GAA warns it will bar fans who buy tickets on internet

THE GAA has said it will bar fans who buy tickets from internet auction sites for Sunday’s All-Ireland football final if their tickets can be traced.

Stand tickets on ebay.ie are auctioning from €345 for two tickets for the Cusack Stand to €1,040 for two Hogan Stand tickets which include two nights bed and breakfast in the Westbury Hotel.

The seller is describing it as a “genuine offer”, and says the tickets are being resold for charity.

The needaticket.ie website is selling tickets for the Hogan and Cusack Stands at €475 each and for the Davin Stand at €425 each.

GAA spokesman Pat Doherty said some supporters who had bought tickets on internet auction sites for the All-Ireland hurling final were turned away at the turnstiles, and the association was looking at doing the same for the football final.

“If we can identify those tickets they will be cancelled. They are all bar-coded and can be traced. Ten years ago you had a piece of paper that was a ticket. The only way it could be cancelled was by tearing it up, but with the advances in computer systems we can trace tickets.”

The Tyrone County Board has also warned fans not to buy tickets from internet auction sites, while warning clubs not to put tickets on sale through the internet.

County board chairman Pat Darcy said they could sell twice their 14,000 allocation for the match against Kerry.

“We are annoyed that so many tickets are for sale on eBay considering that we are struggling to get our club members tickets.”

Former Kerry footballer and Fine Gael frontbench spokesman on defence Jimmy Deenihan said he was seeking legal advice on amending his private member’s Bill on ticket touting to allow for the prosecution of internet auction sites.EBay has defended the practice, saying the reselling of tickets is not an illegal activity.