Tyrone chairman Ciaran McLaughlin has criticized the Ulster council for missing out on a “financial windfall” by allowing Donegal’s mouthwatering Ulster Championship clash with Tyrone to go ahead at the Mac Cumhaill Park venue in Ballybofey.
Donegal after much deliberation with Ulster council figures managed to hold on to home advantage even though the capacity at Mac Cumhaill Park is less than 18,000 and demand for tickets will greatly exceed that figure.
Many clubs across Donegal have already indicated to their members that many will be left disappointed as they won’t be able to facilitate all members requests for tickets.
It’s because of this demand that McLaughlin thinks the Ulster council have missed out on a huge financial windfall by giving in to Donegal’s request to keep home advantage.
McLaughlin who spoke to the Irish News said,
“There would have been clubs who would have taken the opportunity to take bus loads of people to that match.”
“That for me is where we have missed out, we would have been able to market the game to a much wider audience, there are many people who will want to go to this game and won’t be able to because there isn’t enough tickets and thats not good.”
“In 2009 we went to Clones when we were drawn to face Armagh at home, and the reason we did that was to make sure that the number of people who got to the game was as high as it possible could be.”
“The Ulster council themselves must recognize in these tight economic times that this is a game people really want to go and see.”
“A large volume of people going to the game would have created more income for the Ulster council to distribute to the counties and the clubs.”
