Barriers to keep the dubs in.

[The Wedger]

Why can't people simply respect the wishes of the organisers and stay off the field as requested?

Maybe because most of these people want to keep the long standing tradition of celebrating the win on the field?

There was a long standing tradition of sitting on the roof of the Hogan.
Should we still do it?

[Bord na Mona man]

The waiting the 5 minutes is unlikely to work. For starters neutrals won't be able to leave their seats to go home as the scrums assemble in the aisles and at all the narrow exit gates. The pressure could start to grow on these gates and cause a crush situation.

A few jubilant (and probably fortified) yahoos are still going to do their utmost to make the break onto the field before the allotted time.
As what happens with normal invasions, once a few people manage to break the cordon, Every other wannabe invader makes a simultaneous burst for it.

The simplest and cheapest solutions are the best

- Put ads on the radio, tv, newspapers, Sacred Heart Messenger. Make stadium announcements, that if fans enter the playing area after the game, there will be NO, repeat NO cup presentation. Don't let there be any doubt about this.
- Be prepared to implement this. Don't just shake your head and hand over the cup as the fans celebrate winning the game and getting one up on Croke Park
- Don't hire tonnes of extra security. Doing this only raises the stakes and dares people to want to get one up on authority.

Most likely the first time, a few hard core, 'this is my pitch', 'its my right to invade', 'who do the GAA think they are telling what me what to do' types will burst onto the field regardless.
Walk away with the cup. There will be consternation, but so what.

Its not as if people weren't warned enough. Even Joe Duffy would find it hard to sympathise with whingers who warned profusely and still did it.

The message will eventually sink in. Fans will realise that managing to invade and get one up on the GAA, or live out 'tradition' is the most pyrrhic of victories imaginable.

[pintsofguinness]

Very few of the arguments put forward by Cooney & McKenna stand up to scrutiny.
At this stage, if they just said "Look, ye are wrecking the pitch" I'd have a lot more respect for them.
Instead we get insurance, Hillsborough, referees being attacked, only a matter of time before someone is killed etc.
I don't buy any of that tbh.

That's the thing, just be honest.
I read a while back that they said it took 20,000 to repair the field every time it was invaded, complete bullshit, they must think people are stupid.

[Maguire01]

The problem is, we've all heard the 'Plan B' announcement too many times. No one really expects it to work.

[deiseach]

- Put ads on the radio, tv, newspapers, Sacred Heart Messenger. Make stadium announcements, that if fans enter the playing area after the game, there will be NO, repeat NO cup presentation. Don't let there be any doubt about this.
- Be prepared to implement this. Don't just shake your head and hand over the cup as the fans celebrate winning the game and getting one up on Croke Park

Definitely the best suggestion I've read. If safety is so important, it shouldn't be a difficult scenario to countenance.

But they're clearly not countenancing it, and it adds grist to my mill that this has nothing to so with safety or insurance or the state of the pitch and everything to do with eradicating the image of the GAA as a mucksavage organisaton. The only thing that'd look worse than a pitch invasion before the presentation would be no presentation at all

[Jinxy]

Why can't people simply respect the wishes of the organisers and stay off the field as requested?

Maybe because most of these people want to keep the long standing tradition of celebrating the win on the field?

There was a long standing tradition of sitting on the roof of the Hogan.
Should we still do it?

That wasn't a tradition.
A handful of people at best.

[Jinxy]

- Put ads on the radio, tv, newspapers, Sacred Heart Messenger. Make stadium announcements, that if fans enter the playing area after the game, there will be NO, repeat NO cup presentation. Don't let there be any doubt about this.
- Be prepared to implement this. Don't just shake your head and hand over the cup as the fans celebrate winning the game and getting one up on Croke Park

Definitely the best suggestion I've read. If safety is so important, it shouldn't be a difficult scenario to countenance.

But they're clearly not countenancing it, and it adds grist to my mill that this has nothing to so with safety or insurance or the state of the pitch and everything to do with eradicating the image of the GAA as a mucksavage organisaton. The only thing that'd look worse than a pitch invasion before the presentation would be no presentation at all

There you have it in a nutshell.
The powers that be have looked around at presentations in other sports i.e. fireworks, stage, HIGH SPONSOR VISIBILITY etc. and said "That should be us too".
No peasants in the way to spoil the view.

[Jinxy]

The Irish Times - Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Spectators' behaviour proving a barrier on safety issue

SEÁN MORAN

On Gaelic Games: It is a pity people just couldn't listen to common sense and not force the erection of fences

"THERE IS a distinct risk that while Croke Park itself can be viewed in the public mind as exemplifying the best in a new Ireland, the issues raised by ownership and access to Croke Park may portray the GAA as an association that is negative, old fashioned, political and redolent of an older Ireland."

The above paragraph is taken from the GAA's Marketing Sub-Committee report of 2005. Of course, the access in question concerns the opening of Croke Park to other sports, but it has a topical resonance with the GAA embroiled in an increasingly bitter row over its attempts to curtail the inclination of spectators to invade the pitch after big matches.

[seafoid]

The Irish Times - Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Spectators' behaviour proving a barrier on safety issue

SEÁN MORAN

On Gaelic Games: It is a pity people just couldn't listen to common sense and not force the erection of fences

"THERE IS a distinct risk that while Croke Park itself can be viewed in the public mind as exemplifying the best in a new Ireland, the issues raised by ownership and access to Croke Park may portray the GAA as an association that is negative, old fashioned, political and redolent of an older Ireland."

The above paragraph is taken from the GAA's Marketing Sub-Committee report of 2005. Of course, the access in question concerns the opening of Croke Park to other sports, but it has a topical resonance with the GAA embroiled in an increasingly bitter row over its attempts to curtail the inclination of spectators to invade the pitch after big matches.

That older Ireland wasn't bad. It had balanced budgets and stable house prices.

On-pitch presentations with lots of glitter are naff anyway. It is much better to have the pontius pilate style address to a dhaoine uaisle below before announcing ta an-athas orm to the ecstatic crowd who may be surveyed comprehensively. How else does one appreciate the significance of what has just happened in  the ultimate sporting moment of the year . Anything else is a let down.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

A far more sensible suggestion would be to put seats on the hill and remove the current fence.

Better still, flatten the Ard Comhairle part of the Hogan and install in its place a caged area for delinquents.

We can't have Bertie slumming it in Premium now - we've got to ensure he's looked after in Ard Comhairle

They could put in a special little cage at the front just for him. The Go-Games children could throw him biscuits and bananas on their way back under the Hogan after their half-time games.

Mountjoy or Portlaoise have to type of cage that the Dumcondra Don should be housed in.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

Why can't people simply respect the wishes of the organisers and stay off the field as requested?

Maybe because most of these people want to keep the long standing tradition of celebrating the win on the field?

There was a long standing tradition of sitting on the roof of the Hogan.
Should we still do it?

I remember one of the Mayo V Meath Finals in 1996, there was a lad on the Nally Stand and next time I looked up there was no lad on the roof and a small hole in the top of the stand, always wondered did I imagine that.

[knockitdown]

Off the fence today focused on the ongoing debate on how to stop the crowd entering the pitch at the end of the AI finals.

A 2.8m fence will be in place around the hill in time for both finals this year. Anyone i have spoken to and indeed in the irish news today, the general opion is that it is a disaster.

Theres always one who will agree tho.........     Mr Fearon     I cant help but wonder if this opinion would change if armagh were still in the running.

[lynchbhoy]

barrier for Hill16...is it not being installed all the way around the ground...this should be done.

or some kind of automated barrier raising system that gets 'erected' 5 mins before the game ends (with any supporters inside that or or on the pitch once the barriers go up to be arrested and jailed overnight for trespassing.
Not sure if this feat of engineering has been invented, but it cant be too difficult to use hydraulics and cascading foldable Iron fencing that fits neatly benind the advertising hoarding !
(something for you engineering entrepeneurs to come up with and patent!!)

Anyhow the Dubs are the least worst offenders for pitch invasions.
They will have one maybe two invasions left this season I'd reckon ! Who'd have thought 6 months ago that this would be Dublins year !!

[Dinny Breen]

They will be installing it all round the pitch, the Hill 16 is the first, it's their test to see does it help keep people off the pitch, they expect a full pitch invasion this year regardless but the barriers are here to stay it looks like

[Jinxy]

The gas thing is, if there is a pitch invasion and someone gets hurt BECAUSE of the barrier they'll say "Look, we told you so. Pitch invasions are evil!"