"The GAA are only too happy to take our money all year but dish out tickets elsewhere when they're at a premium."
Influential Dublin GAA Supporters’ Group Hill 16 Army have threatened to boycott a league game next season over the distribution of tickets for Sunday’s All-Ireland Final between Dublin and Mayo.
A post on Tuesday afternoon on the Hill 16 Army Facebook page, which is liked by over 32,000 people and describes itself as the biggest Dublin GAA supporters page on social media, criticised the GAA for what it called the “lack of respect for us Dubs”.
The post suggested that there was a greater number of Mayo fans in Croke Park for Sunday’s gripping decider, which ended in a draw after a last-gasp Cillian O’Connor equaliser.
Speaking to JOE today, Barry Fennell from Hill 16 said that while he woke up today with a "bee in his bonnet" over some of the exchanges that have taken place between Mayo and Dublin fans since Sunday, his main gripe was with GAA's method of distributing tickets for All-Ireland Finals.
He said he knew of individuals and families that went to all of Dublin's games this year and couldn't get a ticket to the final on Sunday. Fennell called for the GAA to introduce a "rewards system" so that the most loyal fans don't miss out on the biggest game of the year.
The GAA Season Ticket rewards supporters who attend 60% or more of the total number of matches their county plays in the National League and All-Ireland Championship in a season with a ticket for the All-Ireland Final, but Fennell said that many supporters he knew weren't able to afford it.
As is
explained on the GAA website, tickets for All-Ireland Finals in hurling and football do not go on public sale through the usual outlets.
Each County board receives an allocation of tickets for the All-Ireland Finals with the competing counties receiving the most significant allocations. These are then filtered down to their clubs and subsequently the club members.
On Monday, the GAA announced that there will be a r
eduction in the price of tickets for the All-Ireland Final replay on Saturday, October 1.
Tickets for the Stands will be available for the reduced price of €60. Admission to the Dineen/Hill16 terrace will be on offer at the reduced price of €30. In addition, there will be a limited number of €10 tickets available for Under 16s from the competing counties only.
Tickets will be distributed to clubs via county committees and to 6,700 GAA Season Ticket holders from competing counties (including 1300 juveniles).
