Full-time whistle for officials aged over 50

UP to 20 of the top hurling and football referees in the country face being put out to pasture next season after the GAA announced officials over the age of 50 will no longer be used for senior inter-county fixtures.

There are approximately 50 whistlers listed for each code at the top level and, according to Croke Park’s Pat Doherty, their database would suggest that eight to ten from each code could be up for retirement under new guidelines.

“We’re seeing the games moving considerably quicker, the players are getting younger,” said Doherty when asked to explain the reasoning behind the move. “We see (the media) speculating once a player turns 30 – you’re retiring him.

“It’s felt we need to move on. We need to get new and younger referees into the system and it’s certainly felt that that’s been hindered by the fact that we have a number of senior referees still there.”

The new ruling will come into effect on January 1st and, according to president Christy Cooney, the idea was first mooted, not by Croke Park officials, but by the National Referees’ Committee.

The move was backed by Pat McEneaney, the country’s most prominent man in black. Currently 48, 2011 will therefore be the Monaghan man’s last year in charge of some of the most high-profile football games.

McEneaney actually proposed a motion to Ulster delegates not so long ago that referees should retire at 48 so, while he will be disappointed to leave his days in the middle behind, he is fully supportive of the initiative.

“There are too many referees over 50 and clogging up the system,” said the man who has officiated at five All-Ireland finals, including draws and replays. “We are not getting our young referees through quick enough.

“We need more assessors and tutors. That’s not something that interests me at the moment but we might get better people at the assessment level and tutor level by rolling them out over 50 years of age.”

Under the Referee Development Plan unveiled yesterday, the GAA will also be making a concerted bid to attract match officials at club and underage levels and opening up a pathway from those grades through to the senior inter-county scene is seen as vital role in that.

Some of those younger men who might hope to benefit from the new guidelines would be Padraig Hughes (Armagh), Rory Hickey (Clare), Joe McQuillen (Cavan), Cormac Reilly (Meath) and David Coldrick (Meath), all of whom McEneaney name- checked yesterday.

Who gets the juiciest fixtures in the years to come remains to be seen.

The appointment of referees for the biggest games has been a regular bone of contention down the years, none more so than last year when Mick O’Dwyer and Billy Morgan questioned Marty Duffy’s appointment for the All-Ireland football final.

Any similar quibbles this season and the GAA will at least be able to point to its new classification system which will rate referees based on their performances in fitness tests, their knowledge of the rules, match assessments and attendance at training seminars. The new system is already in operation for the National Leagues and those at the top of the class come May will be chosen for further duties in the hurling and football championships while those who don’t make the cut will still be handed other match-day duties.

Come the end of the National Leagues, all referees will be awarded a grade between one and four, grade one qualifying an official as a championship referee. Grades two to four will green light officials for duties as championship stand-by referees, championship linesmen and championship sidelines officials.