GAA committee set to address pitch invasion concerns

The matter of pitch invasions at provincial venues will be addressed at the next meeting of the GAA’s health and safety committee. 

The group’s new chairman Pat Teehan yesterday confirmed the feasibility of preventing such encroachments will be discussed later this month.

It comes after this past weekend where Waterford’s jubilant fans entered the field following their county’s Division 1 League final success over Cork in Semple Stadium in front of a 17,559 crowd.

Such exuberant scenes are the norm for finals at venues outside Croke Park where there hasn’t been a pitch invasion since the 2009 All-Ireland football final between Kerry and Cork.

Offaly man Teehan admits from a health and safety perspective such incidents are “not ideal”. However, he admits there are logistical issues that have to be considered in proposing measures to avoid them in the future.

“It’s not ideal but it’s difficult to contain those situations. It’s difficult to have the same number of stewards at one of these stadiums like you would have in Croke Park on an All-Ireland final day or any big day.

“Until the screen was put up in front of Hill 16, pitch invasions would probably have continued.”

In 2013, it was suggested by the GAA’s safety committee that a personal injury claim had been made against the GAA arising from the Gaelic Grounds pitch invasion prompted by Limerick’s Munster SHC final win over Cork. However, it was later revealed no case had been pursued.