Charging for under 16s.

obi604

https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2024/1209/1485522-gaa-introduces-charge-for-kids-league-tickets/

I like the GAA games and coach etc but this crap just annoys me. Only a matter of time before it trickles down to club games etc.

Notmything

Mixed feelings on it. Started bringing my kids to matches last year, being free for u16 was handy as it meant it was a cost free experience for them.

Its definitely good for promoting the game amongst children, but at the same time it can be annoying to have a bunch of kids sitting near you, with no interest in the match and seemingly only there to mess about and to hang out for free.

Wonder will the next move to be banning kids going on the pitch at half time? Seems it's an accident waiting to happen.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058383886/charging-for-under-16s

For a good few years now there has been an anomaly where some games charged for u16 and some didn't.

Games like Kerry v Dublin in Stacks Park Tralee on a Saturday night.

They had to charge because the place would be filled to capacity and they needed to manage that capacity.

I recall a number of years ago a representative from Kerry GAA talking about it and he said that if they moved the game to the larger capacity Fitzgerald Stadium on a Sunday (Killarney doesn't have lights) it would not get the same crowd as Tralee on a Saturday night.

So I'm not surprised they are making it across the board, especially when H&S is such a important factor in how many they can fit in a ground.

Charles Babbage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122941090#Comment_122941090

The best teams are all now in Div1, you could have capacity issues at the likes of Galway v Mayo, Tvrone v Derry v Donegal, most Armagh games, away Dublin games. But I suppose Div 3 and 4 games are less busy. However, if the stand is full of free tickets then it makes it less attractive for those who wish to pay.

kippy

This is why we can't have nice things as they say.

They were at pains to point out that these tickets can only be bought with an adult ticket and I assume there's a cap on how many child tickets can be bought with an adult ticket.

Firstly I've been to a few games over the years with a lot of kids running around the place totally unsupervised which is an issue. Moreso when they may not even have had any supervision coming into the venue. There have been issues.

Secondly to know the amount of people in a venue and manage capacity somewhere from of ticket is required. Whether this needs to be paid for or not is up for debate in my mind.

I'd expect that from an insurance POV something bad to be done, particularly bearing in mind some of the issues that have come to light.

In fairness a lot of GAA delegates have brought this to the table:

https://www.con-telegraph.ie/2023/04/05/anti-social-behaviour-in-machale-park-deemed-concerning/

Charles Babbage

Presumably though they could create a family ticket of some sort and offer some sort of discount for that.

MacDanger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122941121#Comment_122941121

Easily solved by not allowing unaccompanied kids in, I don't think anyone would object to that.

I think it's a terribly short sighted decision

kippy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122941225#Comment_122941225

It's easier solved with free tickets that have to be "bought" with an adult tickets.

But - I get the point - there's no need to charge for these tickets - if they really didn't want to charge for them.

PARlance

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122941225#Comment_122941225

Agreed, I'm not sure charging solves much of the issue. Or that unaccompanied kids are either.

While I can see some drawbacks to kids being allowed to hang around in groups... the positives outweigh the negatives imo.

My two come with us and meet up with their friends, nearly all other parents would be at the match.

My kids are there more for the social side than football I would say. And I think that's great. Kids have sweet all freedom these days like that. Let them off as long as theyre well behaved.

Ceist_Beag

Another poor move by the powers that be at GAA HQ that shows they are continuing to move further away from their origins. Of course H&S is a perfect foil, much the same as insurance can be blamed for other increases in cost elsewhere.

Trampas

I’ve paid and use the free ticket option for the kids as no such thing for Croke Park for u16. I’ve seen in all locations groups of kids who’ve no real interest in the game bar making themselves been heard or trying to rob the match balls. Like everything the small minority ruin it for the rest of us. I’d have thought maybe a few child tickets with an adult paying ticket but sure it won’t matter they’d still go

Charles Babbage

The mechanics of the accompaniment might be a problem. Can a season ticket holder add a child for some games? If an adult buy a ticket for one child and his or her mate wants to come on the day can they add another?

Generally speaking ticketmaster is an awful experience, which is odd as tickets as their business, and its ability to do the above is doubtful.

Notmything

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122942400#Comment_122942400

Not in my experience.

Bought a ticket for myself and 2 kids. Day of the match the 3rd decided to join us. No option to add a ticket for him to the ones in the wallet.

Chanced my arm and they let him in at the gate.

Tbf I have no issues with paying a fiver for the bigger games, we got 3 days out in Croke Park this year.

Uncle Pierre

I understand the move from a numbers/crowd control point of view. Here in Wexford, am thinking back to early last year and our Walsh Cup match v Kilkenny - the first match under the new floodlights in Wexford Park. Capacity was only going to be around 14,000 that night on account of how one terrace was closed off to allow for a fireworks display.

The powers-that-be realised that they'd have to charge for children's tickets. Otherwise, if they sold 10,000 'regular' tickets but then those people brought 5,000 or 6,000 kids with them for free, there'd be an overcrowding issue.

But thing is, they charged just €2 per child. You could achieve the same thing here by also charging €2 rather than €5.

Other thing is that Wexford Park normally holds around 20,000 people and realistically, it won't have even half that for our home hurling league matches. So here, there's no real 'need' to charge for children at all.

keeponhurling

I was thinking the same thing, €2 instead of €5 potentially.

You don't want to be pricing people out of things, but when something is free people don't value it.

breezy1985

For once it's actually

But being serious like everyone else I feel sorry for people who take their kids but also the gangs of roaming prats only there for the sliotars and pitch invasions are becoming a real annoyance.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122945785#Comment_122945785

€5 isn't pricing anyone out of anything in Ireland these days. A can of Coke cost more than €2 half the time.

Anything4883

Am I reading some of the above right ? …. People think by charging for a child ticket will stop them running around the place?! lol

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122946366#Comment_122946366

Yes because lots of kids were going with no interest in the games. They can just stroll down the road into the game and run around a half empty stand or on to a pitch with minimal stewarding.

Free entry is a bit mad anyway for the top division games. A fiver for some of the best athletes in the country isn't a crazy ask.

MacDanger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122947652#Comment_122947652

I disagree tbh, I always bring my 2 daughters to the matches and often 1-2 other nieces / nephews. Only the eldest one has any real interest, the others are too young and only there for the lollipops & jellies - the cost of going to a match has almost doubled now for me. It's hard not to see it as a money grab

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122947757#Comment_122947757

Maybe stop bringing the ones who don't want to watch matches.

MacDanger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122948050#Comment_122948050

Fair enough I guess. I wouldn't have thought that people bringing less kids to matches is good for the GAA though

andrew1977

5 euro for a child into a game is nothing.

If kids cant behave at the grounds, it is not the GAA fault , but the parents.

5 euro to experience Croke park, its a bargain for a Childs activity/day out.

Don't think it would buy you the bucket of popcorn in the cinema !.

And yes anytime i bring a gang to Croke park, we have the sandwiches packed along with their treats for the day.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122948134#Comment_122948134

If the kids are too young to care I doubt it'll make any difference.

They will have plenty of time to get into it and I don't think it was half empty, rainy, dark league days that gets most of us into the sport. If anything casual and future fans should be kept away from the league as it would only put you off.

FullBack Jam

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122948152#Comment_122948152

I love going to the league matches. I'd say if someone took the time to do a rough review of all of the intercounty matches in the past 3 years (league and championship), there would be more exciting league games than championship games. That's subjective of course, but I just mean at a general level.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122949045#Comment_122949045

Yes but that's you (and many of us) who is probably a pretty seasoned fan.

I was talking about it being the gateway to the sport for someone with no interest. In any sport its the big days with the full houses, flags, songs etc. that gets people on board.

Some league games were already charging anyway and it doesn't seem to have been a big problem.

LeoD

Would prefer if they stopped kids bringing hurleys to games as it's completely daft and all they do is shove them in the face of players post game for an autograph they couldn't really give a shite about. If H&S is an issue then they could cut that first rather than some bs surcharge.

Deskjockey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122949356#Comment_122949356

In my opinioj The daft suggestion is looking for kids not to bring their hurlies with them, that is mental, I know my own lads have literally never gone to a match without bringing their hurley and sliothar and having a little puck around at half time / full time if it's allowed.

Your suggestion is a killjoy overreaction.

Ceist_Beag

Jayz there are some real curmudgeons on this thread!

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122949732#Comment_122949732

The kids pucking around by the back of the terrace or whatever always seem honest enough. They also have some interest in the game.

The post match pitch invasions had clearly become some sort of Irish Tiktok craze though and the massing on the sidelines was starting to disrupt games. It seemed to go into overdrive after all the attention David Clifford got on that junior club run.

Neddyusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122941225#Comment_122941225

Agreed, very, very shortsighted!

They say they are bringing it in from a H+S point of view for the big attendance games. How many Div 1 games come even close to capacity annually, 3, 4?!

For all other games, (about 90% of the Div 1 and 2 games) this move will decrease attendances and gate receipts.

windy shepard henderson

in fairness it is tough on parents now when there kid says they want to bring a few friends with them to a game , but as said by a few above , alot of kids are not even watching the games half the time and most are only looking for ticktoc or instagram photos at the end of the game with as many players as possible ,

the latter has to stop , the players need to be let off the field after games and not spend an hour signing autographs and taken photos , the players are not getting paid as it is so its not on, i am sure most players would happily return to sign a few autographs and photos after they have had time to get to the dressing room first and get a breather for ten or twenty minutes after a game first