THE World has a weird way of balancing itself out. Without getting too deep into thought, (which can hurt the old grey matter) I was thinking this week about the FAI, IRFU and the Aviva. A national newspaper claimed last week that the FAI were mistaken in the number of Premium tickets they believe they had sold. This came in the same week that the IRFU decided to allow clubs break up their November Test ticket allocations from one block of four games to two blocks of two. A relative U-turn.
Coming in the week that An Taoiseach mistakenly decided to let his hair down, it now appears that the upper tier of Irish society are drifting away from the man on the ground. Sport it seems is no different. The FAI and the IRFU are now finding it hard to sell their wares. The prawn sandwich levels of the Avivia Stadium are fast becoming hard units to shift. Granted, the previous occupiers of banks, insurance houses and developers can no longer be seen in there, but surely the powers that be in the FAI and the IRFU understand the pure economic value of supply and demand.
Sports men and women are turning their backs on sports organisations who have not looked after them in the good times. With more and more sporting clubs springing up county wide, the mere taxpaying mortal is deciding to return to basics.
Instead of going to the Aviva with little Johnny/Jenny for an Irish soccer or rugby international they are beginning to take him/her to local games with local players played in local pitches with local prices.
Sport is often more enjoyable in it’s purest form. All the better if you can be home for tea.
