Rule-makers must tackle football’s dark arts

Sitting across the table from me in a café in Cahirciveen, the legendary Mick O’Connell sought my opinion on a matter that was troubling him.

We were talking about the 2003 All-Ireland semi-final between Kerry and Tyrone and a collision that involved Mike McCarthy and Peter Canavan. Coming from behind the Kerry defender, Canavan ran into McCarthy’s outstretched arm. Peter went down holding his face. McCarthy got booked.

Five years later and the incident was still playing on Mick O’Connell’s mind.