Ticketing for Crusaders vs Fulham/ Europa Cup 2nd Qualifying Round
Costs: Tickets for the Europa Cup 2nd Qualifying Round at Seaview on 14th July are costed at:
£25 at the North (TAL) stand, East (Wavin) stand and West (Construct) stand
£18 Concession
£30 South side seating
Tickets Available: Tickets will be available as follows:
From now to Thursday 30th June Tickets will be on sale to 2011-12 Season Ticket holders only. Each Season Ticket holder can purchase up to 4 tickets.
Season ticket holders should get their tickets through Secretary Alan Briers (see website for details)
From Friday evening, 1st July tickets will go on sale to the following groups
- Recognized Crusaders Supporters Clubs, through Supporters Liaison, Davy Hamilton
- Academy players/coaches, through Neil McMaster or Billy Burns
- Crusaders Strikers players/coaches through Helen McKenna or Katie Liston
- Bond-Holders (who are not season ticket holders) through Tommy Whiteside
- U17, U19, Reserve and Senior Players, allocations for sale to be determined
After this (date to be determined), and taking account of the Fulham FC allocation, tickets will go on sale to the general public at the usual outlets and via Ticketmaster.
Ticket Pricing and Rational, statement on behalf of the Office Bearers
Ticket prices for this match are high by Crusaders standards. We understand that some fans may be concerned. As such, we wanted to explain the rationale.
A Red (and Black) Letter Day
First and foremost, it was our determination that this match be played at Seaview. Enormous work has taken place around Seaview in the past 2 years, and the Stadium Working Group had made hosting a Euro tie at Seaview in 2011-12 ca key target.
We are very grateful to our near neighbours, Cliftonville FC, whose ground we registered for UEFA licensing purposes. However, a plum draw has made this tie “a red-letter day” for the Crusaders, our biggest match since the European Cup tie with Liverpool in 1976-77, and should really be played at home. We are a fan-owned, fan-run club and proud to be so. It was our determination to host a great night at our wee patch, Seaview.
Costs of Meeting UEFA Standards
The costs of hosting the match are high. In addition to the challenges in meeting the matching costs of the two new stands (plus over £160,000 in VAT), we have £10,000 to spend to undertake FIFA 2 Star re-certification, the costs of a TV gantry, and a host of other costs to bring the ground up to UEFA standard, from supporter medical facilities to Wi-Fi access for press correspondents. It all costs
Second, we are seeking to use the opportunity of this major match to add up to 1400 seats to the Seaview capacity on the South side of the ground. South side seats are costed at £30 for the match. At this price, we will not fully recover our costs, but will have additional seating capacity thereafter. Doing this now (albeit at breakneck speed) makes long-term sense, leaving the ground with a seating capacity of over 3000 and capable of hosting Irish Cup, CIS and County Antrim semi-finals in the future.
Finally, doing our ticketing through the wider Crusaders family (Supporters Clubs, Academy and Strikers sections will help grow these sections and improve communication though our “roots”. Hosting a match of this size is, for us, a “whole club” effort.
“Club Flags and Colours Only”
Finally, can we ask all supporters to support our call for “Club Flags and Colours Only” on the night. We are an open club, seeking to promote a family friendly atmosphere at the ground. We have been active supporters of the IFA’s “Football for All” campaign, and promoters of the UEFA 10 point plan to combat sectarianism and racism.
We want those attending the Europa tie to want to enjoy the night and come back more regularly. Likewise, the customers to our 4G pitch are from all communities, as well as foreign nationals living locally. Let’s show the new Seaview off in the right light – no political or national flags, just passionate, noisy, support for the Hatchetmen.
“We’re Red, We’re Black, the Hatchetmen are Back – Super Crues, Super Crues”
