Angry Fans
It’s more than a week since the hurleys stopped flailing in Semple Stadium but, as the GAA’s top echelons meet to consider disciplinary action, the fans are still angry about it.
MEATH were robbed blind. Two bad decisions by the ref and a six point swing towards Dublin.
GERAGHTY was robbed. It was only the merest of glances for his disallowed goal. He was lucky to stay on the pitch all the same. I wouldn't mind the Cosgrove incident too much. That was only a little slap and 'Cossie' made a fair meal out of it. It's the other two punches that were shameful.
GERAGHTY was lucky not to be get a red card. Sneaky little so-and-so!
GG will be lucky to survive a Mattie Forde-style trial by media over the next few days. Without him, I'd have to give the nod to the Dubs in the replay. As Wicklow eventually found out, underdogs rarely win replays.
Anyway, Geraghty's goal looked fine to me. As for Dublin's goal, how was it any different to the one Longford were not given the previous night? Big teams get big decisions. Some things never change.
ON first impressions looks like Meath have been short changed. A goal disallowed for a nudge and a square ball allowed as a goal for Dublin. Geraghty was lucky not to see the line, but I’m sure the GAC will be having words with him and a few others
–– Art Foley GERAGHTY is a sly old dog. He gave McConnell a nudge just before collecting the ball. The Dubs are lucky that the ref picked up on it as a lot of refs would have let it go.
–– Handy Score
I THOUGHT that the penalty not given was the correct decision, that the Dublin ball was definitely a square ball and that the disallowed Geraghty goal was a crazy decision. In other words, Dublin were very lucky to get another shot at Meath.
AFR’S SHOUT
GERAGHTY may be no angel. He might even be the sly old dog for the hard road but he is one of those larger-than-life characters football needs. Single handedly he brought Meath back into the game. Yellow cards to all his critics. Referee Jimmy McKee’s ‘goal / no goal’ decisions really turned the game against Meath.
WHY is this Waterford game even on TV? Surely Aertel is where this is best viewed. RTE want their heads examined for putting this mismatch on TV. What do the Clare footballers make of this I wonder?
IT could have been Clare in Killarney! We should be very grateful to Páidí for what he has done for Clare football.
AFR’S SHOUT
HOPEFULLY, this awful game means we won’t have to listen to all that oul guff about Wawderfurd ‘batin’ Kerry for another fifty years. Still, Shannonsider, fair play to them for upsetting RTE’s carefully planned schedule and earning their place in front of the ‘live’ cameras. Unlike Páidí and the Clare footballers.
NO player should be banned for the handbags in Thurles. Far worse occurs up and down the country every Sunday.
IT’S hurling.There'll always be a few digs given and taken and everyone gets on with it. Des Cahill on RTE and the likes were going on about teams walking out holding kids’ hands. Give me a break. Soccer in England was a man’s game back in the ‘80s. Now it has as much credibility as Women’s’ Wrestling.
HAVE the GAA walked into a trap set by media pressure? Now they have to suspend them, whereas they could have endured the media outcry for a few days, fined the county boards and brought the players in question up to Dublin for a warning lecture?
UNLESS a few people are hit with suspensions, that stick, for this kind of rubbish it will keep going on. Brawls like that look childish and stupid and add nothing to the game. They stamped out all the idiotic, meat-headed 'Donnybrooking' in Aussie rules by bringing in a simple effective tribunal system. It's quite clear to see that when the Aussies are allowed get away with it over here they wade in. They don't dare try it in their own game and that's the way it should be here.
I LAY the blame totally on the organisational committee. Players are bound to be wound up after waiting to go out there for how long and then sending them out together. Intensity is not needed in soccer as it is in GAA where the mental side in getting the upper hand can be half the battle.
And once you have crossed that line where Cork and Clare did in Thurles you can't back down because even if it's just jostling, you have to win and you can't back down. I think the players will still have to serve suspensions although I feel that they are not warranted.
AS far as I'm concerned the GAA are overboard on this matter. The teams were like a couple off young calves being let out of the barn at the springing of the year, blowing off a bit of steam on the way. What’s all the fuss about?
AH t’was great stuff wasn't it? Nothing better than a flare up early on in the game to set the pulse racing. Those children in Thurles didn't mind at all. It’s good schooling for them for future battles they may face. In fact I’m a little disappointed they didn’t have a go at each other in support of their countymen. Good hard belts given and taken in the best of humour. Where else would ye find it lads? Here’s to the summer in all its glory.
IMAGINE if it was Geraghty, Whelan, McMenamin, Mullane or Noel Hickey who had been involved in such an incident. Minimum three month ban at least.
I JUST CANNOT see these proposed suspensions stick. I mean, these are probably the most influential of all the Cork players?? Typical Media-driven reaction from HQ. Though I will not condone what occurred in Thurles, it was the first time something of this nature has occurred and it’s unlikely to happen ever again, with or without these proposed suspensions and fines.
WHY don't the MUFFINS fine themselves for allowing two teams to come out at once! The MUFFINS knew that Clare players would have been HYPED up because of Davy Fitz controversy! WHEN will the Country Boards stand up to the gobdaws in Croke Park!
AFR’S SHOUT
SOFTENING up your opponent to show him who is the Boss is part of the DNA of hurling. It’s unfair to single out these players for doing what’s been bred into them. Especially if any ‘offeeshals’ involved in the Tunnel cock up get off scot free.
WATERFORD must be hoping that the Cork suspensions don't proceed because they will probably bottle it (as per usual) with the expectations that would be on them if the Rebels were without four of their top players!!! The pressure would be off Cork and they could pull it off! Nash is an excellent goalkeeper and this would really fire up the team. Watch out the Déise
I DON'T believe for one minute these proposed suspensions will stick. With four players facing suspension for the Waterford game from the Cork defence, what will Frank Murphy be doing?
AFR’S SHOUT
FRANK will do what he always does. Serve the best interests of the Cork GAA! In this case, that might mean building up brownie points for other disciplinary cases in the future by not getting the guys off on yet another technicality.
