A Day in the Life

Ian O'Riordan hears from three of those who make it all happen.

The Presentation Steward - Jerry Grogan

"My plan is to arrive at Croke Park at 8.30 in the morning. Every Sunday of the All-Ireland we have a Mass at nine in the auditorium in the museum, mostly for the stadium staff, and the Sam Maguire is traditionally put on the altar. I'm responsible for collecting the cup the night before, after it's been on the Up For The Match programme, and then taking it to a safe place overnight. The Mass is said by Fr Séamus Gardiner, the former Munster PRO, and we had Seán Kelly and Liam Mulvihill do the readings at the Mass before the hurling final.

"I'm essentially responsible for everything that takes place on the field, bar the game itself, and making sure everything runs on time. We have breakfast after Mass and then everyone starts to move into positions, after picking up their radios and things like that. One of the most important things is to make sure the dressingroom stewards are on the ball, and ensure the teams get onto the field on time.

"I also announce the arrival of the teams and shortly after that read through the line-up of each team. I would make sure the teams are checked with the dressingroom and correspond with the names going up on the big screen, and that there's no late changes or anything like that.

"In many ways the routine is no different from a quarter-final or semi-final, except that there's a little more tension. It's the showpiece of the year, and all the people round the world are watching. If anything does go wrong it's going to be noticed by a lot more people.

"I'm mostly concerned about everything going off on time, and making sure the throw-in goes off at exactly 3.30 is really my main worry. You have to make sure every item on the programme runs to schedule, down to the second. For example, I can tell you within five seconds how long the Artane Band takes to march around the field.

"We've been doing various sound checks and rehearsals all week. We have the Three Tenors singing the national anthem, and we have the Mini Sevens at half-time in the minor game. When minor teams come onto the field it's non-stop with a series of things. You just try to get it as near to perfection as possible. But I have a whole team around me and would work directly with about 20 people on the day.

"If, say, I need to have the Kerry team coming out at 3.07, it's up to the steward on the door to make sure they come out on time. I can't be everywhere. Once the match starts I'm able to relax and enjoy the day a little more. The big screen has added an extra dimension in that their schedule is running parallel to ours, so I'd liaise very closely with them.

"Then there are things like the safety announcements, which even if you're running behind can't be cut out.

"After the cup is presented at the end of it all I can really relax. We have a debriefing meeting in the stadium boardroom, and I'd be out of Croke Park by about eight. It's an interesting day and I feel very privileged to be right in the middle of the action, so close to the players."

The Match Referee - Mick Monahan

"I'll travel up to Dublin from my home in Kildare on the morning of the match. I could stay over the night before if I wanted to, but I prefer to sleep in my own bed and then make an early start. I try to stick to my usual routine as much as possible before big matches and it's certainly no different with the All-Ireland final.

"The plan is to get into Croke Park well before the minor match starts, which would be around 12.45. That would leave me with a good two hours or so to get ready. I'd usually have a cup of tea with the umpires and the linesmen, make sure we're all settled down. And maybe watch a bit of the minor match.

"The main reason I'd want to get there so early is because you're always fearful of traffic, especially on All-Ireland final day. The most important thing is to give yourself plenty of time, but you also want to get the feel of the place well in advance of the game starting.

"I wouldn't do a huge warm-up before the match. I'd get dressed and ready well before and then do a few stretches and things like that. We have a fair bit of space to do things like that in the referee's room, which is pretty large. But it's not like I'd be going out on the field to do laps or anything.

"I'd be out on the field itself shortly after three, and we'd normally do the toss with the two captains at about 3.15. I'd be given a team list then and I'd sign it and give both captains a copy of the opposite team. After that I'd line up with the players to meet the President, and then they're off on the parade.

"It will be my biggest game so far, but I wouldn't be overly nervous about the occasion. A bit like the players, you'd have a few butterflies in the stomach, but you'd be excited about it as well. And like what the players say, you hate the hanging around beforehand, you just want the match to begin.

"After the match you'd be in no rush to get out of Croke Park. You'd hope not anyway. One of the traditions of the All-Ireland is that the referee and the linesmen and umpires get together afterwards and stay over in Dublin for the night. We'd have a meal and relax for the evening.

"I'll have a few family members coming up with me, like my wife and four children. I get a few extra tickets for the day and can buy some more as well. I've been through the routine a few times, having done the semi-final between Donegal and Armagh in 2003 and also the minor final in 2000.

"As much as you can you just try to treat it as a normal day, and try to enjoy it. You only really enjoy it when it's over, because once the game starts you're just in the zone no matter what's happening. I feel very honoured about it, and hopefully it will be a good game."

The Croke Park Stadium Director - Peter McKenna

"The day for me begins about 8.30. By then there's already plenty going on in the stadium, with the chefs and some of the other catering people in there from six in the morning. I would have a checklist for every main area of the stadium and would just go through that from about 10.30 to 11.30, and after that the final Garda briefing.

"For the past week I've been meeting with all the various stewards and gardaí, and briefing everyone involved in terms of roles and responsibilities and emergency procedures. So everyone knows well in advance what needs to be done.

"We open the stiles at 12.30, and you always find several hundred people outside waiting to get in. RTÉ start their live broadcast from 12.30 as well and have various panels in their studio box. The minor teams are out on the field by 1.10, so things get moving pretty fast. Normally the senior teams arrive in halfway during the minor and start their preparation work in the training areas next to the dressing-rooms.

"I find the whole days runs like clockwork. In ways the challenges are sometimes bigger when a team like Dublin are involved and so many people arrive at the same time. We'd have around 2,300 people working in the stadium on the day including bar staff, cleaners, gardaí and stewards, so that's an enormous body of individuals that need to work together. As the season goes on it becomes a well-oiled machine.

"Security are mostly concerned about getting the stadium well locked down in the days running up to the game. But there are always a few nervous moments when crowds invade at the end. There's always a point there when things appear very chaotic, so we try to develop a scene of normality as soon as possible and make sure we cordon off the area around the tunnel.

"One of the worst-case scenarios would be a power failure, but other than that you're just hoping neither of the teams get delayed, but the crowd itself never comes late for the final. But I never get to see the match, and rely on Pat Spillane when I get home. Something minor always crops up like a child getting lost or a medical issue that requires your intervention.

"I then hold a post-event meeting with all the main authorities to see if any issues arose that we need to be aware off. The stadium bars close at seven and everyone has usually left by about 7.30.

"It's an exciting day, just to be so involved. And it's all done in a very good-humoured way. This year we'll have had 1.5 million people coming through the stadium and beyond those one or two streakers we haven't had a single arrest, which is unheard of in any other event of this scale."