How/Where did you get your ticket?

padd b1975

Now that the scramble is over for us football fans, I thought it might be interesting if posters could give a brief description of their struggle to obtain the much sought after ticket.

As usual, I did only the bare minimum searching inside the county (Mayo), was in the club draw but no luck there.
Because of my job, a season ticket is not really a runner for me as my 'weekend' can fall in the middle of the week. Having said that I still managed to get to a few league games, 2 provincial matches and all from quarter finals onwards:o

I got sorted via my boss in Tipperary quite early in the week, he knows a guy on the Tipp. county board so was very grateful for that.

DazMarz

Parnell Pass sorted me. But also picked up 2 tickets on the eve of the game from a contact I have. A good friend of mine got one of them, sold the other one to a Dublin fan I was put in touch with through the Dublin GAA Facebook page. both sold for face value, before anyone jumps on me!

sgarvan

Season ticket

Fr Tod Umptious

Got 3 in the end

One from a county board member of the county I live in.
One from a county board member of another county.
One from a club member of a club in the county I live in

I obviously only needed one so the other two went to family members

rebel girl 15

Football - got a text message to say that I was entitled to two tickets, reply if I wanted them and to send payment! Ended up giving them to a friend of mine, as I wasn't going to be at the game

ThunbergsAreGo

Season Ticket

ProudDUB

Got my AI ticket via the Parnell Pass.

Same for the semi against Kerry. I needed an extra one for the semi. I got it from someone I follow on Twitter. He runs a supporters page on Facebook. He knew someone who had a spare who wanted it to go to a real fan & asked him to post it on Twitter/Facebook. First come, first served. I was first to respond, so I got it. I know a couple of other people who sourced tickets to the game on Sunday via social media. Even if you aren't into social media, it can be a handy tool to source tickets if the usual sources dry up.

Slattsy

I'd like to know if anyone is honest enough to admit that they didnt go to any other games during the year but went to the final.

Clearly i didnt get a ticket, but went to all the other Championship games.

DazMarz

Only missed one league game all year (v. Kerry) and was at all the other Championship games. Will admit this, however. I actually only HEARD of the Parnell Pass after the semi-final against Kerry. Naturally, snapped one up and got my Final ticket that way. Bloody wish I'd heard of it before; would have saved me a fortune in League ticket costs.

Don't ask me how I'd never heard of it before! Go to all the Dublin games, and I'd honestly never heard of it before until someone on here mentioned it to me!

Fr Tod Umptious

Slattsy wrote: »

I'd like to know if anyone is honest enough to admit that they didnt go to any other games during the year but went to the final.

Clearly i didnt get a ticket, but went to all the other Championship games.

Went to 2 Mayo league games and 5 of the 6 championship games

malascoile

what is the parnell pass?

byhookorbycrook

Parnell Pass is the Dublin "season" ticket. We get one ticket through season tickets and can sometimes get one through Cumann na mBunscol (it's a lottery and you have to pay, of course.)

ProudDUB

malascoile wrote: »

what is the parnell pass?

It's a pass that gets you into all club and league games run under the auspices of the Dublin Co Board & entitles you to an AI ticket if Dublin make it to the final.

C.O.Y.B.I.B

Season Ticket , Was in Croke Park 14 times this year inc. a bandwagon jump to support the hurlers in the Semi. No away league games this year (except Kildare )

bohsboy

Was outside the Big Tree early enough on Sunday and there was crowds everywhere. Saw a guy with a sign held up "Ticket Required" written on it. He was there a while and I saw a Tyrone man go over and give him a ticket for face value. I thought it was a lovely act by an obvious true GAA fan.

Leaving the Big Tree an hour later however I was far from impressed when the same guy was still there with his sign still held up. :mad:

W123-80's

Slattsy wrote: »

I'd like to know if anyone is honest enough to admit that they didnt go to any other games during the year but went to the final.

Clearly i didnt get a ticket, but went to all the other Championship games.

Went to league semi final, A.I semi final & final.
If I only went to the final I would have no problem admitting that too. I don't see anything to be ashamed about in attending a major final and a huge sporting event.

padd b1975

Slattsy wrote: »

I'd like to know if anyone is honest enough to admit that they didnt go to any other games during the year but went to the final.

Two of my sisters only went to the final.

Although one is heavily involved with our home club, the other is a total event junkie:(

ProudDUB

There is a bit of an event junkie in all of us really, if we are honest. All sports attract them, not just the GAA. Imagine that you are offered a ticket to a prestigious sporting occasion, such as The Masters or Wimbledon or the Six Nations. It is the final of a sport that you have no serious involvement in, but it's so prestigious and famous an event, you'd love to go to it anyway. Tickets are like gold dust, so if you get one, you get to brag about it to all and sundry later on. Would you say " oh yes please", or would you say "oh no, I think that a real tennis/golf/rugby fan, who goes to all the unimportant games all year long, should have that and not me". I think we all know what the answer is there.

El Viz

Parnell Pass had me sorted but I did end up swapping it for a ticket in the upper hogan stand.
I was a bit worried about the view as I'd never been in the upper tier before as most of my trips to HQ are on the hill or the lower stands.

Was in row Q and I must say, after my initial reaction to hold on for dear life to my seat I loved it. The view was spectacular and I even got to take in a fine view of Dublin.

rodge68

Getting my tickets from Tyrone. My clubs (Clare) first allocation for the first day were terrible seats...swapped them..

rebel girl 15

Slattsy wrote: »

I'd like to know if anyone is honest enough to admit that they didnt go to any other games during the year but went to the final.

Clearly i didnt get a ticket, but went to all the other Championship games.

Yep, I'll be honest with you - never went to a men's senior championship game in my life, yet I've tickets for the finals, and will be going to the hurling final replay since I'm home. My first men's senior intercounty championship game, been to a few league games but never championship. Lot of the days clashed with other things, and the fact that I'm now based abroad but a lot of the time it was hassle to get to the matches, and I'm busy involved with ladies football - Sunday might be the only day I get a chance to be at home for a few hours, or it could be there was matches in the evening and I'd always watch the match, excuse to turn off the phone and ignore people!

Most of my life is dedicated to ladies football, and to be honest, given that I was hardly spending any time at home, heading to a match that I can watch in peace and quiet on the TV and relax for a few hours wasn't a draw.

Through my hard work in the evenings, I'm now lucky enough to get an option to buy 2 tickets for the finals, but thats hours of hard work, and to be honest, I feel like it is a nice reward for the amount of work I have to put in, while still holding down a full time job! Would I give it away to a person who has gone to every championship match - probably not. I gave my hurling tickets to a friend of mine who is a referee for men's and ladies, my football tickets went to the Mayo lad who is coaching our team here on his own. I'm home for the hurling replay, so I'm going to go to it!

There is always going to be event junkies who will get tickets, thats the way things go. It does annoy me, and I can understand why it would annoy others, but money is money - just because you have been to every game this year doesn't matter. I think if people are going to go to every game, get the season ticket - its great value and a good idea by the GAA to give hard weathered fans the chance to guarantee tickets. But I think if you put the hard work in, you generally will get rewarded one way or another.

Donnielighto

Not from either county. Been to one game all year but went to final. Dad was on the 1980s team so I aint feeling any guilt btw.

keane2097

Meh, I'm very dubious about this idea of so called real fans getting left without tickets. There are so many avenues available, from season tickets, ticket schemes, getting the tickets through clubs etc.

What was the attendance at the Mayo vs Dublin league game? 15 or 20k?

The Mayo population is something like 130k people, the idea that there are 40k people who would fall under the classification most people have when they talk about "real fans" seems very unlikely to me. The same goes for every other county too.

Probably even including Dublin when you consider that there were 5,000 people in Killarney for one of their only away games of the year.

bohsboy wrote: »

Was outside the Big Tree early enough on Sunday and there was crowds everywhere. Saw a guy with a sign held up "Ticket Required" written on it. He was there a while and I saw a Tyrone man go over and give him a ticket for face value. I thought it was a lovely act by an obvious true GAA fan.

Leaving the Big Tree an hour later however I was far from impressed when the same guy was still there with his sign still held up. :mad:

Ha! I was laughing about those guys on Sunday and wondering if anyone could possibly fall for what they were at!

Santa Cruz

padd b1975 wrote: »

Two of my sisters only went to the final.

Although one is heavily involved with our home club, the other is a total event junkie:(

I read Georgia Salpa was very upset that she couldn't make the final to support her beloved Dubs as she was in London shooting her 2014 Calendar.
Funnily enough I think I would remember her if I had seen her play in any Camogie of Ladies football club games around Dublin

wirelessdude01

bohsboy wrote: »

Leaving the Big Tree an hour later however I was far from impressed when the same guy was still there with his sign still held up. :mad:

I heard about someone who does this for both finals every year. Passes the tickets onto his mate who then touts them outside a different pub.

Dubliner28

Season ticket is the only way to go..
Cant wait till next year.. 4 away games rather than the 2 this year..

skydish79

Dubliner28 wrote: »

Season ticket is the only way to go..
Cant wait till next year.. 4 away games rather than the 2 this year..

Season tickets are great if your county has a chance of being in the all ireland

went to over 10 matches in croker, few of the round matches, the quarters and semis, but no chance of an all ireland

Think there should be some system or loyalty card that if you attend matches throughout the year and build up enough loyalty points that there is a chance/lottery of some sort

Hate these fair weather fans just coming looking for a ticket for one match in the year

Godge

skydish79 wrote: »

Season tickets are great if your county has a chance of being in the all ireland

went to over 10 matches in croker, few of the round matches, the quarters and semis, but no chance of an all ireland

Think there should be some system or loyalty card that if you attend matches throughout the year and build up enough loyalty points that there is a chance/lottery of some sort

Hate these fair weather fans just coming looking for a ticket for one match in the year

but if you are not interested in a season ticket for the league, don't you then meet the definition of a fair-weather fan?

skydish79

Godge wrote: »

but if you are not interested in a season ticket for the league, don't you then meet the definition of a fair-weather fan?

I go to louth league matches, but would go to the championship matches in croke park as im living close by

Fireball07

ProudDUB wrote: »

There is a bit of an event junkie in all of us really, if we are honest. All sports attract them, not just the GAA. Imagine that you are offered a ticket to a prestigious sporting occasion, such as The Masters or Wimbledon or the Six Nations. It is the final of a sport that you have no serious involvement in, but it's so prestigious and famous an event, you'd love to go to it anyway. Tickets are like gold dust, so if you get one, you get to brag about it to all and sundry later on. Would you say " oh yes please", or would you say "oh no, I think that a real tennis/golf/rugby fan, who goes to all the unimportant games all year long, should have that and not me". I think we all know what the answer is there.

I might be a bit weird in that sense, but I would honestly have no interest in going to Wimbledon or the Masters. If I somehow got tickets, I would almost certainly sell them to someone who actually wanted to go.



If my team got to the AI final and I didn't get a ticket, I would be really annoyed. I don't have a season ticket but I'm not sure whether it would be a good investment or not..... as far as I know, you have to specialise in one code? But Limerick are unlikely to make a final in football, although may play more games during the year... so if I got a football one, and attended x amount of games, but also went to the majority of hurling matches, I wouldn't necessarily be entitled to a hurling final ticket if Limerick reached it? I might get one anyway, but it would kinda put me off.

Also, as I don't drive, I'm unlikely to get to more than 1 away league game, being realistic.

Gerry91

I can see why people would go up for a day out though- the "event junkies"

Look from my own perspective I travelled up Sunday morning. Firstly went to demolish a fry up, and even in the place itself there was great banter at about 11 in the morning, load of friendly banter between fans and great atmosphere. Then the streets were thronged, again absolutely unreal atmosphere and vibe around the place. Then was in Quinns for 11.45 to meet a mate of mine who I hadn't seen since Galway races 2012, met a few in there had great craic and when it got overly busy went down to another spot to see cousins from Dublin, one I see regularly the other not since 5 years ago! Had great craic with all their Dub friends too, love that about GAA having banter with the opposition before

From my own perspective it was a savage day out, can easily see why people go for the "day out" aspect. Of course, I'd class myself as a big Mayo GAA fan and I try make most games so the match took complete preference to "day out". But still I really enjoyed it, until after the game that is. I could only imagine if they won how it would have been. If I'd no real interest in GAA I'd probably still try get involved that's the reality

Agree with Keane on this one. I saw a lot of "genuine fans" on twitter, the book, even ticket forum here looking for tickets. I'd be dubious. Surely if you were that genuine you'd be either (or all of) a club member, know others in different clubs, have plenty of contacts, or the best of the lot a season ticket!

And I'd be amazed that many "genuine fans" are using boards as a medium.

Of course there'll be load of fairweather fans. What's the average league attendance for a game in Castlebar?

Don't know one fan I'd class as genuine myself not getting sorted through multiple avenues though.