A €5 additional charge on tickets sold through Donegal Clubs for this weekend’s All Ireland Football final has been described as an optional entry to a prize draw with proceeds going to the Players fund. 
The GAA reminded Counties this year about a ban on levies on top of tickets sold for Championship games but it now appears the Donegal board will escape censure because of the voluntary nature of the extra contribution.
A full take up on the more than 12,000 tickets for sale through clubs across the county would have yielded €60,000 but Sport for Business spoke to a number of clubs yesterday who said they were unhappy with the arrangement and would not be pushing it to their members.
Most such club tickets will be distributed at members draws taking place in clubs across Mayo and Donegal over the next two nights.
The distribution of tickets for the GAA’s big games has become much more diversified since the appointment of Tickets.ie as partners and the expansion of outlets to include Centra and Supervalu as part of those two retailers Championship sponsorship.
When it comes to Finals though, the best hope for fans in the competing counties is through clubs.  Much angst is always expressed about this shutting off of many fans chances of getting a ticket, even if they are regular match goers. It is part of the strength of the Association though that it favours those who are most involved in the grassroots club game and is in fact a very fair way of dividing what is always akin to the loaves and the fishes.
Croke Park will be sold out for the Final, as it will be for the following week’s replay of the Hurling Final.  The reduction in ticket prices ended any fears that it would be a step too far for fans of Galway and Kilkenny in the Senior and Dublin and Tipperary in the Minor Finals.
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