Assaults at GAA games

[Rudi]

https://www.rte.ie/news/2022/0901/1319994-referee-roscommon/

Got to say as a regular attendee at club GAA games both underage & adult, the above comes as no surprise. Once people step into a GAA ground, its almost like they feel an amnesty for unacceptable social behavior has taken place. Verbal abuse of referees is fine, sometimes even assaults, mass brawls like the one up in county Down is fine too. Abuse between opposition coaches is common place.
Anybody who wants to be a GAA referee must hate themselves. They get no protection. I think we are going to face a chronic shortage of referees in the coming years.
The GAA has to change its culture, much like rugby, where they do not tolerate abusive behavior.

[Itchy]

Sure you just make an appeal and get off anyway so they should not bother have referees anymore, let everyone at it and we can have faction fighting like the good old days. And before you throw stones at the GAA ask yourselves how many times has your club or county made appeals against the decision of a referee. There is a culture in the GAA of their being no accountability for anything so why would you stop abusing the ref, players, mentors, coaches etc and that culture is from top to bottom and from bottom to top.

[trailer]

If he was from your club how many people your club would give witness statements to the Garda or PSNI do you think? The answer is less than 1. That is the issue.
That guy should be looking at a criminal record. But is it any different from a corner forward striking the corner back?

The GAA are there own worst enemy on this. Shitty appeals, people getting off and it gives the impression that you can do whatever you want.

[clarshack]

was it the manager that struck the ref?

[seafoid]

If he was from your club how many people your club would give witness statements to the Garda or PSNI do you think? The answer is less than 1. That is the issue.
That guy should be looking at a criminal record. But is it any different from a corner forward striking the corner back?

The GAA are there own worst enemy on this. Shitty appeals, people getting off and it gives the impression that you can do whatever you want.

Striking a match official is worse than giving a corner back a belt.
Also Gardaí are more respected than PSNI. ..

[Rudi]

was it the manager that struck the ref?

Apparently a mentor of one of the clubs involved. Was not at the game. Seen some footage, an ambulance was required.

[J70]

If he was from your club how many people your club would give witness statements to the Garda or PSNI do you think? The answer is less than 1. That is the issue.
That guy should be looking at a criminal record. But is it any different from a corner forward striking the corner back?

The GAA are there own worst enemy on this. Shitty appeals, people getting off and it gives the impression that you can do whatever you want.

If the club won't cooperate and they conspire to hide the guilty party, they should be booted the f**k out of all competitions until they see the light.

The GAA and GAA culture is far too indulgent of nonsense and violence all across the board.

[trailer]

If he was from your club how many people your club would give witness statements to the Garda or PSNI do you think? The answer is less than 1. That is the issue.
That guy should be looking at a criminal record. But is it any different from a corner forward striking the corner back?

The GAA are there own worst enemy on this. Shitty appeals, people getting off and it gives the impression that you can do whatever you want.

Striking a match official is worse than giving a corner back a belt.
Also Gardaí are more respected than PSNI. ..

How? They are both people. There should be no hierarchy.
That's an utterly ridiculous statement to make.

[Milltown Row2]

I put a link up on the page a while ago about the abuse and how it affects referee's doing their games and how they feel afterwards.. Decent article but not one comment about it, cause who gives a feck what the ref thinks?, he's always wrong any way.

There is far more abuse that ever before, people are just hallions and think that they can shout hurl abuse and be physical with a ref.

The main problem is, not enough referee's actually report abuse at games, they just want to get home and chill out, the drop off rate is alarming but sure 'we' don't care as long as some ejjit will do it.. The video see's the person come on to the pitch but you miss the contact with the ref, but he looks sparked out.

The police should be called as its assault un provoked and if someone sparked you out on the side of the street you'd have the police in, the worst is that the club know these guys are off the chart and should be no where near a ground.. Alcohol doesn't help as they maybe have a few before the game and standing behind the fence gives them a sense I can say what I want and away they go..

I love the craic of, its awful and this shouldn't happen, then you are at your next game giving the ref dogs abuse!!
 

[Dunsilly King]

+1
Just rotten and unnecessary. AH

[seafoid]

If he was from your club how many people your club would give witness statements to the Garda or PSNI do you think? The answer is less than 1. That is the issue.
That guy should be looking at a criminal record. But is it any different from a corner forward striking the corner back?

The GAA are there own worst enemy on this. Shitty appeals, people getting off and it gives the impression that you can do whatever you want.

Striking a match official is worse than giving a corner back a belt.
Also Gardaí are more respected than PSNI. ..

How? They are both people. There should be no hierarchy.
That's an utterly ridiculous statement to make.

Rugby makes the distinction.

https://rugbydome.com/why-are-rugby-referees-respected-and-called-sir/

[grounded]

I put a link up on the page a while ago about the abuse and how it affects referee's doing their games and how they feel afterwards.. Decent article but not one comment about it, cause who gives a feck what the ref thinks?, he's always wrong any way.

There is far more abuse that ever before, people are just hallions and think that they can shout hurl abuse and be physical with a ref.

The main problem is, not enough referee's actually report abuse at games, they just want to get home and chill out, the drop off rate is alarming but sure 'we' don't care as long as some ejjit will do it.. The video see's the person come on to the pitch but you miss the contact with the ref, but he looks sparked out.

The police should be called as its assault un provoked and if someone sparked you out on the side of the street you'd have the police in, the worst is that the club know these guys are off the chart and should be no where near a ground.. Alcohol doesn't help as they maybe have a few before the game and standing behind the fence gives them a sense I can say what I want and away they go..

I love the craic of, its awful and this shouldn't happen, then you are at your next game giving the ref dogs abuse!!

I missed your initial post but agree wholeheartedly with what you say.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S146902922200142X

That recent study makes sobering reading. The reasons for and some good solutions have been covered by earlier posters.

[Itchy]

If he was from your club how many people your club would give witness statements to the Garda or PSNI do you think? The answer is less than 1. That is the issue.
That guy should be looking at a criminal record. But is it any different from a corner forward striking the corner back?

The GAA are there own worst enemy on this. Shitty appeals, people getting off and it gives the impression that you can do whatever you want.

Striking a match official is worse than giving a corner back a belt.
Also Gardaí are more respected than PSNI. ..

How? They are both people. There should be no hierarchy.
That's an utterly ridiculous statement to make.

Rugby makes the distinction.

https://rugbydome.com/why-are-rugby-referees-respected-and-called-sir/

Its called Culture.

Culture is hard  to change and slow to change. But you have to start somewhere and I think a basic thing of getting a long ban and upholding the word of the referee on appeal are the small basics that make a difference.

[Tyrdub]

If he was from your club how many people your club would give witness statements to the Garda or PSNI do you think? The answer is less than 1. That is the issue.
That guy should be looking at a criminal record. But is it any different from a corner forward striking the corner back?

The GAA are there own worst enemy on this. Shitty appeals, people getting off and it gives the impression that you can do whatever you want.

If the club won't cooperate and they conspire to hide the guilty party, they should be booted the f**k out of all competitions until they see the light.

The GAA and GAA culture is far too indulgent of nonsense and violence all across the board.

+1

[Tyrdub]

Sure you just make an appeal and get off anyway so they should not bother have referees anymore, let everyone at it and we can have faction fighting like the good old days. And before you throw stones at the GAA ask yourselves how many times has your club or county made appeals against the decision of a referee. There is a culture in the GAA of their being no accountability for anything so why would you stop abusing the ref, players, mentors, coaches etc and that culture is from top to bottom and from bottom to top.

As someone with experience of this, as soon as punishments come out clubs have a tendency of closing ranks and circling the wagons, especially if the punishments go beyond the individual and affect the club itself. That is when the murky world of appeals and attempts at mitigating punishments comes into it's own.