Charging for under 16s.

gormdubhgorm

It is hardly extortionate and stops codology some "children" have been known to chance their arms on u16 tickets. At least now it is more above board.

Another poster mentioned pitch invasions it has been known for decades that it has been costing the GAA money on claims.

https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/croker-pitch-invasions-costing-200000-a-year/26497680.html

Charles Babbage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122959016#Comment_122959016

Div 1 this year is especially competitive, 3 or 4 of each team's games in Div 1 would be close to capacity.Donegal, Derry, Tyrone and Armagh all have games with the prospect of substantial travelling support as the distances are not huge. Dublin have away games that bring a travelling crowd. Galway v Mayo gets a crowd, and Armagh away games in Galway and Kerry will get a crowd, Pearse park has plenty of room but Kerry play in Tralee rather than in Killarney. Mayo play in Armagh, these counties both sold out their season tickets. In Div 2, Louth have a very small ground with one game moved to a slightly bigger ground.

So that is about 60% of Div 1 games, and at least some in Div 2.

LeoD

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

It's not allowed in Limerick but players are barely allowed onto the new and improved field in the Gaelic Grounds that seems to be closed more than it's open. Where are kids allowed onto a pitch at half-time with hurleys now? With all due respect, you can't have 30-40 young lads pucking balls around a crowd of people but I suppose we're in an age of peak entitlement these days.

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122961788#Comment_122961788

Pearse stadium anyway, and it’s not 30-40, sometimes ive seen it and its pure jammers - like well over one hundred out on the pitch at half time.

Deskjockey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122961788#Comment_122961788

Kilkenny, and again it's over a hundred kids on the pitch pucking around in Nowlan Park and long may it continue .

Uncle Pierre

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122961788#Comment_122961788

Also in Wexford Park, and again, could be hundreds of children there during half time. It's a big part of matchday tradition in the place.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122966510#Comment_122966510

There are loads of kids on the pitch in Limerick too. That doesn't mean it's allowed. We had absolute joke shop scenes a few years ago where the Limerick and Kildare footballers had to train around all the kids.

It's definitely not allowed in Galway and it's been a while since I was in Wexford or Kilkenny but I'de be shocked if the "stay off the pitch" announcement wasn't made.

Not allowed never seems to mean doesn't happen in this country.

Uncle Pierre

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122966856#Comment_122966856

Well, prepare to be shocked, because I'm telling you for a fact that a "stay off the pitch" announcement is not made in Wexford Park.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122966972#Comment_122966972

Okay so maybe they don't make an announcement (do they even have a working PA?)

But it is definitely not allowed.

https://wexfordgaa.ie/policy-on-unauthorised-pitch-access-at-matches/

"is aimed particularly at children who enter the pitch area either between games or at the half-time interval during games to play any games"

Uncle Pierre

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122967005#Comment_122967005

Wow, you're like a dog with a bone.

Yes, there's a working PA in Wexford Park.

So you've found a website post from almost eleven years ago. But note how it refers to a policy rather than a rule. And which of these two things do you think is more relevant overall:

1 - Whoever was in charge of website posts back in January 2014 did a 'copy of paste' from a document that was topical at the time, or

2 - The fact that there are no "stay off the pitch" announcements, that children go on there every half-time and full-time, and nobody minds?

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122967065#Comment_122967065

Okay. The official guidelines from Wexford GAA are wrong about the rules.

You win. I was obviously wrong.

rightmove

Reduce adult prices if they are charging for kids. Therefore all kids will be accompanied and accounted for and GAA can spin it that they are not using it for extra revenue.

I bring 3 kids to games so I have a vested interest.

kksaints

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122966972#Comment_122966972

I've definitely heard a stay off the pitch at halftime announcement at Wexford Park particularly when there's question marks about the condition of the pitch. The league game against Cork last season they didn't allow children onto the pitch.

I generally don't mind children playing on the pitch at halftime but they shouldn't be allowed on the pitch in the gap between matches in a double header. The players and coaches of the 2nd match deserve to have their prematch warmup in as hassle free setup as possible which hasn't always happened. I distinctly remember a hurling league game in Wexford Park between Wexford and Clare which was followed by a camogie league match (Wexford and Galway i think) where the camogie teams had to deal with children constantly running into their warmup area and just generally been a nuisance.

Steven81

I would also say it was to get income from the 17-20 year olds who would say they are u16s. In fairness who didn’t try get through the student gate with an old photo.

Uncle Pierre

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122969413#Comment_122969413

Yes, there's occasionally a "stay off the pitch" announcement, when the pitch is not in great condition. But generally speaking, and for the vast majority of matches, children are on playing at half-time and full-time all right, at inter-county matches and club matches alike.

They don't go on while teams are warming up before a match. As for double-headers, has been several years since we had an inter-county double-header in Wexford Park, but they're due to resume in the new year (hurling v Cork and football v London on the first weekend of the 2025 League). But when there's a club double-header, kids are asked to stay off the field while the teams are warming up for the second game, and so the same will surely apply for inter-county matches.

Anyway, this is all gone a long way from the original point of charging every child €5 for League matches. I still think it's a bad move myself.

Butson

Was always a nice feature of the GAA to bring the kids along for free in the winter. Pearse Stadium in Galway 90% empty.

celt262

What is the work around for this in relation to season ticket holders who bring kids?

billyhead

Bring back the days were you used to be lifted over the turn stiles as a very young juvenile.

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122974973#Comment_122974973

yep. I remember it well.
pedantic question ;) why was the lifting needed - Why couldn’t the child just walk through the turn stile?

Uncle Pierre

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122976327#Comment_122976327

Because the turnstile would be linked to a device to count the number of times it rotated to allow somebody through.

Lifting children over it meant it didn't count those who weren't paying, and so it was easier afterwards to square up the takings with the actual paying attendance.

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122977154#Comment_122977154

noted, but how does that differ from today? I know they have tickets etc but a lot are cash too at the gate

Uncle Pierre

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122977191#Comment_122977191

To the best of my knowledge, no inter-county matches are still a 'cash at the gate' affair. Certainly not National League or Championship matches anyway.

Anything that's still cash at the gate must really only be club matches in whatever counties still choose to allow it. We don't do it here in Wexford.

A lot of club matches would be at venues that don't even have turnstiles in the first place, so club matches in general aren't subject to the same level of scruinty. And for those that do have turnstiles, well, I guess it's just a case of not paying too much attention to what the counter says. If entry is €10 and the counter says there are 500 people inside, but takings are only about €2,000, then you say 'obviously a lot of children at it' rather than 'where did the other €3,000 go?'

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122977191#Comment_122977191

Hasn't been cash at the gate since at least 2021.

Before that I think the free kids had to go through a juvenile gate although that might not be every stadium.