Abuse at U10 and U12 matches driving refs out of GAA, says former All-Ireland final official

Connacht GAA referees chairman and former inter-county referee Marty Duffy  says abuse of referees at underage club games has become worryingly “palatable”.

8 August 2015; Referee Marty Duffy. GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Quarter-Final, Monaghan v Tyrone. Croke Park, Dublin. Picture credit: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE

Newly-trained GAA referees are quitting refereeing less than a year after taking up the whistle because of the abuse they are subjected to when officiating at U10 and U12 games.

That’s according to Connacht GAA referees chairman and former inter-county referee Marty Duffy who says abuse of referees at underage club games has become worryingly “palatable”.