History shows campaign by Dublin GAA figures against Lee Keegan won’t influence referee

Trust us when we write this: there is enough reason to believe the war waged against Lee Keegan by Dublin GAA figures since the drawn All-Ireland final is a campaign.

Some may see it as shrewd, others desperate, but the words used to paint him in as darkest shade possible before he shadows Diarmuid Connolly again on Saturday weren’t uttered for no reason.

The comments of ex-Dublin stars like Paul Clarke and Ger Brennan have been read by hundreds of thousands but the intended audience was Maurice Deegan and his team of officials. But history would show such pre-game attempts to influence referees don’t always work: