Antrim Football Thread

[Bog Ash Camam]

Who punched first?

It doesn't matter who punched first.  No referee or official deserves this sort of treatment, good bad or indifferent!  Absolutely BAS***** of the first order.  Lets just see what this county will do with Rasharkin, very little in my experience!  This blight on our game needs to be obliterated once and for all.  I would urge all clubs to request and table at county convention to have Rasharkin banned from our association, once and for all.  Let them focus their negative energies on the orange parades that pass through their village, that would suit them loads better, but somehow, I don't thinks so!  Nothing but spineless scum.

I would also call on all referees to take action as well.  Refuse to officiate at All County/SA & SW games until Rasharkin are banned from the association by this county's executive!  Whilst I would suggest all referees (good, bad or indifferent) might support such an action, I fear there are those who cannot see beyond their own egotistical persona's and would not support this motion!  If they are serious about their support of RM and others, let them now stand up and be counted on this one!

[Magicsponge]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-15524687

Looks like Owen Elliot doing linesman was also injured. County meeting tonight to discuss it

[Newbridge Exile]

Ray Mathews is not the type, so I find it very hard to believe he struck anyone except possibly in self defence.

Was speaking to a good friend who was at the game, it was most definitely in self defence ,was never at Ballymena pitch but apparently the incident was exacerbated because of the distance of the pitch to the changing rooms

[nrico2006]

Who punched first?

It doesn't matter who punched first.  No referee or official deserves this sort of treatment, good bad or indifferent!  Absolutely BAS***** of the first order.  Lets just see what this county will do with Rasharkin, very little in my experience!  This blight on our game needs to be obliterated once and for all.  I would urge all clubs to request and table at county convention to have Rasharkin banned from our association, once and for all.  Let them focus their negative energies on the orange parades that pass through their village, that would suit them loads better, but somehow, I don't thinks so!  Nothing but spineless scum.

I would also call on all referees to take action as well.  Refuse to officiate at All County/SA & SW games until Rasharkin are banned from the association by this county's executive!  Whilst I would suggest all referees (good, bad or indifferent) might support such an action, I fear there are those who cannot see beyond their own egotistical persona's and would not support this motion!  If they are serious about their support of RM and others, let them now stand up and be counted on this one!

Of course it matters who punched first.  Unless any of us were at the game then none of us know if the referee threw the first dig and started the whole handling, although I doubt that is the case.  But people seem to like to make up their own story of what happened withoiut knowing much about what actually happened.  Anyone player, management member or official who strikes someone first has no defence. 

[Magicsponge]

Theres always 2 sides to a story,

There was a row on the pitch, between rasharkin and lahm dhearg and how come can you send off 3 rasharkin players and no lahm dhearg

So this justifies bricks being thrown at the man? I hope Rasharkin are relegated to Division 6 for this. And their pitch closed for all games above minor.

Bricks were thrown at him? That's despicable. I don't think you're harsh enough, they should be banned from all competitions, football and hurling at all age groups for a year or 2. They should be relegated to division 2 or 3 (div 6 would be pointless as they are too good for that) and Division 4 in hurling. Once the ban is over then ban then from using their own pith for another year or 2. The police need to be involved and people need to be prosecuted. If the club co-operate with the police and give up names then maybe the punishment on the club should reflect this co-operation.
I know there are some really good people in the club but this sort of thing is just not on. Unfortunately the good people need to be punished as well, make the others think twice next time.

[paddyjohn]

A complete disgrace is all that can be said. Mindless thugs who have brought down the name a what has been a well behaved club in the last few years. I know the st marys club had made a huge effort in wedding out these sorts of people. My own thoughts are that its a disgrace that ballymena was used for this game. There is a long walk for a players and match officials alike and something like this has been brewing for a long time. This in no way excuses the disgraceful scenes that happened. Throw the book at them.

[Gold]

Sometimes refs ride teams over--look at Louth last year, Kildare the last few years etc. It kills you and makes you wonder why a team would bother training when it can all be ruined by some incompetant middle aged fool. It leaves you madddened and raging, never more so than when it's againsy your own club or county.

Does anyone remember Tullamore 09, Antrim v Kerry. The ref in the 2nd half gave Kerry frees to beat the band. Frees for wearing green and frees for having  agold band. Seriously, dodgy, nothing in it frees that Cooper swung over--possibly 5 /6 in scoring positions in 2nd half that were questionable.

I was mad, raging, i'm not the sort who defers to another team and says oh sure we gave it a go, sure they are Tyrone/Kerry/Man Utd-it f**king maddened me that day and i still blame the ref ...but.....i wouldnt run around like a f**king hallion attacking a ref, throwing bricks at him--this is ridiculous and serious sanctions need dished out.

Gold's friend was once sent off in an fresher's semi years ago, Gold's friend's 'crime' was  pushing a man (who had just fouled Gold's friend) in the chest out of the road so he could take a quick free. The injured party barely moved and didnt complain. Gold's friend got a straight red card for 'striking', missed an all ireland final and got a 2 month ban from all football competitions. Gold's friend assured Gold he was most annoyed about the injustice of it all, that he had never before received a yellow card, that he felt physically ill at the waste of training and inability to play at a busy time of year, the game he loved, but he also assured Gold that he would not chase said referee like a hallion, nor punch or throw bricks at him.

RM is a decent man, decent ref in my experience who calls things exactly as he sees them, he is not an incompetant referee, far from it.

I wasnt there so cant definitively comment on what happended but am of little doubt that a crowd of 30 or more chasing, punching, throwing bricks and hospitalizing a referee cannot be justified.

If i was a ref and if that happened to me i'd have no hesitation involving the police. Any one of those punches or bricks could have killed R Matthews. What would have happened if the mob caught him? What were they planning? Would they have kicked him to death, hit him with bricks to death? OVER AN ANTRIM UNDER 21 CLUB MEDAL?

It's harsh on any good club member when their club are involved in incidents such as this as the innocent suffer but what's the alternative? Has to be serious action taken to back RM and ensure such an incident doesnt recur.

What was it on the news last week--18 people have died in 1 punch assaults in the North in the last 7 years? What the Rasharkin mob were doing was utter madness

[eddie d]

well said gold

nrico2006 it doesnt matter who threw the first punch, even if the ref did punch first, it doesnt justify him been chased down by a 20+ mob, that is most likely mainly cowards who would shit a brick if they didnt have anyone to back them up.   

[takeyourpoint]

Paddy John one of the main reasons the game was held at Ballymena was undoubtedly the quality of the playing surface at Quinn Park especially at this time of year.All Saints have hosted countless club and college games since the new pitch was opened.Many of these games have been hard fought with sendings off,contentious refereeing decisions etc.At the end of each and every one of these games both sets of teams and their supporters have crossed the road back over to Slemish Park without one single solitary incident.
Your assertion that the distance to the changing rooms was a cause of the trouble only acts to muddy the waters.Thousands of people have made the small trip from Quinn Park over to Slemish Park and the only incident that has taken place was on Saturday.The cause of Saturday's trouble lies squarely with Rasharkin and no one else.

[aontroim]

Paddy John one of the main reasons the game was held at Ballymena was undoubtedly the quality of the playing surface at Quinn Park especially at this time of year.All Saints have hosted countless club and college games since the new pitch was opened.Many of these games have been hard fought with sendings off,contentious refereeing decisions etc.At the end of each and every one of these games both sets of teams and their supporters have crossed the road back over to Slemish Park without one single solitary incident.
Your assertion that the distance to the changing rooms was a cause of the trouble only acts to muddy the waters.Thousands of people have made the small trip from Quinn Park over to Slemish Park and the only incident that has taken place was on Saturday.The cause of Saturday's trouble lies squarely with Rasharkin and no one else.

Wasn't much in the way of quality about the surface in the height of summer when it was being used as a car park for the feis 

[antrimgeal1989]

dont think anybody can blame Ballymena for this. The playing facilities are first class. Small walk to the pitch from the changing rooms but this, as someone has stated before was never a problem before. When supporters/players want to behave in this manner then no club in the county could provide enough protection for referees. Look at the incident in Croke park last year with Sludden. Stewards etc in place and the man still gets attacked. I feel sorry for the good people of Rasharkin who are brought down by these thugs

[paddyjohn]

I never once blamed Ballymena for it. I am saying that the walk from the pitch to changing rooms didn't help.

[Applesisapples]

I never once blamed Ballymena for it. I am saying that the walk from the pitch to changing rooms didn't help.

No sorry what didn't help was the actions of mindless thugs who blamed the referee for the sendings off instaed at looking at the behaviour that led to said sendings off. my understanding is that Lamh Dearg were 5 points up when the incident in the game happened and won by 6. I also understand that the Ref acted on advice from the linesman. Even in the example quoted by gold above, whilst the ref may have made mistakes, having watched both games the losers should not have been in the position to be beaten...they had ample opportunities to win the match but didn't take them. Refs can be porr, have off days and make mistakes but the beauty about gaelic games is that the beter team still gets opportunities to win. If they don't take them are they really the better team? Any way noe of this as Gold rightly says gives anyone the right or moral authority to attack a referee. Refereeing is a lonely job, even when you have neutral officials. If clubs can't ensure their safety why would they continue. I have seen this shit about RM throwing the first punch, I don't believe it but even if he did strike plus surely the 20 or 30 thugs attacking him bear some responsibility? Either way the Antrim Boardd and the Police need to act strongly. and it's times we got behind referees. Even County Boards see them as cannon fodder. Time for change.

[paddyjohn]

Applesisapples:I couldn't agree more. Maybe I didn't explain my thoughts in the clearest of ways. I really hope the county stand up and do the right thing and the culprits are dealt with by the proper authorities.

[aontroim]

I can't see anything other than draconian levels of punishment thrown at Rasharkin for this incident, given the level of previous sentencing for offences against referees this year.