CROKE PARK PITCH INVASIONS:IN THE wake of the GAA's decision to install fencing on Hill 16 to deter crowd invasions after finals in Croke Park, one of the issues of interest has been how on-field presentations took place undisturbed by crowds in the years 1999-2001 when the Hogan Stand was being redeveloped.
On all six occasions over those three years a presentation dais was brought on to the field and the winning captain presented with the Liam MacCarthy or Sam Maguire.
Dermot Power, the GAA’s commercial manager was a member of the redevelopment project management committee, which oversaw the rebuilding before handing over to Peter McKenna and the stadium company, which now runs Croke Park on behalf of the GAA. He admits it’s not that easy to identify why there should have been such a different public attitude to staying off the pitch 10 years ago.
“The capacity was considerably smaller for those finals and maybe the fact the counties involved (Cork, Kilkenny and Tipperary in hurling and Meath, Kerry and Galway in football) had been successful just a couple of years previously played a part.”
It has also been suggested the temporary nature of the restriction may have persuaded attendances to behave themselves.
According to Power many options were looked at in the early stages of the redevelopment to preserve the safety of the playing area.
“When the stadium was in the planning stage all options were looked at in relation to pitch invasions. Other stadiums in Europe use fencing or moats, but we decided initially to try “cow catchers” (metal frames with wires in between), which would slow down those encroaching on the pitch rather than stop them altogether. The question of seating the Hill was even looked at.
“You can’t argue with the safety statistics. When that pushing starts there’s nothing anyone can do to control it. The question of egress from the ground after matches was one of the first safety issues we had to address back in 1995 before the Cusack was re-opened.
“The increased crowd traffic through the Hogan on to Jones’s Road is also a big issue.”
That issue of disproportionately sized crowds making their way off the pitch through the “wrong” exits was raised at the weekend when GAA president Christy Cooney and stadium director Peter McKenna held a media conference to outline the reasons behind the decision.
McKenna also pointed out the Croke Park pitch is only certified safe at concerts for the presence of 15,000 people whereas after All-Ireland finals up to twice that number gather and in a compressed space in front of the presentation dais in the Hogan Stand.
Cooney added that the GAA had stepped up its campaign for legislation to curb pitch invasions, as is the legal situation in countries like Australia and the US.
