Tipp boss takes Bannon to task

Tipperary chairman Sean Nugent has slammed Irish Examiner columnist John Bannon for remarks made about the team in Monday’s newspaper.

Nugent took exception to the former inter-county referee’s comments that Tipperary were the prominent agitators in Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final.

“I’ve read John Bannon’s column on the referee and I thought he very, very unfairly singled out Tipperary as the aggressors in the situation,” Nugent told Tipp Mid West Radio.

“Certainly, hurling is a very physical game and we wouldn’t want it anyother way. “That’s the way we like it in Tipperary.

“Kilkenny, I suppose, have had a tradition of the last 10 or 12 years of bringing a physicality to the game, so I couldn’t accept in any sense that we would have been the aggressors or involved in starting dirty play.”

Nugent also dismissed the theory that Tipperary players intentionally attempted to try and influence referee Cathal McAllister to show their Kilkenny opponents yellow cards.

“There has been a suggestion there that our tactics were to go out and get Kilkenny players a yellow card. I wouldn’t agree with that.

“That has never been our style or form in Tipperary to get involved in any of that. I don’t believe there was any policy or any tactic to do that.”

However, Nugent said he understands if Tipperary supporters felt “disgusted” by the manner of the defeat. “A lot of people would have said they didn’t get value for money, they were disappointed, they weredisgusted with some aspects of it, Isuppose. We have to accept that they have a point there.

Thanking Declan Ryan and his management team for the work they put in over the last two seasons, Nugent met the Clonoulty-Rossmore this week. “It’s important that whatever we do, we do the right thing and that we restore public confidence in Tipperary hurling.”

Also speaking to Tipp Mid West Radio, former Galway manager Cyril Farrell said the GAA must act to ensure the referring in Sunday’s game is not repeated.

“It was refereed with no frees — there were no frees at all. The referee never took control of the game, which, to me, was very, very sad because that’s a showcase between two of the best teams over the last number of years.

“I don’t want anyone sent off but you have to have control in every game. The GAA will have to look at the refereeing standard of that game.”