Mick Lyons
08-12-2008, 10:04 PM
I personally love the thrill of barrelling onto a pitch at top speed trampling women and children underfoot after an All-Ireland win.
Croker pitch invasions costing €200,000 a year
By Martin Breheny
Saturday December 06 2008
CROWD invasions at Croke Park are costing the GAA €200,000 per year in insurance claims and are shortening the lifespan of the pitch, which brings a further cost.
Fresh proposals to prevent post-match invasions will be considered by the GAA to improve safety and to eradicate this unnecessary cost.
In an extensive interview with today's Irish Independent, Croke Park Stadium Director Peter McKenna reveals that the cost of claims arising from pitch invasions has reached almost €600,000 over the past few years.
"That's money that could be used in other areas. Also, our pitch experts tell us that each invasion has the same impact on the surface as eight games, which means that we have to change the pitch more often than should be the case," he said.
The surface will need to be completely replaced at the end of 2010 at a cost of around €1m.
McKenna also reveals that while plans to fit a roof on Croke Park hadn't been totally abandoned, the latest costings -- at around €150m -- were too expensive to make it a viable prospect. However, the technology involved is changing all the time, so the roof may be an option at some future date.
Despite the economic downturn, he predicts that the GAA will have no difficulty in selling 10-year premium tickets when the next batch becomes available in 2010, but accepts that the market for corporate boxes could come under pressure.
He also believes that while the redeveloped Lansdowne Road will present a challenge to Croke Park for big non-sporting events in future, the larger venue has a head start, having been a popular concert venue for some time.
McKenna argues that the GAA hasn't received enough credit for opening Croke Park to soccer and rugby and is critical of Dublin business leaders and city councillors for not acknowledging the positive contribution the stadium brings.
He is also unhappy with the Dublin tour bus operators who refuse to add Croke Park as a stop-off point.
Guinness and Irish Distillers are among the landmarks visited by the bus, but Croke Park remains outside the loop.
"It seems strange that a pint and a short are seen as an essential part of the Dublin experience, but not Croke Park with all its heritage," said McKenna.
Croker pitch invasions costing €200,000 a year
By Martin Breheny
Saturday December 06 2008
CROWD invasions at Croke Park are costing the GAA €200,000 per year in insurance claims and are shortening the lifespan of the pitch, which brings a further cost.
Fresh proposals to prevent post-match invasions will be considered by the GAA to improve safety and to eradicate this unnecessary cost.
In an extensive interview with today's Irish Independent, Croke Park Stadium Director Peter McKenna reveals that the cost of claims arising from pitch invasions has reached almost €600,000 over the past few years.
"That's money that could be used in other areas. Also, our pitch experts tell us that each invasion has the same impact on the surface as eight games, which means that we have to change the pitch more often than should be the case," he said.
The surface will need to be completely replaced at the end of 2010 at a cost of around €1m.
McKenna also reveals that while plans to fit a roof on Croke Park hadn't been totally abandoned, the latest costings -- at around €150m -- were too expensive to make it a viable prospect. However, the technology involved is changing all the time, so the roof may be an option at some future date.
Despite the economic downturn, he predicts that the GAA will have no difficulty in selling 10-year premium tickets when the next batch becomes available in 2010, but accepts that the market for corporate boxes could come under pressure.
He also believes that while the redeveloped Lansdowne Road will present a challenge to Croke Park for big non-sporting events in future, the larger venue has a head start, having been a popular concert venue for some time.
McKenna argues that the GAA hasn't received enough credit for opening Croke Park to soccer and rugby and is critical of Dublin business leaders and city councillors for not acknowledging the positive contribution the stadium brings.
He is also unhappy with the Dublin tour bus operators who refuse to add Croke Park as a stop-off point.
Guinness and Irish Distillers are among the landmarks visited by the bus, but Croke Park remains outside the loop.
"It seems strange that a pint and a short are seen as an essential part of the Dublin experience, but not Croke Park with all its heritage," said McKenna.