Lights launch close to sell-out

GAELIC GAMES:Next week's National Football League match between Dublin and Tyrone has virtually sold out. By yesterday there were only 1,500 terrace tickets left for the first fixture to be played under the Croke Park floodlights.

The attendance of over 82,000 will be a record for the NFL, eclipsing the previous mark of 70,126 set by the 1964 home final between Dublin and Down.

That combination of Dublin and high-flying Ulster teams has been at the heart of the biggest Croke Park NFL attendances. Four years ago then first-time All-Ireland champions Armagh drew a crowd of over 50,000, a record for a regulation match. Fourteen years ago, Dublin and Donegal drew 60,000 to their replayed final.

GAA PRO Danny Lynch admitted the scale of the demand for tickets had been unexpected. "I thought it would attract a big crowd but I'm a little bit surprised that it has sold out," he said.

"There were a couple of dynamics involved: firstly the cost of admission is very low, with kids being admitted for €5 and family tickets for €40.

"Secondly there was a pretty effective marketing campaign, including a catchy TV ad. It's also one of the best pairings you could have got. Had it been Dublin-Kerry, for instance, we wouldn't have sold out.

"Then there's the historical significance of the lights being turned on. A lot of people, who wouldn't have access to tickets for the rugby international, wanted to be there to experience the occasion."

One of the aspects of the tickets sales that had been noted was the demand from all over the country, which substantiates Croke Park's decision to stage a National League match as the first event under lights in the stadium.

"A lot of tickets were sold all over the North," according to Lynch, "and a surprising amount went to other counties in Leinster."

The match takes place next Saturday, February 3rd, and throws in at 7pm.