Cooney happy with fans' attitude

GAELIC GAMES NEWS:Hill 16 barriers may come down if GAA fans continue to respond positively, writes BARRY ROCHE

THE SUCCESS of the GAA’s campaign in persuading supporters not to invade Croke Park after games could see the removal of the barrier in front of Hill 16 within two years, GAA president Christy Cooney predicted yesterday.

Cooney said he believed GAA fans had responded very positively to the education campaign appealing to them not to run onto the pitch over the past 12 months and he cited the example of the two league finals as further proof of a move in the right direction.

“If you look at last Sunday and see the reception the Dublin team got when they went around the pitch after the game, it was tremendous – that’s what we want to see. I think the days of pitch invasions being a concern at Croke Park are nearly gone.

“I would hope that in the next year or two and I think (incoming president) Liam O’Neill would be positive about this, that we would in a position to take down the barrier that exists in Hill 16,” said Cooney, adding it was satisfying to see fans enjoy their teams success in a safe manner.

Cooney, who was speaking at St Finbarr’s Hurling and Football Club in Cork where he launched this year’s All-Ireland Football Championship, expressed confidence provincial councils would develop a similar strategy to Croke Park over the next two to three years.

“Hopefully they’ll succeed because there’s the same danger at provincial matches for players and spectators as there are at All-Irelands. We want it to be a safe and welcoming pitch environment for everyone and would hope there’ll be no pitch invasions at any county ground.”

Cooney acknowledged it would be a challenge for the association to maintain attendances in the current economic climate but the good run of both Down and Dublin in last year’s football competition had helped achieve healthy attendance figures.

And he predicted the GAA’s package on ticket prices, which will be announced in the next two to three weeks, will help ensure that attendances remain solid while at the same time continuing to provide funding for the association to invest in infrastructure and development.

Asked about the possibility of Croke Park hosting the Magners League final if Munster and Leinster were to meet in a repeat of their 2009 Heineken Cup Final, Cooney said that it was entirely a matter for the rugby authorities running the Magners League.

It may be the case that the rugby authorities are obligated to hold such a match at the Aviva Stadium but if an application was to be made to the GAA, then it would be decided upon by Central Council and a speedy decision would be made, he said.

Earlier, Dublin footballer Barry Cahill revealed he would have no difficulty if intercounty managers were to be paid a salary given the amount of hours and commitment that they give to the sport and he didn’t believe he was alone in that view.

“It wouldn’t bother me one little bit whether they got paid or not. As a player, I suppose you put in a huge amount of effort but the manager could be putting in double that, going around looking at games, planning training sessions, the schedule. It can be difficult to do that.

“Managers are obviously a bit older and if they’re married with kids and family, I’m sure it can be very stressful for them at times. There’s a lot more than just being on the sideline; it’s a round the clock job and 10 or 11 months a year. I think it (payment) is on the cards.”

Cahill admitted he and his team-mates were disappointed to lose the National League final to Cork by a point but they still took a lot of positives from their league campaign which saw them win six, draw one and just suffer that one defeat. “We looked to be in control. I know we had a couple of injuries and lads had to come off but that really isn’t much of an excuse.

“We still had enough quality and enough experience on the pitch to try and see out the game but maybe we sat back too much and invited them on.

“We didn’t concede any goal chances but we didn’t put enough pressure on them and they were able to pick off points . . . and we didn’t keep the ball as well as we could. When you are eight points up, you probably need another few points to see out the game.

“It was very frustrating from that of point. Cork are a very good team and when they get on a bit of run, it can be difficult to stop that.

“They’ve built up a lot of experience and showed a high level of composure as well – it’s something we will have to try and learn from.”