Crokes call for segregation
January 26, 2012
Dr.Crokes's Colm Cooper marked by Crossmaglen's Paul Kernan during the 2007 AIB Club Football Final Replay at Portlaoise
The chairman of the Killarney club, Vincent Casey, has made the call in the wake of the violent scenes that marred last Sunday's All-Ireland club JFC semi-final between Derrytresk and Dromid Pearses, which also took place in O'Moore Park. Casey admitted that Dr Crokes are concerned about the security at the Co. Laois venue and want the GAA to change their usual seating arrangements ahead of the February 18 clash.
When Crokes and Cross' met in the 2007 All-Ireland final replay at O'Moore Park, the Kerry side's fans were subjected to verbal abuse from rival supporters, while Crokes midfielder Ambrose O'Donovan was allegedly struck with an umbrella on his way off the field after being sent off.
"We are looking for a block of tickets for our supporters so they can sit together in a particular area of the stand and therefore both sets of supporters can cheer on their team, without interfering or upsetting each other," Casey said in the Irish Examiner.
"It's basic common sense and good practice really because we want the 30 players on the field grabbing the headlines afterwards unlike the coverage our games have been getting over the past number of days. We are also looking for adequate stewarding and in view of what happened there on Sunday they increase the number of stewards at the venue and that also they have a bigger Garda presence than last Sunday.
"We would like to see the area in front of the where the substitutes sit to be well stewarded so there is no chance of anyone other than authorised personnel having any access to the pitch.
"We have mentioned it to the Kerry County Board and they will represent us at county level, and let Croke Park know about our concerns. Some county board officials were there and saw what happened in Portlaoise so they are aware of the situation."
The Crokes chairman added: "There was an incident five years ago when one of our players was hit after being sent off, and we feel strongly that this needs to be addressed because five years on from our experience there, this happened last Sunday," Casey said.
"It's important that the players feel safe on the field but that the supporters feel safe in the stands as well. If you are going to a match then you are there to enjoy it, you don't expect fights like that to break out or for kids to see that type of behaviour." Tweet
