Croke Park double-header should be sell-out

Leinster SFC semi-finals: Yesterday's confirmation by the Leinster Council that the football semi-finals will be packaged as…

Leinster SFC semi-finals: Yesterday's confirmation by the Leinster Council that the football semi-finals will be packaged as a double-header in Croke Park has started a scramble for tickets ahead of June 25th.

Tickets are already available to order via the Leinster Council offices for the Dublin against Laois encounter, which will be preceded by Wexford versus Offaly. This is presuming tonight's central appeals committee meeting doesn't force Offaly to replay the quarter-final against Kildare over the use of a sixth substitute.

So who gets what? The breakdown is unconfirmed, but initial estimates from Leinster Council sources predict at least 30,000 tickets going to the Dublin County Board, 8,000 to Laois, 5,000 to Offaly and 2,500 to Wexford.

That's not including sales through the council offices in Portlaoise. Dublin and Laois fans are already keeping the staff busy with credit card orders (there is no limit on the number of tickets that can be purchased) by phone or in person.

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"We expected around 70,000 for a Dublin versus Laois stand-alone fixture, so we would be hopeful of a full house now," said Michael Reynolds of the Leinster Council.

"Hill 16 will go to Dublin, and that will be distributed through the Dublin County Board. We would be pleased if 8,000 tickets were taken up in Laois and 5,000 in Offaly.

"Being realistic, selling 2,500 tickets in Wexford would be acceptable, as from previous experiences they don't tend to travel in great numbers for football."

There is a new electronic system in place this season that enables county boards to print their own tickets. It means each county receives only what they can sell, while providing a modern and more efficient process.

"We received, and sold, 8,000 for last year's Leinster final, but around 25,000 Laois supporters were in Croke Park that day," explained Laois PRO Marcella Daly.

"We are an exception to the rule down here as many Laois supporters can just go into the council offices in Portlaoise to purchase tickets."

Dublin secretary John Costello expects to receive "a lion's share" of the 82,300 tickets to satisfy the huge demand that is sure to follow.

"We were only notified this morning of the double-header, so we have yet to put in a request for tickets. They will be distributed to clubs on Wednesday the 21st, and there is a possibility of some tickets being available for public distribution after that, although we do have a primary obligation to supply tickets to those who are affiliated to the GAA."

The Wexford County Board put in a request to the Leinster Council on May 29th to double up Sunday's hurling semi-final against Offaly with the football semi-final equivalent in Croke Park on June 18th.

"It would have given GAA supporters in both Wexford and Offaly a unique opportunity to see both intercounty teams in Croke Park on the same day, but they never replied to our request," said Wexford chairman Seán Quirke.

"It is difficult to gage the situation as we have never been involved in such a double-header before, but hopefully we can get five or six thousand tickets."

Gavin Cummiskey

Gavin Cummiskey

Gavin Cummiskey is The Irish Times' Soccer Correspondent