Kevin Cassidy is in bother with the boss.

[nrico2006]

Rarely have I came across anybody during a match who would sit and slabber about my family etc.  Never did it myself, always just want the ball and on the odd occasion I have had verbals fired at me there is nothing like when the next ball comes your way and you skin the fella and do the old 'beep beep'.  Fairly shuts them up.

[seafoid]

I simply don't believe that the members of our community who are inter-county GAA players would forget, abandon or compromise the decency with which they were reared or the values that are innate to them or betray the sport we all love by abusing a bereaved family for a tawdry advantage in a game of football.

People occasionally post here about vile verbal abuse of opponents' families, even in club matches. I just don't believe it. In my paltry, brief and long-ago football career, I never experienced even the slightest inkling of it and didn't know anybody who did. It just didn't arise. (We were too busy trying to knock each other senseless.) My son played at club level until he emigrated quite recently. I never heard him mention such conduct. I've never heard it in all the time I've spent on the sideline in local matches. I think it's a nasty myth.

Hardy

I am sorry to hear that your son had to emigrate. 
At the highest level I am not so sure that it is always fair and decent . Gerry white boots McInerney was insulted about his brother who committed suicide in a big Galway Tipp match back in the day. 

[J70]

Unless Peter Harte or someone else is willing to come out in person and say what was allegedly said, giving Cassidy a chance to defend himself, all you've got here is anonymous cowards spreading vicious rumour and innuendo on the internet. I'm surprised the moderators even allow the allegations to even remain posted here.

[Stevie g 8]

mc guinness is way out of line on this one,in fairness what cassidy said was hardly breaking rank.the big loser here is donegal football and mc guinness.he must know how fickle players are and this will ruin whatever chance donegal had of progressing next year.i never heard of such shite of getting players to sign forms relating to team secrets.

[screenmachine]

Some of the reaction has been a bit ridiculous to be honest.  People are nearly suggesting that Cassidy (and Donegal in general) have developed this nasty streak that no-one has ever seen before.  Trash talking opponents, handing out the odd softener to boys who may not be 100%, telling players to go down if they are touched at all and trying to get opponents sent off.

There is nothing new going on here as far as I can see.  Players having a word with their opponents to put them off their game or provoke a reaction is common place.  The best way to answer that is by putting scores on the board.  If I remember rightly McMenamin had about three fingers up Paddy Bradley's backside during one Ulster Championship match.  It's been going on for years.

If a player gets emptied and suffers a relapse of an injury which they have just recovered from then the player/manager has to accept some responsibility due to the fact that they may have returned slightly too soon.  Granted McLoone should have seen red that day but it's not his fault the ref only produced a yellow.  I believe Tagdh Kennelly cleaned a Cork player out at the beginning of the All Ireland final one year in what was later revealed as a pre meditated tackle which was discussed before the game.

This furore has turned out to be a dream ticket for the author with country wide coverage and by the sounds of it Cassidy was ready to go anyway with family comittments.  Anything that was revealed I think most people had assumed anyway, hardly earth shattering revelations...

[OverThePostsAWide]

There is nothing new going on here as far as I can see.

That's what the Catholic Church said for years. Should we just shrug the shoulders and say "Priests will be priests" 

[screenmachine]

There is nothing new going on here as far as I can see.

That's what the Catholic Church said for years. Should we just shrug the shoulders and say "Priests will be priests" 

There's a fair difference between raping a child and indulging in a few of the 'dark arts' on a football field.  I'm sure the lives of those affected by child abuse by the church are in a slightly worse place than Joe McMahon after he got hit a slap in a football match.  Maybe not though...

[Gaaboardmod3]

Lads, surprised by some of the comments here, that I hadn't been aware of. In case there is any doubt, for some reason, it is absolutely unacceptable to hint or insinuate at some of the stuff here, when there is absolutely no proof of anything like that happening.

Thanks

[Radda bout yeee]

There is nothing new going on here as far as I can see.

That's what the Catholic Church said for years. Should we just shrug the shoulders and say "Priests will be priests" 

There's a fair difference between raping a child and indulging in a few of the 'dark arts' on a football field.  I'm sure the lives of those affected by child abuse by the church are in a slightly worse place than Joe McMahon after he got hit a slap in a football match.  Maybe not though...

I know for a fact Leo McLoone obtained Joe McMahons number on the monday and rang him immeadiately to apologise as he was that upset! This thread has turned into a farce!

[Declan]

If I remember rightly McMenamin had about three fingers up Paddy Bradley's backside during one Ulster Championship match

This must be a Tyrone trait then cos it happened to our Feile team about 6/7 years ago and I had never heard of it before or since - disgusting   

[brokencrossbar1]

If I remember rightly McMenamin had about three fingers up Paddy Bradley's backside during one Ulster Championship match

This must be a Tyrone trait then cos it happened to our Feile team about 6/7 years ago and I had never heard of it before or since - disgusting

Happened to Jamie Clarke last year in a club championship match and he retaliated.  Dirty rotten act.

[sheamy]

McMenamin did same to Gooch...just a likeable all round good fellow is our Ryan.

[quit yo jibbajabba]

wouldnt like to sniff thon boys fingers tbf

[OverThePostsAWide]

McMenamin did same to Gooch...just a likeable all round good fellow is our Ryan.

Must have a bit of a penchant for the nether regions our Ryan. Didn't he go off-the-ball with Galvin in Healy Park in 2009? Two of Kevin's heroes mano-a-mano, he must have that YouTube video on permanent loop 

[Zulu]

I can't speak about what players have said or done but I find it astonishing that there seems to be a shrug of the shoulders attitude among some here about trash talking, play acting, sly digs etc. Are people actually viewing this as part of the game?

I'd be the first to admit that I've done and said a few things on the pitch that I wouldn't be particularly proud of but I never crossed the lines that are being suggested by some here. I despair when people say a man should get sent off for 'raising his hands', as it is this attitude that encourages teams to provoke opponents and if they do then hit the ground as if shot with teammates badgering the ref for a sending off.

Every time a poster here defends his county men of behaviour that is entirely unacceptable (and it happens regularly) it is another step in the normalisation of certain acts and we contribute to the dumbing down and scumming up of football.