New fence in front of The Hill

[quote="hurlingguru"]No bother Joseff, I think there are 5 Louth posters but 1 has only ever posted. Sawyer I think. Cant see myself burning the good aul ash (well a lot of plastic going around at the moment ).[/quote

The name Sawyer rings a bell, think he was one of the HS old boys aswell.

The plastic is the way to go.
Attended a coaching seminar with George O'Connor, he was all for the plastic SHTICKS

Yours In Sport,
Joseff

I've seen a few lads with them and they seem to get a better puck. Anyway I'm off.

Jayo Cluxton wrote:Lads this is GAATipster - all welcome. We do not exist to compete, bitch or refer to other sites - plenty of room for all. If you have something to contribute then do - otherwise lose the schoolyard ***** please ...

If I was out of order I apologise. I was merely trying to ascertain Joseff's opinion on fencing and pitch invasions by giving my views on the matter.

Joseff appears to be in favour of them whereas I'm not.....

That was louth that caused that! They would ruin anything I hope your happy, No go hibernate for another 50 years! Buh Byeeee

what i dont understand is why is it going up in front of the Hill and nowhere else or have i missed part of the story - its all a load of bollox if you ask me

I'm really sorry to be a bore and actually get back to the subject topic of this thread.

I would totally to agree with Boxty in allowing fans/supporters on to the pitch after games. I take issue with the term "pitch invasion". How can you actually invade something that belongs to you. I mean in every county the length and breadth of the country supporters, family's, friends go on to pitches to celebrate with their heroes whether they be the Under 14 team that has won its first championship or the club team that has won a championship at whatever level.

Croke park should be no different but sadly it seems to be going that way and is part of the corporate, money making, sterile Croke park we have recently witnessed. Is anyone seriously suggesting that if Kildare, Cork, Down or Dublin win this years All Ireland that everyone will stand up, clap hands and say "Jolly good show". Catch a grip Christy! .

The over the top suggestions made by the GAA hierarchy are merely scare mongering tactics. In 1961 when there was 90556 supporters at that years final with a high percentage of the crowd in the old wooden Hogan stand all smoking woodbine like troopers and yet and all the stand didn't burn to the ground back then. The hierarchy are suggesting allocating the first four rows of seats in the Cusack, Canal and hogan to neutral supporters and effectively employing them as human shields not to mention the 2.8 meter high barrier in front of the hill that flies in the face of the Taylor report which basically outlined that such barriers have no place in modern stadiums. I don't agree with it at all and hope that the winning county whoever that may be can celebrate their all Ireland win in the traditional grass roots way.


On a side note, yes Jayo this is a wonderful site with many many genuine posters and long may that continue.

Also, Little Oak, I wouldn't blame the Louth fans, It was that **** of a Sluddens fault. end of story.

Mugseys-Barber, why are you so fascinated with the lazyiest cornor forward in the history of the GAA?

I'll ignore the Derry above.

Yours In Sport,
Joseff

Barriers around sports grounds = casualties. Simple as that.

The GAA are looking to stop the pitch invasions in Croke Park purely for financial reasons.
Croke Park management company (and by proxy, the GAA) spends a significant sum each year on public liability insurance, which includes cover for injuries to patrons in all areas of the ground, including the pitch. The GAA's insurers have indiciated a willingness to reduce the cost of the insurance if the GAA can demonstrate that pitch invasions are no more.
Basically, if the GAA can prevent invasions for a year or two then the cost of the insurance premiums will be reduced.

The reason for targetting the Hill is that it has been the point where the first breach nearly always occurs. Nothing to do with the fans in the Hill, it's just that the nature of terracing when compared to rows of seats means that a people can press to "invade" across a long area, whilst people in the stands are only able to press at the points where there are steps.

The reason that this is such an issue at Croke Park, and not at other grounds, is that Croker is the only stadium where the pitch invasion regularly comprises 10-20,000 people. At a club game it's rare for the crowd coming onto the pitch to exceed 100 people, whilst even at provincial finals, the crowd invading the pitch would rarely exceed 1,000.

Finally, there is legislation in the pipeline (following strong lobbying from the GAA, IFRU and FAI) to outlaw pitch invasions (covering both after matches, and during matches), unless premitted by the event organisers. Once this legislation comes in, expect a few high-profile prosecutions, followed by the disappearance of pitch invasions

Joseff wrote:Mugseys-Barber, why are you so fascinated with the lazyiest cornor forward in the history of the GAA?

I'll ignore the Derry above.

Yours In Sport,
Joseff

To be honest thats about as languid an opinion in relation to one of the modern day greats of our games. Your actually saying that a man that has won 3 All Ireland titles, 2 NFL, 1 All Ire minor, 2 All Ire Under 21, 1 All ire vocational, 1 All Ire intermediate Club, 1 All star etc etcis the laziest corner forward in the history of the GAA. Aye aye .

I wouldn't really call it a fascination either, more like a complimentary respect for this gentleman who's moments of brilliance actually put me in mind of myself in my playing days minus of course the blonde peroxide locks.
Naw, I'd never go for that look, I'm as Black as the boy in that avatar of yours

didnt the gaa have the pitch invasions stopped for a few years, i think it was 2002 that the first major pitch invasion occured when Armagh won the all-ireland. Have to say i was probably in the first 20 or 30 onto the field as i was sitting in the first row of the cussack stand. There was no chance of stopping the crowd that day, just like Tyrone the following year. I think its more likely for someone to get hurt in trying to stop pitch invasions. Surely it would be more beneficial for the stewarts turn their attention to helping fans get onto the field in a safe manner with no restictions. Barriers and trying to get past stewarts are more likely to cause injury than simply getting onto a field and standing in a crowd. Not sure of the ins and outs of insurance but surely if claims and injuries are down then insurance rates should come down

samin10 wrote:didnt the gaa have the pitch invasions stopped for a few years,

Samin - As far as I remember that was more down to the fact that the Hogan was being renovated and they needed to present the Cup on the pitch -which was certainly the case in 2001.

I would suggest even at this remove that in the unlikely event of the underdogs winning the first semi and unbelievably annexing Sam then to try to prevent people getting on the pitch - from the Hill or elsewhere could prove very calamatious........... seriously ...

Invading a pitch is wonderful - if you're ten.

The GAA have tried in vein for years now by appealing to the common sense of GAA fans but alas... this is the solution.

Joseff wrote:Mugseys-Barber, why are you so fascinated with the lazyiest cornor forward in the history of the GAA?

I'll ignore the Derry above.

Yours In Sport,
Joseff

Joseff your picture is scaring me! Aye ignore me but its true sadly

Yes the GAA seemed to have a handle on this for a few years. Meath (1999), kerry (2000), galway (2001) all received the trophy in the centre of the pitch. Fair play to their supporters, they obeyed the instructions of the authorities and stayed off the field. Then along came armagh in 2002 and just ignored all instructions because they were gonna do whatever they wanted. Not one of their supporters knew how to behave themselves and didnt mcgeeney even have to delay his speech by 15 mins to plead with the armagh fans to behave. He looked so embarrassed at their blatant disregard for the safety of others

From the HS website

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GPA backs barrier plans

The Hill 16 barrier will go up to 2.8 metres for the All Ireland football semi finals.
11 August 2010

The Gaelic Players' Association (GPA) has backed plans to erect a 2.8 metre fence at the foot of Hill 16.

The barriers will be installed between the two All-Ireland football semi-finals and represent the GAA's latest attempt to end pitch invasions.

Stressing the importance of player safety, GPA spokesman Sean Potts said yesterday: "We have had plenty of anecdotal evidence of players being struck at the end of matches, as recently as the Leinster final, so we would see it as an important development - as far as we are concerned pitches are for players.



"It is difficult to get players to go on the record about something like this because they don't want to be seen distancing themselves from their supporters and their support base.

"I think that is very much a cultural thing as well because you have instances in professional sports where players are distanced or cosseted away from the fans.

"Ultimately, that is not the case here. I think there is a great and natural rapport between our amateur players, who live in their communities, and the fan base. Once the safety concerns are there and have been proven to be real, we are happy enough to support this campaign."

Potts is against the idea of controlled or managed invasions as suggested by Tyrone manager Mickey Harte to safeguard the GAA's tradition of post-match celebrations.

"I don't think that's feasible," he said.

"One of the reasons Croke Park have given is that the pitch is a safety area in the case of some emergency in the stand and the space needs to be protected there."

whiterbananas wrote:Yes the GAA seemed to have a handle on this for a few years. Meath (1999), kerry (2000), galway (2001) all received the trophy in the centre of the pitch. Fair play to their supporters, they obeyed the instructions of the authorities and stayed off the field. Then along came armagh in 2002 and just ignored all instructions because they were gonna do whatever they wanted. Not one of their supporters knew how to behave themselves and didnt mcgeeney even have to delay his speech by 15 mins to plead with the armagh fans to behave. He looked so embarrassed at their blatant disregard for the safety of others

yes, it took him 15 minutes to say " move back, move back, dont ruin it". I wonder how the mayo fans will react if they ever win it again. (i fear it wont be in our life time)

I think the ending of the pitch invasions would be tragedy. Croke Park is not a normal stadium, the GAA is not a normal sporting organisation.....we do not have to imitate other so-called sports out of some sort of embarassment. It's a tradition and to see the pitch flooded with the colours of the victorious team is one of the sights that makes our games so unique.

The GAA is about the people.....the people who do the lifts for the u-10 league on a Sunday morning, the people who wash the jerseys, the people who take the time to manage underage teams even though they might get hammered every game. It's about the young lad who gets told he can never play for his beloved team again because of injury or illness or the little girl who believes she can be every bit as good at football as her brother and trains her heart out. It's for the 39 year old who just wants to get on the pitch for the reserves and show the young lads how it's done. The Croke Park pitch is for the people and without the people the GAA is nothing. I don't like getting sentimental but for me the crowd coming onto the pitch and celebrating with the players is a reminder of the link between every county team and the people behind them. This is not like Manchester United where die-hard fans will probably never speak to their heroes after a match at Old Trafford whereas in the GAA the man who had tens of thousands of people on the edge of their seats can be found in classrooms, building sites etc. They live among us because they too are a part of the people.

Putting up a barrier sounds more like a recipe for disaster than allowing the crowd to flow into an open expanse. I actually couldn't believe what I was reading when I saw the GAA's plan which they almost seem to be boasting about....they're going to fill the first 4 rows of seats with people from neutral counties. In other words....a neutral GAA patron might take his young children to Croke Park to experience the thrill and excitement of All-Ireland final day ...that is of course on the understanding that they are to be used as human shields against a surging crowd!

THIS IS MADNESS.

I have devoted much of my life to the GAA, I have contributed in my own part, as we all do, to the progress and development of this wonderful organisation. If Johnny Wilknson or Thierry Henry can stand on the most sacred space in Gaelic games, then I have every right to stand there too! And if Down win the All-Ireland I'll break my leg jumping off that barrier onto the pitch before anyone tells me I can't go on that pitch.

If the GAA is worried about safety then don't just take the handiest route and close off the pitch. They should sit down and talk about a system where it is EASIER for crowds to get on the pitch after the game so that the huge crowds can flow safely. Or can they not try a system where the pitch is closed off until the officials and players are able to reach the tunnel area then allow the crowd on? I'm sure however the winning team wouldn't mind being hailed by the fans though. The GAA has always tried to defend its traditions...let's keep this one alive.

couldve been a very serious incident though samindreamland, as the so-called armagh "fans" pushed and shoved and generally behaved like wild animals. I felt sorry for mcgeeney, he finally got the chance to do what he d always dreamed of - lift Sam - and now the moment was being ruined by his own countymen nearly causing a crush in front of the hogan stand. It was an unfortunate incident

bluearmy1 wrote:I think the ending of the pitch invasions would be tragedy. Croke Park is not a normal stadium, the GAA is not a normal sporting organisation.....we do not have to imitate other so-called sports out of some sort of embarassment. It's a tradition and to see the pitch flooded with the colours of the victorious team is one of the sights that makes our games so unique.

The GAA is about the people.....the people who do the lifts for the u-10 league on a Sunday morning, the people who wash the jerseys, the people who take the time to manage underage teams even though they might get hammered every game. It's about the young lad who gets told he can never play for his beloved team again because of injury or illness or the little girl who believes she can be every bit as good at football as her brother and trains her heart out. It's for the 39 year old who just wants to get on the pitch for the reserves and show the young lads how it's done. The Croke Park pitch is for the people and without the people the GAA is nothing. I don't like getting sentimental but for me the crowd coming onto the pitch and celebrating with the players is a reminder of the link between every county team and the people behind them. This is not like Manchester United where die-hard fans will probably never speak to their heroes after a match at Old Trafford whereas in the GAA the man who had tens of thousands of people on the edge of their seats can be found in classrooms, building sites etc. They live among us because they too are a part of the people.

Putting up a barrier sounds more like a recipe for disaster than allowing the crowd to flow into an open expanse. I actually couldn't believe what I was reading when I saw the GAA's plan which they almost seem to be boasting about....they're going to fill the first 4 rows of seats with people from neutral counties. In other words....a neutral GAA patron might take his young children to Croke Park to experience the thrill and excitement of All-Ireland final day ...that is of course on the understanding that they are to be used as human shields against a surging crowd!

THIS IS MADNESS.

I have devoted much of my life to the GAA, I have contributed in my own part, as we all do, to the progress and development of this wonderful organisation. If Johnny Wilknson or Thierry Henry can stand on the most sacred space in Gaelic games, then I have every right to stand there too! And if Down win the All-Ireland I'll break my leg jumping off that barrier onto the pitch before anyone tells me I can't go on that pitch.

If the GAA is worried about safety then don't just take the handiest route and close off the pitch. They should sit down and talk about a system where it is EASIER for crowds to get on the pitch after the game so that the huge crowds can flow safely. Or can they not try a system where the pitch is closed off until the officials and players are able to reach the tunnel area then allow the crowd on? I'm sure however the winning team wouldn't mind being hailed by the fans though. The GAA has always tried to defend its traditions...let's keep this one alive.

uhoh it's one of them hooligans from the 'blue army'

As long as Hill 16 remains terrace there will always be pitch invasions. Erecting a new fence sounds like a bad idea and could lead to another Hillsborough.

whiterbananas wrote:couldve been a very serious incident though samindreamland, as the so-called armagh "fans" pushed and shoved and generally behaved like wild animals. I felt sorry for mcgeeney, he finally got the chance to do what he d always dreamed of - lift Sam - and now the moment was being ruined by his own countymen nearly causing a crush in front of the hogan stand. It was an unfortunate incident

well i was near the front, a bit of swaying and moving in the crowd. No worse than any concert i have been to. Have not seen anyone hurt at either. You probably would have **** yourself if you were on the field that day (to be fair you wouldnt be the first mayo man to that on all-ireland final day)

Well mcgeeney seemed pretty concerned that someone was gonna get hurt sam. He knew the type of crowd he was dealing with. That is why he pleaded for a bit of calm. By the Grace of God nobody was hurt

Good article by Tom Humphries on this in Monday's Irish Times

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