Brawl Before Cork Clare Game

Started by agorm, May 28, 2007, 08:40:47 AM

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Hardy

BT I have to disagree with you here. I don't usually comment on hurling and this is not about hurling either. It's about yobbery among GAA players – be it hurlers or footballers. We know that footballers are also capable of behaving as the hurlers did yesterday.

What happened in Thurles yesterday before the game started wasn't hurling and to see the hurling/general GAA establishment circle wagons and dismiss it as "all part of the game" is disheartening. Donal O'Grady actually said it was fine because nobody got hit in the head with a hurl! Worse still, people are queuing up to blame the officials in Thurles for allowing both teams out at the same time!!! I thought it was only soccer yobs who needed to be segregated.

It's not that yesterday's carry-on was particularly bad. Indeed Donal is right in one way – nobody got hurt. But we all know it's just one instance of the sort of behaviour, often with much more serious consequences, that happens on GAA fields all over the country, week after week.

For me, the GAA's purpose and very reason for existence is to provide healthy, manly (no apology), socially positive activities for young people. What happens outside Abrakebabra or Supermac's on any Saturday night in any town or village, where youngsters with testosterone out of control have at each other over trivialities, is the opposite of what we are supposed to be promoting. We are supposed to be about positive examples, messages and experiences for kids. Yesterday, we had the "schemozzle" – what a mealy-mouthed weasel word – in front of two lines of kids, invited to be present to witness it!

This kind of street-corner thuggery is much more prevalent in the GAA than it is in soccer (as far as I know, and I mean on-field) and rugby (I'm absolutely certain). You rarely hear of a pre- or post- match brawl among rugby players. I've never heard of a rugby referee being assaulted. Could that be because rugby has more effective sanctions and a healthier culture of sportsmanship and respect for the rules? And let's drop the persecution complex and complaining about the media highlighting this stuff. Let's instead do something to ensure that there's nothing to report.

It's not an over-statement to say that this sort of carry-on is the single biggest obstacle to the growth of the GAA among communities where we should be working hard to promote the values of our sport. My most telling personal insight into that comes from my local pub. It's populated by GAA people, soccer people and rugby people. The only time I can't hold my own in defending the GAA and the games is when incidents like yesterday's come up for discussion, as of course they did last night. It's not just that it's an embarrassment to me, it's that I can't mount an effective argument when people say (as they do) that they would be reluctant to let their kids be part of a culture where this kind of yobbery (no apology for that word, either) is not just tolerated, but defended.

Lots of things that used to be accepted in society no longer are. We (the GAA) seem to have failed to notice that nowadays, society at large recoils when groups of young men lose self-discipline and attack each other physically, whether it's in a pub, in the street or on a sports field. We need to understand that as we try to promote our sport in the twenty-first century. Parents decide the sports their kids play. It's well gone the time when we should take a long hard look at the whole issue of discipline – from mass mini-brawls to abuse of referees, and introduce severe and effective sanctions, once and for all.

Excuse the long rambling post, but I had to get that off my chest.

pintsofguinness

It's no mystery as to why such incidents occur in the GAA, there are no detterents. 

End of story. 
Which one of you bitches wants to dance?

Maximus Marillius

I must say I thought the way the comments by O'grady et al on the Sunday game were a disgrace. For anyone is suggest that this is part of the game and acceptable...well its time the O'Gradys were shown the door by RTE. Hurling is gradually becoming more like ice hockey, the fighting is part of the game...lets turn a blind eye.

turk

Who will think of the children!!

I think if you were a young lad on the pitch and these lads came out dunting and banging each other it would be mighty!! It would be one of the best things ever!!

Whether that's an indictment of society or not is another thing

Model Hammer

Well said Hardy, I'm glad you had the energy to spell it out, as I don't. The likes of Donal O'Grady should know a hell of a lot more than the likes of me about the need to provide good example to our children. Personally, I'm still reeling from the shock on the face of my 7-year-old after witnessing Matty Forde's antics last year.

Nothing will happen as a result of this disgrace. We're around long enough to realise that. Some faceless official will take the rap for mis-handling the timing of the team's entries. Shur that's all it was. Meanwhile the drip-drip of another few children - and parents - away from our great games will continue behind the scenes. It kills me to think of those kids - and their parents - and how their big day out was ruined.

No doubt Brian O'Meara and Liam Dunne and others will be interested to see how many 3-month suspensions for striking are handed out to Dónal Óg and Co.


rosnarun

blaminmg the fact that the 2  teams ran out togrther is a complete red herring . the englisg soccer thugs excuse . they let us nears trh oppsing fans what could we do but try and recreate the british empire and throw stones at them
If you make yourself understood, you're always speaking well. Moliere

Lorcs

Great post Hardy, 100% agree.

And I'm for the hurling rather than the big ball...

Tony Baloney

Great post Hardy. It's as bad as the old adage "shure it's man's game" whenever someone complains about having a stick drawn across their head from behind!

Do you think Donal Og and his counterparts would accept any ban in the extremely unlikey event that one was imposed?! The GPA would have the "professional" hurling stars of Cork on strike before you could say "Fergal Logan".


bottlethrower7

2 posts about the Laois-Offaly game. A Cork-Clare thread that is probably on page 3 by now. And this thread, 23 posts long. I rest my case.

Hardy, I made no judgement on the row. I merely made a point that no one here pays a blind bit of notice to hurling until something bad happens. Its often been mentioned on here about the media coming down hard on rows in GAA games, then turning a blind eye to same in rugby and soccer (as is the case). This is principly the same thing.

dublinfella

Quote from: bottlethrower7 on May 28, 2007, 01:21:11 PM
2 posts about the Laois-Offaly game. A Cork-Clare thread that is probably on page 3 by now. And this thread, 23 posts long. I rest my case.

Hardy, I made no judgement on the row. I merely made a point that no one here pays a blind bit of notice to hurling until something bad happens. Its often been mentioned on here about the media coming down hard on rows in GAA games, then turning a blind eye to same in rugby and soccer (as is the case). This is principly the same thing.

what rows have there been recently in Irish rugby or soccer?

whitewashing like what you are trying to do wont work. action should be taken, especially because the kids had to scarper for their own safety.

timmykelleher

Any chance of a blow by blow from anyone on this schemozzle?

All I saw were the sunday game pictures where some Clare player (Lohan, Lynch??) gave Donal òg a dunt to the back and got the butt of a hurley for his troubles.

After that it cut to the pitch and it seemed a bit more serious there.
It was the first incident that started it though so perhaps these 2 players should be singled out.
What would be a suitable punishment. One match suspension?


Corcaigh - McGrath cup champions - 2009

johnneycool

Is three months not the going rate for striking with the hurl Timmy?

Shamrock Shore

3 months min to anyone who was swinging.

However I am sure Frank Murphy will exposes some loophole in the book cos the game hadn't commenced.

timmykelleher

Now 3 months would definitely cause a strike!!

Over on another website they had it that the stadium announcer called for the crowd to welcome Cork on to the field of play before the 2 teams ran out. They definitely got a welcome.
Corcaigh - McGrath cup champions - 2009

Model Hammer

Quote from: bottlethrower7 on May 28, 2007, 01:21:11 PM
2 posts about the Laois-Offaly game. A Cork-Clare thread that is probably on page 3 by now. And this thread, 23 posts long. I rest my case.

Hardy, I made no judgement on the row. I merely made a point that no one here pays a blind bit of notice to hurling until something bad happens. Its often been mentioned on here about the media coming down hard on rows in GAA games, then turning a blind eye to same in rugby and soccer (as is the case). This is principly the same thing.

I can only speak for myself. I joined this post because I was disgusted by the antics yesterday and the panel member's reponses - and the inevitable lip service and inaction that will ensue until the 2nd half of the week when we move into preview mode again. In much the same way as you may perceive yourself to be in a minority whose voice should be heard, I feel the same way when it comes to standing up to the perennial scourge of gratuitous violence in the GAA, and I felt obliged to express my protest. It has nothing to do with the size of the ball.