Congress: end pitch invasions or risk fatalities

THE GAA leadership resorted to a form of shock treatment at the opening session of annual Congress in Newcastle, Co. Down last night with the showing of a video highlighting the dangers of pitch invasions to launch a campaign aimed at stamping out the practice and avoiding a Heysel Stadium or Hillsborough-type tragedy.

The video carried a stark warning from English pitch safety expert Paul Scott that there was very little “between getting away with it and a disaster”.

Not unexpectedly, delegates responded overwhelmingly to President Christy Cooney’s plea for a ringing endorsement of the policy being pursued. “We want to educate, not enforce,’’ he commented, while conceding that as a last resort they would look for Government legislation to outlaw the practice.