TerenureJim wrote:
It's a very fair point you make Dave, but I'd counter with wouldn't you rather 28K Leinster fans were able to go to the final and see their team as opposed to 18K? Honestly who cares about the aesthetics about empty seats, we're not talking Edinburgh in Murrayfield here there would be a good crowd.
This one was potentially an easy(ish) sell to get a big crowd BOD last ever (ever, ever, I promise ever) appearance/send off, and the team hopefully to put in a good show in a match between the two best sides in the league with a trophy on the line.
There's no reason also if it was in Lansdowne that you couldn't have encouraged a load of extra mini rugby enthusiasts from clubs/schools with hour of power €10 ticket sales etc.
I'm not saying it wouldn't have been challenging to sell out Lansdowne but I think you could have gotten close to 40K in the door, especially given we've had no Euro Semi & Final expenses for the first time since 2008.
I'd far rather Leinster won that have a comeallye. A full stadium favours the home team, empty ones favour the away side. Anyway, STHs and Blues members all the opportunity to buy multiple tickets.
Its not an easy sell, you have to sell over 30K more tickets than you previously had to, with no media support (you can't just organise a TV, Radio and Press campaign on a monday morning and have it ready to go next day). You can't do hour of power or get free minis in a) because its a Pro12 run game and b) because any offer one side can make, the other side must also be able to make and we're not going to swallow that cost.
Its also not an easy sell, because despite what you say about BODs final game, Glasgow are not a draw outside of people who know just how good they are, and thats pretty much only the regular supporters of Pro12 rugby and I'd say they've all the tickets they need. This is the first time we've ever sold out a game against them since we moved to the RDS as far as I can remember, and that includes semi finals and HEC matches
Can't stand the atmosphere in the place, love the RDS its perfect for us and has all the services and atmosphere we can be really proud of, lets leave the commercial rip off business to Saracens, if we had of played Northampton in our own ground we might be in another final this wkend I know its speculation just can't help feeling that.
