Kieran Leddy: Financial projections for new football championship format don't add up

Kieran Leddy: For the vast majority of our games children are either free or pay €5. Picture: Brian Arthur

Munster GAA chief executive Kieran Leddy has contested the figures which project that the province stands to make 26% more in gate receipts from a standalone round-robin league in the spring.

As part of his financial analysis of the All-Ireland SFC League, calendar fixtures review committee member Conor O’Donoghue estimates that detaching the province’s senior football championship from the All-Ireland SFC would reap almost €1m in gate receipts.

However, the Munster Council projects that the competition would fall between a McGrath Cup and the current Munster SFC in terms of appeal. They work out that an average attendance of 1,500 for 15 group games and semi-final and 8,000 for the final would bring in approximately €275,000, over €700,000 less than O’Donoghue’s calculation.

In 2019, the Munster SFC reaped €549,128 and €910,555 the season before.

While acknowledging the time and effort put in by O’Donoghue, Leddy says the figures he has compiled for Munster simply don’t add up.

“We feel the projected income is overstated. From what I’m aware, a figure of €20 in the analysis is used for everybody in attendance but for the vast majority of our games children are either free or pay €5. We expect in the case of the provincial leagues (if they were to come in) U16s would be free — you usually only charge €5 when there are bigger crowds and seating is assigned.”

Leddy explains the average price per person in attendance works out at around 60% to 65% of the headline ticket price as children, who are either discounted or admitted for free, comprise between 25% to 30% of the crowd.

Complimentary tickets for panels and sponsors also have to be considered.

He revealed that the average attendance in a sample of 10 Munster SFC games between 2016 and ‘19 when Kerry weren’t involved was 2,400. Between 2017 and ‘19, the average attendance at a McGrath Cup match including the three finals and one Cork-Kerry game which attracted 1,500 was 650.

He continues: “We don’t see it being feasible to charge €20 for that [provincial league] competition because it’s a standalone round-robin competition played in the spring. We charge €20 for a seat at our provincial round robin hurling championship but that is the championship and it’s linked to the Central Council championship whereas this isn’t.

“A McGrath Cup is a €5 so we feel €10 would be a more correct pricing for such a competition. If it was €20 for every person, then a family of four would be paying €80 and that’s not right. We’d be looking at €10 per adult and free entry for kids. For a crowd of 1,500 people, the income would be in or around €9,500, not €30,000 which I believe is what is stated [by O’Donoghue].

“I accept we’re the ones who have access to that information. In fairness, there was a huge level of work and time put into it but they didn’t have the access to the figures we have as we’re used to running these games. We’re looking at crowds of 1,000 to 1,500 at those games and that’s why we have come up with a figure in or around €275,000, which is a long way from a 26% increase (from the average total Munster SFC gate receipt take of €781,242.33 over the last three years).”

Leddy readily admits finance has to be a major factor in making any big decision affecting the All-Ireland SFC.

“Walsh Park is being reconstructed. We want to start giving development grants again. We’re trying to increase the number of coaching staff. We’re going to have to invest significantly in referees recruitment and development. Take that into account and finance is important.”