosphere. People can stand where they like, groups of fans can congregate together and get songs and chants going. In seats, you're stuck where your ticket says. It feels a bit wrong singing and chanting while sitting and you can't exactly stand up as you'll likely get a belt with a match programme.
Some of the best atmospheres I've witnessed have been in terraces, be it in Croke Park or elsewhere.

This is it.

Really couldn't give a ****e about the price; I'd pay the same price to be on the Hill. You just can't beat a terrace atmosphere and if you get a good spot on it, its a cracking place to watch a match. Very pissed off they're not opening it.

premierstone

howiya wrote: »

Jaysus would love to get some of these cheap tickets for Dublin matches that ye're on about. €35 for the stand last week and the week before. €25 for three matches on Saturday. Milking the cash cow as usual

Dublin's last game was a provincial final, Saturdays games are qualifiers, it has fcuk all to do with anyone milking anyone and these prices are set at the start of the year regardless of who is playing.

keane2097

Flukey wrote: »

Well the Cavan fans have had 16 years to save for Croke Park, so it should be no bother to them, and the London fans, bar the ones there for their hurling team a couple of years ago, have had a lifetime to save. As I said, they have a choice, they can go or stay at home. If they go, even if the Hill tickets are not available, they have to pay costs.

The other thing about this is the way it is always portrayed that all fans that go to matches come from within the borders of those counties. Us Dubs always get it thrown at us that we are close to Croke Park. In any other scenario we are told how many non-Dubs live in Dublin. Go to Croke Park on any day and enroute, all around Dublin, you'll see flags of the competing counties hanging out windows. So a lot of the fans supporting their counties won't be going that far. Even if they don't live in Dublin, they may still be closer to Dublin than their home county is. As for us Dubs, there are many Dubliners that don't live in Dublin and regularly travel to Dublin from down the country or abroad to go to games. We have to pay for food and drink and tickets too, even if some of us do have cheaper travel costs because of where we live.

Many of the travelling fans will come up the night before and stay in uncle Paddy and aunty Mary's house and have their breakfasts served up to them and have a dinner waiting for them when they get back there that evening. They may slum with the big brother who's got a musty flat as he prepares for his second year in UCD, or the place may even be empty as he is off on his summer holidays. So that is a total cost for food and accommodation, including tax, of €0. Even us Dubs don't get it that cheap. The flask and the ever reliable hang sandwiches saves money on food. So plenty of people are able to save a lot more money than they like to let on in one way or another. Even if there is a cockroach in the shower of the big brother's flat or aunty Mary doesn't seem to have changed the sheets on the bed since the last time they were there a few years ago, it is worth it for a night or two, all to see their county play in Croke Park.

Is this all aimed at some imaginary part of my post where I said the cost of tickets was an issue?

munchkin_utd

keane2097 wrote: »

Is this all aimed at some imaginary part of my post where I said the cost of tickets was an issue?

the very first post mentions price so setting the tone on the thread.

I've read on another forum that Hill 16 won't be open for the round 4 qualifier in Coke Park. Big deal you might say but many supporters will stay at home if they can't avail of the slightly less priced tickets.

keane2097

munchkin_utd wrote: »

the very first post mentions price so setting the tone on the thread.

He quoted my post where I specifically said ticket pricing wasn't an issue and mentioned a different issue relating to Cavan and London, and he spent three paragraphs telling me how Cavan and London should have been saving money for the last 20 years.

I don't get it.

Nailz

I just want to stand up...

Al_Coholic

Nailz wrote: »

I just want to stand up...

but if you stay for the 3 games you will be lucky to be standing after that!

darragh16

I think €25 for three qualifiers is a good deal. Three big games, each team will be desperate to get to the All-Ireland series also big day out for Cavan and London regardless.

I'm travelling down to Croke Park for the day, even though my county aren't even playing. Hopefully the weather is like last weekend's and it'll be a good day out with some good competitive football.

howiya

premierstone wrote: »

Dublin's last game was a provincial final, Saturdays games are qualifiers, it has fcuk all to do with anyone milking anyone and these prices are set at the start of the year regardless of who is playing.

Ulster final was €25 on Sunday. Guarantee you that if Dublin were going through a dry spell in Leinster and weren't likely to be in the final more often than not that ticket prices would be cheaper.

Leinster prices are based on the Dubs attending. Fair play to the Ulster council for charging a reasonable price on Sunday

RoyalCelt

Lads the GAA are not the grab all association. But many of us would like the option to stand on the Hill because we enjoy it more than sitting down. You can sing/chant to your hearts content and don't have to worry about anyone giving you funny looks.

even if they charge 20€ for the hill or if it was the same price I'd still go. If they didn't open the hill why not sell the davin stand tickets at the price of the hill and allow meath supporters who want to great a good atmosphere gather there?

iDave

RoyalCelt wrote: »

Lads the GAA are not the grab all association. But many of us would like the option to stand on the Hill because we enjoy it more than sitting down. You can sing/chant to your hearts content and don't have to worry about anyone giving you funny looks.

even if they charge 20€ for the hill or if it was the same price I'd still go. If they didn't open the hill why not sell the davin stand tickets at the price of the hill and allow meath supporters who want to great a good atmosphere gather there?

Remember when Meath used to own the old Canal and acted as a counterbalance to the Hill. Thems were the days.

munchkin_utd

RoyalCelt wrote: »

Lads the GAA are not the grab all association. But many of us would like the option to stand on the Hill because we enjoy it more than sitting down. You can sing/chant to your hearts content and don't have to worry about anyone giving you funny looks.

even if they charge 20€ for the hill or if it was the same price I'd still go. If they didn't open the hill why not sell the davin stand tickets at the price of the hill and allow meath supporters who want to great a good atmosphere gather there?

+1
The Davin end CANNOT POSSIBLY be worth the same as a ticket in the middle of the Cusack or Hogan stand.
By rights the good tickets should be 30 or 35 or maybe even 50/60 euro for really, really good tickets, the less good ones (i.e. standing or behind goals) 20, 15 or even a tenner and it would all balance out income wise.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

munchkin_utd wrote: »

+1
The Davin end CANNOT POSSIBLY be worth the same as a ticket in the middle of the Cusack or Hogan stand.
By rights the good tickets should be 30 or 35 or maybe even 50/60 euro for really, really good tickets, the less good ones (i.e. standing or behind goals) 20, 15 or even a tenner and it would all balance out income wise.

Something that the GAA has continually failed to acknowledge, which is a joke, especially for AI final day. They have tiered pricing though for the American football game next August which is interesting, hopefully they will introduce tiered pricing for GAA games after that.

RoyalCelt

iDave wrote: »

Remember when Meath used to own the old Canal and acted as a counterbalance to the Hill. Thems were the days.

Those were the days. We've had some good recent ones on the hill as well. Tyrone 07, Mayo 09, Louth/Kildare 10 but none since I'm afraid.

keane2097

munchkin_utd wrote: »

+1
The Davin end CANNOT POSSIBLY be worth the same as a ticket in the middle of the Cusack or Hogan stand.
By rights the good tickets should be 30 or 35 or maybe even 50/60 euro for really, really good tickets, the less good ones (i.e. standing or behind goals) 20, 15 or even a tenner and it would all balance out income wise.

Upper Davin is the best place to watch a game from by an absolute mile IMO.

If you want to see how a game is tactically unfolding, viewing it from behind the end lines or the corners is the only place to be.

Hibbeler

iDave wrote: »

Remember when Meath used to own the old Canal and acted as a counterbalance to the Hill. Thems were the days.

It would surely be possible for them to take out some of the seats on the lower tier of the new canal end and use it as terracing? Probably would never happen but I like the idea. I'm too young to remember the good old days of the canal end terrace

iDave

Hibbeler wrote: »

It would surely be possible for them to take out some of the seats on the lower tier of the new canal end and use it as terracing? Probably would never happen but I like the idea. I'm too young to remember the good old days of the canal end terrace

Even perhaps the safe standing they have in some European football stadiums. Should also be considered in the new Casement and PUC

munchkin_utd

keane2097 wrote: »

Upper Davin is the best place to watch a game from by an absolute mile IMO.

If you want to see how a game is tactically unfolding, viewing it from behind the end lines or the corners is the only place to be.

Have to agree.
I got a cheap ticket in a similar position high over the corner flag in the allianz arena in Munich for a Bayern Munich champions league game and it was fantastic.
Same in Croker if you get up the back of the hill but over to the side near the Cusack stand. Spot on.

Lower Davin down in the corner though is the polar opposite and an especially bitter experience when you have flown back to Ireland specially for the game (Cavans U21 final a couple of years back).

I actually remember that the view from the Canal end the one day I was there, which was for the Dub v Leitrim semi final, was spot on once you were up the middle a bit, but the crowding on the terrace that day is not something you'd look back at romatically wishing that the old Canal end was still in place!

Dr. Bre

supposedly the Jones Road near Croker is flooded. Hope its fine for everyone going to the games tomorow

Dr. Bre

http://balls.ie/gaa/croke-park-floods/

irishgeo

Dr. Bre wrote: »

http://balls.ie/gaa/croke-park-floods/

the gaa have anti flood measures in place.

Maybe the upper terraces will be open after all.

InchicoreDude

Dr. Bre wrote: »

supposedly the Jones Road near Croker is flooded. Hope its fine for everyone going to the games tomorow

This road seems to get flooded quite easily. Was flooded after Galway - Kerry a few years ago too.

ProudDUB

iDave wrote: »

Remember when Meath used to own the old Canal and acted as a counterbalance to the Hill. Thems were the days.

I remember that. Awfully fans used to do that too, during the successful Eugene McGee days. Great crack altogether !

Hibbeler

What sort of a crowd are we expecting for the triple header today? It will be no doubt bolstered by Cavan fans making a rare trip down to the big smoke! Meath & Tyrone should also bring decent crowds. Not sure about the other 3 though

CrabRevolution

The crowd will be at its highest during the Cork match i reckon. Can't really see many Cavan folk staying an extra 4 hours to see the Meath match or Meath/Tyrone fans arriving 4 hours early. Whatever the official attendance is, i'd say no more than half will be in the stadium at any one time.

Sunnyisland

I heard on RTE it is 25,000

ardmacha

Poor crowd in Croker. Playing Meath/Tyrone in Breffni or Clones would have had a better crowd and atmosphere. Galway/Cork was never going to be overcrowded, but Limerick would have got as many.

AngeGal

ardmacha wrote: »

Poor crowd in Croker. Playing Meath/Tyrone in Breffni or Clones would have had a better crowd and atmosphere. Galway/Cork was never going to be overcrowded, but Limerick would have got as many.

Probably but London might never get a chance to play a champîonship game in Croker again, almost worth it for that alone imo.

Sunnyisland

So should Hill 16 have been opened or was it a good call by the GAA ?

Dublinmackem

On the OP referring to the Dubs qualifiers being quiet is a bit misleading if you don't mention the outrageous weather when we played Tipperary, to add there was still a crowd on the hill, Dublin will always put in a good crowd even on a cold February evening for a league game, I think the decision possibly just reflects the support or lack of from alot of counties to be honest, Up the Dubs

smallerthanyou

There was a touch over 33k there. No need for the hill. Cork match cracking entertainment.

Just to add that was official attendance. At no point was there anywhere near that number in stadium at one time. Cavan were leavin in big numbers after first game. And Meath hadn't arrived. Not sure what the six or seven from cork did.......