National Forum

GAA To Start Charging Children Who Attend League Games

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "I just considered Leinster v Connacht in the URC to be the equivalent of League in GAA in that it's the secondary competition, where you're far more likely to see fringe players and experimental sides.

Munster v Saracens is "championship" because it's the premier competition where all teams are eager to have their top 15 players in action.

Overall, children don't go free to many places, in sport or anything else. Am not opposed in principle to the idea of an entry fee to GAA matches for them, but still think that a blanket €5 per child for all League matches in the top divisions is a bit much. Again, €2 would be enough.

If you think back to the Walsh Cup floodlights match in Wexford Park, there was a €2 charge per child, for exactly the same reason that's being talked about now (to have an accurate gauge of expected attendance, and know when to stop selling tickets). I don't remember too many complaining about it when it was just €2 and when it was genuinely needed. But €5 when it's not genuinely needed for that reason is a different story."
Spot on Pikeman. That's why so many people are annoyed at the 5 euro charge.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14123 - 19/12/2024 08:51:20    2584070

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Replying To Thejampot:  "They are all professional sports!!"
Well you stick to watching your professiobal sports and I will gladly pay the lower costs of watching much more exciting GAA games.

ORIELMAN85 (Monaghan) - Posts: 404 - 19/12/2024 14:08:49    2584098

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Replying To Thejampot:  "If you going by entertainment value then croke park would need to be paying people to come to games if the last few years are anything to by. Holy God have you not been watching any football games."
Stick with your rugby. I am more than happy to pay the prices to GAA games and seldom ever leave a game not having had value for money. But then again we haven't folded to New York in the championship yet.

ORIELMAN85 (Monaghan) - Posts: 404 - 19/12/2024 14:13:59    2584100

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Replying To GreenandRed:  "They haven't been that bad. Too many people sitting at home watching an increasing number if games expecting end-to-end football, missing the skills, the hits and thrills of being at games and people who know nothing about Gaelic Football whinging about 'boring' games and lack of 'entertainment'. They'll be still whinging hours later talking about the new bandwagon show on Netflix. There's no sport that can't be improved but when people complain about Gaelic Football filter out those who go to games and form their own opinions from those who watch on telly and repeat comments from other social media posters."
Well said. The whingers on here seldom attend games and as someone said earlier, take their frustrations out on this site. Then you have the lad from Cavan who umpires in space. The wives and partners of Ireland should sponsor this site as it saves their ears from having to listen to their crybabies at home.

ORIELMAN85 (Monaghan) - Posts: 404 - 19/12/2024 14:19:59    2584102

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Replying To TalkToFahy:  "I really can't figure out why you still watch it. All you do is complain complain complain. If someone handed you €1,000,000 you would still complain about why it couldn't have been €2,000,000. It's pretty simple,if you don't like watching it,go for a walk,go for a swim,or go to bed. Alls it is is negative,negative negative. Players train week in and week out,dealing with injuries that affect them during the week when a game is over and we all go back to our day to day lives. They deal with constant abuse from people on the stands who maintain they know better than them. So if you don't like it,either save the diesel in the car or find the remote stuffed down the side of the sofa and hit the big red button on the top corner. People including myself will still pay the money to go and watch it,even if it's 20 quid,30 quid or 40 quid and even if its a 5,10 or 15 quid for kids. There will be money when we are all dead. Just because you don't like what's on display doesn't mean you have to drivel the same stuff over and over again and again."
I attended both All Ireland Finals this year and considered both of them great value for €100. A League game with the 2 kids costs less than 2 hours in the local having 4 pints. The whingers on here need to cop on and stop embarrassing themselves.

ORIELMAN85 (Monaghan) - Posts: 404 - 19/12/2024 14:29:24    2584103

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Replying To ORIELMAN85:  "Stick with your rugby. I am more than happy to pay the prices to GAA games and seldom ever leave a game not having had value for money. But then again we haven't folded to New York in the championship yet."
Never said i was involved with rugby. Mabe you should learn how to read. Not many teams have folded in games as many times as your own county. But then again it more you go on about it don't seem like you to many games at all

Thejampot (Leitrim) - Posts: 351 - 19/12/2024 17:06:10    2584119

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Replying To ORIELMAN85:  "Well said. The whingers on here seldom attend games and as someone said earlier, take their frustrations out on this site. Then you have the lad from Cavan who umpires in space. The wives and partners of Ireland should sponsor this site as it saves their ears from having to listen to their crybabies at home."
I go to several games every week they are on, in both codes, from club u6s up to adults, intercounty games from u14 upwards, all the Wexford adult games and nearly all their challenge games in both codes once they dont clash with eachother, occasional Fitzgibbon games, although I admit I haven't been to any of the shinty/hurling or AFL/ football crossover games.
Do you bring your children to every game you go to?
For a lad who "seldom attends games" I'd be guessing I go to considerably more games every year than you do with the children, and I have twice as many of them as you do.
Just out of interest did you bring your children to the AI finals this year? I didn't because I couldn't get tickets for them. They would've been entitled to tickets had Wexford reached a final, but I wasn't able to get them tickets as we didn't.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14123 - 19/12/2024 18:15:33    2584124

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Replying To ORIELMAN85:  " I attended both All Ireland Finals this year and considered both of them great value for €100. A League game with the 2 kids costs less than 2 hours in the local having 4 pints. The whingers on here need to cop on and stop embarrassing themselves."
Well said. Some people seem to want everything for free.

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6145 - 19/12/2024 18:17:50    2584126

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Replying To Greengrass:  "Well said. Some people seem to want everything for free."
It's not wanting everything for free. I've never even asked for expenses for any of the countless hours I put in.
Most of the lads I see at League games are people like myself. Volunteers for their clubs and counties who go to League games in all kinds of inclement weather. Not rich lads who go to every AI final.
Measures like this are going to put off people bringing their children, which in turn will mean those children will be less likely to bring their own children when they get older.
It will reduce the number of people growing up with the GAA being an important part of their lives all year round, which in turn will affect future participation in our games, and further reduce the number of people who are prepared to give their time for nothing, the volunteer grassroots bedrock that the whole GAA is built on. Here's an interesting read for you-
https://www.echolive.ie/corksport/arid-41538674.html

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14123 - 19/12/2024 19:12:49    2584138

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Replying To Viking66:  "I go to several games every week they are on, in both codes, from club u6s up to adults, intercounty games from u14 upwards, all the Wexford adult games and nearly all their challenge games in both codes once they dont clash with eachother, occasional Fitzgibbon games, although I admit I haven't been to any of the shinty/hurling or AFL/ football crossover games.
Do you bring your children to every game you go to?
For a lad who "seldom attends games" I'd be guessing I go to considerably more games every year than you do with the children, and I have twice as many of them as you do.
Just out of interest did you bring your children to the AI finals this year? I didn't because I couldn't get tickets for them. They would've been entitled to tickets had Wexford reached a final, but I wasn't able to get them tickets as we didn't."
Viking 66 my brother-in-law a Roscommon man living in Dublin travelled all over Ireland to hurling and football matches on the train with his two children. This would be every weekend or in Croke Park. He got sick and could not go and could not get a game because of a pay for view. A light went on or off and he has never gone to another inter county game. Goes down to the local field to watch the kids now. There are many like you and him who it is not a good idea to sour. I won't use his name as his family has worn the Roscommon shirt.

Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 2899 - 19/12/2024 21:23:38    2584147

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Replying To Viking66:  "It's not wanting everything for free. I've never even asked for expenses for any of the countless hours I put in.
Most of the lads I see at League games are people like myself. Volunteers for their clubs and counties who go to League games in all kinds of inclement weather. Not rich lads who go to every AI final.
Measures like this are going to put off people bringing their children, which in turn will mean those children will be less likely to bring their own children when they get older.
It will reduce the number of people growing up with the GAA being an important part of their lives all year round, which in turn will affect future participation in our games, and further reduce the number of people who are prepared to give their time for nothing, the volunteer grassroots bedrock that the whole GAA is built on. Here's an interesting read for you-
https://www.echolive.ie/corksport/arid-41538674.html"
Well said Viking… my sentiments exactly… The big wigs of the GAA are completely loosing the plot and are only driven by money… The wonderful speech maker Jarlath hasn't said much about this move yet…?

ForeverBlue2 (Cavan) - Posts: 3147 - 20/12/2024 07:20:09    2584164

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Replying To Viking66:  "It's not wanting everything for free. I've never even asked for expenses for any of the countless hours I put in.
Most of the lads I see at League games are people like myself. Volunteers for their clubs and counties who go to League games in all kinds of inclement weather. Not rich lads who go to every AI final.
Measures like this are going to put off people bringing their children, which in turn will mean those children will be less likely to bring their own children when they get older.
It will reduce the number of people growing up with the GAA being an important part of their lives all year round, which in turn will affect future participation in our games, and further reduce the number of people who are prepared to give their time for nothing, the volunteer grassroots bedrock that the whole GAA is built on. Here's an interesting read for you-
https://www.echolive.ie/corksport/arid-41538674.html"
Unfortunately they've actually taken away the competition of the diehards this year Viking. In spite of the fact we communicate often I've no idea who you are, although I'd be fairly certain I must have seen you of a January evening in hollymount at some point. You me and about ten other lads watching the first round of the Walsh cup which I've no problem paying clubs for.

In spite of how annoyed I am over this, my kiddos won't be losing out which sadly is exactly what the suits are counting on.

I maintain the position that gouging is not what the organisation is about.

Once I was old enough to go myself my father stopped going to county games, although he still does the club lotto. Years later he told me why. They've enough money and the best people don't see any of it. I think he's right, and I am a fool for loving it too much.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 3223 - 20/12/2024 07:46:41    2584165

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Replying To ORIELMAN85:  " I attended both All Ireland Finals this year and considered both of them great value for €100. A League game with the 2 kids costs less than 2 hours in the local having 4 pints. The whingers on here need to cop on and stop embarrassing themselves."
In fairness we're not talking about all Ireland finals. We're talking about a secondary pre season tournament where counties aren't playing their full teams and attendances are already poor.

It's how backhanded it is that's upset me.

Don't be lying about health and safety.

Just be truthful about it. It would be much more palatable if the were honest with member and just said costs had increased, whether that's power or stewards or Gardai or whatever that would be grand.

The fai wouldn't exactly have a stellar governance record but they give hundreds of tickets to professional internationals for free. They'd rather have a full ground with an atmosphere. Developing the lore of the sport is more important than lining your pockets.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 3223 - 20/12/2024 07:52:21    2584167

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Replying To Doylerwex:  "In fairness we're not talking about all Ireland finals. We're talking about a secondary pre season tournament where counties aren't playing their full teams and attendances are already poor.

It's how backhanded it is that's upset me.

Don't be lying about health and safety.

Just be truthful about it. It would be much more palatable if the were honest with member and just said costs had increased, whether that's power or stewards or Gardai or whatever that would be grand.

The fai wouldn't exactly have a stellar governance record but they give hundreds of tickets to professional internationals for free. They'd rather have a full ground with an atmosphere. Developing the lore of the sport is more important than lining your pockets."
That's maybe a little strong at the end, I'm sure the people who made this decision aren't benefitting themselves financially from it.
And while I appreciate the great help being given by Croke Park to our club and county, I'd feel better about the whole thing if they came out and said all the money from the increased ticket prices was going to go back to all the counties to offset intercounty team expenses, thereby benefitting the players, rather than being used to pay off stupid debt like Frank's Folly down in Cork.
Like yourself if a good reason, rather than something that sounded like a bad excuse made up by one of the kids at home, had of been given, I'd feel less sore about the whole thing.
Also like yourself I'll still be going to all the League games, though I'm a little annoyed that there will be 3 Foootball League games I physically can't get to on account of clashes with our hurling games. Surely these could have been arranged better?
Finally, while I don't know you as in don't know you as a poster on this, I've no doubt we would have seen eachother before. I do know quite a few other posters from Wexford and other counties though. And know who more again are, though I don't know them personally.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14123 - 20/12/2024 09:20:36    2584174

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