Alan O'Connor sending off.

[INDIANA]

That's absolute bollox - I've not heard one ounce of sour grapes from a Tyrone person - here or anywhere.

What, in particular, do you think is 'absolute bollox'?

Do you disagree that the referee had no effect on the final outcome?  Are you outraged that not everyone worships at the McEneaney altar?  Give us a clue.  How is McEneaney more manly than Bannon?

And here was me thinking that women were allowed to play football too, in this progressive new Gaaworld.

Because the lack of consistency from referees is killing the game Billy. It started out as a good game yesterday but turned into a poor enough affair by the end and the referee had a lot to do with it.

[JMohan]

If the referee didn't influence the game, why else would the Tyronites be highlighting this irrelevant aspect, other than it being sour grapes, or deflecting from the fact that they were outclassed?

Eh?   

What planet are you on?

He's a bad referee and ruined a game where Tyrone were beat by a far better team - why shouldn't an imbecile like that be highlighted?

Clowns like that should be trained up and no allowed ruin games - or performances - what if Tyrone won? Do you think Cork people wouldn't have commented?
You're reading too many conspiracy books.

[brokencrossbar1]

Passedit, players will know that they can take things a bit further if they are a man down but to suggest that they can cut into the other team withou consequence is wrong.  An AI semi final is not the sort of place to take such a risky approach and particularly with a loose cannon like Bannon then you never know what he will do.  We were accused of being the most physical and cynical teams over the years by many(SS2 in particular highlighted me as being one of the worst)  but we never would have considered risking a player being sent off to win.  We would have played a bit harder, or not depending on the ref but if one of us was on a yellow we wouldn't have been stupid  enough to keep pushing the ref.  Trust me there are enough bad referees to make that a fools game.

[JMohan]

That's absolute bollox - I've not heard one ounce of sour grapes from a Tyrone person - here or anywhere.

What, in particular, do you think is 'absolute bollox'?

Do you disagree that the referee had no effect on the final outcome?  Are you outraged that not everyone worships at the McEneaney altar?  Give us a clue.  How is McEneaney more manly than Bannon?

And here was me thinking that women were allowed to play football too, in this progressive new Gaaworld.

Because the lack of consistency from referees is killing the game Billy. It started out as a good game yesterday but turned into a poor enough affair by the end and the referee had a lot to do with it.

Exactly

[AZOffaly]

When the same referee is inconsistent in the same game, that's a recipe for disaster. Billy, I know Bannon is a Larry as well, but I think you're maybe defending the indefensible yesterday. I thought he was shockingly bad. How many neck high tackles did Cork make yesterday? I remember one string of 3 or 4 in a row just after half time. I don't think he even gave a free for the first 3. Then he booked a lad for the fourth.

[Billys Boots]

I am not defending Bannon.  He was inconsistent yesterday, and he is consistently inconsistent.  And I agree with Indiana that it is a threat to the game.  I don't think Bannon (in general) makes more mistakes than (for instance, McEneaney), but he's a bit of a dose about it on the field, which gets people's backs up. 

AZ mentioned it earlier in passing, but a bigger threat to the game is all the off-the-ball stuff that no referee has a chance of seeing - the games is becoming ungovernable.  If there were two refs, and the linesmen had more responsibilities, I think it would potentially take a lot of the inconsistency (and more importantly, cynicism) out of the game.

[Over the Bar]

They're probably annoyed because instead of being the team of the decade, they are now merely the bogey team of the team of the decade.

And here was me thinking Cork hammered Kerry by more than 5 points

[pintsofguinness]

o'connor slid in and took out mcginley which was a yellow card. in the second incident there was slight contact but it wasnt a yellow - it was harsh. miskella should have walked though for striking brian mcguigan. i didnt see canty incident - what did he do?

Did you see the incident? He didn't slide in, it's quite clear his legs went from under him.

[Sandino]

If anyone argues that Bannon not giving frees to Tyrone for those three high tackles at the start of the second half did not have an impact on the game are mistaken. this was a pivotal time for both teams. For me after those decisions there was no way back. As I have said on other posts this does not take away from the fact that Cork were the better tem on the day.

[OverThePostsAWide]

It was a dig surely.

It was surely, but I'm glad he didn't walk. It was a very entertaining sequence though.

Bannon turned round just as McGuigan was falling to the ground not six yards away. You could see Bannon was frozen in indecision. He was sh*tting himself. He hadn't seen what happened but knew something had. Had Miskella struck McGuigan? Was McGuigan play acting? Did McGuigan do something to provoke Miskella? He thought it would be better just to ignore the incident (including the possible injury to McGuigan!) and play on. He didn't seek out advice from his linesmen or umpires - he didn't want to know! But then that feckin umpire just wouldn't give up - he was determined to give Bannon his interpretation from 70yds away. Bannon had the longest jog down to that umpire and he wasn't in the greatest hurry to get there. He knew what he was going to be told would mean that he would have to sanction (at least) Miskella over something he didn't see himself and that he would never be able to set foot in Cork again. It was a yellow from when he started to jog.

OK, here's the thing, I thought Bannon was dreadful yesterday, but I had some sympathy for him on this call. He didn't see the incident (through no faullt of his own) but was going to have to rely on the judgement of a feckin umpire 70yds away. These are the guys who week in week out can't get decisions on points, goals and 45s right (and I mean at inter-county level when they are trying their best). The umpire obviously didn't see McGuigan's sly dig (Bannon's worst fear) or he would have been booked as well. A yellow card was the wrong decision in law but justice was served. Do umpires at inter-county level have to be qualified referees? Are they still appointed by the match referee?

The funniest bit was the close up of the exchanges between Miskella and McGuigan after the yellow card. Miskella was giving McGuigan dogs abuse for feigning or exaggerating the injury. He was clearly the aggrieved party while McGuigan's demeanour was of a man on the back foot protesting his innocence. He even helpfully pointed out to Miskella where on the back of his head it was really quite sore  McGuigan's face was a picture.

It looked to me like McGuigan's sly dig was designed to provoke the reaction it did and Miskella was stupid to bite. I don't know McGuigan, but would that be his form or is McMenaminitus contagious?

[Over the Bar]

Not taking anything away from Cork but Bannon's display yesterday was the worst I've ever witnessed by a referee.  I dread to think of what stupid decisions he'd make if the game had been in the balance in injury time. 

[Billys Boots]

Do umpires at inter-county level have to be qualified referees?

That one yesterday is an inter-county referee - as far as I know he has refereed an AI minor final.

Not taking anything away from Cork but Bannon's display yesterday was the worst I've ever witnessed by a referee.

Come on lads, a bit of balance in your disappointment - it could have been Gerry Kinneavy. 

[pintsofguinness]

He was clearly the aggrieved party while McGuigan's demeanour was of a man on the back foot protesting his innocence. He even helpfully pointed out to Miskella where on the back of his head it was really quite sore  McGuigan's face was a picture.

Aye noticed that too, nor could he look Miskella in the eye even though miskella was shouting in to his face, said a lot for me.

[lynchbhoy]

two harsh bookings - never a sending off.

[INDIANA]

Do umpires at inter-county level have to be qualified referees?

That one yesterday is an inter-county referee - as far as I know he has refereed an AI minor final.

Not taking anything away from Cork but Bannon's display yesterday was the worst I've ever witnessed by a referee.

Come on lads, a bit of balance in your disappointment - it could have been Gerry Kinneavy.

Linesmen need to be given more powers and umpires need to be referees. We need to seperate the club and county game on this and stop worrying about the impact on a local junior d football match.
And it needs to be brought in now. Referees need help.