Gate receipts from club games jump nearly €190,000 in 2018

ONE of the notable figures from Treasurer Michael Burke’s balance sheet at the annual County GAA Convention was that gate receipts collected from club games locally had increased by almost €190,000 over the last year.

Across the four sub committees – Hurling, Football, Coiste Peil na nÓg and Coiste Iomana na nÓg – there was €796,403 collected in gate receipts at club games in Galway over the past 12 months – as opposed to a figure of €609,051 in October 2017.

Treasurer Burke highlighted one of the first initiatives he undertook upon his appointment was to introduce a new ticketing system at Pearse Stadium, Kenny Park (Athenry) and Tuam Stadium and he hoped to do the same for Duggan Park, Ballinasloe in 2019.

“Gates are all about control and if you have a situation where you have supporters going and buying their tickets and then going to the turnstiles, accountability is very important,” he stressed.

The significant increase in the figure for gate receipts subsequently generated some debate, with delegates pondering on the huge chasm between the two years.

Stephen Crowley, from auditors DHKN, noted the 2017 figure did not include that year’s county semi-finals, semi-final replay and county final, which would be “the main drivers of the increase in gates between 2017 and 2018”.

He believed that could account for €110,000 while he also noted that the large increase in season ticket sales in 2018 could have generated an additional amount of up to €60,000. “So, they are the two main drivers at the gates,” he indicated.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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