Spending on flights to the Czech Republic took off in the minutes after the World Cup play-off draw was made last week while sales of replica football jerseys soared as fans suddenly found themselves freed from almost a decade of miserable mediocrity.
According to fresh data from AIB, around €250,000 was spent on flights by its customers between 1pm on 2pm last Thursday just after the boys in green were handed a play-off semi-final in Prague.
It amounted to a bounce of 69 per cent when compared with the previous week and did not just cover direct flights to Prague but also included “the various routes innovative supporters have planned and navigated across Europe to cheer on the boys in green in Prague”, the bank said.
Spending was not confined to airlines with just over €800,000 changing hands in Irish sports shops on the Saturday before the match against Hungary climbing to more than €1 million on the day after the Hungary game.
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AIB noted that the €1 million spent on November 17th was the “best day of the year so far for spending by AIB customers in sports apparel stores” adding that it was “highly unusual for a Monday in November to see such elevated figures”.
The loyalty and enthusiasm of fans in Hungary was also on show in the bank’s spending report with spending by AIB customers in the Sunday of the game spiking and surpassing the big jump recorded during the city’s Sziget music festival in August.
Just over one-third of the Hungary spend came from restaurants with 18.6 per cent of the spending recorded in the city’s pubs and just 5.4 per cent being handed over in fast food outlets.
Meanwhile, back in Ireland on the day of the big game, pub spending rose by 10 per cent compared to the previous Sunday with the booze flowing far more freely in the minutes after Troy Parrott’s 96th minute winner than over the two hours of the match itself.
“The buoyant mood sweeping the country in the wake of the Irish football team’s achievements is palpable,” said AIB’s head of consumer, Adrian Moynihan. “Our analysis shows that spending patterns are closely mirroring this national optimism, especially on match days, with fans coming together to support both their team and their local businesses, whether at home or abroad.”
He said the record spending in Budapest and the “lively celebrations at home” were a “testament to the unwavering loyalty and pride of Irish football supporters, who continue to back their team all the way, on and off the pitch”.
