Replay reduction is just the ticket

Ian O'Riordan

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Tue, Sep 11, 2012, 01:00

First published: Tue, Sep 11, 2012, 01:00

“We’ll get more details on that in the coming days, and it is already a very busy time for the ticket office, preparing for an All-Ireland football final.

“As for the corporate and sponsorship and other allocated tickets, most of those would be long term. If you take the premium level, the corporate boxes, people have bought those already. We don’t get anything extra from those by creating a replay, so that’s 12,000 or so seats that people are just getting added benefit from. We don’t get any extra income from those.”

McGill also explained the slight shortfall in Sunday’s attendance – the 81,932 that actually showed up being 368 less than Croke Park’s official capacity of 82,300: “It happens every single year, to varying degrees, but you very rarely end up with exactly 82,300 in the stadium, for multitudes of reasons, between people just not making it on the day, to losing tickets, to people trying to get in on children’s tickets that are turned back.”

Match officials for both replays will be confirmed later in the week – although neither of the referees that took charge for last Sunday (Barry Kelly in the senior match, and Colm Lyons in the minor match) will be on duty again, as under GAA policy, a new referee is always appointed for a replay.

Odds of 125/1 are now being offered that both the senior and minor finals will go to extra-time (the odds of both Sunday’s finals going to a replay were 155/1). Kilkenny are still favourites to win the replay, but Galway’s odds are cut from 11/4 to 2/1.

What is more certain is that Henry Shefflin, who scored 0-12 on Sunday, will finish the season on top of the scoring table for 2012, after overtaking Shane Dowling of Limerick in Sunday’s draw: Shefflin (with 3-47) is now seven points clear of Dowling (with his 4-37) with Galway’s Joe Canning, who scored 1-9 on Sunday, back in third place, nine points behind the Kilkenny man, with his 2-41.

Finally, although presumably not to tempt fate, the GAA also confirmed yesterday that the All-Ireland football final between Donegal and Mayo, on Sunday week, would be replayed on Sunday, October 6th, if necessary.

How ticket prices compare

HURLING FINAL REPLAY

Stand €50 (down from €80) and Terrace €25 (down from €40).

FAI WORLD CUP QUALIFIER

Ireland v Germany, Aviva Stadium, October 12th –

Stand Premium: €100

Stand Lower: €50-€60

Stand Upper: €35-€50

IRFU AUTUMN INTERNATIONALS

Ireland v South Africa, Aviva Stadium, November 10th –

Stand Premium: €95

Stand: €30-€65