Bad calls can’t go unpunished, says Bannon

FORMER referee John Bannon has called on the GAA to stand down match officials who shy away from making big decisions in inter-county games.

For the second year running, the Longford man, through his club Legan Sarsfields, brings forward a motion to Congress in Mullingar on Saturday, calling for referees to play no further part in the disciplinary process after they submit their match report.

One of the criticisms of Bannon’s proposal is that it provides referees with an escape clause to abdicate their responsibility and defer judgement on a contentious decision to the Central Competitions Controls Committee (CCCC). However, the same point could be made for the procedure which exists now whereby referees are being asked to look at video evidence at the request of the CCCC.

Bannon has countered the GAA should punish such officials if they can’t demonstrate enough authority to take charge of a game.

“I feel once the referee has sent off his report that should be the extent of his work,” said Bannon. “Theargument that can be used is that if you have a weak referee and he is afraid to make the big, tough call it’s in his head ‘Oh, the committee can do it next week.’ My argument against that is you stand him down, you don’t re-appoint him. That’s the way you deal with that.”

Bannon tables his motion in the knowledge there is more awareness of his crusade against referees being part of the video evidence process.

“I believe it is unfair for a referee after he has officiated to the best of his ability to, on the Monday or Tuesday, get one video clip or in an extreme case, two from a committee,” he explained.

“The reason they’re getting the video clip 99% of the time is that he will upgrade it to a red card. They have already made the decision in their mind so it’s not really a fair choice for the referee.

“Take, for example, the Laois-Donegal game on TV on Sunday. There didn’t seem to be any major incident but if the referee Martin Higgins gets one clip the day after in the minds of the CCCC they feel it should have been a red card so it’s no free choice.”

Bannon retired following the 2009 All-Ireland semi-final between Cork and Tyrone in which he elected toreject video evidence of an incident involving John Miskella, standing by his original yellow card decision which ensured the Cork defender was clear to play in that year’s final. He is also of the mind it is unfair on referees in big inter-county games to be asked to review video footage when it is unheard of at club games.

“The GAA say the rules are the same for club games as they are for an All-Ireland final but look at all the club games that are played and there is rarely a video sent back to a referee from one of those games. The rules for the top games are changed because there is video evidence.”

Bannon stresses that he has no issue with video evidence being used.

“Serious foul play deserves to be punished,” he insisted.

However, he feels it shouldn’t be put on the referee to review it. “I just have a problem with how video evidence is used. I want to see the CCCC use it and act on it themselves.”

Bannon is of the mind the referee’s authority is also undermined to a degree by the Central Hearing Committee (CHC).

Citing Eoin Cadogan’s sending off in the Cork-Armagh game on Sunday as an example, Bannon points out the referee’s report isn’t so final in the eyes of the CHC.

“If Cork appeal it to the Central Hearings Committee they (the CHC) won’t consult with the referee. They will do so 100% off their own bat.”

Bannon is also concerned about the dearth of transparency on the matter and the fact players, managers and county boards are put into a limbobecause of the secrecy of the disciplinary procedure.

“The lack of clarification, the public not knowing whether an incident has been dealt with or not... I’m not happy about that.

“Both team managers and county boards are left wondering for a couple of days if there was an incident that’s going to be dealt with. If it is dealt with they eventually hear but if they don’t then nobody knows what happened. It’s only by leaks or word of mouth that it gets out whether a video was sent back to a referee. That’s not a fair system either.”