Pitch Invasions

[Neil]

As a City fan I am led to believe that any person encroching onto the pitch will result in a €500 fine for the home club.

At the Cross, kids running onto the picth and people celebrating goals on the picth has stopped completely.

But every week that Shamrock Rovers score at Inchicore (which isin't very much in fairness!) you see hordes of fellas climbing the walls and legging around on the pitch.

Story?

Do they get the fine every week?

Or does that rule about pitch invasions mean nothing?

[Colm]

Yeah, I'm kind of baffled by that aswell, to be honest.
Pats fans invade the pitch at the end of every game.
Rovers thugs invade the pitch every time they score a goal.
I've also seen Bohs fans invade the pitch on a number of occasions.
Are these clubs getting away with it or what?
Surely, they're not forking out 500 quid every week?

[Éanna]

shels fans too. its a joke. flares and smoke used regularly too. are city the only ones to obey these rules?

[A face]

Have to say ... i was impressed when i saw it happen at first (it happened for two games last year) and to have it all this year is great. But exactly ... to what end. If all the other clubs are at it then we are losing out, no flares and strict rules for everything.

Can we get an update on this from anywhere !!

[pete]

Even if some people at the cross are a bit heavy handed the organisation has improved no end this season. Only Dalymount can come close to the match day organisation of the Cross but they only really have to deal with 1/2 a ground there. The Brandywell seems very well organised with the whole stewarding 'n all...

Ah sure rules are there to be broken & not punished...

:rolleyes:

[Schumi]

Bohs have taken to using that orange netting the FAI use at internationals to keep people off the pitch so something must have happened to cause that.

[James]

i asked a steward about that the last time i was in dayler and was told it was simply to keep all the kids off the pitch at full and half-time and it seems to have worked very well and may also have reduced the numbers of ppl needed on the pitch to stop pitch encrouchers!!

[tiktok]

it's one that's puzzled me since the regulations began getting printed in the programme (as it was called then Donie;) ). City have done a great job of highlighting it and for the most part, flares and invasions are nonexistent.

other clubs do appear to have flares and incursions but i've not heard of any club being fined for it.

who would be responsible for reporting it, the ref or the fourth official, or do the FAI send out observers

[Ultan]

Originally posted by James
i asked a steward about that the last time i was in dayler and was told it was simply to keep all the kids off the pitch at full and half-time and it seems to have worked very well and may also have reduced the numbers of ppl needed on the pitch to stop pitch encrouchers!! Indeed, we had a huge problem with kids running onto the pitch, especially at half time. One cheeky set of buggers brought their own plastic football to kick around with! :eek: The fear was that this would happen during one of the European games where the watching Uefa official wouldn't be as empathic as the FAI. Since the introduction of the orange mesh it seems to of become a thing of the past...

Just on the subject of this, the funniest thing I've seen in a while was the rovers pitch invasion on Monday. They've just pulled a goal back, there's only 9 minutes left and a few of them leg it onto the pitch to celebrate causing the game to be held up!! Good love them, we're not dealing with the brains of the operation here...

[Schumi]

Originally posted by Ultan
Indeed, we had a huge problem with kids running onto the pitch, especially at half time. One cheeky set of buggers brought their own plastic football to kick around with! :eek: The fear was that this would happen during one of the European games where the watching Uefa official wouldn't be as empathic as the FAI. Since the introduction of the orange mesh it seems to of become a thing of the past... That seemed to me to be the kids that got free tickets on the Connacht St. side. Are Bohs still doing that?

[Macy]

I really think UCD need to do something about their pitch invasions.... At the Town game in Belfield, the pitch invasion was disgraceful - I've never seen anything so bad.....

[kdjaC]

Originally posted by Macy
I really think UCD need to do something about their pitch invasions.... At the Town game in Belfield, the pitch invasion was disgraceful - I've never seen anything so bad.....

I think that was an old man walking his dog. dont know if that counts :)

kdjac

[Schumi]

Originally posted by Macy
I really think UCD need to do something about their pitch invasions.... At the Town game in Belfield, the pitch invasion was disgraceful - I've never seen anything so bad..... And at half time as well! Disgraceful.:D

[Macy]

Originally posted by Schumi
And at half time as well! Disgraceful.:D
Yeah that's what I meant - disgusting scene's.....

[ger121]

Originally posted by Schumi
That seemed to me to be the kids that got free tickets on the Connacht St. side. Are Bohs still doing that?


Yeah they are doing some sort of scheme with the local schools giving free tickets out for games.

[The Donie Forde]

You can talk about players earning a living from the game in Ireland - 'going professional' - as much as you like, but until rules are applied and obeyed and people held accountable if they're not, then we'll continue for ever and a day to be the well-intentioned 'ah, sure it'll do' amateur/semi pro snail-pace-improving league that we always have been.

If a club has an event controller, he/she should be answerable for pitch invasions - especially repeated ones. If clubs are getting away with pitch invasions - without a fine - other clubs shoould be asking the league why.

When I was a teenager if an Irish club lost to Norwegian or Cypriot opposition in Europe, they'd hardly show their faces when they came home. It's happened twice this year. We're going nowhere: not simply because we can or we can't pay players, but because we can't as a league organise ourselves professionally .

Are we as aware tactically as the opposition: I wouldn't put my house on it.
Make a rule: it may or may not apply.
Request information from a club: you may or may not get it.
When is the League Cup final: we'll let you know, sometime.**

Little things make the difference. Get the small stuff right, the rest will follow. Behave like a professional business.

Doolin was on after the Rosenborg thrashing of Bohs. He was the subject of much mirth with his 'as I say's and 'at the end of the days', but he made a crucial point that nobody has taken up. He spoke about changing our attitude to the game, about all clubs (together) playing a different type of game. He's dead right.

What we're at now ain't good enough. Personally, my belief is that we should abolish competitive underage football. Irish people are competitive by nature, we don't need irate parents/coaches shouting at 8 year-olds to wellie the ball out of sight. Let them play in competition at U14/U15. Until then, just let them play. Let them get comfortable and confident on the ball. Natural instinct will kick in when they reach competitive age.

** Just a typical example, pre-or-during the competition. I know this year's final has been played...

Donie

[pineapple stu]

Originally posted by Macy
Yeah that's what I meant - disgusting scenes.....

Sorry about that - we'll make sure Aberdonian Stu wears a jersey that fits him next time...:eek:

[pete]

One good thing about the new licencing system is that it is being enforced but Uefa. I know there will be pain for many clubs & a lot of the rules on the licencing are not immeadiare priorities for clubs but it has to start somewhere.

As a country we rarely enforce any rules unless the EU forces us to so its a cultural thing.

I know i've said it before but the matchday organisation at the Cross has really come on in leaps 'n bounds this season. Not all clubs can afford a fulltime outfit & can't change everything overnight but with gradually changes every year worthwhile improvements can be made.