GAA PRESIDENT LIAM O’Neill says that the post-match invasion of playing fields cannot be justified in modern society.
O’Neill added that the Association would once again try to enforce stronger deterrents to fans’ on-field celebrations, saying the practice is a serious safety risk for those attending GAA fixtures.
“This was painted as an insurance risk for the GAA,” said O’Neill, “it was never about that for us. It is about safety.
“We have seen the security tapes from Croke Park, we know what happens. I remember myself, in one Leinster final when I was Leinster chairperson, a wall of people came off The Hill and they raced across the field. I turned to the person beside me and said ‘I hope nobody in the front row falls here’ because the stampede could not have got the word to stop. I just felt that day that the line had to be drawn.”
O’Neill cited a Jimmy Deenihan injury in a pitch invasion in 1981 as an example of how crowd behaviour can be detrimental to player welfare and countered the argument that scenes such as the celebrations following Limerick’s Munster SHC victory were part of the fabric of the sport.
“The presentation in Limerick wasn’t great. People couldn’t see the presentation, the stand was crowded, we were surrounded by people standing up on seats in front of us. It wasn’t safe.”
“It’s a pity it took three claims to get people behind what it is. A number of commentators have been commenting on the issue and saying it is traditional to go on the field and so on. It is actually dangerous and it is not justifiably in modern society that people put themselves at risk by going onto a field.”
He added: “When you speak on something like this people react negatively to you because they think you are being a spoil-sport. You’re not, you are putting people first and sometimes people have to be helped to see that this isn’t a good idea. ”
Special
The idea of players parading around the ground with the cup is something new and it is something special and I think it has proven its worth in Croke Park and I see no reason why it shouldn’t be done elsewhere.”
O’Neill would not go into detail on the stage of the three claims personal injury claims made after the Munster hurling final, but was keen to add that his major concern is that a safety risk occurred in the first place.
He’s right… While some of the greatest, memorable scenes in GAA history are of pitch invasions, we now live in a Health n Safety mad world but also I think the players should be allowed celebrate their success with the mgmt team and teammates on the field and do a lap of honour… rather than some big drunk culchie (I’ve been that drunk culchie) slobbering all over your face, telling you that your going to get your hole no bother for the next year, while simultaneously trying to rob your Hurley…….
If somebody gets injured by going out on the pitch after a match its their own fault they shouldnt be suing anybody. Nobody mad them go on the pitch. Its just typical of the compensation culture that some people have everything is somebody elses fault when most of the time its their own stupidity. And they ruin it for everybody else.
Exactly. I wonder if a person was trespassing on private property and hurt themselves could they claim? Maybe there could be something there to make it impossible to claim.
If you choose to go onto the pitch, and then fall and hurt yourself why should you be rewarded for being an eejit?
It’s the usual. A few eejits ruining it for everybody.
Thanks for ruining it Limerick?? we made it popular again – the 3 claimants were from Cork…if we ever win an-all Ireland, it will take the entire army and all the gardai horses to stop that pitch invasion…
Dead right! Do you think the army would stop a Mayo invasion if we ever finally won one!! :-/
I understand what people are saying but that will not take away from what I believe were some of the best and most enjoyable scenes of the gaa Championship last year and as such it is shown on every gaa promo video of last year’s Championship.
Thanks for ruining it for everyone, limerick.
I do think this a touchy subject because the safety risk is so high but i loved getting out on the pitch after to celebrate,if its just a safety issue I’m sure there could be a safe way for them to open the gate and let people out on to the pitch in a controlled manner and the people who wish to stay and watch can.. Where’s there’s a will there’s a way,all out banning I don’t think is completely necessary with out trying other methods.
I can see the point about people being trampled in the rush to get out onto the pitch. If you told the fans to hang on for 10 mins and let the players be presented with the cup first before the fans were let out they’d be happy enough with that. You’d miss the wander around Croke Park after the All-Ireland final. Liam O’Neill has carefully worded his statement but never again allowing fans onto a pitch after a big game is hardly putting the people first and has little to do with our safety.
Stop people from jumping the advertising boards and open the gate to leave them in that way problem solved