Battle of the Boyne - Meath Vs Louth - Leinster Final 11/7/2010

[thejuice]

There can be absolutely under no circumstance be any justification sought or given for assaulting a referee. Those who tried to get at the referee have been caught on camera and there are plenty of witnesses. They should never be allowed set foot inside GAA properties again. End of story.

[mckieran]

There can be absolutely under no circumstance be any justification sought or given for assaulting a referee. Those who tried to get at the referee have been caught on camera and there are plenty of witnesses. They should never be allowed set foot inside GAA properties again. End of story.

And how can you prevent them from attending another GAA match?

[AZOffaly]

That's a good point actually mackiernan. I'm not sure how those bans could be enforced, but you could make sure they never get a ticket from official sources, and if they are seen at the matches (people know who they are) they could be reported back, or ejected.

But in reality, it's very hard to enforce I'd imagine. Nobody looked at me going into O'Connor Park on Saturday night, so if I was Raoul Moat they'd not have noticed.

[thejuice]

Well something needs to be done. It would be a disgrace if they went unpunished.

[AZOffaly]

Well something needs to be done. It would be a disgrace if they went unpunished.

Ah they need to be banned. End of story. And the person that threw the bottle needs to be charged. I suppose the problem is how to enforce any ban, but it still needs to be handed out.

How about putting a big picture of each of those people up in the entrance to the county grounds in Louth for a year saying 'Banned'

[Maguire01]

How about putting a big picture of each of those people up in the entrance to the county grounds in Louth for a year saying 'Banned'

Sure who'd see that? 

[magpie seanie]

Well something needs to be done. It would be a disgrace if they went unpunished.

Ah they need to be banned. End of story. And the person that threw the bottle needs to be charged. I suppose the problem is how to enforce any ban, but it still needs to be handed out.

How about putting a big picture of each of those people up in the entrance to the county grounds in Louth for a year saying 'Banned'

Punish them according to either GAA rules or the law of the land - less of the flippin hysteria. No one is arguing otherwise. They will be punished you can be sure of that.

What do you propose should happen with the referee? Or with the (clearly false) result of the game which is the major issue despite what Peter McKenna and President Fás say?

[AZOffaly]

What do I propose happen to the referee?

I would propose that at the very least he doesn't ref an inter county game until the 2012 season.

As for the result of the game, I don't think the GAA can do anything without opening a huge can of worms based on subjectivity and arguments about what's more relevant to the result of a game.

Natural justice would have been that the ref overruled the goal.

Natural justice now would be that the GAA declare Louth champions, but I can't see how you can do that without leaving yourself completely exposed in the future.

I think the best thing that can happen in today's rules climate is that Meath offer a replay and the GAA allow it to go ahead.

It's obvious an egregious wrong was done here, but at the end of the day you can't knee jerk yourself into an impossible position for the future.

Maybe Limerick should say that given Tomás O'Sé kicked two points, and was red carded post the game, that they deserve a replay? I'm being facetious, but it's not black and white and you can't just consider the game in isolation.

[Maguire01]

What do I propose happen to the referee?

I would propose that at the very least he doesn't ref an inter county game until the 2012 season.

I have a feeling he may well opt for retirement.

[AZOffaly]

He might, but I do think it's important the GAA acknowlege that a wrong was done here. And Mick Curley needs to apologise to the Louth team for it.

[magpie seanie]

What do I propose happen to the referee?

I would propose that at the very least he doesn't ref an inter county game until the 2012 season.

As for the result of the game, I don't think the GAA can do anything without opening a huge can of worms based on subjectivity and arguments about what's more relevant to the result of a game.

Natural justice would have been that the ref overruled the goal.

Natural justice now would be that the GAA declare Louth champions, but I can't see how you can do that without leaving yourself completely exposed in the future.

I think the best thing that can happen in today's rules climate is that Meath offer a replay and the GAA allow it to go ahead.

It's obvious an egregious wrong was done here, but at the end of the day you can't knee jerk yourself into an impossible position for the future.

Maybe Limerick should say that given Tomás O'Sé kicked two points, and was red carded post the game, that they deserve a replay? I'm being facetious, but it's not black and white and you can't just consider the game in isolation.

That's where I disagree with you. It is black and white and as with every disciplinary case for example, every case must be looked at on its own merits. What should happen is this: CCCC ask referee to examine video evidence to see if he is happy with award of goal. If he compounds his error and he says he is then they award game to Meath. If he says he isn't and should not have awarded it then its Louth's game. Meath would have the right to object (if they had the neck to) though I can't see under what rule they would object. Simple really.

[AZOffaly]

But you can't rely on people to say 'ah that Louth one was obvious' and not object to things in future. A feeling of injustice is a strong motivator, and objectivity often goes out the window.

I'll don't even need to reach for hypotheticals here, lets take the Offaly - Galway hurling game recently.

Ger Farragher scored a point from a sideline. It was clearly wide. Even the commentator for RTE Sunday game did a 're-take' on it (see You Tube.

Game ended in a draw. Should the GAA have awarded the game to Offaly?

[Orior]

What do people propose happens the men who attacked the referee?

I propose a 3 year ban from attending all gaelic football and hurling matches.

PS. The ref made a mistake, and guess what, most human beings mak mistakes too.

[mckieran]

Ger Farragher scored a point from a sideline. It was clearly wide. Even the commentator for RTE Sunday game did a 're-take' on it (see You Tube.

But again, this was in a completely different context; That point was very near the start of the game. It was a wide, I had a very cear view of that sideline in Croke Pk on the day. But it just completely different to Louths situation yesterday.

[AZOffaly]

That's your opinion mackiernan. And Again I'm not arguing because I agree with you, but can you not see how opening that up would lead to other people thinking their wrong was equally as bad.

In that case if Galway's point was struck off, Offaly had a point more scored. That's the fact of the matter. Everything else is just opinion about how important or otherwise the time was. If you introduce a rule, or a law, you have to be factual.

At the very least, if the GAA do something unilateraly about this, and either give Louth the game, or order a replay without one being offered, they are opening the floodgates for all sorts of appeals in the future.