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Croke Park Stewards

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Do not blame the steward for playing his role correctly.
The GAA central council need to clip the wings of the Croke Park stadium executives on a regular basis.

They should not get away with keeping spectators off the pitch. They get massive resources to maintain a single pitch. Should be well able to cope with it, and Central council should stop accepting bullshit.

In Pairc Tailteann they finally let kids play on the pitch at half time. It helps make great family days out and memories, It boosts attendance, it stimulates interest in attending matches at a young age, and is a win win situation for all. If grass in navan can survive it and croke park have a problem , let them import Meath sods.

Ashrules (Dublin) - Posts: 573 - 01/04/2019 14:47:53    2176997

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Replying To kazoochka:  "I wasn''t allowed bring a can of coke in to the Div 4 final on Saturday. The reason i presume they would give is i might throw it at someone (Im assuming there is literally zero precedent for this ever happening in croke park). This has never happened at any other ground including Pearse Stadium, Hyde Park etc.

The cynic in me says this is purely so you have to buy a -very overpriced- coke inside the ground instead.

Very poor form from what is supposed to be an organisation by the people for the people."
It definitely has happened. Back in the mid 00's when the Dubs had the mega hype behind them you would often see a shower of bottles fly down from the hill in different situations. And sometimes for no reason at all.

I remember a Meath match I think vs Westmeath. Not sure but we were losing by a lot at half time and the ref was atrocious towards meath. As he was leaving the pitch on the cusack side I'd say about 20 bottles were fired at him from Meath fans. That would have been the early 00's.

In 2010 a steward was badly hurt when a louth fan fired a bottle from the upper tier and caught a steward on the head. I presume he was aiming for the ref.

I'm sure this has happened hundreds of other times that I didn't witness so it definitely does happen.

Jack_Goff (Meath) - Posts: 2920 - 01/04/2019 15:16:55    2177009

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Replying To Jack_Goff:  "It definitely has happened. Back in the mid 00's when the Dubs had the mega hype behind them you would often see a shower of bottles fly down from the hill in different situations. And sometimes for no reason at all.

I remember a Meath match I think vs Westmeath. Not sure but we were losing by a lot at half time and the ref was atrocious towards meath. As he was leaving the pitch on the cusack side I'd say about 20 bottles were fired at him from Meath fans. That would have been the early 00's.

In 2010 a steward was badly hurt when a louth fan fired a bottle from the upper tier and caught a steward on the head. I presume he was aiming for the ref.

I'm sure this has happened hundreds of other times that I didn't witness so it definitely does happen."
Some Kerry fans throwing stuff at the referee as he left the pitch at the end of the semi final in 2016.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13797 - 01/04/2019 15:30:36    2177014

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Replying To MesAmis:  "Some Kerry fans throwing stuff at the referee as he left the pitch at the end of the semi final in 2016."
Yeah just goes to show there is good reason for it. They shouldn't sell Fanta or coke bottles in the stadium. Instead they should be poured into plastic or paper cups like you'd get in supermacs or McDonald's.

Jack_Goff (Meath) - Posts: 2920 - 01/04/2019 16:22:48    2177029

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The professional stewards are there to do a professional job and maintain safety standards in Croke Park. Thankfully there aren't many but still a few ambulance chasers around who'd be only happy to make a claim after being 'injured' during a pitch invasion. Insurance costs not getting lower and I think Croke Park has a very good safety record. Throw a few thousand people with a few thousand x number of pints in them and that brings more trouble. You can't be lax on safety. Whether the steward knows Tom or he doesn't is irrelevant. The boring answer is 'he was doing his job'. A pity Tom couldn't join the team on the pitch, that a Croke Park official didn't act, talk to a security manager and clear it for Tom. But if the steward had allowed his discretion to let Tom on the pitch he'd have been fired and Croke Park might be looking for a new security firm.
The volunteer stewards are class, end of. They get their patience more than tested and are always helpful, even if not always in great form.

I wish somehow they could make it less congested at halftime with people queuing for coffee, pints, toilets all seeking to be in each others way. I see Spurs have a cashless stadium now. Maybe get a card on way into the ground and swipe it for payments and movement to speed up.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7991 - 01/04/2019 16:46:59    2177037

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Replying To Jack_Goff:  "Yeah just goes to show there is good reason for it. They shouldn't sell Fanta or coke bottles in the stadium. Instead they should be poured into plastic or paper cups like you'd get in supermacs or McDonald's."
Yeah it's unfortunate that grown adults, in the main part, can't behave themselves but such is life.

Like you mentioned I've seen it on the Hill a number of times, but not just Dubs games either, a couple of hurling semi finals of late spring to mind too.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13797 - 01/04/2019 17:08:44    2177041

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Maybe I'm wrong in this, but should Mayo management not have thought about Tom in advance of game and have had a plan in place for him to join his team mates on pitch, in event of a victory?

GormlaighG (Mayo) - Posts: 77 - 01/04/2019 17:19:08    2177042

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GreenandRed (Mayo) -It depends what your meaning of professional is-sure they get paid! but a little bit of good manners would do most of them no harm and some of them behave as they would need to be managed.

browncows (Meath) - Posts: 2342 - 01/04/2019 17:56:14    2177052

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Dont start firing Sambos lads, or ill be left starving by inner city looking women.

In all seriousness, i dont think i ever really notice Stewards in Croke park in all honesty. I tend to see them as good Samaritans who help the out of towners find their way and seats when they look a bit bewildered.

One thing that strikes me as a bit mad is the insistence of having a police barrier at the top of Clonliffe road across from Quinns, closing off the street until you get through a Stewert/Garda eye ball test from the quarter final onward, its chocolate fireguard stuff and completely unmanageable.

It creates a bottle neck with thousands of people crossing the road form Drumcondra on to Clonliffe coming from three directions. Im surprised no one has been hurt to be honest with the oncoming traffic. Why they dont just leave the entrance to Clonliffe open like games during the league and Leinster games, i dont know.

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4516 - 01/04/2019 18:38:33    2177061

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Replying To Jack_Goff:  "It definitely has happened. Back in the mid 00's when the Dubs had the mega hype behind them you would often see a shower of bottles fly down from the hill in different situations. And sometimes for no reason at all.

I remember a Meath match I think vs Westmeath. Not sure but we were losing by a lot at half time and the ref was atrocious towards meath. As he was leaving the pitch on the cusack side I'd say about 20 bottles were fired at him from Meath fans. That would have been the early 00's.

In 2010 a steward was badly hurt when a louth fan fired a bottle from the upper tier and caught a steward on the head. I presume he was aiming for the ref.

I'm sure this has happened hundreds of other times that I didn't witness so it definitely does happen."
Agreed.

Barnowl94 (Galway) - Posts: 3150 - 01/04/2019 19:16:11    2177066

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Replying To OpenStand:  "At last years all ireland there were many Limerick supporters who attempted to go on field manhandled and hurt by over aggressive stewards which some might say was their own fault but today Tom Parsons was prevented from joining the Mayo Panel by stewards who haven't a clue who he was ??
Two other incidents i spotted today, entering the ground at Davin End a woman with 2 children was having her ruck sack pulled apart by a very heavy handed inner city looking woman, apparently the supporter hadn't declared 2 cans of fanta in her bag and was getting the third degree in front of her frightened children.
Before the hurling match a waterford slithor flew over the nets and a young lad towards the back of the stand managed to catch it, immediately some mad looking steward ran after him chasing him towards the back of stand before pulling slithor off the young lad , many people booed the steward but none challenged him as the steward looked as if he was only looking for someone to do a bit of martial arts on.
If you didn't know any better you'd think the stewards were from some loyalist housing estate in Belfast ( maybe they are!), its true for Joe Brolly Croke Park has lost touch with the grassroots, these stewards might be appropriate at rock concerts in croke park but all this heavy handedness with average GAA supporters is gone ridiculous."
Maybe explain, what's an "INNER CITY LOOKING WOMAN" or maybe better to withdraw such a remark loaded with prejudicial innuendo.

sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 893 - 01/04/2019 19:22:56    2177070

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Replying To sligo joe:  "Maybe explain, what's an "INNER CITY LOOKING WOMAN" or maybe better to withdraw such a remark loaded with prejudicial innuendo."
Arra shtop, he's having the craic.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7991 - 01/04/2019 21:18:03    2177101

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Replying To DLlegends:  "Maybe you can tell what an "inner city looking woman" looks like. WTF."
Not sure if he answered u but I'm my day she was selling 3 bars for a pound...... presume it's a fiver now and her range has expanded to include poncho's.

Mayonman (Galway) - Posts: 1921 - 01/04/2019 23:45:54    2177154

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Replying To GreenandRed:  "The professional stewards are there to do a professional job and maintain safety standards in Croke Park. Thankfully there aren't many but still a few ambulance chasers around who'd be only happy to make a claim after being 'injured' during a pitch invasion. Insurance costs not getting lower and I think Croke Park has a very good safety record. Throw a few thousand people with a few thousand x number of pints in them and that brings more trouble. You can't be lax on safety. Whether the steward knows Tom or he doesn't is irrelevant. The boring answer is 'he was doing his job'. A pity Tom couldn't join the team on the pitch, that a Croke Park official didn't act, talk to a security manager and clear it for Tom. But if the steward had allowed his discretion to let Tom on the pitch he'd have been fired and Croke Park might be looking for a new security firm.
The volunteer stewards are class, end of. They get their patience more than tested and are always helpful, even if not always in great form.

I wish somehow they could make it less congested at halftime with people queuing for coffee, pints, toilets all seeking to be in each others way. I see Spurs have a cashless stadium now. Maybe get a card on way into the ground and swipe it for payments and movement to speed up."
Professional stewards, so you can confirm they have training, Garda vetting & PSA licence ?? Then you mention volunteer stewards, perhaps you can let us know what the breakdown is ??

Uimhir.a.3. (Galway) - Posts: 409 - 02/04/2019 13:00:37    2177251

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Replying To Uimhir.a.3.:  "Professional stewards, so you can confirm they have training, Garda vetting & PSA licence ?? Then you mention volunteer stewards, perhaps you can let us know what the breakdown is ??"
No I can't.

I knew a Wexford man in '99 worked for a firm part time doing that job, minimum wage. I don't suppose they get paid a fortune for a simar job 20 years later. Professional meaning they don't do it voluntarily. Search the name them of the current security and ring them if you want to find out about Garda vetting and PSA licence.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7991 - 03/04/2019 00:51:53    2177421

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Does anyone know if Tom Parsons got in in the end? The cameras showed the steward stopping him initially but the shot moved away. Perhaps when the Mayo players explained the situation he was let in??

kanu (Cavan) - Posts: 181 - 03/04/2019 10:34:57    2177451

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Replying To kanu:  "Does anyone know if Tom Parsons got in in the end? The cameras showed the steward stopping him initially but the shot moved away. Perhaps when the Mayo players explained the situation he was let in??"
I heard he did but not sure. Hopefully he'll be back for us soon and he'll provide more competition for that midfield..

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7991 - 03/04/2019 10:43:57    2177454

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Replying To GreenandRed:  "No I can't.

I knew a Wexford man in '99 worked for a firm part time doing that job, minimum wage. I don't suppose they get paid a fortune for a simar job 20 years later. Professional meaning they don't do it voluntarily. Search the name them of the current security and ring them if you want to find out about Garda vetting and PSA licence."
" The professional stewards are there to do a professional job and maintain safety standards in Croke Park. Thankfully there aren't many but still a few ambulance chasers around who'd be only happy to make a claim after being 'injured' during a pitch invasion. "
So you couldn't answer the question but you put up a post as in above quotes. Maybe you could tell us how many Personal injury claims there are now as well, as you say in your post "Thankfully there aren't many" or is that another thing I should ring Croke Park about. Replying to people here and stating things when you don't actually know the facts.

Uimhir.a.3. (Galway) - Posts: 409 - 03/04/2019 13:23:34    2177482

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Replying To Uimhir.a.3.:  "" The professional stewards are there to do a professional job and maintain safety standards in Croke Park. Thankfully there aren't many but still a few ambulance chasers around who'd be only happy to make a claim after being 'injured' during a pitch invasion. "
So you couldn't answer the question but you put up a post as in above quotes. Maybe you could tell us how many Personal injury claims there are now as well, as you say in your post "Thankfully there aren't many" or is that another thing I should ring Croke Park about. Replying to people here and stating things when you don't actually know the facts."
I didn't say they are facts. They're my opinion. Would you say people getting paid to do a job are volunteers? I didn't say that all of them were doing their job in a friendly or courteous manner either nor were they being unfriendly to supporters. I haven't heard of many personal injury claims being brought against Croke Park. Again that is my opinion. You seem to think there could be plenty of claims against heavy handed stewards in Croke Park. Perhaps you can inform us of the facts.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7991 - 03/04/2019 13:46:36    2177490

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Replying To GreenandRed:  "I didn't say they are facts. They're my opinion. Would you say people getting paid to do a job are volunteers? I didn't say that all of them were doing their job in a friendly or courteous manner either nor were they being unfriendly to supporters. I haven't heard of many personal injury claims being brought against Croke Park. Again that is my opinion. You seem to think there could be plenty of claims against heavy handed stewards in Croke Park. Perhaps you can inform us of the facts."
"Thankfully there aren't many" that statement alone indicates you have some knowledge of the number, when in fact you haven't, regardless of whether its your opinion or not. It indicates that your statement is a statement of fact when in fact your spoofing. "Would you say people getting paid to do a job are volunteers ? ", not even sure where or how this is relevant, but a volunteer usually performs voluntary work which means no pay. Re claims of heavy handed stewards in Croke Park, I witnessed some of the worst behaviour at the 1983 All Ireland final & in 2015 my family were subjected to a torrent of abuse from a steward, when they were in their correct seats, as for complaining to Croke Park, you might as well be pissing into the wind. In 2006 Peter Mc Kenna of Croke Park described some of the behaviour of stewards as loutish & that there would be bans. In 2008 Fr. Liam Kelleher of Cork was manhandled off the field in an appalling manner & the Cork girls were treated badly. there have been loads of incidents stated on here, are they all wrong ? Last year in PUC two elderly men from Clare were very roughly removed from the pitch. If stewards are going to physically manhandle people, the law is that they need the required training & security licence, if they don't have that, then they shouldn't be doing that role & the GAA would be subject to litigation.

Uimhir.a.3. (Galway) - Posts: 409 - 03/04/2019 15:21:04    2177513

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