Aviva a price too far?
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While there are still small teething problems, such as having to go in a rear gate to get to the press room for today’s media conference because the main door was locked, the Aviva stadium is undoubtedly a world class facility.
The fresh smell of newly constructed decor and the shining, gleaming architecture is simply breathtaking if you contrast it with the old Lansdowne Road.
Squeezing up against your fellow supporter’s, jowl by jowl, will not be an uncomfortable necessity in the new home.
The FAI finally have a home worth boasting about now but all is, sadly, not what it seems on the ground and in the trenches.
“Can you ask them why they want to charge so much for me to bring my kids to the game and continuously rip us off?” asked my furious taxi driver on the way to the ground this morning.
I won’t include the range of expletives he spewed across his cab while dodging through several lanes of early morning traffic.
And perhaps the ferocity of his input was a bit strong for a mere hack like myself, but to be honest, I was too scared to reply, so just paid the fare and walked away.
Despite his loud and obnoxious tone though, I could certainly empathize with him.
Anyway, as you can gather, this first international at the newly built ground isn’t going down too well with the average footballing fan.
The GAA might come in for justified heavy criticism over their treatment of fans on occasion but in stark comparison, a cheap seat for tomorrow’s friendly is far more expensive than a similar level ticket for last week’s All-Ireland hurling semi-final.
The news that tickets are readily available will probably come as a small shock to the powers that be and it will come as no surprise if future games will see reduced prices.
Of course this could be attributed to another marketing mistake surrounding the hype over the new ground as the over-pricing has clearly alienated quite a lot of regular supporters.
They deserve their dosage of football but far too many don’t have the required disposable income to see Messi and his chums take on Ireland tomorrow night.
This can be counted as another teething problem but prices will need to be lowered substantially if we are to see the sell-out signs brandished above the shiny venue.
Do you agree with Alan Smith? Are the FAI charging too much? Is it worth for so much money? Comments welcome at the bottom of the page.
The fresh smell of newly constructed decor and the shining, gleaming architecture is simply breathtaking if you contrast it with the old Lansdowne Road.
Squeezing up against your fellow supporter’s, jowl by jowl, will not be an uncomfortable necessity in the new home.
The FAI finally have a home worth boasting about now but all is, sadly, not what it seems on the ground and in the trenches.
“Can you ask them why they want to charge so much for me to bring my kids to the game and continuously rip us off?” asked my furious taxi driver on the way to the ground this morning.
I won’t include the range of expletives he spewed across his cab while dodging through several lanes of early morning traffic.
And perhaps the ferocity of his input was a bit strong for a mere hack like myself, but to be honest, I was too scared to reply, so just paid the fare and walked away.
Despite his loud and obnoxious tone though, I could certainly empathize with him.
Anyway, as you can gather, this first international at the newly built ground isn’t going down too well with the average footballing fan.
The GAA might come in for justified heavy criticism over their treatment of fans on occasion but in stark comparison, a cheap seat for tomorrow’s friendly is far more expensive than a similar level ticket for last week’s All-Ireland hurling semi-final.
The news that tickets are readily available will probably come as a small shock to the powers that be and it will come as no surprise if future games will see reduced prices.
Of course this could be attributed to another marketing mistake surrounding the hype over the new ground as the over-pricing has clearly alienated quite a lot of regular supporters.
They deserve their dosage of football but far too many don’t have the required disposable income to see Messi and his chums take on Ireland tomorrow night.
This can be counted as another teething problem but prices will need to be lowered substantially if we are to see the sell-out signs brandished above the shiny venue.
Do you agree with Alan Smith? Are the FAI charging too much? Is it worth for so much money? Comments welcome at the bottom of the page.
About Alan Smith
Alan Smith works as a sub-editor for the Guardian newspaper in London. Originally from Cork, he freelances for several other newspapers and websites. Follow him on twitter @alansmith90. View Full Profile