Walsh: We should have cut club final ticket prices earlier

IT has been a trying week for Munster Council chairman Seán Walsh.

On Monday he was defending the choice of Semple Stadium as the venue for Sunday’s provincial club senior hurling final (and tomorrow’s replay), explaining it was a decision forced on them by Na Piarsaigh’s refusal to toss to decide home or away advantage against Crusheen. Yesterday it was ticket pricing.

In response to widespread criticism it was announced that prices for tomorrow’s replay and for the club senior football final between Dr Crokes and UCC in Killarney, have both been reduced by €5.

Walsh yesterday outlined the reasoning. “We looked at this problem some time before the final was played, and maybe we should have acted earlier. Having seen the response from the clubs involved and from the supporters, we felt we had to do something. If we were wrong then, there was no point in being wrong again and this is an effort to try and right things. Having charged the people who went to the hurling final Sunday €20, we were going with €15 for the replay but now we’ve given them an extra €5 off the admission price.

“It’s reduced to €10, with all U16s still free and concessions for students and pensioners. Admission to the football final is €15 and if that goes to a replay, it will be €10.

“Already this year we’ve been proactive in this area, dropping our prices considerably. All through the Munster championships we had family packages, gave as much leeway as we could – as an example, through your club this year you could go into the terraces in the Munster senior football final for €15, the minor and senior final double-header. I’d argue with anyone that this is excellent value and above criticism.

“I think it’s important that people understand where the money goes. We have our budget at the start of the year, for counties, for clubs and for various projects.

“To maintain all those we also have to try and maintain our income as well as we possibly can, without impacting too much on the supporters.

“Relatively speaking, our administration costs are very low. There’s a CEO, Pat Fitzgerald, a deputy CEO, Enda McGuane, and two clerical staff, much lower than either Leinster or Ulster. All the other officers are voluntary.

“Look at the physical development grants the clubs get across the province – there is no other provincial council doing that. It would be very easy for us to give no grants, to keep the €1.6m and reduce the gate and we’d look great. You can drop your prices down to a tenner if you want to but the clubs and counties will then suffer.

“All the money we make we pump back into the counties and clubs.

“We’re well aware of the economic situation and the possibility is there that we may have to reduce our prices again next year. But if our income goes down then so will the return to the counties. The bottom line is that we have to balance our books. Everything will be looked at again in the new year, but we took cognisance last night that we’re in one of the worst recessions in the history of the state, and the steps we took reflect that.”