Quinn: end the ban on supporters coming onto Croker pitch

THE GAA should reconsider the ban on supporters being allowed onto the Croke Park pitch after All-Ireland finals, according to Kilkenny secretary Ned Quinn.

The Mooncoin official, who presents his report to annual convention tonight, also had strong words for the “high vis jacket brigade who are a source of much irritation to players, team officials and supporters alike.”

Quinn says post match pitch celebrations are one of the great aspects of the GAA and every effort should be made to allow fans to continue the tradition and swarm the field after the final whistle.

“I accept that there are some health and safety concerns, but a total ban on access to the pitch in the aftermath of finals seems excessive,” Mr Quinn argues.

“Tinsel floating down to an empty pitch is a poor substitute for the excitement previously generated by friends and neighbours of winning teams enjoying an unforgettable experience.

“Let’s review this again and find a way to retain one of our games’ great moments.

“Let’s also review the need for the awful ‘stewards to end of match positions’ announcement followed by the arrival of the high vis jacket brigade who are a source of much irritation to players, team officials and supporters alike.”

He also urges those seeking to change the rules of hurling to ‘desist from doing so’, using the last two All-Ireland finals between Kilkenny and Tipperary to back up his argument. “Both games demonstrated all that is good about hurling. In acknowledgement of this, perhaps those who have been continually seeking to change the rules of the game will now desist from doing so, thereby allowing followers to continue to enjoy the skill and physicality of what is the greatest game in the world.”

Mr Quinn also addresses the issue of the ‘five year rule’ at county and divisional board level whereby elected officials are obliged to vacate their positions after five year.

What wasn’t so clearly understood, he says, was that an official who had acquired the expertise necessary to properly carry out the role he/she was elected to, could never again return to that role once their initial five year term was up.

More importantly, there was no thought given as to how projects commenced during a particular five year period would continue to be overseen and administered when the existing office holder with the required level of experience and competence vacates their position and makes way for someone else.

“I know of no other business with an extensive property portfolio and financial turnover similar to this ‘Board who would leave themselves in the position that elected members of their existing Management Committee with job specific skills would have to vacate their positions after year five,” he says.

“I believe we should, as an ‘Association revisit the scope of this rule with a view to ensuring some continuity of personnel on the administration side of affairs.”