Mickey Harte joins the Irish News

[longrunsthefox]

... right enough considering Pat O'Shea couldn't manage them last year...

[Winnie Peg]

I see Micky has taken a "dig" at Pete McGrath today.

[Bensars]

Can someone post the article  ?

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Sin é é:

Main players need to reach consensus on rules debate
Mickey Harte

THE fact that so many column inches have been devoted to rules and referees' interpretation, application or non-application of them might suggest that the issue should be consigned to recent history.

Paradoxically, the controversy and debate initiated as a result of the experimental rules can act as a catalyst for a constructive and ongoing process in search of that almost elusive trait – consistency.

In deference to Pat Daly, Liam O'Neill and the Rules Task Force, their objective was to clarify exactly what should happen in the event of indiscretions, with four distinct outcomes. In theory this consisted of a tick, a black book, a yellow card and a red card and appeared to be quite straightforward. In practice, the interpretation of individual referees in relation to the various categories, not only in different games, but indeed within a single game, proved problematic.

While I am not fully au fait with the exact amount of time spent by referees and administrators in relation to striving for consistency, it is fair to say that a concerted effort was made to standardise the process. As I have alluded to many times in the past, our match officials have the unenviable task of making decisions in live time, which is so different to retrospectively studying video tape and re-running incidents at a slowed down speed from a variety of angles in the comfort of a television studio. However, despite the difficulties faced and the inevitability that perfection is always beyond us, we still ought to challenge ourselves to be the best we can be, in all aspects of life.

I believe that while the intentions are honourable on behalf of all concerned, there is too little real communication between all of the people who can contribute to a more successful working solution. In my opinion, there are four distinct groupings whose co-operation is essential if we are going to make progress with this thorny issue. Firstly, there are our administrators, whose contribution often goes unheralded, yet without whom nothing would happen. Secondly, there are our players whose commitment, skill and dedication essentially ensure that we have a viable and crowd-pulling product to offer. Thirdly, our match officials, especially referees, who often inconvenience themselves for their own club and county, under much scrutiny and with limited praise, to facilitate the playing of our games. Finally, there are managers. Though a more transient group than any of the previous three, they also have key roles to play in influencing the final product.

To date, despite intermittent attempts to engage on some of these fronts, there has been no constructive and meaningful engagement between representative groups from all four strands at a single forum. Hence the 'them and us' atmosphere regularly raises its head, sometimes even leading to unhelpful sniping towards each other.

In my best efforts to be totally objective, (not an easy thing to do), I am of the opinion that who's right appears to be more important than what's right. The fact that we are returning to the status quo with regard to the rules for the Championship should not mean that the search for improvement should be sidelined. Quite the opposite is appropriate and an active forum for assessing, analysing and appreciating each other's role during this season's Championship campaign might prove much more productive rather than a win-lose confrontation at a later date.

Indeed, I would suggest that, right now, the structures should be drawn up by officials at Headquarters to bring representation together and clearly identify what we all have in common and how we might respectfully build on that commonality. Mindsets need to change and we need to hear and embrace how we can be helpful to each other rather than the perceived notions that regularly currently prevail.

If everyone brought their vision of how things could be better to the table and most importantly, if all concerned were to attempt to understand the significance of their own and each other's behaviour in given situations, then the entire focus would move to where co-operation, rather than conflict, can flourish.

If particular games were used as templates for observation and analysis in advance of the representative forum, and interpretation from different perspectives given, then a more comprehensive understanding would be available to all and, when shared in a non-threatening environment, this would inevitably lead to better practice.

The real advantage in this approach would be that, with the privilege of having a valid  opportunity to comment on the performance of others, everyone would have to be much more conscious of taking responsibility for their own behaviour. Essentially, this is a positive human relations exercise where everyone could share their reading of specific incidents and how particular styles of body language might impact on them or be interpreted by them.

If such a forum were to be initiated and consistently (that word again) convened across the rest of this season, I feel that would be the most positive legacy of the recent rules experiment.

[saffron sam2]

Feck, whilst there may well be a valid point somewhere therein, that was hard going. Does Evil Genius do the ghost writing?

[Fuzzman]

Finally Mickey listens to what the Fuzzman says.

I've been saying this for some time now that there needs to be communication between all parties so they can reach a common ground.

[rrhf]

As they say at the loughshore "is that a dog hid in the hay." 

[The GAA]

Feck, whilst there may well be a valid point somewhere therein, that was hard going. Does Evil Genius do the ghost writing?

Reillers i think...

[saffron sam2]

Finally Mickey listens to what the Fuzzman says.

I've been saying this for some time now that there needs to be communication between all parties so they can reach a common ground.

Interestingly, before the introduction of the new rules there was a meeting of concerned parties (including at least 15 current inter-county managers) where the changes to the rules were discussed and various examples of fouls from each category (i.e. no card, black card, yellow card and red card) were shown. Whilst there was general concensus among most of the people there, one manager was almost always two degrees below his peers. When examples were shown involving his own players, there was no talking to him at all. One manager was even allegedly moved to say (in a Dublin accent), "f**k sake, M*****. You're turning this whole thing into a joke."

Maybe Mickey Harte wasn't aware of this meeting.

[rrhf]

Wsa Paddy Heaney at this meeting?

[bigpaul]

I think the Irish News have fooled all of us by making this annoucement.


You've missed the main point :



The Irish News has gone up to 70p - Mickey's fee must have forced the increase ?


Seriously though, the Irish News have pulled a stroke here - introducing Mickey and masking the rise in the cost.

I have to say,if that 10p went towards paying Mickey for writing this column, it's the worst gaelic football value for money I have had this year!

[Tyrones own]

I'm sure he'll have no bother shouldering the blame for the increase... sure isn't he to blame
for most everything else, no one is being forced to buy and read his column lads.
How many times has it been said on here "if you don't like or are offended with a thread or the like...don't read it"

[muppet]

I'm sure he'll have no bother shouldering the blame for the increase... sure isn't he to blame
for most everything else, no one is being forced to buy and read his column lads.
How many times has it been said on here "if you don't like or are offended with a thread or the like...don't read it"

Does that mean that a poster who doesn't agree with him can't post a critical comment or even read the thread?

[Tyrones own]

Does that mean that a poster who doesn't agree with him can't post a critical comment or even read the thread?

No I wouldn't go that far, can't is a strong word there but for those of us that didn't honestly believe at the start that he was actually going to spill the beans to his
successful way of thinking or his superior tactical nous at critical times during games, not to mention come out and castigate his players after any kind of infraction to
the rules of the game see most of this thread for what it is.... a cringeworthy weekly whinge fest   from the usual suspects of envy and resentment.
I quite enjoy his column..

[muppet]

Does that mean that a poster who doesn't agree with him can't post a critical comment or even read the thread?

No I wouldn't go that far, can't is a strong word there but for those of us that didn't honestly believe at the start that he was actually going to spill the beans to his
successful way of thinking or his superior tactical nous at critical times during games, not to mention come out and castigate his players after any kind of infraction to
the rules of the game see most of this thread for what it is.... a cringeworthy weekly whinge fest   from the usual suspects of envy and resentment.
I quite enjoy his column..

I couldn't agree more.