McKenna warns there will be no deal for groups on price of 10-year seats

GAELIC GAMES:CROKE PARK stadium director Peter McKenna has described as "mischievousness and very disingenuous" claims by one GAA supporters group that they wouldn't be renewing long-term seats in protest over apparently stiff prices.

McKenna said the 10-year seats, priced at €12,000, were the best deal available and reflected the demand for what are some of the best seats in Croke Park.

“The €12,000, for a seat for 10 years, was set in 2008,” explained McKenna. “We haven’t changed the price. So any seats that came up for renewal in 2008, or 2009, were kept at the same price. We felt that the economy was such that a price increase would be the wrong thing to do.

“We met with a number of different customer groups, including this group. We could see there were some difficulties there, so we also introduced a three-year price, which was €4,000. And we would freeze the 10-year tickets, at today’s prices, so that essentially they won’t increase again until 2014. So if you decide now that money is tight, and you don’t have the cash available, we’re allowing you to maintain your seat, and when you come to renew the seats in four years’ time, the price will be the same.”

The supporters group, who claimed to represent 1,000 of around 2,200 long-term seats that are up for renewal this year, met in Dublin last night to discuss their options.

“We’ve met with this group, and it’s a very small group,” added McKenna. “They certainly don’t represent 1,000 people, or 1,000 seats, as claimed. Because I can tell you we’ve already sold 75 per cent of all of our seats, and have the money in for it.

“What we’re trying to tell existing seat-holders is that if they don’t renew, come Friday, then we have a number of people on a waiting list. Already some people have decided that they don’t want to take up their ticket allocation, and we’ve passed them on to new patrons. In some cases the individuals came back and asked us was there any chance of keeping on to those seats, and we’ve had to give them the bad news, that those seats aren’t available any more.

“Our rationale has always been for the person who has one or two seats. We can’t do a favourable deal for multiple seat-holders, because that would disenfranchise the regular supporter.”

The current number of tickets up is 2,200, roughly 25 per cent of the total of 8,000 long-term seats.

“So these claims are misleading, and suggests to people who haven’t renewed their seats to hang on for a better deal. But what we’re trying to impress on people is that this is the deal, and come next week, we’ll be offering those tickets to people on the waiting list.

“But what I would hate is that some people might listen to these claims and hold out for a better deal, because come next week they will actually lose their allocation. Because what I’m saying is there is no better deal.”

Meanwhile, Galway have upped the ante in the dispute over the venue for the All-Ireland Under-21 hurling final by demanding an immediate meeting with association president Christy Cooney and director general Páraic Duffy. Galway are angry the final, against Tipperary, remains fixed for Semple Stadium next week.

“We are not going to let this go,” said Galway hurling board chairman Joe Byrne, who is demanding the meeting with the president and director general because they felt they were not being listened to. “We made representations straight after the semi-final. We wrote to the management committee on Tuesday and have not heard anything. Time is running out but there is still time to move this game to a neutral venue.”

David Coldrick (Meath) and Michael Duffy (Sligo) will referee the All-Ireland Senior and Minor football finals respectively.