David Gough: Right to bench officials after a big mistake

Gough said he would have no problem with mistakes being highlighted and explained.

Thu, 31 Aug, 2023 - 07:10

Paul Keane

All-Ireland final referee David Gough has admitted that referees being benched after high-profile errors is 'fair enough'.

The Meath man was speaking in the context of Premier League referee Simon Hooper, and his VAR officials, being omitted from a round of fixtures following a major mistake in last month's Manchester United v Wolves encounter.

Wolves were overlooked for a late penalty during their 1-0 defeat despite United goalkeeper Andre Onana crashing into two Wolves players, without getting the ball.

Wolves manager Gary O'Neil revealed that he'd received an apology from Jon Moss, manager of the Premier League's elite group of officials, immediately after the game.

Gough has consistently called for the GAA to provide a forum for referees to explain contentious decisions after matches.

Speaking on The Game on Sunday podcast, Gough said that this would often take the form of a public backing from Croke Park that 'David has got that right', with an explanation of why.

But Gough, who also refereed the drawn 2019 All-Ireland final between Dublin and Kerry, said he would have no problem with mistakes being similarly highlighted and explained.

And he suggested that if a significant error was to lead to the referee being stood down for a period, that would be acceptable.

Asked if he would find it difficult to be overruled as Hooper was, Gough said: "It doesn't happen in GAA. Croke Park don't come out and make public statements on referee's performances and we (referees) have called for that at length inside ourselves, that at times, you know, sometimes we need someone from Croke Park to come out and back up our decision and say, 'Well no, David has got that right'.

"But then we also have to accept that sometimes they're going to have to come out and say, 'Well, lookit, he didn't get that right' and in that particular (soccer) incident, those match officials were stood down by Howard Webb and the English FA and that's fair enough.

"I mean, it's a difficult one to take but it's no different to a player who has a bad day at the office not starting the next day."

Gough, who also confirmed that he avoids social media having 'learned my lesson the hard way after 2016' when a mistake in the Dublin/Kerry All-Ireland semi-final was widely commented on, also strongly defended his right to select his own umpires.

Gough was assisted by Dean Gough, Eugene Gough, Stephen Gough and Terry Gough for last month's All-Ireland decider, all family members of the Slane man.

"I can't stress enough how important it is to have people you trust," he said. "I have travelled with match officials who have brought umpires to matches and the umpires might not be speaking to one another because there was a row between their two clubs in a championship match the night before in their county.

"And we're all family, and people have often said, 'Ah, it's not good enough for the referee just to be picking his brother or his father'. It bloody is because they're the ones that'll tell me, like my father did on the day, 'David, you've got that wrong, you need to come and speak to me'.

"Very few other people would do that. And they would also know if I'm getting a little bit over excited or heated or maybe said something I shouldn't. My brother would come in straight away and say, 'David, cop on'. It brings you back down to earth fairly quick."