GAA affirm pitch invasion ban

NEWS ROUND-UP:THE GAA will enforce a ban on pitch invasions across all championship games during the summer.

New policy on the issue agreed at last month’s congress is being adopted with immediate effect and will apply to every game at every level – the intention being to finally end the traditional and yet dangerous practice of supporters flooding onto the pitch after some momentous victory.

“What we’re saying is that pitch invasions will not be tolerated in any situation,” said GAA president Christy Cooney, speaking at the launch of the 2010 All-Ireland football championship, at the Kerins O’Rahillys club in Kerry.

“This policy got such a ringing endorsement at congress that I think everyone realises now what we’re trying to achieve. As a result of that, management committee are going to revisit the issue next weekend. We really don’t want to go down the lines of introducing legislation.

“We want to educate the fans, that do they need to respect this, because they are endangering their lives, and particularly young people’s lives, and they need to respect the players too, winners and losers, on the day.”

The GAA hasn’t been very successful in tackling pitch invasions in recent years, and, despite a promotional campaign to end the practice in the build-up to last September’s All-Ireland finals, the problem still arose.

Cooney believes by banning pitch invasions at all levels of the championship, from the first round through to the provincial finals and so on, then the message will finally get across.

“It is usually only at the presentation of a trophy that it happens,” he added. “You don’t see it too much outside of that. But I’ve said it before that it’s really about education, and that’s going to start at provincial level.

“That means banning pitch invasions right up to and including provincial finals, especially when it comes to the presentation of the cup.”

Several other championship matters such as attendances, discipline and structures were addressed by the president at yesterday’s football launch – which took place at a club grounds for the first time. “It was major change for us, to come down to a club in Kerry, to recognise that the club has a very important role to play for the intercounty player, both present and future. It’s at clubs like Kerins O’Rahillys where you find the stars of the future.

“I feel 2010 is going to be a bumper football championship over the next five months, in that we’re going to have a lot of teams really challenging for honours, wanting to win in, and keenly contesting across the provinces. There are seven or eight teams well capable of winning the title outright.

“Of course we want to increase the crowds too, or at least retain the numbers that come through our turnstiles last summer.

“We are currently working on special ticket packages, at national and provincial level, that will make it even more attractive for patrons to come to our games.

“Baseline ticket prices will remain unchanged, and we are going to conjure up some more innovative ticket packages, especially for families, which will be announced in the next few weeks.”

Cooney believes the existing structure is as good as it gets, despite the sometimes predictable provincial championship.

“The reality is we haven’t come up with a better structure than what’s there at the moment,” he said. “There’s no point in trying to change just for the sake of changing . . . The back-door system is there and we’re happy with that too.

“It works well for some counties, and good luck to them with that. But the majority of counties will still much rather win their provincial championship, and go straight through to the All-Ireland quarter-final. It takes far less a toll on the players.

“Introducing another round for the provincial winners that are beaten in the All-Ireland quarter-finals would have been a major challenge to the association, to accommodate those extra games. Especially if you had to factor in replays as well . . .

Cooney also praised the quality of last Sunday’s hurling final.“The hurling league final last Sunday was another great example of how a game should be played. The intensity throughout the game was truly phenomenal, but it was played fair.”

The football championship began on Sunday, when Galway had a narrow escape from New York, and the Connacht championship continues on May 30th when London play Roscommon. Leinster, Munster and Ulster get underway on Sunday week, May 16th, when Wicklow play Carlow, Kerry play Tipperary, and Derry face Armagh.

Cussen to miss Tipperary showdown

CORK’S MICHAEL Cussen looks certain to miss their Munster hurling championship first round showdown with Tipperary on May 30th after sustaining a broken bone in his hand during last Sunday’s league final defeat to Galway.

Cussen has been concentrating solely on hurling this season, and proving himself a highly capable forward, particularly in the company of Aisake Ó hAilpín, and his absence will reduce manager Denis Walsh’s options for the game against Tipp at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.