‘God Almighty couldn’t have refereed that’

GAA chiefs will launch a full scale investigation into the dangerous and disturbing scenes that shocked onlookers at yesterday’s opening Allianz League clash in Omagh between All-Ireland champions Tyrone and Dublin.

'Disgraceful' was one of the milder descriptions of yesterday's awful scenes, but it's still appropriate with the benefit of reflection.

Admitted a candid Tyrone manager Mickey Harte: "Not a good advert for Gaelic games, not pretty, too many incidents that had nothing to do with gaelic football," was his immediate reaction.

"If that's the way the rest of the season is to go, I'm afraid there won't be thousands of people coming out to watch it. That's not entertainment."

Afterwards, there was much talk of referee Paddy Russell "disgraceful, lost control from the start," some of the kinder opinions offered by both sets of supporters. Nonsense. It wasn't one of his better games, but the four mass brawls, three of them involving all but five or six players, were not his fault.

Again, Mickey Harte agreed. "God Almighty couldn't have refereed that game, there was so much going on, so many incidents occurred, with lots of people involved, it would have been well-nigh impossible to sort that out. The responsibility falls back on all of us who are involved, and all I can say is that I don't think that's the way to play football. I wouldn't advocate that at all."

Contrast that then, with the reaction of Dublin manager Paul Caffrey.

What's your immediate reaction, Paul?

"Two points," he says, deadpan, "First win in the National League, another game next week."

But what about the mass brawls, the image of a Dublin player with his shirt practically ripped off his back, vicious punches being thrown left and right, by both teams? Surely that will overshadow the fine achievement of his team, in bearding the lion in his den?

"I don't think it's related, you either win a match or you lose a match."

Okay, we'll try again; why did tempers boil over?

"I don't know. Two teams very committed, both teams were going at it out there; everyone will have a different version, depending on what county you're from."

But surely it's a poor example to set, wouldn't you say?

"For who?"

For gaelic football, Mr Caffrey. Surely you must be disappointed, personally?

"You know me," he says to the questioner, "What do you think?"

But have you ever seen a game played in such a mean spirit?

"That's for you fellas to dissect, there was a lot of nastiness in it."

But would you not take a lead position, condemn what went on? Silence, question deliberately ignored.

The next question was not ignored, the incident near the end when the Dublin subs and officials moved from their allotted seats to the sideline.

"Yeah, there was a lot of home support in around where the players were sitting, and if anything comes out of this, it should be the safety of the players. There was a lot of intimidation going on behind my back, I think people need to stand up and look after the players, they're the ones important in all of this. I took the players out of there, it was unsafe for them."

Yes, Mr Caffrey, the safety of the players should be the first thing to come out of this, but the players were under greatest threat on the field, not off it. Referee Russell issued a total of 14 yellow cards (six to Tyrone, eight to Dublin, including two each to Stephen O'Neill and Denis Bastick) and four red, but that was only part of the story.

This game, these thuggish incidents, will be investigated by the GAA, and the primary culprits singled out and punished, severely. The television evidence is there.

As Mickey Harte pointed out, even with all the officials involved, such was the scale of the incidents, it was impossible to keep track of who was doing what to whom. While not coming right out and saying so, Harte has no doubt where the major fault lies.

"I'm not in the position to be pointing the finger at anyone, but I don't think we have a record of being an over-robust team. We're known for being a football team. That's all I can say, that's the way we like to play, since I've taken charge of this team, or any Tyrone team, I would never advocate anything other than total football.

"It didn't happen out there today. There are plenty of people looking on to make their own judgements of where it began, why it happened, and all the rest, but it didn't make for very pleasant viewing."

At one stage, such was the mean and vicious spirit in which the game was being played, there was even a strong case for the referee to call off the game.

"That's a very drastic action to take," countered Harte, "that's not what you want to happen either, but you couldn't have watched much more of that."

The Dublin management may take some satisfaction from the Battle of Omagh, given that, as manager Caffrey so succinctly pointed out, they did win the game. For the Tyrone management team, however, as so ably articulated by Harte, no such consolation.

"We review every video, see what we can learn from it. Unfortunately we're going to see things in this one you wouldn't like to use again."

What if he sees things from some of his own players, will they be disciplined internally?

"You're putting something in a very concise form there, but when I look at this, I have to look at all the things that were occurring around this game. You must put yourself in the shoes of fellas who find themselves in a place he mightn't want to be. I'm not going to be judge and jury over people who found themselves in positions that weren't of their making."

Hopefully the GAA will have no such compunctions. The culprits must be dealt with, publicly, decisively, ruthlessly, including the Tyrone official who got involved with Alan Brogan after the Dublin corner-forward was red-carded. The message must be sent out that such behaviour has no place in the GAA.