The GAA will continue to adhere to its policy of staging championship presentations in the middle of the Croke Park pitch, despite Sunday's pitch invasion after the Leinster football final, the second major invasion by supporters in a year.

"No, there won't be any change in that policy," said a spokesman for Croke Park yesterday. "We will continue to have the presentations on the pitch, but on emotionally charged occasions like we saw again on Sunday we will always make a judgment on when it becomes safer to allow the supporters onto the field, rather than try to keep them off it."

Before last Sunday's final the GAA issued another reminder that patrons would not be allowed enter the field for any post-game celebrations. The policy had been adopted in recent seasons because of growing concerns for the safety of players, match officials, and the supporters themselves.

Last September, however, the Armagh supporters committed the first breach of that policy when invading the pitch after their footballers had secured their first ever All-Ireland title.

Similarly, the Laois supporters swarmed on to the pitch on Sunday after their footballers had secured the county's first Leinster title since 1946.

Yet according to Croke Park the presentation can still be best viewed when it takes place in the middle of the field: "All the supporters can get a better view, and a safer view. But there will be times when you have to allow for the sort of mass outpouring of emotion that follows a win like Laois had on Sunday, and so we will continue to have the facilities to stage presentations on the pitch, or in the stand."

Meanwhile, the winners of the GAA's McNamee Awards for 2002 were announced yesterday, and include two members - one past and one present - from the sports department of this newspaper. Keith Duggan receives the award for the best article on the All-Ireland series in a national newspaper for his interview with former Mayo footballer Liam McHale, and Seán Kilfeather, now retired, receives the Hall of Fame award.

The nine awards are presented annually by the GAA in recognition of the contributions made by individuals in the area of communications. The concept evolved as a result of the McNamee report published in 1971, and this year the awards will be presented by GAA president Seán Kelly in Dublin on August 16th.

Other winners:

BEST ARTICLE IN A GAA YEARBOOK: Cork Yearbook - Michael Ellard's tribute to Tony Hegarty of Na Piarsaigh.

BEST LOCAL RADIO PROGRAMME: North West Radio - coverage of the International Rules second Test.

BEST COUNTY FINAL PROGRAMME: Kildare football final programme.

BEST ARTICLE ON THE ALL-IRELAND SERIES IN A PROVINCIAL NEWSPAPER: Joe Ó Muircheartaigh, Clare Champion.

BEST CLUB MEDIA PRODUCTION: For the Pride of the Parish: A History of Gaelic Games in New Inn and Bullaun.

BEST PHOTOGRAPH ON A GAA THEME: Eamon Ward, Clare Champion.

SPECIAL MERIT AWARD: The West Awake: A History of West Limerick GAA Board 1902-2002 by Seán Murphy.