Right, I guess it’s time for another update on draws that are being held for All-Ireland final tickets. This time I’ve broken the list into two – Mayo club and county draws and draws involving clubs from other counties.
As before, I’ve flagged those draws that are being newly added to the list. There’s now a total of 28 draws on the list, as follows:
Mayo draws
- Mayo GAA: two sets of two tickets to be won in next Monday’s Lotto draw – details here
- Ardnaree Sarsfields GAA: two tickets to be won – details here NEW
- Ballaghaderreen GAA: two tickets to be won in the draw on 8th September – details here NEW
- Ballina Stephenites GAA: two tickets to be won – details here
- Ballyhaunis GAA: two tickets to be won in a draw for those entered in the Win an SUV draw – details here NEW
- Bohola Moy Davitts GAA: two tickets to be won in the draw on 9th September here NEW
- Breaffy GAA: two tickets to be won in the draw on 8th September – details here
- Cill Chomain GAA: two tickets to be won – details here
- Crossmolina GAA: two tickets to be won – details here
- Hollymount/Carramore GAA: two tickets to be won in the draw on 9th September – details here
- Knockmore GAA: two tickets to be won – details here
- Mayo Gaels GAA: two stand tickets to be won in the draw on 9th September – details here
- Parke Keelogues Crimlin GAA: one ticket to be won in the draw on 4th September – details here
- Shrule/Glencorrib GAA: two tickets to be won – details here NEW
- Westport GAA: two tickets to be won in the bonus draw for those entered in the Win a House in Westport fundraising draw – details here NEW
Other counties’ draws
- Ballinderry Shamrocks GAA: two tickets to be won in the draw on 9th September – details here
- Bearna CLG: two tickets to be won in the draw on 9th September – details here NEW
- Carrickshock GAA: two tickets to be won in the draw on 9th September – details here NEW
- Clonduff GAA: two tickets to be won in the draw on 9th September – details here
- Creggs GAA: two tickets to be won in the draw on 9th September – details here NEW
- Cúchullain an Ghleanna GAA: two tickets to be won in the draw on 8th September – details here NEW
- Longford Slashers GAA: ticket to be won in the draw on 8th September – details here NEW
- Kilgarry GAA: four tickets to be won in the draw on 10th September – details here
- Monaghan GAA: two tickets to be won in the draw on 10th September – details here
- Mooncoin GAA: two sets of two tickets to be won in the draw on 7th September – details here
- Newtownbutler GAA: two tickets to be won in the draw on 9th September – details here
- Padraig Pearses GAA: two tickets to be won in the draw on 9th September – details here NEW
- Shannon Gaels GAA: two tickets to be won in the bonus draw for those entered in the Win a House in Sligo fundraising draw – details here NEW
As you’ve been doing already, if you know about any other draws then please just provide details in the comments. Alternatively, drop me a mail with the details. Either way I’ll add these draws into to the next update I do, which will be over the weekend at some point.
Fair play WJ. Overall I’m disappointed with how season ticket holders have been treated and the lack of transparency relating to certain club’s draws…no clarity with certain clubs as how tickets are allocated.
So be it!
I find this list to be a very poor indictment on the Mayo County Board and the GAA in general. That people out of desperation are been encouraged to basically gamble in the hope of getting a ticket is very very sad. I would much prefer an analysis of how the 11,450 tickets that the Mayo County Board received were distributed. Why tickets are been offered to companies in Mayo at a cost of €5,900 for 10 tickets is another question that needs answering. I know clubs need to fundraise, but fans are desperate and I just feel it’s all in very poor taste. Hope all real fans get sorted eventually.
Anyone want to pay for my bus to Dublin if I win 2 tickets and I give you the other ticket. I won’t have a rex left after all these draws
I’ll give you a lift Stephen, no problem 😉
Selling to companies in this manner is lazy fundraising, shooting rich fish in a barrel really at real supporters expense.
I’ve said it here before but Mayo Gaa know f all about fundraising. Time and time again they pass up gilt edged opportunities to raise funds. Take the tile wall for example. Closing date 25th of August, I mean ffs. We’re in an all Ireland final, how many tiles would be bought if we win. If we don’t, what the hell was wrong with running it till Christmas when people annually flit away cash. A Mayo tile is for life not just for Christmas should be the sales pitch.
Sorry for the rant but ticket hunting season really is the season to be grumpy when you see where a lot of them end up.
5900 for ten tickets! At this point in time that is just plain wrong. Yes I understand the need to raise funds but these are special times and ordinary people need looking after. And in the long run those ordinary people will take care of the finances.
The GAA was never intended for the powerful and wealthy! We shouldn’t be going there.
Whole fiasco is a disgrace
Won’t be forgotten
Unfortunately did not win a ticket in season ticket draw so it’s time to gamble on the club draws. Any of these clubs doing transparent draws that are live streamed as I imagine there will be a lot of entries from all over Ireland .
Extract from below article:
McCarthy has confirmed both counties have received slightly smaller allocation than in previous years.
He said: “In 2019 each county participating in the final got 13,500 tickets. This year Mayo and Tyrone are getting 11,450.
“They’re getting much more stand tickets this time because we’re not using the terraces. The cuts have come for the non-participating counties.”
https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/gaa-declined-to-increase-all-ireland-final-capacity-due-to-lack-of-expertise-1.4663164?mode=amp
Its just so wrong. Can the local papers, sports journalists, Midwest highlight this and ask the hard questions of the Executive? Could it be brought up on the next podcast WJ? More tickets should be going to the supporters not selling them to companies.
diehard Won’t that be a corporate box for €5900…Presume it includes a meal and free drink all afternoon. That’s the going price for this package. Mayo Co Board won’t be making any money out of it.
– Three more questions to add to all the excellent questions listed above…
– What is the total number of tickets pre- allocated to sponsors out of the 11450 tickets ?
– How many tickets out of the 11450 are being sold for 590 euros each in ‘corporate packages’
– Did any season ticket holder get both a ticket in the Season ticket draw and from their club ?
– Like so many of you I did not get a ticket from my club nor in the season ticket draw….well done to all that did. I was dam lucky though to get a premium one and I am very grateful for it.
– The whole process is a disgrace and I will never give another CENT to the Mayo county board. Unreal that they have the virtual begging bowl out again on their site for 2021 AIF, they can stuff it.
would be interesting to know what allocation is filtering down to the clubs in Tyrone
They’ve the cash to lay a new surface on Mchale Park. They’ve the cash to build a new centre of excellence. Yet they still are willing to shaft genuine supporters by cashing in from corporates.
Great questions all. Had a look there on mayo gaa facebook page today – two pairs of tickets for.the lotto and the golf fundraising event. I”m sick of it at this stage with their constant looking for money.
And this is the one
Oh, this is the one
Ah, this is the one
This is the one
I’ve waited for
This is the one
This is the one
This is the one
I’ve waited for
Onemoreyear it’s not a corporate box, just bog standard tickets and not 10 grouped together either. Unfortunately, there is no one out there that’s willing to ask the hard questions. Great point raised by Ahnow as regards the tiles. You couldn’t make some of this stuff up Ted.
Did you manage to get a ticket Willie Joe? I hope so. You are most deserving.
I’m probably in the minority here (if not completely alone), but im genuinely sick to death of people moaning about tickets. I understand ye’re frustrated and rightly so, but it is what it is now. We’ve the biggest game of our lives coming up in 9 days time. I’ve conceded defeat and know I won’t be going to the dance, but neither will about 500k Mayo supporters around the world. Just let it go and savour the build up/anticipation, these are the days of our lives! Their are counties that would bite our hands off to see their team in an AIF on tv, let alone be there.
So the Hill isn’t open …..funny that with Dublin not involved . But we won’t speak of that.
So how about this then …….The Hill is separate from the stands . It’s own entrance , toilets etc
Could an argument not be made to open it and sell tickets on the basis of vaccination……..
Mayodunphy I am on the exact same page as you… If you look back at this blog from previous years I’m sure it was the same…it gets tiresome. I had a season ticket 2011 – 2020. I have no season ticket in 2021 so my right to an All Ireland final ticket subject to 60% attendence is gone. I was hoping to get picked yesterday in the draw that included 2020 season ticket holders but unfortunately I wasn’t. I will keep hunting until it’s too late in Saturday week…at about 1pm I’ll have to give up hope.
Well, any hope of 1 ticket for me ?. All very quiet re tickets here in Dublin.
I haven’t missed one final in my lifetime ( bar last December 2020 ).
I asked this question last week, will the game be shown on big screens in some venues in Mayo ?
Yes I think there is a problem with the tickets. If this years allocation is 2000 less (approx 40 per club) why are clubs down more than 40 tickets. Local newspapers always refer to it but it is time to do some proper journalism after the final and investigate where the tickets went.
I see loads of mentions of tickets for €590 . Can anyone post a link to something to show that. I am very doubtful of that claim.
Finally, I agree with the comments about moving on. The ticket situation is what it is and unfortunately will not be changed this year. I am hearing stories of one player getting hounded about tickets and having to avoid his normal routine. That’s not on. Let’s get behind the team for the next 10 days and after we win hopefully the situation is investigated.
You know what MayoDunphy, when I can log onto Instagram and see a hotel in Claregalway raffling two All-Ireland tickets to grow their social media following while people up the road in Mayo who’ve spent thousands and travelled thousands of miles to support our team can’t get a sniff of one, I’m not going to apologise for being a bit pissed off about it.
The whole point of this forum is debate and discussion and right now the whole ticket allocation process is quite rightly ripe for debate.
There’s no doubt that ordinary supporters have been shafted considering how tickets are being provided to corporates etc. at their expense. So much for being a grassroots organisation.
I find it wholly unedifying that I have to enter multiple club draws to try and source sticker having been a season ticket holder from the very start.
Also, surely those who bought tiles could have been entered into a draw also.
Why is it that nobody knows exactly how all of the tickets have been distributed within the county?
To suggest that we should stop airing our views on this topic because we can’t change it is a bit like saying we shouldn’t post comments on this forum after a match because we can’t change the result and such comments would become tiresome………….why have a blog at all so?
Rakestreet glad to see I’m not the only one. Top tune “This is the one we have been waiting for…..”
My local Credit Union here in Dublin is raffling two premium tickets.
Cost, nothing, just be a member. Fact.
Whose fooling who?
Ridiculous that the Hill sent open. Is this really true? This will be bad for us. A populated Hill is easier to score into.
To be silent is to be complicit. At least we now know where we stand with Mayo Gaa. I know what they can do with their poxy draw.
41000 capacity and 3000 season ticket holders cannot be accommodated.
And not a peep out of the media on this.
The hill is open. Same as for the hurling final and Kerry v Tyrone.
Well said mayodunphy. Im here in Canada and would love to be back for the final but with the pandemic and slim chance of sourcing a ticket I decided against travelling. I know theres thousands like me around the world.
I cant see anything other than a win, Hennelly is a much better free taker than the tyrone keeper ?
The alloted tickets should have been split down the middle.
Half to Tyrone and half to ourselves.
No ticket should have gone to any other county.
No AI ticket should ever be allowed to be raffled.
Every person who held a season ticket while they were still available, whoever was on that database, they should definitely have been offered the first tickets from the Counties allotment.
The remainder of the tickets should have been distributed to each of the club’s based on membership / size.
Club members should have gotten their ticket and hold a draw in that community / parish for any remaining tickets.
Everyone one of the tickets that Mayo received should have gone to a genuine Mayo fan.
There should be 20,500 or whatever it is, ordinary decent, football mad, mayo fans heading to Croke Park on the 11th.
It’s a sin that there will be fat arsed, out for the day, couldn’t care who wins, haven’t seen the inside of a gaelic ground for years, good time Charlie’s in Croke Park on the 11th. A disgrace.
And don’t give me any of that corporate fundraising bullshit.
What good is fundraising when most of the fans haven’t a heathens prayer of getting to see their team in the All Ireland Final. Fundraise like fuck from the fans all year, and when the big day comes ” good luck “.
Take your Fbd and league tickets and see how many corporate silk shirts want them.
In fact take your Fbd and league tickets and go sell them to whoever yea decided to look after with the AI tickets, and see how that turns out.
The dickie bows who have worked so hard to pin point where all the tickets should be funnelled to, they should be absolutely ashamed of themselves.
@Revellino… 100% correct in what you say, and it also must be taken into account, the value of the Mayo loyal supporters in Croke Park for the Connacht Final and All Ireland semifinal v Galway and Dublin when our team was down 5 points and 6 points heading into the second half , but unfortunately that’s not, allot of good the Prawn Sandwich brigade was to the Mayo team on those two most recent days.. And the Mayo County Board should account for every single ticket that they distributed… Allot to be said for Transparency!
I remember been in Dublin before, on All Ireland Final day. No ticket. I’ve never had a ticket until about an hour before throw in. Anyway, trying to source a ticket for myself.
I met a couple of people I know from Galway with their tickets in hand making their way to Croke Park.
The guys from Galway were going in the hope that Mayo would be beaten, which we were.
They will be there again on the 11th.
Imagine that. The system is so screwed up that a football lunatic like myself, or tens of thousands more like me, haven’t got a hope in hell of getting to the match, and yet I know these blokes from Galway who have whatever connections, who want to see us beaten again and who will be there.
You couldn’t make it up.
I accept the GAA have to fundraise but €5900
For ten tickets is the last straw. I have given up on my ticket hunt and am planning to watch it at home. The next time I see Mayo play will be the FBD league in January If I’m lucky enough to get a ticket with all the
New found supporters that will be there. I would
Urge anyone who hasn’t got a season ticket to get one if applications open up again and finances allow because
In normal years they are a Godsend and I would never have got to the finals I have in the past without them. Well done Revilino for lifting the spirits on here, i well believe you about your Galway “friends” I have similar Roscommon “friends” who seem to turn into different people when we are in a final and are unbearable
When we lose I know there are decent people in Galway and Ros too but I seem to meet the eejits leading up to finals
They’ll probably eventually sell their batch of 590 euro tickets, but not before the majority of company representatives tell them to get stuffed. Most people wouldn’t dream of bringing such a 5900 euro bill for sign off by your CFO/CEO.
Then, if you are the business owner, most business owners didn’t become business owners by paying 6 times the price for an item.
Working on it, Blog Addict! I’m hopeful I should be okay alright.
I disagree with those who say that debate on this issue should not take place. Why shouldn’t we talk about something that is so blatantly disrespectful to the ordinary people who follow football? I am GAA to the core and have been deeply involved all my life until two years ago when health issues dictated otherwise.
I am disgusted that the GAA hadn’t the wit to know that these are different times and things need to be done differently. Here is how they should have done it:
1. Ensure every club got a proper supply of tickets to take care of their players, workers etc
2. Ensure that season ticket holders got looked after
3. A ban on raffling tickets
4. A ban on corporate 590 tickets being offered by county boards
5. Far fewer tickets to non participating counties
6. Publish the allocation policy for all to see.
7. Proper communication with members
The GAA have made a major error of judgement and have lost a huge amount of goodwill with the public. It will be interesting to see if, as an organisation supported out of public funds, their corporate governance isn’t brought into question similarly to the FAI. Mark my words.
“They’re getting much more stand tickets this time because we’re not using the terraces. The cuts have come for the non-participating counties.”
A direct quote from the President of the Gaa from Irish times articles mid week
https://www.google.ie/amp/s/www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/gaa-declined-to-increase-all-ireland-final-capacity-due-to-lack-of-expertise-1.4663164%3fmode=amp
So no the hill is NOT open .
The clubs may have advertised terrace prices 4 WEEKS before the game when they were forced to take orders but nobody has gotten a terrace ticket as far as I know ?
Maybe the President of the GAA is misinformed
the Hill is open, i know people who have got tickets for the hill
Some of those draws I’ve provided links to are for stand and terrace tickets.
So I know a person getting a ticket from a county board that not in this continent(suffice to say it’s his first match in a few years)
I know multiple people(not from mayo) getting tickets from big corporates either as clients or working for them.
And I know of a club secretaries from others counties who are very likely to “win” their clubs ticket raffle.
And I know plenty of people to regularly attend FBD league games who don’t have a ticket. A couple of people have pointed to the poor attendance at the Leitrim game as an indictment of the mayo support, FFS there’s a global pandemic! How about look at the attendances of the last 10 years! I was there in 2011 when we bet cork and we still
Outnumbered the cork fans that day and that’s when they were all Ireland champions and people thought we were shite. I make no apologies about feeling aggrieved about the whole ticketing situation.
Its so disheartening to see all those ticket competitions from outside the county being raffled off.. so much for their allocation to be reduced – I see some clubs there with FOUR tickets to raffle off. The more things change, the more they stay the same…
I too am fed up of the way Mayo supporters have been treated by the GAA. No ticket despite being a season ticket and club member and as every day passes its unlikely I will get there. I can confirn that the “corporate” prices are true. Nothing in writing – but if one rings a member of the Executive that’s the prices that are being quoted.. Maddening. This will be remembered when next tranche of fundraising is launched and the begging bowl is out. The County Chairman ran on a campaign of transperancy and accountability – so let’s will all the tickets be accounted for. Not a word from any local journalist either.
The hill is open,I’m not sure where the rumour started that it won’t be but can we please put that one to bed?
There’s a lot of anger about tickets and rightly so.Season ticket holders from 2020 (who will all renew as soon as we get the chance) should have been looked after.Mayo usually get an allocation of 13500 in normal times but got nearly 12000 this time round,we could have been accomadated,it’s wrong.
I don’t have a ticket yet but won’t be giving up,I don’t know many who have one in the paw at this stage.
This abuse of tickets would turn one off the whole thing.
It might be interesting to read the GAA Governance guidelines and see how the current practices conflict with their own guidelines (for those who have nothing better to do)! https://learning.gaa.ie/sites/default/files/GovernanceGuidelr_English.pdf
Looking at the ways things are done is reminiscent of a bygone time in Ireland that I thought had long since vanished and indeed has in most organisations………but not the GAA it seems. It’s still nudge nudge- wink wink – who you know – cute whoorism and MONEY! And I know some people within the organisation who are trying their best to change things as evidenced by the guidelines and the training they are trying to implement but sadly without much success. They are running counter to a very deeply embedded toxic culture that will eventually damage the GAA. This pandemic was a turning point in all our lives. A pity the GAA couldnt seize the opportunity to change long standing dodgy practices for once and for all.
Off topic but interesting article by Dr. Ed Coughlan
https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/arid-40371995.html
Apologies
Turns out the President of the Gaa was incorrect .
Who would have expected that 😀
That is an interesting article Castlebarred. At least he doesn’t seem to think the four week lay off is a disadvantage, though others like Eamonn Fitzmaurice think it is. In any case Kerry, last week, with a five week lay off, had the winning of the match, in normal time, and the drawing of it in extra time. Terrible shit by Tommy Walsh, but he was a sub and should have been fresh.
It’s advantage Tyrone with the turnaround times. Have to keep it tight at the start, don’t concede goals, play ourselves into the pace of the game.
One thing is for sure: the shine of our semi final has worn off.
Tickets were always scarce when the capacity for final was over 80,000. With that reduced by half – there will be no tickets floating around this year.
The sad reality is over 20,000 Mayo supporters who have attended finals in previous years will not get a ticket this year.
Are there ever enough tickets to go around for the final? No. Do people whom only ever want to go to the final when Mayo are there always seem to get tickets? Yes. Is this fair? No. Can we do anything about it? No. Can we all still support the team and wish them the best? Yes. Do we all have access to a TV to watch the game with family and friends who would even with 82,300 capacity still wouldn’t get a ticket? Yes. Do my family and I have season tickets? Yes. How many? 8. Did we get a ticket in the draw? Yes. How many? 1. Do I know people who will get tickets despite not being at a game since the ’17 final? Yes. Can I do anything about it? No. Have I been actually offered x 2 premium tickets for the final? Yes. How much for the pair? €4,000…….
Do I think Mayo will win? Yes. Can we all say in years to come where we were when we won? Yes? Will you say you were in Croker? Yes? Were you actually in Croker? No! Did Mayo win? Yes. Does it matter that you weren’t there? Yes & No!
My question for the day is. Do we move Oisin to 8/9 with Matthew and put Lee @ 6 and move Conor to wing forward (10) Aidan (11) Diarmuid (12)
Imagine the carnage Oisin would make at midfield…
@Mayogb A bit less patronising would do thank you!
Season ticket holders should count their blessings. Many more of us would like to be season ticket holders but no longer have the opportunity due to supply. You had plenty of opportunities to attend finals over the last 10 years. This year you can join the rest of us loyal, enthusiastic, non-season ticket holding supporters. Attending Croke Park on AF day makes you a fortunate supporter, not a better one.
This day next week I’ll know if I have a ticket or not . I’m not a season ticket holder but still hopeful with my contacts but will take it on the chin if I don’t.
We will need to get a good start and try and build up a lead on Tyrone.. if they are ahead even by a few points coming down the home stretch they will park the bus and will be near impossible to break them down as they will use every trick, legal and illegal to stop us …Patience
Width, speed , and quick ball from us will be essential….as well as long range points ..
I have to say while it is a huge task to beat this Tyronavirus crowd .. I have never been as hopeful/ excited about our chances.
Honestly at the start of the season, I thought winning Connaught was a realistic goal .
Now I’m dreaming of Aiden getting man of the match and lifting Sam …
Hope …. its not a bad thing in life
@Diehard, I’m not being patronising at all. I’m just trying to give perspective. It was always going to be a mountain to climb to get tickets when 41,150 aren’t available due to Covid. The logic for ticket allocation for the finals each year is bizarre but that’s always been the case.
@Remember, I’m not sure if your throwing a dig or not there! I’ll take down my flags front my front garden here in Dublin and take the flag off my car window and the headband from the mirror. I’ll take back the flags I gave to my neighbours up here too. Does that work?
Allocated tickets must be claimed by 5oc this evening or they will go back for resale this should free up some more tickets. Mightn’t be a huge amount but every ticket helps. Can’t see Munster club members paying 90 euro and travelling to Dublin to watch Mayo play Tyrone.
@Mayo13BG, you summed it up better than I could there. I distinctly remember supporters saying they weren’t going to Connacht final coz it was in Croker. Loads of un sold tickets for Leitrim game aswell. People can’t have it every way like.
With regards Mullin, its very hard to see him playing any part in this game. The term 4 months was floating around Ballinrobe and Kilmaine before the Dublin match. Its possible an injection could get him through 80 minutes, but anyone who has had a quad injury will know just how uncomfortable and awkward of an injury it is. For us to have any chance in this game we need Mullin and McLaughlin available, Eoin could very well play with a protective “Rudiger” type mask.Fingers crossed anyway.
Anne Marie. Just surprised your falling for that crap about hotels etc raffling tickets if you share their post. Let’s see the winners of them tickets. I know that many gaa clubs who have bought 2 ten year season tickets They raffle them for the final. It’s away of getting income Other than them forget
@Mayo13bg let me add to the perspective you are trying to give. A huge number of loyal supporters will not get to witness what could well be a once in a lifetime event despite following this great team of ours for years. They will be rightly pissed off. And it needn’t have happened! That’s what’s most annoying.
To cast even a bigger perspective on it..would Michael Davitt approve of 390 for a ticket?
Great posts Revelino and 13BG
So the President of the GAA doesn’t know whether the Hill is open or not. “We are not using the terraces”. Brilliant Dougal.
@diehard, I agree, it was a farcical comment by Larry McCarthy saying it wasn’t possible to have 75% attendance due to a lack of expertise…… Throw in is 17:00, open gates from 12:00 and have time slots for people to arrive, hogan 12:00:13:15, Davin 13:15/14:30 etc. Miss your slot, no entry.
He also said at best its 3 minutes to do all Covid checks, I was in a restaurant last night and it took 25 seconds to scan cert and check id. More excuses.
I don’t agree with €390 but if I had it and could justify it then I’d take it.
At least if it goes to a replay 60k will be there. ;0)
@.mayodunphy, hopefully Oisin will be back, miracle if Eoghan is!
Let’s be positive though.
Who is selling tickets for €390 that I have seen branded about?
As ever the debate on the blog here is thought provoking and interesting. It’s great to see the passion that we have for our football team. However, I think we are in danger of conflating the two different topics of Ticket availability and support for the team!
Criticism of the ticket allocation should not be seen as a lack of support for the Team. As a season ticket holder who has yet to get hold of an ticket ( is that an oxymoron?) for the big day, I like everyone else on the blog will be fully behind the team as they strive to get it over the line in 2021, whether I get to Croker or end up watching it on the screen at home or elsewhere.
The season ticket subscription was, I believe, designed to do 2 things, provide an additional revenue steam and a method of rewarding those who regularly attend FBD, League and Championship matches throughout the year. Up to this point I believe it has delivered.
There is no doubt that the pandemic has played a major part in the upheaval of all sporting events and the reduction and restrictions on attendance ( safety and otherwise) has led to frustrations among supporters, but in the main there has been an acceptance that we are not yet “back to normal”. The changes in restrictions have been rolling over the last week or so and it has to be accepted that sporting organisations like the GAA have struggled, understandably so, to keep up with those changes. Running major events takes months of planning and the safety of those attending must be paramount.
However, I believe that the GAA & the Mayo County board have missed an opportunity! And should have looked at the following:-
Season supporters ( Mayo & Tyrone) should have been given a chance to retrospectively renew the 2021 tickets ( don’t have exact figures but must be in the region of €500k) . As attendance is reduced by 50% then the draw for half of the normal allocation).
Increasing the capacity ( recognise the logistical difficulties, but where there’s a will there’s a way!) and insisting on full vaccinations only would provide an incentive for those not vaccinated to do so.
The All Ireland is not just for the competing counties but for all, and tickets should be distributed to all counties. Us Mayo supporters could fill Croke Park 3 times over and still not satisfy the demand!
Enough said! Up Mayo!!!
Rarely post anymore but always keep an eye for content. But it has been hard to enjoy any build up with the ticket fiasco. I’m sick of being told how lucky I am to have a Season Ticket. Luck has nothing to do with it. I bought one in 2009 when they came out, and they were available to everybody until around 2014. It’s unfortunate they are sold out now, but luck has little to do with it. Anyone could have bought one.
I am annoyed and I feel like we have been let down. The thing is, there won’t always be All-Ireland Finals. There won’t always be a chance to flog tickets to companies for 8 times their face value. So when that time comes again, who will they ask for the cash to keep them going? They needn’t ask me again anyways.
Most of us have been on this journey for a long time. 10, 20, 30 plus years. So frogive me for being a little upset that this journey is going to end without a lot of those people being there. My only comment on this game is that I firmly believe we will win. And the first time only happens once.
We are the eejits they will be expecting to get into their cars in March and travel to Ballybofey, Tralee and so on. I absolutely relish those trips and I love following Mayo with my friends and family, and those supporters who I don’t know but recognise with a little nod. But win, lose or draw next Sunday, I don’t know if I’ll be able to face into that journey again. I really feel like the goodness has been taken from it and I don’t know if it will ever be the same again.
Are tickets harder to come by? Absolutely.
Were there enough to cater for clubs and ST Holders? More than enough. And there would have even been a few left to flog at extortionate prices.
Carrickedmond GAA Ticket Draw
1 Ticket – Cost €5
Draw been made 09 September
https://www.idonate.ie/raffle/CarrickedmondGAARaffle?fbclid=IwAR0ULeH6bpsrz0jMUee97BFeV4DTeW9mUjW-xha-7hKsX-SsO45c37cOrEk
Is it time to start talking about matchups yet? Keegan on McCurry? O’Hora on McShane? Assuming McShane will start. Another option is putting Durcan on McShane. I dont think McShane with his physique would fancy chasing Durcan up and down Croke Park. Tyrone are good at passing their men off though.
Mullin on McKenna?
Who is going to pick up Peter Harte? What about Durcan pushing up on him like he did on Ryan McHugh a few years back? Harte didn’t have his best game against Kerry so could have been impacted by Covid. He’ll need to be watched.
In one of the podcasts I think it was Rochford(?) Who was saying not to over think the matchups, get the main 3 or 4 right but it’s hard to know what Horan will do.
I can confirm i spoke to mayo gaa treasurer Valerie Murphy who said they had 36 packages of 10 tickets to sell at 5900e (5000 donation and 900 for the tickets). Zero hospitality included ( i dont care about that). What is amazing is the MCB are openly selling tickets for 6x face value and cant even tell you where the seats will be located!! flights are booked , no tickets yet. Do i bite the bullet and pay the money?
I’m reading all the comments about genuine mayo fans. What defines a genuine mayo fan?
Yep it’s a loose term surely mayo36 but the likes of anne Marie flynn,naughton lad living in kildare, mayo mark above , mayonaze are the life and soul of mayo support , let it be pairc ui rinn in cork or ballinlough in roscommon you’ll find a cohort of about 500 supporters who are 100% deserving of an all Ireland tickets , I’m not arguing about who isnt entitled ,I’m simply giving my opinion on who should have tickets . Tyrone contingent will make a lot of noise , let’s hope the mayo people who did get tickets can counter that. Be careful what you wish for CB
Great Post Mark. Miss your posts on here.
Yes the county board will on other days be relying on us for revenue while corporates etc won’t even know there’s a match on.
We really are regarded as the lowest of the low
Mayo marks post sums it up for me and my son who has travelled to every game together for over a decade . He is almost ready to fly the nest now so it would have been a nice bookend to our journey together .
If the unclaimed tickets go on Ticketmaster the site will explode
I got lucky for the semi final on Ticketmaster but it’s no way to allocate tickets for a sold out semi or final
Also a word of warning if anyone is thinking of buying off a tout , dont . I have looked into this and have good info that the forged tickets are rampant this year and you wont get in with them obviously . Guys running this operation are total scum but dangerous men , dont be fooled into thinking they are just chancing their arm , this is an organized set up by gangsters .
Brilliant post from MayoMark, agree with every single word said. If i dont get sorted for final ill not be buying another season ticket. I also wont be giving one red cent more than face value either, and i stand over that even if it is the day Mayo make the breakthrough
@Erris head…
On matchups i think tyrone will resist temptation to start mcshane, they have been finishing games with their strongest team this year so i can see them sticking with that.
Its fascinating in that so many of the matchups in middle third will cancel each other out as so many of mayos halfback/half forward lines are interchangeable
I think leeroy will follow conor mckenna out the field and destroy him.
Stephen Coen will tag Mattie Donnelly who is very strong but not the quickest, O’Hora will just do an orthodox marking job on McCurry who will at times be the only inside forward
On the other side of things i expect McNamee to tag ROD and Hampsey to tag Conroy.
Can see Durcan and Meyler both cancelling each other out too
@Errishead.good to read an on the pitch related post. Plenty of match ups to consider alright but God help poor paddy durcan you have him on mcshane and harte ?. No standout player to Watch like Clifford or con but boy are there lots of real good athletes /players to watch. It will be a tough brushing encounter but our lads should be well prepared
Bruising encounter
Is there anyway to set a notification on Ticketmaster so that if tickets did go online we would know.
Was asked a interesting question by a 12 year old earlier. If you could go back in time(bear with me) and change the 96 result against meath.which was the last time till now bar maybe 2012 we’re in with such a good shout. Anyway. Mayo won Sam then on the condition that we sacrifice all the semi wins and therefore final lose,s since. Would you swap?. I said no not a hope just wondering how others feel.
@Mayo 36 as Sean says above it is a loose definition but to me the genuine fans include the people who have made the effort to attend the majority of Mayo’s league and championship matches in the last number of years. That is not the only way to define it of course as there are plenty of people at home and abroad who are just as invested, but if people who actually go to the matches aren’t in the mix for tickets then surely you can see why they would be put out over it?
Incidentally, the whole point of the Season Ticket was to cater for this very scenario. The people who fronted up the money at the start of the year and went to most if not all the games would be rewarded with an AIF ticket if their team were fortunate enough to get there. Not a perfect system by any means but for the last number of years it has worked well enough and I would say the vast majority of season ticket holders deserved to go the finals.
Given all the miles travelled and support given over the years and Mayo being on the cusp of a first All-Ireland title in my lifetime and for the lifetimes of most supporters I find it very hard to accept that my loyalty has not been rewarded, all I ended up getting was entry into a draw for which I received no official communications about, only being drip-fed information through the media. Even harder again is the fact that the GAA had the option of going to a 60000 attendance but did not have the groundwork done to deal with vaccine certs and the like (despite this being an obvious requirement that should have been forseen months ago).
I do not blame Mayo GAA for this as they are in an impossible position during a pandemic. But I do feel that Season Ticket holders have been shafted by the GAA. It’s galling when you see how things are starting to reopen. It feels very arbitrary and to be honest, all a bit shabby on the GAA’s part.
@MayoMark. You have said exactly how I feel too and much better than I could. It is leaving a sour taste in my mouth on what should be a glorious week for all Mayo supporters. It really is galling to imagine people with only a passing interest in the game taking their seats in Croker while a lot of us have to stay at home.
Flogging tickets at 590 (not 390) isn’t much better than what the ticket touts do.
That is my last post on this topic. I’m beginning to bore myself let alone others on this site!
It’s quite clear that Mayo Gaa are deeming it a luxury to have a season ticket, and that we’re very much expendable second class citizens when the cuts are called for. At least we know where we stand. We’re not a necessity in their eyes.
Deciding to purchase a season ticket means you’re fully committing to supporting your team, putting your money where your mouth is, supporting both club and intercounty in a real way. I’d regard that as being the definition of a genuine supporter. There are other things people could be doing, but we choose this.
When it suits them they’ll once again wax lyrical about the tremendous Mayo fans.
@mayomaninchicago. The CB aren’t selling the tickets at 6 X times face value, they are selling tickets at face value of €90 for stand so 10*9 and then you are making a donation to the CB for €5000, all in €5,900. Bargain.
If there was enough corporate demand for all available tickets would there have been any ticket offered to any fan ?
Probably not.
It’s seems the word “season”, for Mayo Gaa, is very much fluid and open for interpretation.
Season vs Fair Weather. Mayo Gaa are reworking the dictionary.
You shall NOT go to the ball.
Ultair, Sean Burke. Thanks for your comments. This question was no way a dig at any mayo fans but more a question of my loyalty as a supporter. I emigrated back in the 90’s and only ever attended a handful of games since mostly because I wasn’t in a position to travel home. I’m involved with a gaa club here but don’t think I should get a ticket over someone else attending games at home. I always thought I was a loyal supporter but maybe a rethink is needed.
What I would give to be in mayo as the cup comes back to the county
God bless
2012 ticket levying.
GAA response:
https://www.the42.ie/paraic-duffy-600672-Sep2012/
https://m.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/donegal-ordered-to-return-60000-ticket-tax-28943958.html
Onemoreyear, I didn’t fall for or share anything, but thanks for your concern.
Sean Burke, there are people far, far more deserving than me out there and hundreds on this blog alone who have been on the road far longer than I have. I don’t feel this is about individuals. I think it’s about respect for supporters as a whole in terms of communication and transparency. Once again, it has been abysmal, but it just serves to remind us all how we are regarded – not very highly.
Mayojoe, surely no-one who has been allocated a ticket will fail to claim it?!
One thing is for certain, if this situation doesn’t evolve for the better over the coming days, Mayo GAA will regret the approach they took. The season ticket office I would expect nothing less from. More fool us for thinking things might be different this time around.
Taking time away from the ticket topic now, because this sniping and condescending at each other is really not helping anyone and it’s not going to change anything. It’s every man and woman for themselves from here on in! Best of luck to you all, hopefully some of us WILL get to go to the ball.
(FWIW I have a very strong hunch that this will go to a replay, and we’ll all be there the second day to see Aido lift Sam …!)
Richie Duck Absolutely no way. Some of the best days of my lifetime time were the semi finals. If we won in 1997 it would be well forgotten about by now. I promise you I will never forget the last semi never mind 2012 or 2006.
Not a chance would I give up all that’s happened from 96 for one final, even though that’s the ultimate goal. For context, Wexford landed Liam in 1996 – not meant to disrespect them by saying that but think it demonstrates the point. Particularly since the consistently competitive aim has been set we’ve been living through a golden age.
@richie+duck.never mind a 12 year old I’ve often thought like that myself and my answer would be the same as yours to your question … I often wondered would we be still at the top table if we were blessed enough to win say the 12 and 13 finals. I have a feeling alot of the players would have rode away with the medals if that had happened and we wouldn’t have had all of the experiences since
A bit of thought going into GAA decisions would help a lot.
1. Carrying on the same tired practice of trying to keep all sides happy in a pandemic year, doesn’t work.
Taking the corporates out of it which may have pre-existing agreements, assigning tickets to participating counties only, would have been accepted as fair and reasonable by all non-participating counties, in this pandemic year.
2. This week there was a review meeting that seemed to be finished after only an hour or so.
Didnt anyone come into that meeting with actual work done?.
We know, using published take-up rates, there is rough numbers about 15% of the adult population partially or not vaccinated.
Earlier this week when the meeting occurred there were 20,000 (50% of the 40,000 tickets allocated according to Mr McCarthy).
In 20,000 issued tickets, this means, using average vaccine take-up, approximately 3,000 unvaccinated. I believe Tyrone might be a little higher unvaccinated.
Their problem was I believe, you couldn’t now tell these estimated 3 000 to get lost. And rightly so, if you were ac16-year old lucky to have tickets and not had the option to be fully vaccinated yet.
Solution: “divide into 2 stadia”, use the natural divides of the stadium to have a 50% capacity for the unvaccinated, required around 6,000 seats, in this case
Davin Stand for example.
The remainder of the seating available for fully vaccinated would be Hogan, Cusack & Hill at 75% capacity, giving a total attendance close to 60,000. Mayo could get 8,000+ extra tickets, solving a lot of problems for desperate fans.
However when top GAA management are not arsed and don’t even the facts such as that the terraces are open for the final, that a Covid scan takes 30 seconds, what hope is there in getting the optimum outcome for the GAA (+€1.8 million) and those other people,..who are they again,…supporters.
Ahh no way man mayo36 , I don’t think anyone is less of a supporter than the next person , different folks different strokes .personally I just dislike event junkies but it’s part of modern life i suppose . There is no easy answer I suppose on reflection . TV will have to suffice for those of us without this time , its tougher than I imagined thinking of not been there . Still it’s not life and death albeit it’s pretty close . All going well we all be back for the attempt of back to back .
I’m wondering what type of Mayo support will be in attendance at the final, the hard-core guys like us or the Corporate day out people, it could be very quiet in Croker when things are getting tough for the Mayo players on the pitch.
2 things I will never forget, for one of the 1996 finals, in one game I was sitting in the Upper Cusack, a middle aged people close by were enquiring which team was Mayo, didn’t even know the Jersey colours.
Immediately after the 2013 All Ireland final a friend of mine commented on how quiet the Mayo supporters were coming to the end of the game he watched it on TV and the commentary must have mentioned it.
Alot of those neutral supporters will make it seem even quiter on Saturday week.
Well this fiiasco is just getting worse by the day with reading Mayo fan in.Chicago’s piece. 5 grand ‘donation’ to the county board!!! They have some cheek with thousands left without tickets. Exorting big money for tickets is such a dusgusting thing to do. I am livid.
For anyone planning on travelling from North Mayo (with our without a ticket) Irish Rail has put on an extra train. Departing Ballina 8:10, returning from Heuston dep 21:10. Tickets are online now at http://www.irishrail.ie and expected to book out quickly.
We haven’t won anything yet and not guaranteed to. It’s sounds like the deal is done here. It’s making me really nervous. I can’t bear the thought of another let down.
@Richie+Duck, I too wouldn’t swap all the good days and losses for one win back in 1996. However, would have helped though if we won one Pre 2012 for me when I had the freedom to go missing in action for days/weeks with no kids to worry about.
@ Exile my Wexford husband is still going on about 1996 All Ireland win like it was yesterday. I seem to be hearing about it once or twice a week lately. A Hurley signed by all the team surfaced the other day. He really thinks we are going to do it this time – first time ever by the way.
Also I was in Wexford hospital last week visiting a relative who got sick while on holidays with us down there. She was away for a test at visiting time. I got talking to a 90 year old patient from Enniscorthy and he told me the Mayo team was ready now to win the all Ireland. I found out the next day that he was a 3 time all Ireland hurling winner for Wexford in the 50’s. That made me feel good. Hopefully takes a winner to know a winner or whatever the saying is.
I’m commenting no more on the ticket issue.
This was the week for it, but next week should be all about the match build-up, positivity and excitement. I appreciated that we were at least able to voice our concerns here. That was important.
Re tickets, it won’t change for the perennial loyal Mayo fans ever, unless we remember this week and what’s happening… I’ve been writing posts on this Blog now for years, allot of them about the men who would Kill the Golden Goose, who keeps laying the Golden Eggs.. A Documentary on RTE was aired just a few days ago about the then FAI , CEO John Delaney… I wonder am I the only one who sees the parallels between the ‘Vantage Tickets’ scheme for the Aviva.. ‘This is first class, the front of the airplane’ John Delaney speak…. Getting back to the eggs… Humpty Dumpty had a great fall….
Really good to hear both of those stories Sinead37 – here’s to hoping that the hurler’s right and your husband has more victories to celebrate in the future!
Wouldn’t give up anything for that one 96 final (o.k. maybe some of the pain moments since). With Mayo it has felt like its all about the Journey (rollercoaster), but God help us when we reach the destination ! On the true fan / supporter thread the one thing that has always boiled my blood is on Final day, remembering 2016 in particular to the left of me a Cavan man and to my right a Meath man, no interest, no emotion, like as if they didn’t want to be there but it was a chore they had to complete, unbelievable !. I’ve experienced this several times on final day as I’m sure many have on here
Where do most people see the season ticket holder on the totem pole of worthiness, because I’m afraid it might not be as close to the eagle as you believe. This is how I see things and its only my view.
1. County Players & families
2. Management, officials and families
3. Sponsors
4. County coaches and referees
5. Club players
6. Club coaches, officers and sponsors
7. Club volunteers
8. Cairde season ticket
9. GAA season ticket
10. Club club members from non competing counties.
As for the raising of money through selling corporate packages, where do people expect the county to raise the funds needed for the running of the team? Hotels, meals, buses all still have to be paid for.
Glad others here feel the same way as myself (also no ticket ffs.). Really can’t wait till Saturday week. For 20 year’s now you would have been asked . Do you remember where you were on 9 11. That day changed life as we knew it for evermore with travel and security and unfortunately suspicion of anyone from a different country or political view. From this year on Where we’re you on 9 11 will have a whole new meaning for a bunch of fanatics alright but of a good kind . Maigheo abu.
Evidently Binghamstown
What would you consider to be an acceptable number of tickets to be sold to corporate?
what would you consider to be an acceptable percentage of tickets to go to clubs out of county board allocation.
Do you think 98 tickets is the correct number of tickets to be allocated to a club when 11000 tickets are allocated to the county board when there are in and around 50 clubs in the county?
Evidently Binghamstown . I understand your logic but only for the Cairde and Croake Parke Season Ticket holders there would not be as many Mayo Supporters at the away National League games and away Championship Games.
To prove my point Croake Park did not sell out for the Connaught Final with a cap of 18000. The Senior Team needs support in all the games leading up to final not just the Final itself. There will be plenty of Mayo people who have not been at any type of GAA match bar All Ireland Finals but they will have the best seats in the stands because of who they know. One such person who i mentioned this very point to a number of years ago replied ”LIFE AINT FAIR BABY” and on mature reflection they were correct.
On another point I think it is time for us all as a county to be more positive and stop all this negativity be Tickets , The Referee. The County Board etc etc . FAR TOO MUCH MOANING
All this ticket talk is getting painful. Let’s talk about football
Here you go Jr.
James Horan:A man apart
No one in my lifetime has done more to make Mayo people dream yet, at the same time ,bring realism to Mayo people than James Horan.
No one else has inspired us ( yes, to reach for the stars but also to be realistic)the way he has these past ten years.
From humble beginnings in London to a Mayo team reaching ten All Ireland Semi Finals out of a possible eleven( recognition must be paid also to Holmes, Rochford et al )speaks to a remarkable consistency of understanding of what it takes to be elite and to be(albeit grudgingly) accepted as such.
He set out all those years ago to take the bullshit out of Mayo football and while doing this in spades he is also dispensing with some of his own thinking in the process.
Horan has had(and fixed )obvious flaws of his own over the years for example making substitutions too late being a prime one.
In his last game versus Dublin he brought off Darren McHale at 28 minutes bringing on a 19 year old. At 48 minutes he took off his captain. It was ( imho) a watershed.
The ruthlessness of this totemic example may have unleashed the killer instincts in the younger players.
He has a long tradition of being loyal to the older members of the squad and tbh how could you not be.
His loyalty now however is to the performance,not the individuals.
He is loyal to the guys who “bring it “ to training. Ditto to the big game.
This dispassionate element is a necessary evolution towards keeping the tension exactly right in the squad. The carrot and stick are in balance. Love and ruthlessness are entwined.
He seems to be a better listener now.
There is a perception that while this is his team,he makes it clear that the team is not him.He is frequently seen listening to Ciaran McDonald.
He is a master at recognizing and developing new young talent that is ready to make the leap to elite level football.Not since Mick O Dwyer has there been a more charismatic manager capable of bringing the best out of youth,the team,the management(and uniquely)the fans. He binds everything together like glue.
James Horan is present. He himself is very process driven but he eschews bullshit talk that dehumanizes.
With a very un-Mayo like calm he is Zen to the Mayo spirit.
From Wikipedia
“Some main principles of Zen philosophy are the denial of the ego, the focus on interconnectedness in the universe, the recognition of attachment as a source of suffering, and the realization that human perception is faulty”
The last piece I might quibble with a little as,during the Dublin game, he could be lip read on the sideline saying “ that’s a fucking joke” to Conor Lane’s faulty perception of John Small’s tackle on Eoghan McLoughlin.
Of course Horan long ago realized that human perception is faulty,but he wasn’t having any of that.
Denial of the ego is (now)the hallmark of Mayo football and the hallmark of most great champions. Bullshit be gone.
Focus on interconnectedness means you need a big panel of interchangeable players (also the unique bond between team and fans)and finally ,the recognition of attachment as a source of suffering is something all of us supporters profoundly understand.
I am so impressed with and proud of Mayo GAA and how it has been utterly transformed under Horan. We are on the right path with the right man at the helm. Most encouragingly I would harken back to Horan’s prediction back in 2014 ( after that epic game against Kerry) that Kerry would go on and win it all because of “their faster rate of progress”
I look at what’s happened in the last 15 months with this team and it is breathtaking. A conveyor belt of awesome young talent ready for prime time. An approach that takes huge losses of personnel in its stride and keeps on keeping on with no diminution in team performance. The rate of progress is beyond belief.
The raw confidence ,belief , composure ,honesty and hunger of these young guys is a testament to a system that has gotten it right. There is finally a clear mantra of patiently finding a way to win.There is a ruthless system and there are utter “ killers” on this team.It’s all for one and one for all. I tip them to peak on September 11 th.
I have always been a fan of Tyrone and Mickey Harte and Dooher et al.
I would never ,ever underestimate them.Their fans (and esp Declan Bogue)are also fantastic.
But unfortunately for them on September 11 th , despite playing remarkably well ,I believe they’re going to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Too right JR …
Speaking of which – player of the month nominations up with Lee and Padraig on the list. Give them a vote!
Food4thought – is that from your own writings?.
Nice to have the topic of football and team related stuff back on the discussion topic.
Maybe Evidently Binghamstown is one of the people with a ticket already.
What about the long loyal supporters I didn’t see this on the list.
FDBinashui: Yes, it’s my own ( Wikipedia reference is of course not)
“”Club members from non competing Counties to get tickets before genuine supporters”, I heard it all now.
Tyrone are going to be in the wrong place at the wrong time…… Priceless.
And the universe doesn’t care either.
@food4thought. Very well said. All of it. For me this time around with JH, he is talking, acting and thinking like Jim Gavin was at his peak. JH now says everything but nothing. Making clear and decisive decisions in real time and moved very much away from player loyalty.
Im not saying he is Gavin but he’s matured as a manager.
It’s a full 26 man squad / team and hes now a week away from an all Ireland final with I’d imagine huge selection calls! Everyone in the 41 (bar long term injured) will be fighting for a jersey.
Huge credit to them all.
Edivently Binghamstown That is a great list pretty much in the correct order. Personally I would swap maybe 5 and 6 but other than that it is just about right imo.
Good piece in the irish news from micky harte about how hungry mayo are. Well worth a look. He says not to be given mayo fuel by saying Tyrone will win easily
Food forethought I agree completely with your post, what a pity we do not see more of it on this blog. His style is modern and unique in team management, and we are blessed to have him on our side. Before the Leitrim game he was asked about the Covid outbreak in the camp. He spoke so highly of the squad at that time, and you could see the pride in his face for his charges. He masterly avoided the difficult bits in the process. A real manager in my opinion.
So, do we know, with any degree of certainty, what the story is with injuries? Cillian is out, I get that. Eoghan McLoughlin similar? Oisín Mullen? Is Fionn McDonagh to be had at all?
Leantimes You should read the book “Champagne Football”. Best laugh you will ever have and that is guaranteed. Absolutely no way you will be able to compare it with the GAA. Gaa have done wonders for this country and its people. FAI have disgraced us, every last man, woman and child. Read the book well worth the few euros and it may help you to get a bit of perspective to your posts.
New podcast episode is online, this is the supporters’ Q&A one, with Rob Murphy, Edwin McGreal and Colin Sheridan fielding the questions. Including one on tickets …
Food4thought are you doing a “Rassie Eramus” 🙂
@Food4thought. I couldn’t agree more. We are so lucky to have James Horan as our manager. He has brought an incredible level of consistency and made us so proud to support this Mayo team over the last 10 years or so. It’s his fourth All Ireland final in charge and I really hope for him personally that we can win this one. As I’ve previously posted there are so many reasons why we must win this All Ireland.
We are Mayo
Mayo GAA: two sets of two tickets to be won in next Monday’s Lotto draw – details here
Anyone know how i can enter from the uk , given the only option to register has to be a ten digit 353 08 number .
Cheers in advance
@evidently Binghamtown. If you think a club player should receive tickets ahead of the club secretary I would question how much thought you put into your list.
Jeff No problem from UK.Just done it. click on UK 44 . click guest. only problem sometimes i have to use my debit visa not my credi tcard
Claregalway hotel running a Facebook competition for two tickets
There is something very wrong with the GAA’s ticket distribution system
Mayo county board selling tickets at 6 times the face value to “corporate” sector and clubs getting in mabye €500 to raffle two tickets is very close to ticket touting.
And now a mayogaa final fundraiser! Its all just a bit much to be honest. I have had enough of the looking for money. Are the Sponsors covering the costs for the team? I cannot remember were we told how much was raised last December. (Obviously we all want the players to have the best of everything)
@PJ McManus, I particularly wrote the ‘Vantage Scheme’.. it reminds me of something else close to home.. I have already read Champagne Football.. Neither organization is full of Saints and neither is full of Sinners either.. As I said earlier, nothing wrong with Transparency either! In my local area, the soccer volunteers are equally as good as the GAA volunteers, and they often collaborate on positive things for the community together!
onemoreyear
When i tried earlier on it was asking for a 10 number phone number and the drop box wasn’t working but it appears to be now , cheers anyway
There is a lot of talk given to the difference of turnaround times for Mayo and Tyrone. However, what I think/hope will prove crucial on the day is that the entire Mayo squad were in an All-Ireland Final just last year. In a tight 50/50 game, I think the experience all those young lads gained from last year’s final will be invaluable!
@Food4thought. Great post.
@PJ. Leantimes sometimes poses the tough questions but he is usually spot on. There is a very sharp perspective to his posts. Maybe a brutal honesty. Nothing wrong with brutal honesty.
A number of FAI executives and their, yes shocking practices, these people in no way represent all the wonderful work that has been done at a local level around the country in soccer. Brilliant work by 99% of that organisation.
Not every Gaa executive around the country would be a shining light on the right way to do things, but of course that book hasn’t come out yet and probably never will.
However brilliant work by 99% of the Gaa organisation as well.
Any sporting organisation can be inspected, and believe me you don’t have to shift too much sand until the snakes head appears. But all the sand around the snake is good.
However, I will again say well done to food4thought on a real thought provoking, positive and uplifting post. Well done to you.
Well written food4thought.
The calming influence in words you provide, is what we need.
Amazing the dipolar views on here. The blog is better for it, be terrible if we all agreed.
With Dublin in recent years, we were up against great players and a great team. This year, no way can we let Tyrone think because they bet Kerry, they are suddenly better than us. Control, vision and daring among others virtues will bevneeded for the final.
To win a final requires our lads to perform to 110% of their ability. Winning a final is not easy. Kerry’s Fitmaurice mentions this quite often. The psychology side is a huge component of winning. Limerick hurlers used to fret themselves to death in finals, not any more with Caroline Currid.
Last comment: when I see Keegan’s body language with O’Hora, he is like saying, this is a man after my own heart, let’s do battle together.
You’re right Sinead37… if any county would enjoy extending our famine it would be Tyrone. I’m nervous too. 4wks is a long gap and Tyrone look like they used their additional time to focus on getting their defence really tight. Then I think our forwards failed to score from play in an entire 1st half in our semi. This is going to be very…very hard won. Can we do it? Yeah, but we’ll need the best performance the team have produced since Horan’s return to the management position and a bit of luck too.
I’ll see your claregalway hotel and raise you malahide sea scouts and it advertised as two spectacular seats beside each other. Draw is limited to 1500 entrants ,aren’t they mighty altogether. €7500 for two ticket draw .
This has to stop , it’s a horrible farce .
What we can do is after the final officially write to club secretary to get county board reps to raise at the next county board meeting. The two main points.
1. How clubs only ended up with less than 50% of allocation?
2. Given that many people put in hundreds of hard earned euro, the specific breakdown of the remaining tickets. Because that remaining breakdown has to have at least one grouping that will evoke “What the hell that’s a way over allocation “
Are there any big screen events planned for castlebar , wesrport or Ballina ?
Whoever the lucky ones are that get tickets, together with the team, they will carry the hopes of an entire county.
I hope that when the team needs them, whatever their number, they make themselves heard throughout the game. Who knows why we were so quiet in the second half in 2103 and whether it mattered. Let’s hope that the smaller number will roar for us all.
Maigheo abú
Keep the faith folks, looking at the way the hurling final operated, there was nothing around until the last couple of days leading up to the game. People that I thought had no hope of getting a ticket , got one. So keep the word out you’re looking for a one. Don’t lose hope yet.
Food4thought Fantastic post on James H.
Looking at photos on newspapers and media after semi, the connectedness between James and players is so obvious. He is their 2nd Daddy’s. Let this be their special year.
AND James nominated the best Manager of the MAYO GAA.
I don’t know how relevant last year’s All Ireland final is tbh
It wasn’t anything like a normal all ireland. feck all build up, no fanfare in Dublin, no crowds at the game, played in the depths of winter. A hastily run championship, that in all honesty probably shouldn’t have gone ahead in the first place
It was a game we were never going to win anyway, whereas this year is a completely different outlook. It seemed in 2013 the experience of 2012 would bring us on hugely, but we were even worse (on the pitch and definitely the sideline) in 2013
Its all on the day as they say
Think I’ve made about 50 predictions in my head over the last week, about 26 pointing to a Mayo win of some kind, 24 to a Tyrone win!
Reminds me very much of the 2014 final
I’m just reading the comments here about tickets and it’s very sad and tough on Mayo supporters not getting tickets for the big game this day week. I’m not a big twitter user. But something caught my eye earlier this morning. The hashtag golden ticket. It’s where supporters are posting pictures of why they should get tickets for the match. Some of the pictures are brilliant. A picture of all Mayo jerseys on the washing line was just one example. These supporters seem to be the best in the county and deserve to be there.
I got my ticket from my club thankfully but if I was to get my hands on another ticket I’d be very much in favour in giving it to these Mayo supporters.
Keep up the brilliant work on the podcasts Willie Joe and Rob. Up Mayo.
Goodmayes Turfman, if you get your hands on that other ticket I will buy it from you.
I’ll put myself second in the q for Turfmans ticket so 😀
@Turfmanmayo, I hope you voted for the washing line photo on elverys fb page. She is a great season ticket holder supporter, brings the whole family up and down the country following Mayo for forever. Many on here know her well. There is someone here with the same name she uses on Twitter so she might be reading!!! I would urge everyone to vote for her photo. She has another too where the whole family are wearing mayo jerseys but are in black and white and her dad(RIP) done in colour in green and red. Please vote for her unless you have a photo in yourself.
Second that Sinead. She’s a genuine supporter who you’d see with her family at every game. Deserves to win.
Season Ticket holder here who wasnt lucky in the draw. Its a pain but this reminds us why we all purchased the ST on day 1. Keep the faith and keep trying right up until next weekend.. Best of luck to all who entered draws and the elverys photo comp. Plenty of deserving winners from what I can see. The most important thing is we win it next Saturday.. This feels like the start of something big! Mayo for Sam
Joe, I’m sure you mean well, but comparing the late ticket availability at the hurling , and thinking the same will have at the football is delusional in the extreme. Keep the faith, you say .Of what ? ,that it doesn’t rain on Saturday? Come on man, let’s get real about the situation ,please.
Thanks so much for the shout out Sinead, Ken & turfman making me blush here:) wasn’t lucky in draw and as we’re living in Galway not member of home club The season ticket was my club and has been invaluable to me since 2013 supporting this team has been my life and that of my family the whole ticket situation has really floored me the sniping between supporters of who deserves it more the clubs v Season ticket holders! Croke Park & Mayo Gaa could have handled it better but I’m over it now and more than anything else want this team to win on Saturday whoever gets one PLEASE get behind them no matter what’s happening on the pitch!! Up Mayo wherever you go!! oh and I’m NOT the MAYOMAD on here ? 🙂
Is there all Ireland tickets going about with the 4th September on them fake can anyone tell me