Kelly warns attitudes to officials must change

GAA President Sean Kelly believes attitudes towards the Association’s match officials must change after an umpire was allegedly assaulted following Sunday’s NFL game between Monaghan and Kerry.

The incident is the third high-profile breach of discipline in Gaelic football this year.

Dublin selector Paul Clarke was suspended for one game by the Leinster Council last month after it was alleged that a member of the Dublin management team had entered the field of play during the O’Byrne Cup game against Wexford and struck corner-back Colm Morris.

Then came the Battle of Omagh and the successful appeal heard last week by the CAC, which saw the suspensions handed out to seven Tyrone and Dublin players quashed.

Kelly admits the discipline issue must be tackled from grassroots upwards.

“Things like this seem to happen all at once but there’s probably a need for a cultural change,” the GAA President admitted.

“Particularly, and I’ve said this in the last number of years, our attitudes to referees and all officials (need to change), starting at U12 level and working up along the line.

“Last week there was a programme on over in England (The Truth About Referees) where a soccer tournament had to be abandoned because of people abusing the referees. We have to face reality.

“Nowadays, people won’t take abuse and nor should they. People will just have to be more responsible and, when they step out of line, they will have to be dealt with.”

Match officials have been subjected to verbal and physical violence too many times in the past but rarely has an incident so unsavoury occurred at such a high-profile inter-county fixture.

Tempers flared immediately after the Division 1A clash where Kerry’s winning score deep into injury time came from a controversial free.

Referee Cormac Reilly was heckled by a small section of the crowd on the way to the dressing room. One of his umpires was knocked to the ground and received medical attention.

Reilly followed a man in a Monaghan-crested tracksuit top into the home dressing room, but the Meath official was unable to ascertain the individual’s name, despite asking him and others present on several occasions.

“The bottom line is that we do accept that an incident took place after the game,” said Monaghan chairman John Connolly yesterday. “Obviously, we don’t condone anything of that nature, but we will have no comment to make on this until after the referee’s report.”

Kelly was similarly quick to condemn the incident in Scotstown and admitted it is a scenario that has become too frequent at GAA grounds.

“Unfortunately, these things happen. People get carried away, particularly in the aftermath of a game. It has happened and it may happen again. Certainly, the important thing is that it is condemned out of hand and that action be taken. Interference with a match official is the ultimate sin in terms of offences off the field of play and it has to be dealt with in that light.

“We had an award ceremony in Croke Park on Friday night to recognise all our referees. We’re very fortunate to have so many wonderful referees and officials. At the same time, that mustn’t be taken for granted.

“They have appreciated the support we have given them but, at the same time, they must be respected, particularly when they make decisions that you may feel are wrong.”