McEnaney envisaged calm debut for black card

No alarms and no surprises was the assessment of referees chief Pat McEnaney after the black card made its bow in senior inter-county football last weekend.

Aside from the odd questionable brandishing, the debut passed off quietly, which came as little shock to McEnaney given the preparations that went into the first competitive games under the new permanent playing rules.

His national referees committee had written to all four provincial councils asking them to appoint, where they could, match officials from the Championship panel.