Paddy Heaney of the irish news!

[A Quinn Martin Production]

a good article today Paddy but you made a mistake... Benny Coulters birthday is the 7th June 1982 which makes him only 27 to next week...

That makes him 28 next week.

He is still only 27 TO next week!!!!!

Ooops, apologies TOH, I'm a bit dyslexic which raises its ugly head now and again.

[saffron sam2]

Superbly satirical piece by Heaney in today's Irish News.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Superbly satirical piece by Heaney in today's Irish News.

Satirical?

A rock of sense surely! 

[Maguire01]

He did put a different perspective on Sludden's performance.

[ardmhachaabu]

Can anyone post it?

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

It's not possible to copy and paste from the Irish News these days ardmhacaabu -- and much though you're a great lad, I just don't have the time to type it out for you at the minute

[ardmhachaabu]

No bother ya bie ya

[Winnie Peg]

Heaney is developing into the country's top GAA journalist.

[Zapatista]

Heaney is developing into the country's top GAA journalist.

There's a new top journalist here every week.

[our_fella]

Has nobody else here noticed how Heaney has completely changed his tone of referee's? Was it not only several weeks back where he wrote an awful article about the men in black? And god knows where he got inspiration for that article todayt after that shambles on how on Sunday. We all know the Mallon v Woods clash has different views but what did McDonnell, McManus etc get yellow cards? I think the groan coming from the crowd on both sides should give an indication on how the ref's seem to book for anything. And how was Sludden appointed this match in the first place after his display that night in the marshes?

[Pangurban]

Not a bad piece by Heaney today, provided some fodder for debate, without indulging in his usual sweeping generalisations

[mackers]

Thought the article was a load of rubbish myself. He attributed the fact that Sunday's game was so open SOLELY down to the ref. Personally I've never seen Armagh's defence be so open with POR being on record as saying that he is trying to get us to play more offensively. Monaghan were the second highest scorers in Division 1 this year but also conceded the second highest total also. So maybe, just maybe, the two teams who do have a reputation for attritional football decided to go out and play a bit as they have been trying to do all year.
From where I was standing, the open football on show had feck all got to do with Sludden.

[Main Street]

Maybe it was an open game despite Sludden.
But the game stayed that way, not even one little ruckus.
He dished out some soft yellow cards, but does he dish out second yellows with such abandon?
Pat McEneaney tends to give advantage to the attacking player when surrounded, Sludden tended to give advantage to the defenders, penalising the attacker if he doesn't get shod of the ball in an instant.

[Main Street]

Paddy Heaney's article from the IN
Pundits in denial about threat of tactical fouling

was printed by/uploaded to, the Examiner
http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/pundits-in-denial-about-threat-of-tactical-fouling-122010.html

THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2010
Pat dreams of the day when footballers will be able to run gaily through the field without any fear of getting clogged up in the congestion of a screen defence. When Pat criticised referee Martin Sludden for showing six yellow cards in the first half of Sunday's game in Casement Park, he displayed an ignorance and naivety about the cynicism of the modern footballer and the modern game.

Bemoaning Sludden's style of refereeing, Pat said: "A yellow card should be a serious deterrent for a serious foul. Yellow cards are being thrown out like confetti at a wedding. You are often wondering if there was a foul there or not. A yellow card should be for dangerous play."

If Pat had been in charge of Sunday's fixture, he would have shown no yellow cards, and the game as a consequence would have quickly deteriorated into a stop-start farce.

When the modern forward realises that a tactical foul will only draw a free-kick, then he fouls all day.

But there is a good reason why Armagh and Monaghan didn't generate the 82 frees which occurred when they met in last year's qualifiers.

In stark contrast to last season's eyesore, Sunday's game was a cracking contest that contained many spell-binding passages of play and a very modest 38 free-kicks.
In the 19th minute, the reliable Martin Carney praised the teams for their "positive application which was making a very enjoyable match".
Make no mistake, there is no doubt that Martin Sludden contributed to the wonderful display of attacking football which was witnessed in Casement Park. He achieved this by a judicious and appropriate use of the yellow card.

Sludden sent out a clear message in the third minute when he booked Stephen Gollogly after the Monaghan player grabbed Paul Duffy by the waist.
These fouls look innocuous but they are cynical. Because teams are coached how to fall into defensive formations if they lose kick-outs, the majority of scores now come from counter-attacks.

The easiest and most effective way to prevent scores from counter-attacks is to nip the danger in the bud by conceding a foul in the other team's defence.
Another proven method of reducing scores is to bully and harass the opposition's star forward. John Paul Mone received the game's second yellow after an off-the-ball exchange with Steven McDonnell.

By that stage, McDonnell had taken Dessie Mone for three points. JP had just moved onto McDonnell and was making his presence felt.
By booking Mone, the referee showed forwards were going to be protected from any of the game's darker arts.

Tommy Freeman was another name in the book when he committed another tactical foul on Duffy. It was Freeman's second offence as he had previously fouled Gareth Swift in the 11th minute.
It was another superb call by Sludden. Far too many referees are cowed by high-profile forwards and allow the star names to foul repeatedly throughout the game.
It must be acknowledged that Sludden's obsession with illegal pick-ups did blot his copybook. He blew three technical infringements in the first half but his calls on Brendan Donaghy and Conor McManus were wrong.

The decision to red card Brian Mallon was also controversial. However, Sludden can't ship all the blame as he also acted on the advice of his linesman David Coldrick.
None of the incidents in Sunday's game would have warranted a yellow card when Pat Spillane was playing.
But the game has moved on since then. When Pat was in his pomp, forwards either didn't or couldn't tackle.

That is no longer the case. All forwards are now coached how to tackle legally. But all forwards are also coached how and when to tackle illegally. The blanket defence only works if the defending team gets time to put numbers behind the ball. This time is gained with an innocent-looking tactical foul.
Sadly, there is nothing innocent about the current brand of Gaelic football.
More distressingly again, we have become conditioned to routine and systematic fouling. But we really should harbour grander ambitions for our game.
On Sunday, we saw how two teams often ridiculed for their negativity will respond whenever tactical fouls and off-the-ball bullying draw yellow cards. Players stood off and there were fewer free-kicks.

Spillane represents the views of many as he pines for the old days when he (mistakenly) believes the ball moved seamlessly from one half of the field to the other.
However, Pat and his followers must realise that the old way of refereeing will never achieve that style of game. If the match in Casement contained one great lesson then it was this: when the yellow cards flowed, so did the football.
p.heaney@irishnews.com

[longrunsthefox]

Is a remarkable turnaround since only a few weeks ago he said referrees are like 'sewers, unpleasant but necessary' and then launched a total vitriolic attack on the mindset on anyone who becomes a ref. Sounds like he might have got his card marked.