McEnaney’s red mist denial

A defiant Pat McEnaney has dismissed suggestions he is attempting to sanitise the game of hurling.

On RTÉ’s League Sunday programme nine days ago, Tomás Mulcahy questioned the national referees committee chairman’s claim that there should have been seven or eight more red cards in last year’s Championship.

Barry Kelly’s officiating in last Sunday week’s Division 1 final in Nowlan Park also drew criticism from Mulcahy and Kilkenny supporters while Brian Cody has expressed concern at the direction refereeing in hurling is taking.

However, McEnaney praised the Westmeath official’s performance and insisted he thoroughly endorses full-blooded games.

Anyone, he says, who claims he is not should look at his own refereeing record.

“I’m not looking for red card offences, I don’t create red card offences,” said the Monaghan man. “Players create red card offences and last year we had a minimum of 10 clear red card offences and we didn’t referee them correctly.

“My job is to manage a team that provides a safe platform for players to exhibit their skills. That’s what I ask them to do and between the first Championship match involving Westmeath and Antrim and the Division 1 final with Barry Kelly I’m very happy that we’re on the right track here.

“I was a good referee for a man’s game and I don’t have any problem with manly hurling or manly football, absolutely none whatsoever.

“It’s right up my street but some of the stuff we saw last year there is no place for it in the game of hurling.

“It doesn’t matter whether you come from Timbuktu, Botswana, Macroom or Corduff... people talk about me not having a football background – that’s fair enough but people must remember I am closest to on this are Willie Barrett and Dickie Murphy and we’re all singing from the same hymn-sheet.”

McEnaney also revealed he will be asking his football referees to pay attention to the amount of time taken by goalkeepers in kicking 45s and long-range frees.

However, he has defended Stephen Cluxton and Niall Morgan and suggested they aren’t taking much longer than other players to take placed balls.

“We’ve looked at the time spent by players taking frees and the outfield ones are nearly taking longer than goalkeepers.

“Cluxton and Morgan are the two goalkeepers in question and in fairness to them they never walk to the ball, they are always jogging and picking up the pace to get there.

“If you look at the time it takes some free-takers to kick frees and goalkeepers taking them there’s not much difference. That’s based on the study we’ve done.

“It’s something we’re aware of and time-wasting is not something we’re going to allow. We can’t allow people to be wasting time but to be fair to Cluxton and Morgan neither stroll to the ball.”

McEnaney will inform his referees that they have the option of throwing up the ball if they deem a player has taken too long to take a free.

“You can hop the ball if play is delayed in taking a free and that’s something I’m aware of. I read the rulebook every three or four weeks to keep abreast of the rules.

The two goalkeepers in question are always jogging and outfield players are taking as much time taking their free kicks.”

Although McEnaney was not involved in the refereeing selection for the Donegal-Tyrone game on Sunday week, he is satisfied Joe McQuillan handled the Division 1 game well enough to be appointed to take charge of the game. “Joe did very well in the league game and he is a good choice for the game in Ballybofey.”