ticketmaster- is it fair??

brucer24!

surely the best tickets should go to the clubs when they are being distributed??was at the cork games at the weekend and was talking to people i know in the royal who never go to matches..they bought their tickets off ticketmaster and got way better seats than a lot of my friends did..surely the better seats should be given to the counties clubs first?

Flukey

It is a debate we often have. Even those of us seasoned GAA fans have to resort to Ticketmaster when we can't get them from our normal sources, so love it or loathe it, Ticketmaster does have its uses. There are a lot of good GAA fans, who don't have a strong affiliation with a club or other good contacts, who have to use it to get them. They can't be criticised for doing so. Good fans deserve tickets. Once you get past the stage of the year where tickets are easily available on the day, some good fans without contacts have to try to get one somehow.

As to first timers getting tickets, well we all went to our first games at some stage. Hopefully they'll come again. Are they worse than some of the people in the corporate boxes, that are there for a day out, a meal and a few drinks, but not really for the game? It's a minority of the corporate people of course, but there are some. At least the ones in stand that may have got tickets from Ticketmaster to see their first match do have an interest, and maybe in time they'll become as enthusiastic as many of the rest of the people that enjoy Gaelic Games.

We criticise the sunshine fans, but without sunshine fans, you wouldn't get the atmosphere you do. If you took the average amount of fans at Dublin's league games this year and the same for Tyrone's fans and only put that amount in Croke Park on Saturday next, you wouldn't have anything like that atmosphere that we will have.

Ticketmaster only get a limited allocation, and they are not always the best seats. For all its faults, it does have a role and there is at least one other source that is worse to get tickets from: A tout.

Trampas

well said Flukey.

Even getting tickets through a club no problem up till now and get our tickets where we want. Now we aren't certain how many tickets we will get our where they will be. usually get 4-6 as holidays and work but this time we never know.

will be there no matter what. always someone selling a ticket for face value on the day where someone can't make it and they don't rip off fans.

brucer24!

ok i have to say i agree with what you said..which does contradict my first statement i think its more the fact that the people who got these good seats had no interest in watching the games at all..but you'll get that anywhere i suppose!

mobby

Have not been in club for a good few years so mostly depend on ticketmaster dont consider row z section 717 upr or thereabouts to be the best seats in croke park.

Pigletlover

My brother plays with a club and my parents have to practically beg for tickets, then they might only get one or two if they're lucky. Now they just buy them from Ticketmaster, saves the begging and once they go on line they know whether or not they have them. They've been to every league game home and away this year, as well as all the championship games so far, which is a lot more than some of the people who get their tickets from clubs can claim.

jackbhoy

Pigletlover wrote: »

They've been to every league game home and away this year, as well as all the championship games so far....

They should get Parnell pass then, save them money if they use it that regularly and guranteed tickets up to the AI.

Personally I hate ticketmaster and would only use them as last resort (if can't get tickets from club/mates/provincial councils). Their charges, in percentage terms, are ridiculous for many events but they know people will pay for high-demand events anyway.

Breezer

jackbhoy wrote: »

They should get Parnell pass then, save them money if they use it that regularly and guranteed tickets up to the AI.

That's only for Dublin though and from what I've heard you're likely to be 6 foot under before you reach the top of the waiting list.

Het-Field

I think Flukey has said it all. On several occasions Ticketmaster have facilitated me with great tickets, other times I have been at the back of the top tier, in the corner of the Davin Stand. Either way I dont care. I am not linked to a GAA club (i shall be rectifying this on tuesday next), and my folks have always sorted me out with tickets through contacts (so I wouldnt be looking to knacker an allocation of a GAA club should I join), but on some occasions, like Saturday, ticketmaster have been a big help. Furthermore, I would wager that ticketmaster have played a large role in seeing the swell of crowds at Dublin games

sgthighway

I never got GAA Tickets from Ticket Master as I get them through the County Board but this year I had a look for the Galway v Kerry game for the craic. I asked for the best ones and the only ones I found were in crap seats all near the end of the stands. I tried a few times and all crap. Club Tickets are always good ones. I heard a rumour that there were good tickets on TicketMaster the Friday before the game; so I checked again and was offered brilliant seats.

I came to the conclusion that the Tickets distributed to the Counties had not all been used and were but up for public sale. No point blaming Ticket Master because they can only sell what they have.

Flukey

Breezer wrote: »

That's only for Dublin though and from what I've heard you're likely to be 6 foot under before you reach the top of the waiting list.

Not quite true. There is all sorts of talk of waiting lists, but you've actually got a better chance of getting one if you apply than you think. Trust me, I know.

Yavvy

there are 4 or 5 real sources for Tickets to Croke Park but I want to tell you about the 6th Source (sence ?)
If you really really cant get tickets to the big match go to the following pubs - Red Parrott, Meaghers, Hill 16, the hogan stand and/or the big tree. Go to the bar and ask if any one is selling a ticket... the ask a few groups of drinkers/supporters .. I have been caught out once or twice in my life without a ticket and this method never fails and we are talking on days of sell outs. there is always someone who drops out at the last second and leave someone else with a spare ticket who doesnt want to sell it to a tout.

Where there is a will....

Bluetonic

sgthighway wrote: »

I came to the conclusion that the Tickets distributed to the Counties had not all been used and were but up for public sale. No point blaming Ticket Master because they can only sell what they have.

I'm glad someone else is use a bit of cop on to understand the way it works.

careca

If Dublin win tomorrow, start putting out feelers straight away for All Ireland final tickets. It will be pandamonium, especially if its Kerry/Dublin (I know there is a long way to go).

I have mananged to get tickets for the last four finals, thanks to good friends down home (Kerry) but it gets harder each year (and thats without the Dubs). All tickets are given out through the clubs and all counties get some allocation. Ticketmaster won't have a single one.

Looking forward to a good game tomorrow. Enjoy, anyone thats going.

Neamhshuntasach

I have played for a hurling club and i am still associated with it. But we always seem to get shafted on tickets for football games. We never receive the requested amount. I have mates who are paying members who never played the sport in their life but are avid fans and go hail rain and snow. So because we can't always get the requested amount of tickets sometimes they have to depend on ticketmaster. So it can be a good source but with the good you have to take the bad. I know 2 girls who get all their tickets through ticketmaster and the reason they go the games is to meet 'fellas'.

will1977

careca wrote: »

If Dublin win tomorrow, start putting out feelers straight away for All Ireland final tickets. It will be pandamonium, especially if its Kerry/Dublin (I know there is a long way to go).

I have mananged to get tickets for the last four finals, thanks to good friends down home (Kerry) but it gets harder each year (and thats without the Dubs). All tickets are given out through the clubs and all counties get some allocation. Ticketmaster won't have a single one.

Looking forward to a good game tomorrow. Enjoy, anyone thats going.

I think you'll find they have to play a semi final first in between !! I dont remember any team ever going from a quater final straight into a final

Yavvy

Wexford may just give up and let Dublin straight through. Shame the game cant be played on aggerate

Flukey

I heard that there were some tickets available on Ticketmaster this morning. I was over to the ticket office near Gill's today to get my ticket for Sunday and they still had ones for tomorrow available too. As usual, there will be genuine people floating about with spares tomorrow. So despite all the panic that we had after the draw was made, there are tickets available for tomorrow. So if anyone is still looking, you still have a great chance of getting one.

Nalced_irl

Bluetonic wrote: »

I'm glad someone else is use a bit of cop on to understand the way it works.

Not always true tho. Many times my club has been left short alot of tickets, yet the week before they were onsale in ticketmaster. I have no problems with TM selling tickets, only that paying club members/players etc should be sorted before they go on public sale. Too often they are sold through TM before the clubs have even sent in their requests.

Nalced_irl

Flukey wrote: »

I heard that there were some tickets available on Ticketmaster this morning. I was over to the ticket office near Gill's today to get my ticket for Sunday and they still had ones for tomorrow available too. As usual, there will be genuine people floating about with spares tomorrow. So despite all the panic that we had after the draw was made, there are tickets available for tomorrow. So if anyone is still looking, you still have a great chance of getting one.

Big step from 15,000 allocation in a double header to spares galore eh?

Flukey

As you should know by now, ticket allocation figures mean nothing. When weeks before a game a certain figured is announced for a competing county, you always get the immediate cry of it not being enough. Come the day of the match though, the amount of people there always exceed that announced figure. People always get tickets, even sourced from the opposing counties. I can guarantee you that there will be Tyrone people there tomorrow who got their tickets from a Dublin source and Dublin people there that got their tickets from Tyrone. One thing you can absolutely guarantee is that there will be well over 15,000 cheering on Dublin. So, like I said, ticket allocation numbers mean nothing.

YourName

Why can't all the tickets be sold on ticketmaster, this is a fair and central source that anyone in the country can access.

Ok there is a booking charge but if you were given the chance of getting any ticket in the stadium then I think it would be worth it, only E3.50 afterall and I am sure the GAA could make that charge a little smaller if they made a deal with them.

Also I do understand that clubs fund the GAA and are the people who make it happen but thats where the all Ireland finals can come in, them tickets can be given out solely to clubs. It will cut out a lot of heartache with ticket allocation and the like and give everyone a fair chance to receive their tickets.

Ticketmaster sells tickets for most events in Ireland, big festivals that take place every year (cannot be named) are all sold on ticketmaster and I have never heard anyone having a problem with the system, it is a brilliant system, yesterday at the Dublin vs. Tyrone game I had a self printed ticket that I bought in minutes the afternoon previously, it is modern and efficiant. (I do not work for Ticketmaster, or have any connection with it, before you ask)

For the match yesterday I was about two sections from center field in the Cusack, up the back, on the higher tear. Now these were fairly good seats I have been stuck in the corner of the hogan on the upper tear, and you can't get worse, but I am just happy to be there for the game and to support the lads on the pitch, croke park is designed in such a way that every seat in the stadium gives you a full view of the pitch.

I heard on this website before that people were saying that the "Bandwagon Members" of the Dublin fans, the people who have no interest in the game get their tickets on ticketmaster, and that when no tickets go on sale on ticketmaster then there isn't a problem with these supporters, now I do understand that there is a number of these supporters, but I do not think that selling tickets on ticketmaster is the source of this problem, they will get tickets no matter what. (We are not getting into the amount of these fans dublin has and other counties, there is a seperate thread for that)

As regards to the life-long fans getting the best tickets, I think that is just stupid, everyone is paying the same price, it doesn't matter who you are or what you do, you don't get first preference because you go to all the matches, I go to all matches, where possible, league matches and all, not only Dublin matches but to other matches too sometimes because I love the sport, but I end up with the crap tickets too, thats life, the way some people are going on here I think that they want a loyalty card brought out.

I am sorry for the long post but I just wanted to make my point clear so I didn't just get randomly attacked about my preposition, I no this is the way the GAA has always done things, but please read it with an open mind.

I'd imagine that if you put them all up on ticketmaster (ignoring the charge as you did) you'd get a lot more people touting them.

YourName

But do you not think that because they are widely availible then there would be no need for peopleto buy them of touts????

donnaille

Are the tickets for the All Ireland hurling final going to be on Ticketmaster?

dotsflan

donnaille wrote: »

Are the tickets for the All Ireland hurling final going to be on Ticketmaster?

i dont think so, was looking for them meself but according to the gaa website tickets will only be onsale with co. boards and clubs

mikemac

I don't think any has raised the point that hundreds of thousands of people don't have internet access and certainly a lot of people don't have credit cards to order over the phone.

So even if ticketmaster have an allocation to sell,many people wouldn't even know how to go about ordering them.
If you'd no help, the only option would be to visit a store that sold the ticketmaster tickets but then you're back to square one again of people getting tickets in person.

No making comments of its fair or not, just highlighting not everyone would/could use ticketmaster

aidan24326

donnaille wrote: »

Are the tickets for the All Ireland hurling final going to be on Ticketmaster?

No. Ticketmaster don't get any for All-Ireland finals. All tickets go to clubs, county boards, provincial councils, sponsors, players, former presidents etc.

mrgaa1

the whole ticketing situation is a major headache for clubs. Most clubs would have genuine members and then there are the other ones who pay up to get tickets - the only time they darken the door is when there are tickets up for grabs.
This year there are more sponsors so I'm sure they get quite a few. However the main issue here is the quality and quantity of tickets that clubs get. From my own investigations it would seem that in most counties there is a pecking order - top division will get better tickets than those in the bottom division. What I'd like to see is a level of transparency - where do the tickets go, section by section etc.. At least people would then know where the tickets went and no grumbling. Another issue with tickets is family tickets. Family tickets are by GAA Q/F stage 1+1, 2+2 thats it - although I noticed ticketmaster had different options. There are more families watching GAA these days than ever before and from what I can see the norm these days is 1+2 and 2+2. There are the odd ones with 2+3 or 2+4. However the odd permuations can not be catered for - if you buy an adult you have to take the childs. Now this would work when there is a great demand for tickets and the club can get rid of them but when you can't you are stuck with them and the club takes a financial hit. I'd love the ticketing manager in Croke Park to come to a normal club and see how tickets are handled there.
Its always a problem - but I believe the best way is through the clubs. When the clubs are finished with them then ticketmaster. The GAA is made up of its members - members form clubs. GAA Croke Park - do not forget the club. Without the club there are no future county players - no future county players and no-one will watch the GAA games and pay through the nose.