Davy Byrne

[Sidney]

Anybody who doesn't think this incident warrants a proper investigation by the GAA with, presumably, resulting suspensions,  is a contributor to the type of culture that leads to incidents like the Mark McGovern one. It's that simple.

[Hound]

Anybody who doesn't think this incident warrants a proper investigation by the GAA with, presumably, resulting suspensions,  is a contributor to the type of culture that leads to incidents like the Mark McGovern one. It's that simple.

Sid
How many time have you seen Davy Byrne play for Ballymun in person? Must be close to zero?

Secondly, do you think its worth the Dubs supplying the video to GAA, that would result in the Armagh offender being suspended, and probably 3 other Dubs and 3 other Armagh lads who got involved afterwards (by all accounts the afters were just handbags, but would still result in suspensions - no first teamer Dubs involved, but nothing to be gained by getting those Dubs banned)
I've no idea whether Byrne deserved what he got in that incident, but nobody in Dublin club football was surprised when it turned out he was the Dub involved. So I 100% support that Gavin knows what's best in this incident.

[smelmoth]

I can't see how the ref can do other than submit a report on this issue.

It is difficult to see how that that report cannot either
1. result in significant punishment or
2. lead to further investigation

People in the know (the real know not heard a rumour know or read something on a message board know) need to cooperate.

We need to get these sort of incidents out of our game

A player starts sledging, does it to the wrong guy and gets the head boxed off him. So what!.  He'll keep his beak shut the next time. Happens every week up and down the country.  This is only an issue because its a Dublin player.  What id really like to know is what Byrne said.

I'm no apologist for sledging. Bloody difficult thing to prove though.

Boxing the head of someone is unacceptable. The game cannot tolerate this stuff.
Boxing the head of someone in retaliation for sledging is unacceptable. The game cannot tolerate this stuff. If it
[/quote]
Happens every week up and down the country.[/quote]
then something needs to be done

[smelmoth]

I can't see how the ref can do other than submit a report on this issue.

It is difficult to see how that that report cannot either
1. result in significant punishment or
2. lead to further investigation

People in the know (the real know not heard a rumour know or read something on a message board know) need to cooperate.

We need to get these sort of incidents out of our game

The point is that he did not submit a report, or at least did not mention anything needing investigation. That's unlikely to change now. If he didn t see anything then he didn't see anything . He can hardly go reporting anything now. CCCCCCCC? can t go launching an investigation without a report of an incident or complaint from a victim.

CP needs to look at challenge games. Maybe a system where referees are appointed. As things stand refs are reluctant to annoy managers because they won t be invited back if they are fussy. And I suspect that these games are nice pocket money and usually little or no pressure involved.

Blink of an eye incidents can happen behind the ref's back. Any incident that lasts beyond this would be seen by the ref. Reliably informed that several players were able to join the scuffle. The ref would have been able to turn his head around in the time it took those players to join the action. Injured players needed attention. Ref in attendance. Even if he did not see the outbreak the ref was aware of the incident taking place. His report would reference thses points surely? Grounds for another party to delve deeper into the issue.

Lets be clear the 2 teams are complicit in hushing this up. There was wrong doing in both teams and serious wrong doing at that. They have closed ranks to protect themselves

[Armamike]

Anybody who's at the sledging should be prepared and able to defend themselves when the boxing starts. If not, it's better to keep the mouth shut.

[Wildweasel74]

why be trained for boxing, its supposed to be a football match, too many men giving excuses here for a man getting his nose broke before a ball even throw in, had it happened to you , you be doing some crying. Easy way to sort this affair out is for croke park to request the DVD, which will likely show nothing as the camera man was probably focusing on midfield for the throw up. No video evidence comes forth, case closed and move on.

[Fuzzman]

A few thoughts I've had this week regarding this incident. Just my opinions folks so we're all entitled to that.
1. I presume Dublin arranged this game to set themselves a decent challenge to play away from Croker against a Northern tough team who Gavin knew would provide a hard physical game to test his team against a defensive system that he will probably be coming up against much more from here on in.

2. Dublin away from home know that teams will put it up to them more and try to bully them and intimidate them as some see the Dubs as being a nice open football team but maybe not having too many 'hard' men bar MDMA, McMahon or O'Gara who is out injured. As a result of this Dublin have to make a stand and be seen not to be pushovers.
3. Gavin seems to paint this very whiter than white image of his team and has openly criticised other teams tactics and behaviour and seems quite smug in his views on his team play the game in the way it should be played.
4. I'm sure there are several more incidents but I can think of three times where Dublin have been involved in unsavoury very serious incidents which each time have been very quickly brushed under the carpet with minimal media attention and no big fuss made about it.

I was in Omagh yesterday & Skerries GAA club last night and the amount of Gaels who hadn't even heard about the match was unreal.
As a Tyrone lad living in Dublin I am sick to the teeth of hearing bad press about Tyrone football. Even after our under 21s won a great game if football this year to lift our spirits again the media were on our back.
My main point for posting today is not to ask what R ally happened in that game and what will be done about it. No my grievance is do you agree with me that there seems to be a very clear pattern here of Double standards?
Whether its because of the Dublin based media or as someone on here suggested, even worse refs or opposing teams being offered money to go away and be quiet just to get Dublin off the hook, I really don't know.

I live in Dublin for a long time and yes I have some anti Dublin bias, however I enjoyed seeing Dublin win Sam in 2011 as it gives the whole city a lift and there was good mood and atmosphere in the place.
Naturally enough I am saddened by my own county's demise and how so many people perceive us now thanks to people like Brolly and very anti Northern Southern media but c'est la vie.

My main question to most on here is if this incident had of happened in a 'friendly' match between Donegal and Tyrone would we have the same silence of what really happened or would there be uproar about the thuggery and sledging up there and how something has to be done to stop this cancer.

[Sidney]

Sid
How many time have you seen Davy Byrne play for Ballymun in person? Must be close to zero?

About seven times.

Secondly, do you think its worth the Dubs supplying the video to GAA, that would result in the Armagh offender being suspended, and probably 3 other Dubs and 3 other Armagh lads who got involved afterwards (by all accounts the afters were just handbags, but would still result in suspensions - no first teamer Dubs involved, but nothing to be gained by getting those Dubs banned)
I've no idea whether Byrne deserved what he got in that incident, but nobody in Dublin club football was surprised when it turned out he was the Dub involved. So I 100% support that Gavin knows what's best in this incident.

I honestly can't understand the mindset of anybody who doesn't think this warrants an investigation. The identity of the teams and the players is irrelevant. If players act the thug, they should be suspended.

[Teo Lurley]

No one likes to see injuries like this but as I said ages ago and as most people would have guessed, it looks like it was a case of the Ballymun player starting it with some verbals and the Armagh player finishing it.

[orangeman]

It is not going too far to call what happened to Davey Byrne when his Dublin side faced Armagh in a challenge match the week before last an act of extreme violence. In society, any act of aggression which leads to someone requiring hospital treatment is unacceptable and, in many cases, a criminal offence.
That this incident happened on a sports field doesn't change that.
Details are sketchy but this is what we know: Davey Byrne suffered severe head injuries, he was required to stay in hospital for two nights, the altercation with an Armagh player happened before the game had begun and it is not mentioned in the referee's report, which indicates that the referee did not see it.
Here's what the Dublin and Armagh players and management know: the name of the Armagh player who inflicted these injuries, and what happened that led to the incident occurring.
Challenge games are no different in the eyes of the GAA than championship matches, the same rules and sanctions apply. Challenge games are not permitted at any level in the GAA without permission, and there must be an official referee.
And as with any incident of this nature not seen by the referee, the GAA has the power to investigate. The players and management from both counties, as well as the two county boards, appear to have a different view, however.
They have dealt with the matter themselves, the two players have spoken and they want to move on. Presumably, officials from the two boards have spoken too.
Why do they get to decide how this serious incident is dealt with? What does that say for either county's view on discipline? Dublin and Armagh should not be the ones who decide that they want to put this, as Jim Gavin called it, "regrettable incident" behind them. Armagh, meanwhile, have remained silent. Nothing to see here, move on.
The GAA, if it is remotely serious about cracking down on violence, should have opened an investigation immediately and if getting to the bottom of what happened meant interviewing every player and backroom team member who was there, then so be it. There is at least one video recording of the match - is the incident captured?
To listen to Gavin repeatedly dodge Colm Parkinson's excellent, and fair, line of questioning on this whole affair during a very revealing interview (see panel) on Off The Ball on Thursday night was to be exposed to a view of the GAA world which is not a healthy one. At one point, the Dublin manager - whose discomfort clearly grew the longer the interview went on - even referred to Byrne as "unfortunate", a very unfortunate choice of words. Throughout his time as Dublin manager, Gavin has conducted himself with admirable humility and respect, but this was not his finest moment.
In fact, the whole thing has become a little sordid. It reeks of double standards, of one rule for one and another for someone else. Can you imagine a situation where it is deemed acceptable for two teams - or in this case two high-profile counties - to sort matters of ill-discipline out between themselves? If Meath goalkeeper Paddy O'Rourke had phoned Westmeath's Kieran Martin after his red card two weeks ago and the two players had "a good frank discussion", could he have played yesterday in Omagh and avoided the suspension he incurred?
As a player committed to the Dublin squad, it is quite likely that Byrne is happy to move on, recover from his injuries and get back playing. Players play. But that does not excuse others such as Dublin County Board or the GAA not taking action.
Byrne, just like all players, deserves at least that much.
Sunday Indo Sport

[Throw ball]

Will they do a follow up next week on an Armagh player being hit before the ball was thrown in today?

[Hill16 Blues]

A few thoughts I've had this week regarding this incident. Just my opinions folks so we're all entitled to that.
1. I presume Dublin arranged this game to set themselves a decent challenge to play away from Croker against a Northern tough team who Gavin knew would provide a hard physical game to test his team against a defensive system that he will probably be coming up against much more from here on in.

2. Dublin away from home know that teams will put it up to them more and try to bully them and intimidate them as some see the Dubs as being a nice open football team but maybe not having too many 'hard' men bar MDMA, McMahon or O'Gara who is out injured. As a result of this Dublin have to make a stand and be seen not to be pushovers.
3. Gavin seems to paint this very whiter than white image of his team and has openly criticised other teams tactics and behaviour and seems quite smug in his views on his team play the game in the way it should be played.
4. I'm sure there are several more incidents but I can think of three times where Dublin have been involved in unsavoury very serious incidents which each time have been very quickly brushed under the carpet with minimal media attention and no big fuss made about it.

I was in Omagh yesterday & Skerries GAA club last night and the amount of Gaels who hadn't even heard about the match was unreal.
As a Tyrone lad living in Dublin I am sick to the teeth of hearing bad press about Tyrone football. Even after our under 21s won a great game if football this year to lift our spirits again the media were on our back.
My main point for posting today is not to ask what R ally happened in that game and what will be done about it. No my grievance is do you agree with me that there seems to be a very clear pattern here of Double standards?
Whether its because of the Dublin based media or as someone on here suggested, even worse refs or opposing teams being offered money to go away and be quiet just to get Dublin off the hook, I really don't know.

I live in Dublin for a long time and yes I have some anti Dublin bias, however I enjoyed seeing Dublin win Sam in 2011 as it gives the whole city a lift and there was good mood and atmosphere in the place.
Naturally enough I am saddened by my own county's demise and how so many people perceive us now thanks to people like Brolly and very anti Northern Southern media but c'est la vie.

My main question to most on here is if this incident had of happened in a 'friendly' match between Donegal and Tyrone would we have the same silence of what really happened or would there be uproar about the thuggery and sledging up there and how something has to be done to stop this cancer.

Will you ever fcuk off. You're having a go at Dublin in situation where it was a Dubln player who was the victim. That and having a moan and a whine about people picking on poor Tyrone. FFS!

[orangeman]

Move on.

"I think Jim already answered that about 20 times for everybody," he said.
"We both kind of said that discipline is a core philosophy of both teams. Two people got involved, they spoke, everybody moves on.
"Like that, most of the stuff that's reported was nothing near the truth of what happened so you just have to leave it behind and move on."
Asked if he felt it should be just left at that, the former Kildare manager, in his first year in charge of the Orchard County, replied: "Everybody does, it's just...what more would you like to do? I don't really understand the question."

[moysider]

That's grand so. No more bans or suspensions even if ye batter a lad into hospital. We'll shake hands and move on.

[Throw ball]

That's grand so. No more bans or suspensions even if ye batter a lad into hospital. We'll shake hands and move on.

Can I ask again. If an investigation is to be made on the friendly why no mention of the Galway player hitting the Armagh player before throw in to get a reaction? Surely everything should be treated the same.