Provincial councils consider pitch invasions ban

Christy Cooney yesterday revealed that provincial councils are considering following Croke Park’s example of ending the tradition of post-match pitch invasions.

Expressing delight with the cooperation of supporters staying off the Croke Park surface after major games, Cooney said he wasn’t sure if the fence at the Hill 16 end would be retained. “That was only part of it, the other issue was the safety of our players and our match officials and how people can enjoy the victory and bring a balance to being defeated. We believe that was achieved last September for the two All-Ireland finals and any feedback that we’ve got from our players and officials has been extremely positive. We want that to expand and I think provincial councils are looking at it as to how that can be managed. I’m sure that will happen over the next couple of years.’’

He also admitted the GAA are concerned by the recent hammerings suffered by Kilkenny footballers at U21 and senior level, with the sides shipping heavy defeats in the past week. “I think Kilkenny have to evaluate the position themselves. We’d certainly be concerned. We sometimes talk about the lack of support for hurling in some counties, but Kilkenny seems to be an example where players aren’t committed to playing football for their county,’’ he commented.