Croke Park "Invasion" - A Kildare perspective

Séamus Ó Mídheach knew it had to stop. Ó Mídheach, Croke Park's Match Day Event Controller, watched with his heart in his mouth as the most joyous day in his native county’s recent history threatened to turn into a tragedy.

It was July 1998 and Kildare had just won their first Leinster football title in 22 years. Jubilant Lilywhite supporters spilled onto the Croke Park pitch. Ostensibly, it was an outpouring of great joy, but few realised how close GAA Headquarters had come to witnessing a disaster.

“People on the pitch that day were so out of their heads with excitement that someone could have died and they never would have realised it,” says Ó Mídheach.

“They just mobbed that pitch and I’m sure there were people hurt. What people don’t realise is that someone could be killed - i.e. a child.”

Ó Mídheach had seen enough and the following year he was instrumental in putting a proposal to Croke Park management to ensure such a scenario would never arise again. It worked and finals from 1999 on were free of pitch invasions and presentations were made on the field.

Kildare were back in Croke Park to win another Leinster title in 2000. Glenn Ryan, the winning captain, accepted the Delaney Cup on the pitch and led his players down to the Lilywhite faithful in the Canal End. It was an iconic moment that is branded indelibly on the collective consciousness of the Kildare people.

The unbridled joy of the supporters was matched only by that of the players, who savoured the opportunity to greet friends and family from the safety of the verdant Croke Park sward. The defeated Dublin players slinked off the field anonymously – left to deal privately with their own grief. All-Ireland final post match presentations on the field of play also followed up to and including the 2001 deciders.

It didn’t last. Armagh’s victory in the GAA Football All-Ireland final in 2002 opened the floodgates and ever since fans have been emboldened to invade the pitch. However, the near death of a patron after last year’s All-Ireland final has brought about a renewed determination to bring about a complete end to the practise.

“Medics and Health and Safety personnel revived that person and brought the person around. Had that person been any further out in the field, it is a funeral we would have been going to,” Ó Mídheach says.

“That would have stopped pitch invasions and it would have been the wrong way to stop pitch invasions. That person nearly died.”

The GAA is focused on ensuring the safety of supporters, players, Gardaí and voluntary stewards on match days. A heightened awareness of incidents at Croke Park has prompted a communications campaign designed to educate all of the Association’s stakeholders on the dangers of pitch invasions. The various County Boards, the Gardaí and the GPA have all come on board to lend their support.

Key to the campaign has been the production of a DVD – which will be available on the GAA’s website, www.gaa.ie - showing footage of the chaos caused during recent invasions at Headquarters. The DVD was shown at Congress and to the Provincial Councils and County Boards, and even the most hardened traditionalists have been swayed by the harrowing footage.

Tradition is a corner stone of the Association, but the tradition of thousands of fans endangering their own lives and those of players and Croke Park staff by pouring onto a pitch at the end of a final is one that has to end, according to Lisa Clancy, the Communications Director of the GAA.

“It is a tradition, but it is an accident waiting to happen. We don’t want the tradition of the GAA in Croke Park to be associated with people being seriously injured,” Clancy explains.

“All-Ireland day is a tradition, but pitch invasions are a tradition that we are going to have to change because it is not safe for that number of people to come onto the pitch in a very short space of time.

“It is important to know that this is not just coming from the GAA. The players, the County Boards and the Health Service all know this is not the right thing.

“I think people need to educate themselves of the full facts before they start arguing against tradition and appreciate that there is an onus on us as an Association to promote best practice as part of our efforts to ensure the health and well being of everyone who attends, supports and participates in our games.”

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Great pic that. Never saw that one before.

You mean the one of Kelly?

Absolute pure and utter trip Sam1928.

I was on the pitch that, as a young cub in 1998 and never once did I feel in danger of being killed or crushed.

I have been on the pitch also since for numerous All Ireland finals, Kerry victories, Tyrone and Armagh and for the most part they were harmless.

A hell of a lot less than you would get at any AC/DC or Metallica concert let me tell you.

The only people that will ruin the GAA is the GAA themselves and by god they are going a right way about it in the last few years.

If you see the picture below from An All Ireland many years ago, this is the way Croker park always was. Packed to the rafters, lads practically on the pitch, sitting on walla on the back of stands ect.
Now I never heard of anyone being killed at An All Ireland Final before.

I'm not saying this is the way is should be, but we're gone the complete opposite way now.

If Kildare ever win an All Ireland in my life time, i'd like to see them keep us off the pitch.

Wont Happen.

The one and only reason I'd like to see the Dubs win on Sunday is to see if they can keep them off the pitch.

Kelly's no Carol

Its not my opinion Fionn, I just saw the article and posted it up for discussion plus it was a picture I never saw before.

I was on the pitch in 98 as well, even have it on the wall of my office but I do understand the GAA's concerns about this.

Anyway the greater debate is really Kelly v Carol...

fionnmccool wrote:

Absolute pure and utter trip Sam1928.

I was on the pitch that, as a young cub in 1998 and never once did I feel in danger of being killed or crushed.

I have been on the pitch also since for numerous All Ireland finals, Kerry victories, Tyrone and Armagh and for the most part they were harmless.

A hell of a lot less than you would get at any AC/DC or Metallica concert let me tell you.

The only people that will ruin the GAA is the GAA themselves and by god they are going a right way about it in the last few years.

If you see the picture below from An All Ireland many years ago, this is the way Croker park always was. Packed to the rafters, lads practically on the pitch, sitting on walla on the back of stands ect.
Now I never heard of anyone being killed at An All Ireland Final before.

I'm not saying this is the way is should be, but we're gone the complete opposite way now.

If Kildare ever win an All Ireland in my life time, i'd like to see them keep us off the pitch.

Wont Happen.

I was on the pitch that day and it was frightening near the entrance to the dressing rooms. As the lads were trying to make there way down the tunnel, there was a surge of supporters towards the tunnel and it was scary. Also was at the 93' final when the old canal end had the big fence. A man needed medical attention and as he was been passed out to people on the pitch for attention, Cork scored a goal and a surge from behind the gate caused it to burst open. If you ever see GAA Gold of the final you'll see a couple of hundred sitting on the pitch...

was on the pitch in 98 an it was grand hopped in from qusack mind which would have been by far the easiest access the real danger was the bus arriving in naas for the beat in the street
in all seriousness kelly kelly kelly!

I daren't stop yee if i was stewarding , i'd probably let yee free as i know how much it would mean to the kildare supporters , on all ireland day , now thats would be something special to see , even if was only once in a lifetime for a lilly supporter , I remember back to armagh in 2002 to outpouring of unbridled joy and the tears of relief after they won the all ireland , as they say in Galway "To win just once"

The Gaa needs others to feel the joy , of a day like this , i suppose some are lucky enough , your day in the sun , i feel is not to far away

We will have our day. And when that day comes, I couldnt give two shites if every garda in the country was on that pitch, I will be on that pitch.Its a tradition that the winners get on so the players can celebrate with their people! HON THE FUCKIN LILLYWHITES!!

The old plastic mesh did it's job today.... No Dubs on the pitch.... Apart from "Pillar Caffery" that is....

Personally I didn't like seeing Pillar there, but come to think of it I wouldn't expect anything else from him...

what was he doing on the pitch

ManBearPig wrote:

what was he doing on the pitch

pillar works there at every match in croker

shortgrass wrote:

Personally I didn't like seeing Pillar there, but come to think of it I wouldn't expect anything else from him...

Its a bit mad really but where else in the world could you have something like that!! Its amazing when you think about it . Ex manager of the most high profile team in the country now patrols the sidelines as part of his day job on the very day his old team triumph in an All-Ireland Final.

I dont think theres ego at play there. I'd say its genuine enough. Probably couldnt get a ticket so decided to work instead and see the game while getting paid. Oh the irony of it all.

To be fair, Pillar works at Crpler regularly and I've seen him at All-Irelands and other big matches on numerous occasions. It's a bit unfortunate when people jump to conclusions without having a clue. I saw him myself at the Cork-Kerry All-Ireland in 2009 and he's regularly been shown on television on duty at Croker, even when he was still manager. As Sam says, it's not ego, it's his job. I wouldn't have been his greatest fan by any manner of means but fair is fair.

dont no how this would reallly bother anyone

Wonder how Gilroy feels seeing all his players speak so highly of him and all those pics in the paper of them hugging him.

Gilroy did all the hard work in the right way with this team. They were never going to do it with Caffrey,

Caffrey works nearly every matchday and is always posted to the Cusack Lower. Can't see why Gilroy would have any issue with the players acknowledging him. For all the mistakes Caffrey made, there was a seriously good relationship between him and the players.

Back on topic, I was in Croke Park on Sunday and have changed my mind re pitch invasions. I am growing weary of the "God help the steward who tries to stop me from getting on the pitch" attitude. From the players perspective, they were able to relax and not have 20,000 or more backslappers descend upon them. They were able to indulge in the usual post-game stuff like greeting their kids, sliding to their supporters, wearing daft hats and the other understandable silliness which follows a big win. Just as important, the Kerry players did not have to stand there surrounded by jubilant Dubs.

The way the game panned out may have had a bearing on the lack of appetite among the Dubs to invade. It they were six points up with three or four minutes to go and winning looked likely, some of the loonies probably would have thought about scaling the fence. As it turned out, everyone was so gripped by the way the game finished and the subsequent euphoria, that nobody felt hard done by in not getting onto the pitch.

Keeping the Dubs off the pitch in the aftermath of an All-Ireland win was always going to be the yardstick and may yet signal a change in the mindset of supporters in general re the whole pitch invasion thing. It may be a little early yet to consider removing the perspex fence but four All-Ireland finals have now been invasion-free. It certainly didn't seem to impinge on the enjoyment of those who matter the most - the players.

Tadhgín Tréan wrote:

Caffrey works nearly every matchday and is always posted to the Cusack Lower. Can't see why Gilroy would have any issue with the players acknowledging him. For all the mistakes Caffrey made, there was a seriously good relationship between him and the players.

Back on topic, I was in Croke Park on Sunday and have changed my mind re pitch invasions. I am growing weary of the "God help the steward who tries to stop me from getting on the pitch" attitude. From the players perspective, they were able to relax and not have 20,000 or more backslappers descend upon them. They were able to indulge in the usual post-game stuff like greeting their kids, sliding to their supporters, wearing daft hats and the other understandable silliness which follows a big win. Just as important, the Kerry players did not have to stand there surrounded by jubilant Dubs.

The way the game panned out may have had a bearing on the lack of appetite among the Dubs to invade. It they were six points up with three or four minutes to go and winning looked likely, some of the loonies probably would have thought about scaling the fence. As it turned out, everyone was so gripped by the way the game finished and the subsequent euphoria, that nobody felt hard done by in not getting onto the pitch.

Keeping the Dubs off the pitch in the aftermath of an All-Ireland win was always going to be the yardstick and may yet signal a change in the mindset of supporters in general re the whole pitch invasion thing. It may be a little early yet to consider removing the perspex fence but four All-Ireland finals have now been invasion-free. It certainly didn't seem to impinge on the enjoyment of those who matter the most - the players.

Thats some good observations about the invasion thing. When you see the players getting to enjoy it the way they did brings it home alright.