Ó Sé blasts Kerry ‘whingers’

Páidí Ó Sé has slammed the Kerry footballers for portraying themselves as on-field “whingers”.

The former Kerry star and manager is disappointed with the amount of Kerry players remonstrating with referees about decisions.

Ó Sé said it’s not becoming of footballers who wear the county jersey and is a new phenomenon.

“It’s a thing I have studied very closely,” said the eight-time All-Ireland winner, speaking at the launch of his Tayto Longford Arms Comórtas Péile Páidí Ó Sé. “It’s the one characteristic I’ve noticed that has crept into Kerry football.

“It was never part of Kerry football, not when I was growing up or when I played or when I was manager.

“We’re getting into this habit of questioning decisions and getting into arguments and portraying ourselves as whingers.

“It’s something I’d like to see blocked out of our game. You train and prepare to do your job as a player — let the referee do his.

“They’re over-reacting at the moment, questioning a lot of what the referee is doing.

“But he’s not going to change his mind. They’re doing themselves more harm than good.”

Asked if he feels other teams are as guilty of the charge, Ó Sé replied: “I’m not too worried about any other county. I just want it stopped in our county. People look up to Kerry, they are the leading county in Gaelic football.”

Ó Sé stresses the Kerry management have nothing to do with encouraging such behaviour.

“I can certainly tell you Jack O’Connor is not telling them to crib at referees. Jack wouldn’t be part of that, it’s not in his make-up.

“It’s only the players who must take it upon themselves to behave themselves. There’s a duty to play well but there’s also a duty to wear the jersey with respect and honour. We’re proud of our football in Kerry and every day we take to the field with the green and gold jersey is a proud day for us.

“It’s important to Kerry that this pride is developed and expressed on the field in the best way, not by giving out to the referee all of the time.”

Some Kerry players appeared particularly aggrieved with the tactics of Armagh in Saturday evening’s defeat to Paddy O’Rourke’s side in Tralee.

However, Paul Galvin was compelled to take to Twitter to praise his marker Kevin Dyas.

He tweeted: “Respect to Kevin Dyas Armagh. Proper sportsman.”

However, residual frustration remains in the Kerry camp with Joe McQuillan’s refereeing in last year’s All-Ireland final loss to Dublin.

Last month, Kieran Donaghy referred to Kevin McManamon’s double-hop in the closing stages of the game, which went unpunished by McQuillan.

On the matter of recent melees in league games, Ó Sé was just as critical and regards it as a recent occurrence at inter-county level.

“I don’t like seeing it. I was never part of it as a player and no team under me was part of it. I never experienced anything like it at all.

“As a manager, I trained and prepared teams for the championship and the league and I prepared myself as well.

“Give a knock, take a knock, but always play the ball. There was no negativity in any part of my preparations.

“I carried out my work as I felt it was wished.”

Along with Ó Sé, Taoiseach Enda Kenny last night launched the 23rd staging of his tournament, which has been expanded this year to include 26 teams from 15 counties and the greater London area from Feb 24-26.

“It is my intention to make an official application to Central Council for national recognition for the competition after the next weekend as we head towards the 25th year in 2014,” revealed Ó Sé.

“We’ll be striving to have all of the counties represented in the competition in some shape or form, be they men or ladies, senior, intermediate or junior.”

Ó Sé also announced the men’s senior cup will be renamed in memory of the late Roscommon legend Dermot Earley.

* For full details about the tournament, visit www.paidiose.com