Offaly GAA chairman Michael Duignan expressed his discontent during a county board meeting last night about the ticketing prices against New York in the Tailteann Cup in Tullamore.
Duignan was unhappy with the different ticketing prices on offer to supporters who wanted to attend. “We weren’t happy with €20 for an adult, €15 for an OAP / student and €5 for U16s. Those prices were excessive. We felt €10 across the board would have been enough,” he said.
“It’s counter-productive to be charging that much, especially for a competition which we’re trying to promote. There is already a huge cost on people attending games when you factor in fuel and food. We’re trying to get as many people as possible to attend our games…”
Meanwhile, the Faithful County’s progress in the Tailteann Cup has caused a club fixtures problem in the county. The clubs have been asked to play league finals without their county players. The request was made by County Board chairman and vice chairman, Michael Duignan and James Murphy at a board meeting on Tuesday evening.
Mr Murphy chairs the Competitions Control Committee and he told delegates the progress made in the Tailteann Cup has created a fixtures logjam for them. he hoped clubs would work with them as they bid to get the finals played before the championships started. He noted that clubs are allowed to have their county players for league finals, under Offaly GAA regulations, but they had played most of their games without them during the campaign and he hoped they would facilitate them.
Duignan said they had discussed it at a Management Committee meeting and he asked clubs to consider playing the finals without their county players. He added that the Tailteann Cup is a new competition and Offaly have done well so far.
“It would solve a headache if clubs agree,” Duignan said.
