French clubs want Final moved from Dublin

PH01

This seems like the most logical move?



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From http://www.planet-rugby.com/LATEST_NEWS/story_27585.shtml

French clubs want Final moved from Dublin 29/04/03

Hoping to move to Marseilles or Barcelona Perpignan and Toulouse meet in the final of the Heineken Cup, set down for Lansdowne Road, Dublin, on May 24. The Presidents of the two clubs, Marcel Dagrenat (Perpignan) and René Bouscatel (Toulouse) have been in negotiations with the European Rugby Cup Ltd, owners of the competition, to have the Final moved either to Marseilles or, preferably, to Barcelona.

The Presidents are quoted in Midi-Olympique as saying that holding the Final in Dublin would be a fiasco both financially and in terms of spectator support.

The venue for the Final was laid before the Finalists were decided. Over last weekend both French teams eliminated both Irish teams to set up and all-French Final.

Both French clubs come from the rugby-mad south west of France. Travelling to Barcelona is a far better bet for the clubs' supporters than crossing to Dublin, a fare of around €300.

They also point out that the stadiums in Marseilles and Barcelona (the Olympic Stadium) each hold 60,000 spectators, as against the 49,000 of Lansdowne Road.

So far the ERC has insisted that the Final will take place in Dublin where many tickets have already been sold. It has pointed out that a similar occurrence in soccer when Real Madrid and Valencia, both Spanish clubs, played the Champions League Final in Stade de France, Paris, in 2000.

Stade de France was filled with nearly 80,000 spectators but French fears are that the Heineken Cup Final in Dublin with its tiny community of expatriate Frenchmen could produce a half-empty stadium.

In the meantime Perpignan and Toulouse have each been allotted 15,000 seats for the Final. For the time being they are not on sale.

Guy Novès, the Toulouse coach, supported a change of venue. Speaking on France 3 Sud, he said: This is a unique tournament for French rugby. I have the greatest admiration for the Perpignan side and simply hope that the ERC officials will have the wisdom to get us to play in France."

ciano

Yeah, it seems totally pointless to have the match played here now. They should move it imo.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

mike65

I imagine the Dublin Chamber of Commerce would be pissed off too...

Mike.

Sundy

well if its held in dublin and i can get tickets im going to go along and support perpigan!

they deserve it:D

Borzoi

Unfortunately all the tickets are sold since January.

All the supporters have made travel arrangements

If the final moved now, it would cost millions to compensate the fans accordingly.


and TBH there was so few Pergingnan fans ats Lansdown for the semi, they don't deserve to have the final locally.

But it will be a match attended in the most by people who don't care about the teams or the result. the lesson might be foor next year, not to sell tickets/decide on venue, untill the finalists are known

Hairy Homer

I'm not sure that all the tickets have been sold at all. SOME were sold by public auction over the internet months ago. Others have been held in reserve for club supporters but have not been allocated yet.

I'm a member of the Leinster Supporter's Club and as such was entitled to buy tickets for the knockout stages. The way they did it was to offer you the chance to prebook tickets for the quarters, semis and final at one go, but they would only invoice you for each tranche as and when the games came up.

The day before the quarter final I got an invoice for my semi final tickets with the notice to 'please ignore this invoice if Leinster get knocked out.'

In theory, I have committed to buy four tickets for the final, but my understanding is that I will not be entitled to them now that Leinster haven't qualified. If they do try to get me to cough up 60 yo yos for each ticket now, they can go take a hike.

If they do insist on holding it in Dublin, I might go but only if they drop their prices and accept kids in at a reduced rate. But I honestly have no problem if they move it to France, or close by.

Here endeth my tuppence.

demac

The ERC made 6000 tickets available via Ticketmaster last January. I was lucky enough (I thought at the time) to be able to purchase 4 of these costing a grand total of €250 including booking fees. I'm a Munster supporter and was hoping that Munster would reach the final.

Now I've received an email from Ticketmaster

Stand - Category 1 4 tickets for €164
Stand - Category 2 4 tickets for €144
Uncovered Stand 4 tickets for €120
Touch & Goal Line No packages available
Terrace 4 tickets for €70

They'll have problems filling Lansdowne Road especially if you look at the number of Biarritz and Perpingan fans that travelled to the last 2 mathes.

I want a refund !!!!

bucks73

Got the same email from ticketmaster.

By right we should be entitled to a refund but I cant see it happening. My four stand tickets cost EUR250 and now they can be bought for EUR170.

Game will not be switched as has already been said it would cost a fortune to refund all the tickets sold.

uberwolf

how many more irish are going to but tickets for the match now? Not leinster supporters-Lansdowne was full of people not really understanding the game or leinster team, hence the atmosphere being poor, munster will hardly travel in their droves either.

Cardiff worked last year cos it as half way between the two best supported teams in the competition, even for the international the french aren't the best, Lansdowne will be a half empty kip on match day

bucks73

Maybe the next time the ERC fix the draw for the knock out stages they will consider the supporters.

Yeah right.

IMO if the french arent willing to travel to see their teams in a European Final then tough.

Munster have played in France in four semi finals and two of them have been on in complete dives of towns. Lille and Beziers are sh1tholes and both of them with Toulouse and Bordeaux have been logistical nightmares for Munster supporters to get to and more importantly get out of.

I couldnt care less what the two clubs think about travelling to Ireland. They are in a European final and should be happy with that. How many other teams would love to be there?

demac

Just called Ticketmaster's customer service on 01 648 6060. The lady there said that anyone who purchased the 4 tickets for €250 back in January is entitled to a refund of some kind.

I've been moved from the upper tier to the middle tier (I think) . The revised cost now if €164'ish. The refund will be put back on my VISA card.

Borzoi

The tickets that are on sale at the moment are the allocations that Perp and Toulouse 'returned'

The deal with tickets seems to be buy 2 at full price and get 2 at half price - hardly an umissable offer :rolleyes:

Good luck with the refund demac (baah Ticketmaster):mad:

I must admit that I wouldn't be bothered paying any money to see the game