Brian Gavin: Failed fitness tests symptomatic of poor support for refs

In the wake of 13 football referees failing a fitness test in Dublin last Friday night a number of them had to be persuaded from withdrawing their services totally.

13 referees failed a fitness test last week.

Four-time All-Ireland senior hurling referee Brian Gavin has condemned the negative environment that exists for inter-county match officials.

In the wake of 13 football referees failing a fitness test in Dublin last Friday night and thus not satisfying the requirements to take charge of opening Allianz League games this weekend, a number of them had to be persuaded from withdrawing their services totally.

A stronger administering of the 16.8 level in the beep test is understood to have frustrated them. However, Gavin has questioned the need for the examination, which has been in place since the mid-2010s – previously it had been a two-mile run to be completed in 15 minutes. He believes the bigger issue is referees being expected to attain high levels of fitness on their own with little supports provided.

“Why are we creating an environment where there is hardship and negativity?” asked the Offaly man. “In Pat McEnaney’s time as referees chairman, things were extremely positive and pro-active but unfortunately there is a negative air there now driven by administrators who don’t know enough about refereeing.

“We’ve had issues with this fitness test for about 10 years now. It beggars belief it’s still going on at this stage. How Croke Park haven’t seen sense to adopt a more suitable test I don’t know.

“I always argued with Croke Park and the officials that there should be overall criteria for examining referees and naturally fitness should be one part of it. Decision-making has to be a major part and performance in games too. The current fitness test lasts between 13 and 17 minutes whereas an inter-county game now lasts between 75 to 80 minutes.” Irish Examiner columnist Gavin failed the test a number of years ago and it was publicised but he didn’t take offence.

Referee Brian Gavin in 2016.

“People would look at you and think, ‘Oh, he’s not fit’. But it’s not about that. There’s no-one there last Friday night or in my time who were unfit. It’s just an unnecessary test and if they had the proper training there would be no problem.” After last year’s All-Ireland SHC final referee John Keenan was forced to retire having reached the age of 50 and Fergal Horgan no longer being available, Gavin fears the pool of hurling referees could become even shallower after they undergo the fitness test this Friday.

“What’s required of referees has increased over the years and it is extremely tough, and the problems last Friday surfaced with football referees, who are usually fitter than the hurling referees.

“It means there will be a lot of pressure on the hurling referees this Friday night and we don’t have a huge group hurling referees at present.” Since confirming his retirement as an inter-county referee this month six years ago, Gavin has called for match officials to be given more backing from the GAA. What happened last Friday is a symptom of that failure of them, he says.

“How the GAA hasn’t regionalised training for inter-county referees, asking them to come together twice a week, looking after them, give them strength and conditioning programme and the fitness would fall into place, is a bad look.

“When you bring them together, do the analysis work then and then you improve the standard of refereeing instead of going to Abbottstown once every three weeks or a month to drive lads hard.

“Right now, they’re left to do their own training, men between the ages of 30 and 50. They haven’t facilities to use like inter-county teams do. They’re inter-county referees but they’re not being treated like inter-county referees.

“Does the Croke Park administration only want somebody there at 3.30 on a Sunday to make sure nothing goes wrong? They need to start investing and improving the standards of and for referees.”