GAA Angry Fans
Anyone who thought we might get past an exhilarating game like Sunday's All
Ireland senior hurling final without controversy was sadly mistaken. On the contrary,
a number of key refereeing decisions are the focus of a heated debate about their
effect on the result. The GAA's King Canute-like attempts to prevent a flood of
fans onto the pitch after the final whistle also come in for fierce criticism
from traditionalists and even the handling of the presentation to the minors gets
a right lash from a disgruntled fan.
Sunday's refereeing controversy is
really part of a continuing saga of fans' anger over the alleged poor quality
of refereeing and umpiring in top championship games. At least this week, the
anger is tempered by some suggestions for reform.
Post match interviews
with Bainisteoirí have been a novel focus of anger this season and none
more so than last Sunday's Morrissey v Cody 'Lark in the Park' on RTÉ.
Most judges scored it a draw.
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WHAT A PROUD
day for the GAA, the media and BARA - the Black and Amber Referees' Association.
We had another major hurling match involving the 'all untouchables' that are Kilkenny
and the poor saps who had the stupidity and the temerity to try and play a match
on an equal footing. For the mighty Cats who had the satisfaction of winning a
game of 16 v 14, well done, you must be very proud. To the media who spend their
days worshipping at the altar of Kilkenny hurling, well done boys. Another day
on your knees. Forget the fact that there are other counties. Just wallow in your
fawning and love of all things Black and Amber.
What's the point of next
year or any other year, while the rest of us try and make an honest effort? The
rest of you stay on your knees afraid of upsetting Cody and the Cats. We have
to spend our days remembering the past when there was some sense of justice and
equality is this now lopsided organisation.
As that great French philosopher and sports fan, Voltaire, was supposed
to have said 'I disagree with what you say, but I defend your right to say it'.
Let's be clear about one thing. No way could Benny Dunne have stayed on the pitch
after his pull across Tommy Walsh's face. Maybe Kilkenny had a bit of luck on
Sunday, but Tipp had the winning of the game in their own hands and threw it away.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE Cats on winning their 'four in a row'.
They are worthy champions. However, let's not beat around the bush. The referee's
performance was shocking. He set the tone for the game after only four minutes
when Seamus Callinan got floored. What does he do? He gives a throw ball! Maher's
head was pinned to the ground and he gives a free to Kilkenny. As for the penalty,
how many steps was he going to allow the Kilkenny forward to take before he blew
up? For the Cats' second goal he missed Paul Curran being pushed in the build-up.
People might say it's sour grapes but everything I've mentioned had a massive
bearing on the game.
THE STANDARD OF refereeing in the hurling and football championships has been
very poor this season. In the hurling final, last Sunday, it was a major blunder
by the referee to award a penalty to Kilkenny. I'm urging all GAA supporters to
send their concerns about the standard of refereeing and the inconsistencies to
GAA Headquarters. It's most unfair for players to put in a huge effort all year
and lose a game due to bad decisions by the referee.
The controversial penalty award alone would not have turned the game
against Tipperary. Undoubtedly, Benny Dunne's sending off did but that sucker
punch was self-inflicted. The referee was absolutely correct in that decision.
BRIAN CODY ALWAYS seemed to me to be a humble man despite all he has achieved
and the praise heaped on him. That is why I was very surprised by his reaction
to Marty Morrissey's simple question about the penalty in the RTÉ post-match
interview. All he needed to say was that he thought it was one and move on. For
crying out loud, he had just managed a team to the 'four in a row'!
TIPP LOST THE MATCH but Sheedy won the managerial interview hands
down - a minor point you might think, but I don't think so. The cracks are beginning
to show in the Kilkenny armour and they'll be there to be beaten next year. The
question is can Tipp hold it together mentally to take advantage next year or
will it be one of the other counties? Judging by Sheedy's interview I think he'll
have Tipp ready for that opportunity.
Neither man came out of the encounter well.
THE GAA
IS OUR organisation. A couple of officials above in Croke Park have no right to
tell the vast majority of members of this organisation what to do or not do. We
paid for that stadium and we should be able to invade the pitch and keep alive
a 100 year long tradition of having the Liam McCarthy Cup presented in the Hogan
Stand with the teams' fans in front of them.
Given that Mick Hogan was shot in 1920, I don't understand how there
could be a 100 year long tradition of presenting the Cup in the 'Hogan' Stand.
THE
ONLY DANGER created in Croke Park on Sunday was by the GAA themselves. You can't
tell people what to do when they are the Association and the majority want this
tradition to continue. What were the GAA playing at in telling people to stay
off the pitch and thinking that we'll ignore tradition and just do exactly what
they say? We are not soccer hooligans. We are the GAA and we do things our way.
We have greater things to aspire to than trying to be like soccer or any other
sport for that matter. The people have spoken and Croke Park should take note.
I wouldn't go to the wall in
defending the tradition of invading the pitch after a final because of the obvious
safety concerns. However, if fans insist on it, the GAA have got to work within
that context and manage the situation rather than have the dangerous chaos we
saw for several minutes at the Hill 16 end. Better to put in place proper measures
to steward people safely on and off the pitch after the match than engage in a
futile game of cat and mouse with generally good-humoured supporters. Maybe some
prominent disclaimer notices like you see, say, in car parks might ward off insurance
claims, if they are an issue?
IT IS JUST not good enough
anymore to let guys put in so much effort only to be denied by a crazy refereeing
decision in the final stages. This stuff about Tipp being the coming team is nonsense.
By the time NAMA and the Budget have been passed half our GAA stars may have emigrated.
Kilkenny were handed a dodgy 'four in a row' on Sunday.
: While I agree with your overall comment about how rough it is to lose
a final because of refereeing decisions, if I had a big 'Black-and-Amber' card
I'd flash it at you for that snide comment about the Cats' 'four in a row'. Remember,
it wasn't just put together last Sunday. It took four years and four finals to
achieve it. So, I'll just have to settle for giving you a good old Rebel Red!
WE HAD CRAZY umpiring decisions on Sunday as well as 'difficult to judge'
reffing decisions and off the ball incidents. Hurling nowadays is so fast, it's
too much to expect one man to marshal it all for seventy minutes and get everything
right. Linesmen and umpires don't always spot things. What we need are two referees,
one of whom would have the job of looking look out for these off the ball incidents.
A second referee on the field would
just double the amount of controversies we already have. However, I take your
point about the speed of the modern hurling game over seventy minutes turning
into overload for one official. A better idea might be to swallow our Gaelic pride
and investigate the rugby idea of a video referee to help sort out these controversial
big 'calls' that so affect the outcome of big games.
ON PAGE 86 of Sunday's
programme it said how big a day it was not only for the minor players on the pitch
but for their family, friends and clubs. It stated 'For some it will be the peak
of their sporting achievements, for others a springboard to future success'. If
those well-chosen words meant anything to the event organisers they might at least
have let everyone in the stadium see the full presentation of medals not only
to the winning team but, as importantly, to the very capable losing side, Kilkenny.
Instead, all we got to see was Richie Cummins lifting the cup and a couple of
medals presented before they cut to a graphic advertising the sponsors and telling
us what competition it was.
How dare they! BOTH minor teams and their families
put in a huge effort to get their sons to that day and to pull plug on the big
screen plug on the full presentation demonstrated the crassness and sheer ignorance
of event organisers who seem more interested in keeping their sponsors happy.
It's not about sponsors. It's about sport - playing sport, watching sport and
enjoying the result.
Many
people are unhappy, as well, because the '25-year' veterans are no longer included
in RTÉ's live coverage. I always think this is one of the nicer touches
on All Ireland Day. It brings back memories, shows the 'greats' of the game that
the contribution they made in their day is still honoured and is a boost for weaker
counties who may not feature in the finals too often.
WHAT A GREAT All Ireland hurling final we had this year! It was badly needed after
a most disappointing championship overall. To really save hurling, we need new
champions next season.
We may well
have new champions next season but I think maybe you're too critical of this year's
standard. At various times, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Waterford, Galway and Dublin
all gave us enthralling performances. What's wrong with the championship is not
the standard of hurling but the crazy way it's organised.
WHY DID DIARMUID O'Flynn choose the week prior to the All-Ireland final
to espouse the cause of Henry Shefflin as 'The greatest hurler ever', using statistics
as the basis for this opinion? This approach presents major problems. How do you
measure the immense hurling skills of the great Ollie Walsh, Brendan Cummins or
Ger Cunningham as goalkeepers? How do you apply statistics to the skills of the
peerless centre-back, Sean MacMahon, the modern goliaths of full-back play, Martin
O'Doherty and Brian Lohan, corner backs of the calibre of John Doyle, Ollie Canning
or Brian Murphy or midfielders like Joe Salmon or Frank Cummins? Does Brian Whelehan's
immense contribution to the successes of Offaly in virtually all the lines of
defence and attack, along with his selection as the only hurler still playing
at the time of the Team of the Millennium, not entitle him to be mentioned ahead
of Shefflin and in the same breath as Ring and Mackey ?
In all discussions
about the greatest hurler ever, the choice invariably rests with a forward and,
in this context, Shefflin is quite rightly a viable candidate as one of the greatest
forwards of all times. But the greatest hurler ever? There is, in my opinion,
no definitive way of reaching agreement but isn't that what makes it a fascinating
fireside occupation and long may the argument continue?
I think you've answered your own question, Tom, in your final comment.
These are just opinions and comments that keep the pot boiling and help pass the
long dark nights more enjoyably. I take it you played as a goalie or back yourself?
IT
IS NOW past the time for the Qualifiers in the hurling championship to be done
away with. Since they were introduced in 2001, they have afforded the bigger and
better counties a second chance to get their act together and have done nothing
for the so-called weaker sides.
The 'Big Three' - Kilkenny, Tipperary and
Cork - have won the last eleven All Ireland finals between them. The provincial
championships have completely lost their edge since the second chance was introduced,
an edge that was always there in the old knockout system. Hurling supporters have
lost interest in the Qualifiers and it is now time to come up with some sort of
open draw or champions' league, which will also give counties a few extra free
Sundays to complete their own club championships.
I well recall the days
when supporters spent months looking forward to the first round of the Munster
or Leinster championship but nowadays they have not got the same interest when
they know that the back door is there if they lose. If the powers-that-be decide
to retain the present system, they should at least re-introduce the four quarter-finals
to ensure that the four best teams would end up in the semi-finals.
I think there is a growing realisation, Seamus,
albeit slowly, that the championship format is in dire need of major reform, and
that includes scrapping the provincial championships.
IT
IS ABOUT time the GAA did something about the unfair advantage given to players
who take frees and sideline kicks from the hand over those who decide to kick
from the ground? I have been taking particular notice of this for some years now
and I am amazed that nothing has ever been done to prevent cheating by the kick
from the hand players. This type of cheating was introduced by some Northern counties
and has now spread to the entire country in both male and ladies football.
I'm
sure you have all noticed the antics. The referee awards a free and indicates
the spot from which the kick is to be taken. If the angle is good, or straight
in front of goal, the kick from the hand player begins his run to kick from the
indicated spot so that when he takes the kick he is 3,4,5 or sometimes 6 or 7
steps nearer goal. The same applies to sideline kicks.
Players who chose
to kick from the ground are at an enormous disadvantage because, generally, the
placing of the ball is well observed. Could referees not place some sort of marker
on the ground, so as to ensure the kick from the hand merchants do not cheat?
This could be swiftly retrieved by a linesman or umpire. Alternatively, linesmen
and umpires should be more involved in ensuring fair play.
'Cheat' and 'cheating' are not words I would
throw around lightly in respect of any of our players and I disagree fundamentally
with your use of them. Players - in both hurling and football - will always try
to gain some advantage in the placing or taking of placed balls and I don't agree
that 'kickers from the hand' should be singled out for special attention. As for
your suggestion of refs placing a marker on the spot? Please, we're bad enough
already with goalkeepers fiddling around with tees for kick outs and referees
are already overburdened with other responsibilities!
Tom Noone wins
our All Ireland Hurling Final . He gets it, not for
taking our colleague Diarmuid O'Flynn to task, but for his cogently argued reminder
that great players are found in every position, from one to fifteen. Tom wins
his choice of a His or Hers GAA T-shirt from our good friends at ,
the web site where you can design your own leisure wear online.
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