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Segregation in GAA

  • 10-05-2016 11:29am
    #1
    ryan1990
    Registered Users Posts: 19 ✭


    I was recently at the league final between waterford and clare.
    I must say, what I saw in the stands at full time shocked me.
    Grown adults (women!) pushing & goading opposition supporters, shouting in their faces, before sprinting onto the pitch to celebrate a late win.

    Of course it was a tiny minority. But it always is a minority isn't it?
    The fact of the matter is, it happens, it shouldn't, but it does. And there's nobody there to stop it.
    Year after year, I read threads about the disgraceful behaviour of a minority of this counties or that counties support towards opposition fans.

    Is there a need for some sort of segregation at big GAA matches? I don't mean lines of stewards & riot police on hand to keep fans apart at all....I mean should tickets be allocated so as you're beside & around others supporting your county as well?
    Opposition fans will still mingle in the pubs & around the stadium before & after the game....hardly a need for garda escorts or anything of the like at GAA

    But at big games passions are running high & can result in an incident or two (however rare, it happens).
    I for one prefer to be sitting/standing beside somebody from the same county.

    Thoughts?


Comments

  • #2
    tayto lover
    Registered Users Posts: 51,478 ✭✭✭✭tayto lover


    Think you're exaggerating here. Never saw anything as bad as that at a big GAA match.
    Have seen the odd argument at club matches but not big county games especially in recent years.


  • #3
    big_drive
    Registered Users Posts: 3,108 ✭✭✭big_drive


    I think its one of the great things about the GAA that all fans can sit together. Yes there will be a few that could ruin it but I wouldn't see any need for change at the moment


  • #4
    ryan1990
    Registered Users Posts: 19 ✭ryan1990


    tayto lover wrote: »
    Think you're exaggerating here. Never saw anything as bad as that at a big GAA match.
    Have seen the odd argument at club matches but not big county games especially in recent years.

    Type "Racist chanting at SHC Q finals", into google & take a look at the thread.
    Coincidently came across the thread last week & then witnessed some disgraceful stuff myself at full-time sunday.


  • #5
    DoctaDee
    Registered Users Posts: 6,593 ✭✭✭DoctaDee


    Mod

    Ok this thread stays open for the time being. There has been a large volume of reported posts in the Waterford/Clare threads with resultant bans in the aftermath of Sundays game. This thread will not be allowed as a further platform to vent on specific incidents in ANY recent matches. By all means debate the issue of segregating supporters without personalising the issue. Ta

    /Mod


  • #6
    Trent Houseboat
    Registered Users Posts: 1,116 ✭✭✭Trent Houseboat


    I think a lot of us are quick to disregard accusations of fan trouble because there is almost no history of it, but that doesn't mean that we should shouldn't be weary of.

    I can't speak to what happened to OP, but we do tend to get excited and shout and roar and generally behave like we never would in such situations. I wouldn't pay too much attention to that if every one can be civil to each other in the pub afterwards.

    OP also mentioned racist chanting and thuggish behaviour at the Hurling Quarter a couple of years ago, which shouldn't be tolerated. Thankfully I haven't witnessed racism at a match, but having spent my yoot on Hill 16 I've seen plenty of lads horsing cans and acting the eejit. There was never any malice to that, but it's definitely not family friendly and is effectively segregated on football days.

    Obviously you'd remove anyone engaged in racism or any hate speech, but it should go further. It should be a condition of membership of your club or season ticket ownership. I don't know the laws on hate speech, but if prosecution was a possibility I'd go for that too.
    Thankfully we don't have a long history of racism in GAA. It might be due to the fact the association has been fairly lily-white for most of it's history or it might be that we're not that racist.
    People of colour will be more common at all levels of the GAA in the future and now is the time to make sure that racism doesn't take root in our stands and terraces.


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  • #7
    bruschi
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 4,138 Mod ✭✭✭✭bruschi


    ryan1990 wrote: »
    Type "Racist chanting at SHC Q finals", into google & take a look at the thread.
    Coincidently came across the thread last week & then witnessed some disgraceful stuff myself at full-time sunday.

    how would segregation stop people being racist at games? If anything, it would exasperate the issue as if fans are amongst their own, they would feel more confident in shouting more abuse.

    Segregation is not necessary and would only create more issues long term. Some people are dicks, and they will be dicks within their own supporters too.


  • #8
    StupidLikeAFox
    Registered Users Posts: 7,698 ✭✭✭StupidLikeAFox


    bruschi wrote: »
    how would segregation stop people being racist at games? If anything, it would exasperate the issue as if fans are amongst their own, they would feel more confident in shouting more abuse.

    I agree, it would subtly promote an "Us vs Them" atmosphere, which would be hard to turn around if it became increasingly bitter

    I have also witnessed a fan loudly shouting fairly bitter abuse about the opposition team in the stands and was told to shut up by both his own and the opposition fans


  • #9
    ryan1990
    Registered Users Posts: 19 ✭ryan1990


    bruschi wrote: »
    how would segregation stop people being racist at games? If anything, it would exasperate the issue as if fans are amongst their own, they would feel more confident in shouting more abuse.

    Segregation is not necessary and would only create more issues long term. Some people are dicks, and they will be dicks within their own supporters too.

    Look at the thread. It mentions bottles being thrown, personal abuse, punches thrown etc toward opposition fans beside bigger groups.


  • #10
    bruschi
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 4,138 Mod ✭✭✭✭bruschi


    ryan1990 wrote: »
    Look at the thread. It mentions bottles being thrown, personal abuse, punches thrown etc toward opposition fans beside bigger groups.

    the thread no where mentions bottles being thrown.

    and I didnt respond to that anyway, I responded to your point about racism.

    nonsense thread is nonsense.


  • #11
    krazyklown
    Registered Users Posts: 258 ✭✭krazyklown


    Personally I would be totally against segregating GAA fans - one of my favourite parts of going to matches is mixing with fans of the opposition. The banter between fans of opposite sides is in the main always been good natured & light-hearted. However the OP has a point in that we are far too tolerant of drunken louts - i was at the Mayo-Dublin drawn game last year and I was mortified at the behaviour of a couple of yahoos from my own county behind me - kept roaring "Dublin scumbags" - it posioned the atmosphere around us. I hate that - especially when there are young kids nearby. A couple of years ago i went to the hurling quarters in Thurles where Dublin played Limerick and behind the goals a group of Dublin fans unleashed a series of horrific abuse at an umpire and Limerick backs whenever play was nearby (65's usually). I dont mind a rush of blood "ya b*llocks ref" that happens spontaneously (although still not right but happens in the heat of the moment) - but this was sustained, unrelenting abuse. I don't know what can be done - its a bit of a hooligan element that comes out in the warm weather and there is no county immune from it. I have also seen occasional taunting of other fans as well. Its not nice and detracts what is supposed to be a family event.


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  • #12
    Jayop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,388 ✭✭✭✭Jayop


    Like most I'd be totally opposed to segregating fans. I love the banter and even beyond the banter serious chat with other counties/clubs fans about the game. In all my time going to games I've only experienced anything more than annoyance a handful of times.

    1) Tyrone V Kerry 2003 semi-final. I was in the hill with my wife and the Kerry fans totally outnumbered the Tyrone fans. Loads of young lads but there were some epic gob****es among them who were abusive towards anyone in a Tyrone jersey.

    2) Dublin V Kerry this year in the league final. A Cavan lad who was there from the first game said something about the ref and the Dub beside him went mental. Told him to F off home because their game was over and it nearly resulted in punches. Both had kids.

    3) Tyrone V Down 2003 Ulster replay. The first game was great craic, but Tyrone beat them up a stick in the replay and loads of the Down lads were rowdy in Clones afterwards. Nothing happened in the ground though so slightly different.

    4) Donegal V Galway last year. The Galway fans around us were a bit of a nightmare with all the whinging and hand wringing they were doing. I know my Donegal mate that was with me and a few others had to move seats to get away from them.

    5) A few incidents of drunk edjits at club games just mouthing off. Boys that normally don't go to games but turned up at finals and were abusive to the other teams fans. One in particular actually let a big drunken roar out in one game just as our player was hitting a 30 ard free and I swear it caused him to miss and we lost the game by 1.


    Really nothing there that would cause me to want to change one of the best things about the GAA. I'm sure there's loads of incidents of Tyrone fans being dicks but I've not really seen it so I'll leave that to others.


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