'There are people out there that have seen a chance to make a quick buck,' said GAA Director of Communications Alan Milton on Radio One's Morning Ireland.
Milton was speaking regarding the GAA yesterday canceling a number of tickets for the Dublin vs Tyrone All-Ireland semi-final which had been for sale above face value on the website Seatwave, a subsidiary of Ticketmaster.
Milton would not disclose the exact number of tickets which have been canceled but did say it was in double figures. He also had a warning for anybody buying tickets from unofficial sources.
In 24 hours we have canceled into double figures. Between now and August 27th it’s fair to speculate that more cancellations will take place.
To the people that have paid over the odds, they face a real risk arriving at Croke Park, into the Hogan Stand or Cusack Stand, with a ticket that will not gain them admittance.
They are taking a huge risk, both financially and also in gaining admittance; obviously, people are desperate to get into the fixture.
They just haven't heeded our advice which has been prevalent now for 36 months. Don't take a risk with these over the odds tickets. Buy from official sources.
In a statement to Morning Ireland, Seatwave said that it provided a 'safe and secure market' fans to sell tickets while also pointing out that it was the seller who sets the price.
To that, Milton had this response:
Seatwave are making a profit on the back of ordinary supporters. Some people who have originally sourced the tickets are also making a profit. I see that as being fundamentally wrong, it's unjust.
If a company like Done Deal can work with us and only facilitate the passing on of tickets at face value, why can't Seatwave? The simple answer is because there's no profit in it.
You can listen to Alan Milton speaking on Morning Ireland below.
Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
