Tom Humphries: GAA knobs put more then a fence between us

[magpie seanie]

To a certain extent I agree with you Pangurban but I think this issue highlights the democratic deficit that the likes of some of us know only too well. For that reason I hope this controversy runs and runs. I still cannot believe Sean Cavanagh on that big screen ad in Croker. He should be embarrassed.

[Jinxy]

Remember when the kids ran on the pitch in Salthill after the international rules?
The Aussies sh*t themselves. 
Be interesting to see what happens in the gaelic grounds.

[cogito]

Just read the article from the IT. I get where Tom is coming from and it would have been great if the people who ran from Sligo to Croker had of been let in. But what would you next year, if 4 different clubs from four different parts of the country ran to Croke Park on AI Final day? Do you let them all in?

I can see why the GAA didn't let them in and in fairness they got a mention in the match programme which meant 82,000 read about their great achievement! That is how i found out about what they done in the first place.

I mean if they were gonna let everyone that ran to Croke Park on a match day in, any person who enjoys running would happily do it just to get a ticket!

[AZOffaly]

Just read the article from the IT. I get where Tom is coming from and it would have been great if the people who ran from Sligo to Croker had of been let in. But what would you next year, if 4 different clubs from four different parts of the country ran to Croke Park on AI Final day? Do you let them all in?

I can see why the GAA didn't let them in and in fairness they got a mention in the match programme which meant 82,000 read about their great achievement! That is how i found out about what they done in the first place.

I mean if they were gonna let everyone that ran to Croke Park on a match day in, any person who enjoys running would happily do it just to get a ticket!

Think you've mis-read it. They arrived the day before (Saturday).

[Blue Island]

Lads there is a serious and valid case to be made re. the weakening of the democratic structures, and the assumption by the President of executive powers  far beyond his remit. We will only weaken our own arguments by focusing them on the pitch invasion ban, where our arguments can be reasonably countered. Yes celebratory invasions were a long treasured tradition, but in reality there day is gone. Croke Park has a duty of care, and therefore must minimise risk. A case can be made for allowing fans onto the pitch in an orderly manner following the presentation, having given players time to catch their breath, and commisserate with opponents. Lets concentrate on returning real power too the grass roots and not waste our energies squabbling over a fence

I agree with the main thrust of your argument that the fence in reality is about disenfranchisement of the ground roots level. It just seems to me the hierarchy do these things without taking any heed of popular opinion. Worse, I am convinced they do not think they are under any duty to either take soundings from GAA members, or at least try and argue their case in a persuasive manner.

I missed the pitch invasion on Sunday and think it is a loss, but if the majority of intercounty players want the fence and those who control Croke Park can actually show figures demonstrating this is costing us money then I would accept the change. I am open to persuasion, but the hierarchy would prefer to patronise us with ludicrous promos showing disasters caused by fences. It is a case of this is what we have decreed and you will abide by it.

The fence issue is a symptom of a more important issue. Croke Park seems disengaged from the broader GAA populace. I have no doubt if some club made a motion to get rid of the fence some apparatchik would have the motion removed quick smart because one word in the motion was incorrectly spelled. God forbid anyone could have a vote on it.

[blewuporstuffed]

Lads there is a serious and valid case to be made re. the weakening of the democratic structures, and the assumption by the President of executive powers  far beyond his remit. We will only weaken our own arguments by focusing them on the pitch invasion ban, where our arguments can be reasonably countered. Yes celebratory invasions were a long treasured tradition, but in reality there day is gone. Croke Park has a duty of care, and therefore must minimise risk. A case can be made for allowing fans onto the pitch in an orderly manner following the presentation, having given players time to catch their breath, and commisserate with opponents. Lets concentrate on returning real power too the grass roots and not waste our energies squabbling over a fence

I agree with the main thrust of your argument that the fence in reality is about disenfranchisement of the ground roots level. It just seems to me the hierarchy do these things without taking any heed of popular opinion. Worse, I am convinced they do not think they are under any duty to either take soundings from GAA members, or at least try and argue their case in a persuasive manner.

I missed the pitch invasion on Sunday and think it is a loss, but if the majority of intercounty players want the fence and those who control Croke Park can actually show figures demonstrating this is costing us money then I would accept the change. I am open to persuasion, but the hierarchy would prefer to patronise us with ludicrous promos showing disasters caused by fences. It is a case of this is what we have decreed and you will abide by it.

The fence issue is a symptom of a more important issue. Croke Park seems disengaged from the broader GAA populace. I have no doubt if some club made a motion to get rid of the fence some apparatchik would have the motion removed quick smart because one word in the motion was incorrectly spelled. God forbid anyone could have a vote on it.

Thats the best post i've read on the topic Blue Island

[Jinxy]

To be honest, I think if some players had their way, they'd have as much distance as possible between them and the fans.
After all, paid professionals don't have to put up with this stuff.
So why should they?

[blanketattack]

So far I've heard Cummins, Quirke, Canty, Marc Ó Sé and Sean Cavanagh voice opinions against supporters coming onto the pitch.
Have any current players voiced an opinion for supporters allowed on the pitch?

[Puckoon]

After watching the footage of the killkenny supporters behaving like animals to try and get on the pitch - and a couple other shots of the pitch invasions - there can't be any argument for continuing to allow anyone other than designated team members on the pitch.

[deiseach]

So far I've heard Cummins, Quirke, Canty, Marc Ó Sé and Sean Cavanagh voice opinions against supporters coming onto the pitch.
Have any current players voiced an opinion for supporters allowed on the pitch?

Eamonn O'Hara was supportive in his column in the Indo:

Invading the pitch makes GAA unique
A sense of belonging is our trump card and to separate a team from its people is foolish in the extreme
Monday August 16 2010

THE decision to fence in Hill 16 is based on sound logic. It's hard to argue against the health and safety issues that were mooted last week. That everyone gets home in one piece is, of course, the priority.

But we're unwittingly eroding what it is that sets the GAA apart. That people can invade the pitch and meet the people they are cheering for, and celebrate with them, is unique.

That sense of belonging is the GAA's trump card and it's why the association is as strong as it is today. To jeopardise that would be foolish in the extreme and separating a team from its people is the first step in that.

You start out in the stands watching as a youngster, a lucky few get to play, and when your playing days are over you return to the stands to watch. We're not soccer players; our loyalty and sense of place is real.

I know plenty of players have come out in favour of ending pitch invasions but I don't think they will know what they'll miss until it's gone. They told stories of how things could have gone badly wrong as people rushed onto the pitch, but that hasn't been my experience.

What happened to Martin Sludden at the end of the Leinster final was appalling but that's the exception rather than the rule and they were extraordinary circumstances.

Charlie Harrison told me a story about how a Roscommon woman ran into him at the end of the Connacht final this year, shouting "Take that, ya f**ker" as she went. That stuff just makes you laugh really when you look back and they really are rare incidents.

On the same day, I was walking off the field and some Roscommon people shook my hand, others commiserated but all of them were respectful before going off to celebrate with their team.

Thankfully, that's the way it has been all through my career and I have yet to have a nasty incident on the back of pitch invasions.

Another reason the GAA put forward last week was that players should be allowed celebrate victory or contemplate their defeat with dignity. I was obviously gutted after the Connacht final but there's no way I would want to see Roscommon people stopped from coming on the pitch to celebrate.

It was the same for us in 2007. Sligo people had waited long enough for that and they wanted to support their team and the team wanted to enjoy the moment with them.

HONEST

A lap of honour is the touted replacement for the pitch invasion. Waving to the crowd from behind a fence just isn't the same thing and, being honest, I think they will find it hard to enforce it, particularly at provincial venues.

When we beat Mayo at Markievicz Park this year, it took me around half an hour to get off the field. When you've been around long enough, you get to realise that you have to drink in the good days and I enjoyed every minute of that. In the end, Kevin Walsh came out of the dressing-room and escorted me off the pitch because he wanted to talk to the team.

But when you're coming off a pitch, people congratulate you and want to shake your hand. They're after paying good money to watch you play, so it's the least you can do to stop for a moment and give them a minute of your time or get in a photograph with a kid.

That's the stuff we'll miss out on. It's the accessibility to the big stars that sees the GAA more than compete with international sports like soccer and rugby and we should do everything we can to protect it.

The Hill will soon be fenced off but if Dublin win the All-Ireland title this year, I don't see them breaking into a polite round of applause before turning on their heels and leaving.

Likewise, if Kilkenny win their fifth title in a row, it's hard to see anything but a pitch invasion, which will lead to the famous calls from the stadium announcer for 'Plan B' to be put in place.

Maybe Plan B should actually be Plan A.

[hectorsheroes]

Benny Coulter said he would if he was in the crowd and Down won an All Ireland he'd be over the fence

[dodgy umpire]

Benny Coulter said he would if he was in the crowd and Down won an All Ireland he'd be over the fence

He said it would "be worth the black eye" from a steward or something to that effect. Benny is a genuine guy, explains why he is the hero of so many in Down. You would never  see him in some anti pitch invasion advertisement

[AZOffaly]

Michael Shields I believe supports the idea of the invasion. I would guess there is no hard and fast rule of 'GAA Players' being against or behind the concept of pitch invasions.

I would be thinking of the losing team in those situations. I bet they'd prefer to be allowed their dignity, like Kilkenny and Down, rather than trying to rush away from mad supporters of the winning team.

[DuffleKing]

Lads there is a serious and valid case to be made re. the weakening of the democratic structures, and the assumption by the President of executive powers  far beyond his remit. We will only weaken our own arguments by focusing them on the pitch invasion ban, where our arguments can be reasonably countered. Yes celebratory invasions were a long treasured tradition, but in reality there day is gone. Croke Park has a duty of care, and therefore must minimise risk. A case can be made for allowing fans onto the pitch in an orderly manner following the presentation, having given players time to catch their breath, and commisserate with opponents. Lets concentrate on returning real power too the grass roots and not waste our energies squabbling over a fence

I agree with the main thrust of your argument that the fence in reality is about disenfranchisement of the ground roots level. It just seems to me the hierarchy do these things without taking any heed of popular opinion. Worse, I am convinced they do not think they are under any duty to either take soundings from GAA members, or at least try and argue their case in a persuasive manner.

I missed the pitch invasion on Sunday and think it is a loss, but if the majority of intercounty players want the fence and those who control Croke Park can actually show figures demonstrating this is costing us money then I would accept the change. I am open to persuasion, but the hierarchy would prefer to patronise us with ludicrous promos showing disasters caused by fences. It is a case of this is what we have decreed and you will abide by it.

The fence issue is a symptom of a more important issue. Croke Park seems disengaged from the broader GAA populace. I have no doubt if some club made a motion to get rid of the fence some apparatchik would have the motion removed quick smart because one word in the motion was incorrectly spelled. God forbid anyone could have a vote on it.

I don't believe that at all

[muppet]

To a certain extent I agree with you Pangurban but I think this issue highlights the democratic deficit that the likes of some of us know only too well. For that reason I hope this controversy runs and runs. I still cannot believe Sean Cavanagh on that big screen ad in Croker. He should be embarrassed.

Off topic but I found it interesting how Kavanagh and Ryan said 'I play football/hurling for Tyrone/Kilkenny' as if they were merely borrowing the jersey.

Marc O'Se said 'I am a Kerry footballer' as if it was a birthright.