ARMAGH clubs have received their allocation of tickets for this year’s All-Ireland SFC final and each club has been granted 240 tickets. Fans are in a frenzy at the minute as they hope to witness Armagh capture the Sam Maguire for the first time since 2002.
The GAA confirmed earlier this year that tickets for the 2024 All-Ireland hurling and football finals will be priced at €100 (stand) and €55 (terrace), an increase of €10 and €5 respectively on 2023 prices.
Armagh have reached their first All-Ireland final since 2003 with an extra victory over Kerry last weekend and Kieran McGeeney’s side will now face Galway in the decider, with the Sam Maguire Cup up for grabs.
The men in orange and white have a hefty following that has supported them right throughout the championship and there will be a scramble for supporters to get their hands on the prized possession.
Kerry legend and Armagh coach Kieran Donaghy knows a thing or two about All-Ireland final day as he collected four Celtic Crosses in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2014 during his playing days in the green and gold.
He also lost out in a couple of deciders as well, so he knows the big occasion better than most. While the fans will be entrenched in the excitement of it all, ‘Star’ suggests that the Armagh players will be treating it as just another game.
“We are trying to keep everything the same as it was for the players for the semi-final and for every game that we played this year,” said the three-time All-Star. “That is our goal as the coaching staff.
“The analysis, the gym, the video content, all that will be the same. It’s actually just about not making a bigger deal than it is. It’s a game of football; it is not life and death even though we would like to think it is when you are involved in sport.
“It is a big game for sure and we’ll just want to keep everything the same, we’re looking for improvements as we do every week and every season and every day to try and help us get over the line.
“We have been there; we got a lot of the small, unimportant stuff sorted and that can seem important, we’ve compartmentalised them and it’s just about narrowing down and focusing on how we go about beating Galway.”
Armagh’s squad depth has deservingly earned plenty of plaudits this season and the semi-final was no different. Donaghy picked out the impact of fan favourite Stefan Campbell as a real game changer.
“I have played in teams and been around teams and if a fella was going well and he wasn’t on, there could be a period of sulking to some degree, but there never is with ‘Soupy’ Campbell,” added the Kerry icon.
“He is very good at putting the team first and in some particular games and moments we are asking him to do a job and whatever we ask him to do, whether it is to start, or come in and change a game, he is a brilliant lad to deal with in that regard.
“There is probably a greater understanding now in the GAA that how you finish is nearly more important than how you actually start.
“I think once people buy into that and learn about that and there is not the infatuation on whether you have number 12 on your back or number 22, it’s when you are in the game, can you do a job for the team, is probably the most important part of the modern game.”
