Seating substitutes in stands questioned

THE merits of seating substitutes in stands and not designated dugouts has again been questioned after Sunday’s disturbing scenes in Omagh.

The matter was addressed at Croke Park last year after the Ulster final replay between Tyrone and Armagh when gardaí had to enter the Hogan Stand to calm fans after the dismissals of Peter Canavan and Ciaran McKeever.

Provisions were subsequently put in place to ensure that substitutes would not be surrounded by opposing fans during matches at HQ.