Peter McKenna confident there will be no Croke Park pitch invasion even if history is made

The GAA’s stadium and commercial director Peter McKenna says the stewarding arrangements in Croke Park tomorrow will take into consideration the possibility of a Dublin five-in-a-row pitch invasion — but he doesn’t expect one to occur.

It’s 10 years to the month — when Kerry defeated Cork — since supporters were last allowed onto the field to join their All-Ireland winning team.

The construction of a perspex screen in front of Hill 16 helped to copperfasten the policy, although it remains a bugbear for some Dublin fans.

Dublin creating history would prompt an outburst of emotion particularly after the drama of the drawn game. However, McKenna, who has called on Dublin fans to arrive into the stadium early for safety reasons, believes they will refrain from trying to get onto the playing surface in the event of a victory for Jim Gavin’s side. However, he admits that officials have to prepare for that scenario.

“We certainly will be thinking about that in terms of how we set up our pitchside stewards and so on. Dublin have obviously been here for the last four years and we find that their fans are very respectful of the players at the end of a match like this.

“Whether they win or lose, they’re at a point when a massive adrenaline rush is coming out of their bodies and team officials need to make sure that none of them are in distress, and that’s not made easy if people invade the pitch. They may need medical attention but that is not obvious if people come onto the field.

“Then there is the implication of fans getting hurt. We spent a lot of time with various groups within the Dublin set-up, talking to supporters to say why we don’t want pitch invasions. It’s not to spoil people’s fun; it’s just that pitch invasions are inherently dangerous.

“I don’t believe that people will invade if Dublin win a five in a row and equally Kerry have been here several times over and it’s not a pattern with them.

“I think everyone now likes to see the whole end-of-game evolve, the music comes on, the streamers come down and the captain goes up to give a speech then probably the most important part, which is for the players to go around with the cup and show it to the fans and have a much more engaged celebration for a longer period of time. We have some wonderful photos here in Croke Park of players with their kids after winning All-Irelands. You could not do that if the pitch was full of a jubilant crowd.”

McKenna has called on Dublin supporters to arrive in good time tomorrow. Without a curtain-raiser and more children expected to attend due to family tickets, more measures are being taken to ensure the well-being of those attending the game.

“There being no game beforehand means we need to monitor the turnstiles, and if we feel the situation is not safe, we have to act accordingly. We will consult with gardaí and take contingencies if we have to, but nobody wants to do that.

“This is a different final in that a lot of children are going, so it puts our antennae up more especially if crowds build up outside the stadium.

“The best way of relieving all of that is for fans to come early. The Kerry fans have to travel long distances so they will be here (in good time), so it’s important for Dublin fans to come in early and get the whole warm-up atmosphere going.

“That’s the most effective way of avoiding difficulties.”