http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2010/0811/1224276547634.html

Article today in the times discussing the ongoing barrier issue in Croke Park.

A good note I took from it was that if (god help us it doesn't) a tragedy like Hillsborough, Ibrox or Heysel happened, people would be up in arms about it. That would when, the GAA and the Gardai, would have not done enough to prevent it. Another good note was the Plan B incident from the AI final last year. It became somewhat of a joke to some, but I don't think many can argue that a serious outcome could have been a real possibility.
Part of me feels sorry for the GAA in this debate. Barriers can be raised, appeals can be made, but the responsibility also rests with the individual who decides it's great 'fun' to rush the pitch.
Views?

premierfan (Tipperary) - Posts: 121 - 12/08/2010 11:18:03    743937

It will only be an issue when louth are playing

P.Mus (Cavan) - Posts: 386 - 12/08/2010 11:21:57    743942

there was never an issue with fans on the pitch until the last few years by where ireland has become an overhyped health and safety republic where before long everyone will be walking around wrapped in cotton wool.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11945 - 12/08/2010 11:28:04    743950

Remember Mcgeeney when receiving Sam and he had to keep shouting " Get Back " some1s goona get hurt! think the GAA needed Kerry to win the all ireland this year as the fans wouldnt have the same pssion to go on the pitch or Tyrone probably!

If Roscommon, Mayo, Kildare, The Dubs after a 15 year wait, Down counties like this that havnt won in over a decade win the fans wont be stopped!!!

just a natural reaction where rules dont apply

Ros2013 (Roscommon) - Posts: 622 - 12/08/2010 11:43:10    743974

Premierfan, my view has changed over the last year. I was all in favour of crowds running on to Croker after the game - tradition and all that.
But I understand now that when 20000 people get on to the pitch, they all have to exit onto Jones Road adding to crowds already there - this is extremely dangerous. I think people should cop on and stay in the the stands and terraces. I hope it doesn't take someone to get killed before we get sense on this.
I don't like the fence on Hill16 though - surely thats backward thinking. Persuasion will work better - player appeals etc.
If the Dubs happen to make it over the line this year, I'll have to restrain myself!

jos33 (Dublin) - Posts: 243 - 12/08/2010 11:44:36    743976

jos33
County: Dublin
Posts: 116

743976 Premierfan, my view has changed over the last year. I was all in favour of crowds running on to Croker after the game - tradition and all that.
But I understand now that when 20000 people get on to the pitch, they all have to exit onto Jones Road adding to crowds already there - this is extremely dangerous. I think people should cop on and stay in the the stands and terraces. I hope it doesn't take someone to get killed before we get sense on this.
I don't like the fence on Hill16 though - surely thats backward thinking. Persuasion will work better - player appeals etc.
If the Dubs happen to make it over the line this year, I'll have to restrain myself!

Why do they all have to exit onto Jones Rd?

They don't. From the pitch you can exit back throuh the stands anyway you like.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13845 - 12/08/2010 11:50:45    743982

As much as I wouldn't like to see it, it does need to be done. If crowds continue to rush onto pitches, then sooner or later there will be an accident or god forbid a casualty At least the GAA are being proactive in this issue instead of the usual: waiting for something awful to happen first.

3SeptemberRoad (Kerry) - Posts: 99 - 12/08/2010 11:51:17    743984

if we stop people driving on our roads we will prevent accidents, if we stop wearing levis we will prevent the deaths of cotton pickers, if we stop people going onto the pitch ocroke park we will stop some vauge accident in the future. better still close croker and the world will be a safer place!

ochonlir (Cavan) - Posts: 4343 - 12/08/2010 11:58:24    743994

ochonlir
County: Cavan
Posts: 1392

743994 if we stop people driving on our roads we will prevent accidents, if we stop wearing levis we will prevent the deaths of cotton pickers, if we stop people going onto the pitch ocroke park we will stop some vauge accident in the future. better still close croker and the world will be a safer place!

I agree. We should close all GAA grounds. I mean all those people in the same place. There's bound to be an accident at some stage. We can just show the games on T.V. but it should be against the law for more than 4 people to be watching the same T.V. in case the jump up in excitement and hurt themselves.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13845 - 12/08/2010 12:04:07    743999

Well said Yew Tree. Insurance companies drive all this health and safety stuff in order to maximise profits. Profits are the issue here, and peoples safety is only a factor insofar as it impacts on profits.

That said, there's no doubt that there are people alive today, who wouldn't have been without health and safety legislation. Finding the happy medium is the issue.

Can the GAA produce real statistics to prove beyond doubt that serious injuries occur significantly more frequently during pitch invasions, than during other match day activities? There's a century worth of data that can be reviewed to answer that question. If the answer is yes, then pitch invasions must be reviewed. If the answer is no, then there's no need.

And if the GAA chose to review pitch invasions, that doesn't mean they must stop them. It MIGHT mean that the co-operation they would have to seek in order to stop them, might be better channeled into attempting to somehow organise the incursion in a safer manner. The major issue would appear to be, not so much the incursion itself, but the spped and manner in which it happens.

Culchie (Cork) - Posts: 799 - 12/08/2010 12:08:04    744005

As Bravado as it sounds if Monaghan won the All-Ireland ( I know its wishful thinking!), I would only feel it right to run onto the pitch as would many of our supporters...My father was at the Massive Down All-Ireland in the 60s which had a record attendance...Its part of the GAA culture to run onto the pitch glorifying our footballers....Is the GAA starting to lose its identity???

MonsFreshPrince (Monaghan) - Posts: 83 - 12/08/2010 12:12:25    744008

MesAmis you are right that people on the pitch dont have to exit using Jones Road but I read that they nearly all tend to. I know that Jones Road gets very congested even before games.
Maybe someone here can clarify this - I'm just going on what I read in the papers.

jos33 (Dublin) - Posts: 243 - 12/08/2010 12:16:07    744012

jos33
County: Dublin
Posts: 117

744012 MesAmis you are right that people on the pitch dont have to exit using Jones Road but I read that they nearly all tend to. I know that Jones Road gets very congested even before games.
Maybe someone here can clarify this - I'm just going on what I read in the papers.

They can exit all sides of the ground and if the GAA is serious about peoples safety after the match then they can take measures to ensure that patrons exit in different directions from the pitch.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13845 - 12/08/2010 12:21:02    744025

I think it's an excellent article which at last points out that at the end of the day the responsibility lies with us the supporters to do the right thing and stay off the pitch. I doubt anyone who was in Cardiff for the Grand Slam victory last year or say in Gaints Stadium in '94 had their enjoyment of being present at the event ruined by the fact they didn't run onto the pitch afterwards. Anyone who talks about Nanny state rules or this being overblown health and safety nonsense is way off the mark. We are talking about 82,000 people in a very small and built up area. The last line is definitely right time for us all to grow up.

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 12/08/2010 12:31:22    744052

People seem to forget that it was overcrowding and dilapidated facilities that caused these disasters. It's unfortunate that the view from hill 16 will be impaired because a few juveniles, drunks, and half wits want to run out on the pitch.... somebody mentioned tradition?.... tradition me a***e!

Floops (Dublin) - Posts: 1623 - 12/08/2010 12:35:13    744058

Surely it is safer to allow fans on to the field in some sort of orderly fashion then to try hold back a huge crowd. That is where any injuries will occur. The GAA are going to have to compromise on this. Either that or stop treating their fans like free thinking human beings like the soccer authorities do.

roundball (Tipperary) - Posts: 2514 - 12/08/2010 12:35:20    744060

The GAA are going to have to compromise? They have already compromised by retaining the Hill as a terrace when safety concerns demanded it be seated. Also if you've been to stadiums outside this country they don't go for this city centre location because they realise the dangers involved. they build a big stadium with a lot of space and car parking around it out on the edge of town. That we have held on to the sacred turf of Croker and that fans have the option of a terrace are compromise enough. It's a sad-state of affairs that a fence needs to be built but it's not the GAA's fault that fans keep trying to get on the pitch and cause the confusion that follows.

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 12/08/2010 12:51:02    744084

This country is gone health and safety mad

dammon (Meath) - Posts: 1291 - 12/08/2010 12:54:27    744087

lol dammon

ochonlir (Cavan) - Posts: 4343 - 12/08/2010 12:57:25    744093

How dare ye suits in croke park try and fence patrons of gaa in like animals .after hillsborough mckensie report called for removal of all bariers in interest of crowd safety.leinster final problems were a unique set of events likely to never occur againn.those fans who threw bottles belong to another code and jumped on louth bandwagon.For some time highly paid members of stadium croke park have been calling for fences,wonder why?are they real gaa people or are they only interested in balance sheets to justify huge salarys.we have had to endure soccer and rugby promoting their games for last few years using our croke park to do so at expence of our own codes.heads in crokepark should be more concerned with development of gaa than killing our traditions.as a boy coming onto pitch was the thrill of lifetime. please dont destroy our tradition.

hurler40 (Cavan) - Posts: 450 - 12/08/2010 12:58:23    744094