Kevin McStay: blind or biased?

[Leo]

Watching the Limerick-Meath game last night on TV I witnessed probably the best performance of a young referee ever at county level - Hughes from Armagh.

As far as I could se he got every key decision correct (including a couple of dangerous high tackles and third-man tackles), was good at consultinhg his officials, kept the game going  and was decisive on off-the-ball issues. There was only one bounce ball in the whole game (usually the refuge of poor referees who don't know that decision to give) and he had the courgae to correctly blow the Limerick player for too many steps at the very end when it looked he might get in for an equalising point. I was disappointed Limerick didn't get the chance to take the game top extra time but the ref was spot on.

Yet on most of these key decisions Kevin McStay co-commentator disgareed, either unable to see the incidents, or biased either against the Aramagh official or in favour of Meath (whose side he seemed to be supporting). Did anyone else notice this and why can't we recognise good refereeing when we see it?

Mind you McStay was saying it at half time that it was a good game whereas Tohill correctly said it was very poor football.

However raher than be too critical of McStay I'd like to hear how others viewed Hughes' performance.

By the way this praise for him comes from a Down man!

[Main Street]

Both teams did their best to ruin the game for the ref
Apart from the glaring anomaly of the added on time already mentioned in the thread, I thought the ref did alright.
But that was one major serious cxck up. Limerick had the possession when the whistle blew prematurely.


McStay took great issue with the ref bowing up for a  block on the Limerick player trying to pass the ball around the 45 in the first half, even on second viewing he claimed it was a fair block. I can't say I am that well versed in the rules but it had all the hallmarks of a lazy cynical block by the Meath man.

[stevetharlear]

Watching the Limerick-Meath game last night on TV I witnessed probably the best performance of a young referee ever at county level - Hughes from Armagh.

As far as I could se he got every key decision correct (including a couple of dangerous high tackles and third-man tackles), was good at consultinhg his officials, kept the game going  and was decisive on off-the-ball issues. There was only one bounce ball in the whole game (usually the refuge of poor referees who don't know that decision to give) and he had the courgae to correctly blow the Limerick player for too many steps at the very end when it looked he might get in for an equalising point. I was disappointed Limerick didn't get the chance to take the game top extra time but the ref was spot on.

Yet on most of these key decisions Kevin McStay co-commentator disgareed, either unable to see the incidents, or biased either against the Aramagh official or in favour of Meath (whose side he seemed to be supporting). Did anyone else notice this and why can't we recognise good refereeing when we see it?

Mind you McStay was saying it at half time that it was a good game whereas Tohill correctly said it was very poor football.

However raher than be too critical of McStay I'd like to hear how others viewed Hughes' performance.

By the way this praise for him comes from a Down man!

You're foolin nobody, Mr Hughes.

[Radioulster]

Is this a joke Hughes is a very poor referee, he always leaves people talking about his performance he only played 2 minutes last nite there were at least 4 and the Meath goalkeeper must have wasted 30 secs on each kickout and what a kickout!!!

[Bogball XV]

If you could ask him to explain where he came up with the two minutes extra time at, I'm sure many of us on the board would be delighted to know.

[Aaron Boone]

As for McStay, he's not too bad overall in my book.

[Orior]

Here we go again, having a go at an easy target.

Did you all see John Bannon on the sideline? Does he give up every Saturday and Sunday for GAA? Referee's are a lot more dedicated than some of the posters on this board.

[norabeag]

If you could ask him to explain where he came up with the two minutes extra time at, I'm sure many of us on the board would be delighted to know.

I could be totally wrong here but is it not the 4th official who determines the added time

[JMohan]

McStay is a shocking commentator. Period.

I turn the volume off when he's on.
He's only marginally better than Lyons.

He whines and moans about any physical contact is very often inaccurate in naming players involved in incidents.   

The ref relays the time to the 4th official

[Bogball XV]

If you could ask him to explain where he came up with the two minutes extra time at, I'm sure many of us on the board would be delighted to know.

I could be totally wrong here but is it not the 4th official who determines the added time

not according to the official rules, but you could be right.  In any case, the ref still has the authority to overrule as he has ultimate responsbility for the lot.

[tyssam5]

If you could ask him to explain where he came up with the two minutes extra time at, I'm sure many of us on the board would be delighted to know.

I could be totally wrong here but is it not the 4th official who determines the added time

Yes you are totally wrong here. 4th official holds up the board after the ref tell him what number to put up.

[Louth Exile]

Hughes is a fussy ref and often focuses on small things to the detriment of the game (eg. the Limerick run ball at the end, very harsh). Still having said this he is not the worst around (eg. the aforementioned Mr Bannon on the line, the worst of the lot). Some of the decisions that were wrong last night:
- There is no way that there was only 2 mins additional time. However, I firmly believe that, at this level, time keeping should have long since been taken out of the hands of the ref, they have enough to contend with. This should be the remit of the 4th official.
- Blatant square ball for the goal, even without the aid of TV replays you just knew he couldn't physically have followed the ball into the square. Yes, that particular call is still left as being the sole responsibility of the ref, which is wrong, his umpires gave him no assistance on the call last night. Still, a good ref would have made the right call.
- Late on Limerick free about twenty yards out on the right (you all know the one) ridiculously soft, never should have been given.
- It was a ridiculously harsh call to blow the run ball at the end, then to just play 2 mins and once Limerick won the kickout, to not at least give them one last chance.

Limerick can really have no complaints however about Hughes actions at the end, given that he gifted them 1-1 previous to that, without which they wouldn't have been in the game (and this is coming from a Louth man  )

In relation to Mc Stay, personally, I think that he is one of the better ones, Daragh Maloney and Mc Stay is a far, far better combination that the two yahoos that are doing the Cork Donegal game at the moment (The umpa lumpa and Carney). Only thing that really annoys me about Mc Stay is "Turnovers", give it up and leave it with the American sports.

[JMohan]

Turnovers comes from his 'experience' with basketball watching his brother in law

[pintsofguinness]

- It was a ridiculously harsh call to blow the run ball at the end, then to just play 2 mins and once Limerick won the kickout, to not at least give them one last chance.

I didnt see the game, was it the correct call? Did the player overrun?

[Hardy]

Yes.  I don't know what "harsh" means - he broke the rule or he didn't.

He did.