Supporters are right to be annoyed at cost of tickets

The President of the Ulster GAA Council Aogán Ó Fearghail wrote in the match programme for last Sunday's Ulster Senior Football Championship quarter-final between Cavan and Donegal that "terrace tickets at €15 and most seats at €25 provide excellent value". However, several callers to The Anglo-Celt office this week have taken an opposite point of view. There may not have ever been as angry a reaction to the admission fee for a football match in this county; folk are genuinely annoyed and while, yes, the charge has remained unchanged for three years, the financial situations of so many of those expected to pay it have dramatically changed. The President also went through the range of concessions on offer for students and OAPs but didn't mention in his programme foreword that entry to the stand cost a whopping €27 for supporters of all ages. Mr Ó Fearghail is, rightly, a very popular, diligent and well-respected official in his native Drumgoon, Cavan and Ulster, but the Council he represents have erred on this issue. The main bone of contention among those who have voiced their opinions this week has been the cost of admission to the stand itself. Given that the Cavan-Donegal match was played out in driving rain, €25 to sit in an uncovered section doesn't seem to represent particularly good value at all. Citing the shameful example of the Connacht Council, which charges patrons €30 for the stand and €20 for the terrace for championship matches, doesn't wash either. Just because someone else over-charges doesn't mean we must reciprocate. The secretary of the Cavan County Board - a body which, it must be noted, had no say in the prices which were set at provincial level - used the example of a man, his pensioner father and his son attending the match for €25, which is correct. However, is it fair to ask the eldest and youngest in our community to stand in the rain to watch a football match because they may not be able to afford the prohibitive cost of watching it from under a cover? This was technically a double-header but the interest in minor camógie between Antrim and Armagh is minimal for Cavan and Donegal football supporters, so the value wasn't there in the undercard either. There is no loyalty scheme that we know of to reward supporters who attend matches all year round; instead, the prices are jacked up for the big match. This is a strange business model. Members of Club Breifne, of which there are over 100, pay €40 per month towards the Cavan County Board, yet they too are asked to shell out when it comes to championship matches. The GAA is the glue which binds community life in this country. The association plays a unique and priceless role in fostering friendships, building community spirit and encouraging the sustained growth of culture and the fostering of our Gaelic heritage. Here in Cavan, the board is doing great work off the pitch and securing the double-header for Breffni Park on June 25 (entry to the stand for which is a much-more reasonable €15, and for two matches) is a massive boost for the area. However, fleecing their supporters shouldn't be something they can allow.