GAA take action as touts price final tickets at €750

TICKETS for Sunday’s All-Ireland SFC final were being offered for as much as €750 yesterday. Croke Park issued a statement insisting they will refuse admission to any bearers where they had proof that tickets were bought above face value from touts. After securing an agreement from DoneDeal.ie and Adverts. ie not to sell overpriced tickets on their websites, Croke Park challenged UK-based viagogo to take down tickets they had on sale, including Hogan Stand premium tickets priced at €690. Irish site NeedATicket.ie were offering similar tickets for €750, while pricing regular Hogan and Cusack Stand tickets, which cost €80 face value, for €550. GAA spokesman Alan Milton warned: ‘If we have proof that a ticket was purchased from an unofficial source for an over-the-top price, we will not allow the bearer admission... we have a policy of cancelling tickets bought in such a manner.’

FORMER Clare All-Ireland-winning coach Joe O’Connor will be unveiled as part of TJ Ryan’s new backroom team tonight. Ryan is to continue on as Limerick hurling boss but with a new backroom team, which will be officially ratified at tonight’s county-board meeting. O’Connor quit as strength and conditioning coach to Clare last year, citing family commitments. ÷ WATERFORD GAA chiefs have placed their faith in Derek McGrath by handing the county’s senior hurling team manager a three-year extension. The move was rubberstamped at a county-board meeting last night.

PAUL COGGINS stepped down as London football manager last night. The Roscommon native spent five years in charge of the Exiles, reaching the Connacht final in 2013.