Antrim Football Thread

[playwiththewind1st]

The referee attacked at an Under-21 game in October has resigned after the punishments handed out to the Rasharkin club were reduced by Ulster GAA chiefs.

Ray Matthews said he was extremely annoyed, disappointed and disgusted at the outcome of the club's appeal.

He added that he had feared for his life when he was assaulted after the Antrim U-21 semi-final in Ballymena.

Rasharkin will now be allowed to play in adult league and championship competitions in Antrim in 2012.

The county board had originally banned the club from all competitions above minor grade for the year.

Rasharkin's home ground will remain closed for senior matches next year and club's adult teams will have to play all their games at away venues.

The Ulster Council's appeal judgement said that any further transgressions over the next two years could see the original bans re-imposed.

The Antrim county board also has the option of appealing against the provincial body's ruling.

Rasharkin's appeal to the Ulster Council only concerned the sanctions handed to the club - not the hefty individual bans imposed on some club personnel.

The Antrim board expelled one player, two club members and a member of the Rasharkin coaching staff.

Matthews was taken to hospital after being assaulted at the end of the Antrim Under-21 championship semi-final game against Belfast club Lamh Dhearg.

Rasharkin remain banned from the Under-21 Championship.

[imtommygunn]

The thing about this is that the antrim board actually stood up to it here and were overruled so antrim board, for those who think it was wrong to rescind the ban on adult teams, have no fault in this.

No one comes out of this looking good at all here.

Like people say - how would you expect this man to ever continue reffing teams like Rasharkin. If it's as bad as it was portrayed you'd have to imagine it would have a pretty scarring effect on him.

[Milltown Row2]

The thing about this is that the antrim board actually stood up to it here and were overruled so antrim board, for those who think it was wrong to rescind the ban on adult teams, have no fault in this.

No one comes out of this looking good at all here.

Like people say - how would you expect this man to ever continue reffing teams like Rasharkin. If it's as bad as it was portrayed you'd have to imagine it would have a pretty scarring effect on him.

Very good Tommy,  Ray has been let down, Rasharkin Gael is a decent poster and has come across as sensible in his posts regarding the issue. But I'm with Ray on this, in that he was put into a position, not by Antrim but the UC on this and has only one option left for him, and that is to resign. The measures seemed extreme but at what point do we say, enough is enough. You assault a referee your club will get sanctions that will make them change their attitude towards it happening again

[Alter Ego]

RG as MR says you post sensible replies, still keen for you answer my previous post which you seemed to have dodged up til now seeing as you did your best to bring control during the incident that occurred which I have no doubt you did?

[Applesisapples]

I don't think the Antrim County Board can be faulted for there response to the attack on Ray and I hope they appeal this odious decision by the Ulster Council. In the circumstances it was only proper that Rasharkin were punished as they were. Not withstanding that there are many decent people in Rasharkin, the only way we can stamp this out is by making coming down hard on clubs in these circumstances. Shame on the Ulster Council, we in Ulster have lost a very good referee and a decent man to boot. I hope Ray changes his mind.

[HiMucker]

Fair play to the Antrim board coming down hard, but for me the punishment was too harsh and was never going to stick.  Banned from all home games for the year.  Excluded from championship senior, reserve and U21.  And possibly made to get a few more guys from their club to go on referees courses.  This would have been a fairer punishment IMO.

[sheamy]

Fair play to the Antrim board coming down hard, but for me the punishment was too harsh and was never going to stick.  Banned from all home games for the year.  Excluded from championship senior, reserve and U21.  And possibly made to get a few more guys from their club to go on referees courses.  This would have been a fairer punishment IMO.

+1. A bit of sense talked. You can't ban an entire community from sport on the actions of some arseholes. It needed to be very harsh as the actions were disgraceful but it went a tiny bit too far. Ulster Council got it right but unfortunately it looks like a climb down which creates a media storm and you can then understand the referees position in quitting.

I've never understood the rationale behind bans. They do not stop people acting the same way again. The way to address this is respect for referees. Take small examples. How many times both at club and county do you see managers and their sidekicks harangue a linesman constantly throughout a game. They figure if they only influence one decision he makes, it can change a game. This is turn creates an envrionment where the players/subs figure it's ok to have a go at the linesman and/or ref. It's a small step away from there to belting him when the shit hits the fan if you ask me.

Supporters feed off this example too and where you have dugouts beside a stand with the associated noise (I know this is not the case here), then you get a vicious cauldron type atmosphere. My point - bans do not sort the underlying problem of lack of respect for referees. IMO to publically lambast a referee should be a no no for all players and managers.

[LostInSpace]

The referees in the NFL are probably the most respected referees in the sporting world, no-one talks back to them, only the team coach can query there decisions.  How do they get such a high level of respect?  The GAA needs to adopt a similar approach.

[glens73]

The NFL is a not free-flowing game, a totally different game altogether!

[LostInSpace]

The NFL is a not free-flowing game, a totally different game altogether!

Its not a matter of the game, its a matter of the respect shown for the referees!

[Leave er in]

The NFL is a not free-flowing game, a totally different game altogether!

Its not a matter of the game, its a matter of the respect shown for the referees!

As much as I appreciate your opinion that respect is whats required, to compare the GAA to the NFL is very far fetched, as previously stated it is not a free flowing game leaving it easier to officiate, there is also more than one official looking after the game therefore easier to call fouls, also due to the highly physical nature of the game it is easier to let go therefore lowering the number of contentious tackles and incidents that can be deemed as fouls

[LostInSpace]

The NFL is a not free-flowing game, a totally different game altogether!

Its not a matter of the game, its a matter of the respect shown for the referees!

As much as I appreciate your opinion that respect is whats required, to compare the GAA to the NFL is very far fetched, as previously stated it is not a free flowing game leaving it easier to officiate, there is also more than one official looking after the game therefore easier to call fouls, also due to the highly physical nature of the game it is easier to let go therefore lowering the number of contentious tackles and incidents that can be deemed as fouls

At any match in GAA there is 1 referee, 2 linesmen and between 2-4 umpires.  In the NFL when a foul is committed the umpire throws a yellow flag onto the field, when the play is stopped the referee decides whether there was an actual foul committed and what punishment to hand out.  When punishment is dished out, i.e 15 yards back or automatic first down, players and managers just get on with it.  There is no slabbering to referees. Some players in GAA are a law onto themselves, no respect for the referees decision. It is at times ridiculous.  I believe proper education of referees as to what constitutes a foul and education of players on how to tackle without persistent fouling is key, alot of the anger from players and supporters come from inconsistency in decisions.  As for supporters from clubs attacking referees, clubs are totally responsible.  The buck stops with the club.  Any supporter running onto a field with the intention of assaulting or verbally abusing a referee should be faced with a lifetime ban from the club grounds and attending any match.  There is a lot of respected members within clubs who love getting their photo in the paper when the club wins something, loves handing out medals at dinner dances.  Let them step up and take responsibility for there club when it counts.  Those men in Rasharkin should have faced bans from within Rasharkin GAA club before it even went to Antrim County Board.

[Alter Ego]

RG still waiting on your reply, you have gone very quiet

[Atticus_Finch]

RG still waiting on your reply, you have gone very quiet

He's probably thinking to himself - why is a Burren man only interested in commenting on Antrim Football and as a result ... not taking you seriously.

Very saddened to hear of Ray Matthews' resignation, but feel he had no other option.  The Ulster Council have taken the wrong course of action here and have completely nullified the strong and brave step that the Antrim County Board had taken.  This will send out all the wrong signals and the opportunity to ingrain a culture of respect and discipline has once again been lost, and we are once again back to square one.

I can see this turning into a lengthy post and there's last minute christmas shopping to be done  ....  I'll return later on and finish this.

I don't think people should forget that this whole incident could have been a lot worse but for the actions of a group of decent souls from Lamh Dhearg.

[Alter Ego]

AF surely the Avatar says it all, or do I have to spell it out for him