Pitch Invasions and the GAA

[The_SR]

After watching scenes of hurling fans fighting with stewards and Gardai to invade the pitch at the end of the game today despite the explicit instructions to stay off it, I wonder will the Gardai have take the same approach to the GAA that they do to other sports and make them play the next match in Croke Park behind closed doors? And if not, why not?

Or put another way, could you imagine the reaction if that was the FAI cup final and fans thumped their way onto the pitch?

Or is this yet another case of the rules only slightly applying to the GAA?

[MacO'velli]

Has there ever been crowd violence at a GAA match?

I think the GAAs main concern was to do with protecting the pitch surface more than Health and safety.
If Fans do come on in a controlled fashion, i dont see the problem.

[The_SR]

Has there ever been crowd violence at a GAA match?

Apart from today? There have been a few instances, but in the scheme of things, hee haw.

I think the GAAs main concern was to do with protecting the pitch surface more than Health and safety.
If Fans do come on in a controlled fashion, i dont see the problem.

Regardless of why they wanted people to remain in the stands, the fans ignored the instructions and forced themselves onto the turf and caused a major problem.

My point is that if this happened at a football game, the riot squad would be deployed to clear the pitch, yet in Croke Park, crowd trouble is called "Plan B" and accepted.

Why is that?

[Verhofstadt]

Has there ever been crowd violence at a GAA match?

I think the GAAs main concern was to do with protecting the pitch surface more than Health and safety.
If Fans do come on in a controlled fashion, i dont see the problem.

I was only a lad at the time but I recall Dublin fans on Hill 16 using flag poles against the gardai on more than one occasion.. it was late 1970s if I remember correctly.

[MacO'velli]

Apart from today? There have been a few instances, but in the scheme of things, hee haw.



Regardless of why they wanted people to remain in the stands, the fans ignored the instructions and forced themselves onto the turf and caused a major problem.

My point is that if this happend at a football game, the riot squad would be deployed, yet in Croke Park, crowd trouble is called "Plan B" and accepted.

Why is that?

There was feck all trouble there today, and crowd trouble is non existent at Gaa matches.
The Gardai would have a sense for this( as they would have for Boh's-V- Rovers games) and they acted accordingly.

[redneck]

It was a stupid idea in the first place to stop the fans getting on at the end. The stewards realised there would be a crush, so they correctly, imho, allowed the fans on to stop injuries.
A lucky escape for the GAA.

[Kensington]

Or is this yet another case of the rules only slightly applying to the GAA?

The soccer crowd can organise their 'sport' as they wish. GAA fans have always went onto the pitch after games, and they always will. If some officals have a different opinion, so what?

[disgruntledcitizen]

I believe there is a long "tradition" of pitch invasions at GAA matches, esp big games, if the GAA really want to stop it they can and will, i think however that they pay lip service to it to be compliant with Health and Safety regulations (which are generally idiotic anyways)

[the impossibilist]

You have to be some kind of Scrooge to call that crowd trouble. Crowd elation, crowd overjoy, crowd ecstasy... whatever.

Let them run onto the pitch - it's their bloody pitch.

Are you seriously going to compare this phenomenon, historical and present, with on the other hand the boneheads who go to eg Millwall v West Ham ? ? ?


Non-issue. Let them out onto the pitch, and please, less of the nannying and spurious comparisons.

[Herodotus]

You have to be some kind of Scrooge to call that crowd trouble. Crowd elation, crowd overjoy, crowd ecstasy... whatever.

Let them run onto the pitch - it's their bloody pitch.

Are you seriously going to compare this phenomenon, historical and present, with on the other hand the boneheads who go to eg Millwall v West Ham ? ? ?


Non-issue. Let them out onto the pitch, and please, less of the nannying and spurious comparisons.

Fully agree. It is part and parcel of the GAA.