Vera Pauw hopes the increase in ticket prices to see her World Cup hopefuls won’t lead to fans kicking up a stink.
She hopes the FAI come out smelling like roses, despite the new prices representing a 60 percent hike from the last campaign.
Pauw said: “If you sell too cheap, people do not come. It’s the same with perfume, cheap perfume.
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“Even if you say, ‘This is the same perfume’, but one is €20 and the other is €120, people will not buy it.
“With selling tickets, it is the same thing. I think it is a very reasonable price. I have the same feeling that you have, of course (regarding the cost of living crisis), you want families to come and you want teams to come, that’s for sure.”
A family ticket covering five games this year - against Zambia and France before the team departs for Australia and three in the Nations League - costs €240, covering two adults and two children.
An adult ticket for those games is now €90 (€18-per-game) and a child’s season pass is €40 (€8-per-game) - 60 percent up on last year.
Pauw, however, insisted that the motivation behind the increase was not to line the FAI’s pockets.
“What I do remember is when the ticket prices are low, we had 1000 people not turning up (for the Finland game last year) and I think that is the key issue,” she said.
“It’s not earning money for us, because everything is costing more. It is about turning up.
“We’ll see how it goes but we think we’re worth the money.
“At least that is what I’ve heard when I’ve asked about it. We need to get the stadium full, people do not turn up if it’s too cheap.”
She added: “The practical situation is that over 1,000 people do not turn up (against Finland).
“It was sold out, there were so many girls and parents and club people who wanted to see the game, but who couldn’t enter the stadium, and (there were) all of those empty seats.
“We’ll try to see if this helps. And the money that’s coming in, it’s not going into any pockets other than the development of the game.
“It’s not earning money for us, it’s going to stay in football.”
According to Pauw, 1,300 season tickets have already been snapped up since they went on sale last week.
The games against Zambia on June 22 and France on July 6 will represent a final opportunity for players to impress the Ireland manager ahead of her World Cup squad selection.
Pauw will bring in 27 players for those two friendlies, excluding NWSL-based stars such as Denise O’Sullivan.
With the squad due to depart for Brisbane the day after the France friendly, Pauw will name her final-23 ahead of the Les Bleus clash. She will also bring three ‘training’ players to Australia.
FIFA’s deadline for squad registration is July 10.
If there are any injuries, verified by a FIFA doctor, between then and 24 hours before the July 20 opener against Australia, Pauw can call up a replacement.
The returns to fitness of Liverpool duo Leanne Kiernan and Niamh Fahey, and Chloe Mustaki and Savannah McCarthy will make Pauw’s task even tougher.
“Unfortunately, Niamh and Leanne have not played a minute yet, hopefully they will play minutes so we can see them playing,” said Pauw.
“Chloe has started playing, I've been there to see her live, and Savannah is playing in midfield and is doing well.
“We need to see how they develop, as they need to be better than what we have now.”
As for the prospect of breaking some players’ hearts, she added: “That will never be easy. I know that I will be destroying dreams, I hate my job at that moment.”
Pauw also confirmed that Ireland would play a behind-closed-doors friendly against another World Cup side - with the opponents to be confirmed - in Brisbane on July 14.
It won’t be an official international and no caps will be handed out, as both coaches will want to make as many substitutions as possible.
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