Big Joe speaks

[Never beat the deeler]

Jinxy, come on.
I'm actually on your side here.

He threw the ball into the net.
He knew he was taking a chance.
Authorities did nothing about it.
He got away with it.
Game over.

Henry did the same and both Ireland and Louth better get over it.

There's no more to it.

No he didn't.
He was over the line at that stage.
Plus he tried to kick it.
Technically he undoubtedly fouled the ball but he thought the fact that he was 'pushed' over the line made it a legit goal.
The fact that he feels he was fouled made him dig his heels in.
To compare what he did to Thierry Henry reaching out and deliberately touching the ball twice with his hand before crossing it is very unfair.

I noticed this part from his interview and found it hard to believe that a player at the highest level would be so ignorant of the rules.

I havent played at any decent level, but I thought everyone knew that you cant carry the ball over the line. I think Joe chanced his arm, got away with it and should just keep his head down. He has come up with a few stories trying to explain what happened; it was a goal, it was a penalty anyway, I thought you could carry it over the line if you were fouled... As others have said already, this article doesnt help Joe, Meath or Louth. Why are the Times rehashing this anyway?

[Logan]

Jinxy, come on.
I'm actually on your side here.

He threw the ball into the net.
He knew he was taking a chance.
Authorities did nothing about it.
He got away with it.
Game over.

Henry did the same and both Ireland and Louth better get over it.

There's no more to it.

No he didn't.
He was over the line at that stage.
Plus he tried to kick it.
Technically he undoubtedly fouled the ball but he thought the fact that he was 'pushed' over the line made it a legit goal.
The fact that he feels he was fouled made him dig his heels in.
To compare what he did to Thierry Henry reaching out and deliberately touching the ball twice with his hand before crossing it is very unfair.

For God's sake Jinxy ... he threw the ball.

Call it what it is. Sure. He may have tried to kick it, but in the end he threw the ball.
This garbage about whether he was fouled or not or it was a penalty or not is irrelevant too.

I have sympathy or Joe and for what happened.

I don't blame Joe Sheridan in any shape or form for what happened.
But he's been very foolish to give an interview and come across the way he has and with respect your arguments don't do the whole thing any favours either.

Why not call it as it was?
Threw the ball, got away with it and good luck to you, tough luck on Louth, but that's life, life's not fair and get on with it?

[haranguerer]

Joe didnt do anything wrong. He found himself on the ground holding the ball. He had to throw it towards his foot in an attempt to kick it over the line. He missed the kick, so it was a throw over the line and should have been a free out. But thats the refs fault, not Joes. You cant expect him to do the referees job for him. Anything he says after the event is irrelevant - its a dificult position he found himself in.

[fearglasmor]

Regardless of the rights or wrongs of the incident, I am more concerned about why Joe Sheridan would want to talk to a reporter about this at this stage.

[haranguerer]

Clearly he was asked to do a piece, or said he would, but only after meath were out of the championship. Arent the gaa all for making players more accessible to the media after all?

[AZOffaly]

I thought it was interesting. I'd disagree with him in a couple of places, but I do think it's interesting.

He felt he was fouled, and the ref said he was going to give a penalty, so I can see the rationale behind the 'so what's the big deal?' attitude.

I actually believe him when he says that 'if a goalie carries the ball over the line, it's a goal', therefore he might believe that if he were pushed/bundled over the line (as he thought he was) then it might be a goal as well. To me, that clears up the issue of how he could say it was a good goal that day.

[Hardy]

A mob runs amok around Croke park assaulting the referee and players and savagely attacking a volunteer steward. Yet the only thing some people can find to be outraged about with regard to that occasion is something a player SAID! Why are people here falling over themselves to condemn Joe for simply saying what he thinks but not even bothering themselves about the thugs? And on the very day when the actions of said thugs have caused major developments in the health and safety arrangements at Croke Park. Two posts on that subject on another thread today. It'd make you wonder.

When are we due a report on who is to be prosecuted and when it's to happen?

(Well played Jinxy).

[blanketattack]

Joe threw the ball up to try and make contact with his foot but he completely missed it. From a technical point of view, it didn't matter that he missed it as the ball was already over the line anyway, but at least it showed he was trying to kick it. There was no personal foul committed by Joe, just a technical foul therefore Joe is as much a cheat as someone who scored a goal despite it being square ball, or someone who took 5 steps, two hops, picked the ball off the ground, etc. I've never heard anyone who's committed any of these technical fouls get called a cheat so neither should Joe.

Joe Sheridan was wrong when he said he had nothing to apologise for though, he should definitely have to apologise for those blue boots

[Main Street]

A mob runs amok around Croke park assaulting the referee and players and savagely attacking a volunteer steward. Yet the only thing some people can find to be outraged about with regard to that occasion is something a player SAID! Why are people here falling over themselves to condemn Joe for simply saying what he thinks but not even bothering themselves about the thugs? And on the very day when the actions of said thugs have caused major developments in the health and safety arrangements at Croke Park. Two posts on that subject on another thread today. It'd make you wonder.

When are we due a report on who is to be prosecuted and when it's to happen?

(Well played Jinxy).

It's rank stupid to condemn him for the goal. And he has explained fairly why he would have sincerely thought it was a goal at the time.

All talk of a penalty being awarded is straw clutching, would have been an almost equal injustice.
But at least we have some anecdotal evidence of one of the thugs personally apologising for his actions and offering unlimited compensation

[Lar Naparka]

Joe didnt do anything wrong. He found himself on the ground holding the ball. He had to throw it towards his foot in an attempt to kick it over the line. He missed the kick, so it was a throw over the line and should have been a free out. But thats the refs fault, not Joes. You cant expect him to do the referees job for him. Anything he says after the event is irrelevant - its a dificult position he found himself in.

I'd agree with that.
It all happened in a flash and Joe had no time to think about anything other than getting the ball across the line. I imagine all the players on the field at the time would have done the same if presented with the same opportunity.
I like Joe as a player; he always plays with full commitment from start to finish and I couldn't see him setting out to deliberately cheat anybody at any time.
But, while anything he said after the game is indeed irrelevant to the event, it will have implications for the player himself. It is a pity that he gave his version of what happened so soon after the game.
It's something he can expect to have thrown in his face many times in the future, whereas the main culprits  (ie Leinster Council members) will soon be forgotten. Along with Martin Sludden, he will be forever associated with the controversy and, in Sheridan's case, it will be for the wrong reasons.

[AZOffaly]

I did think it was funny to read that Mark Ward had that picture, of the Louth fan punching him on the gob, on his mobile phone. It shows you the type of humour that players have, and how detached from the faux outrage that non-participants exhibit they are.

I think it's only when you stop playing you realise how different the world looks, and how we can be amazed that Mark Ward didn't deck your man and start an all out riot, whereas Ward himself has the picture on his phone, presumably as a joke.

[ballinaman]

Whats the bets that the louth fan has the same pic on his?

[Jinxy]

I'd have a lot less respect for him if he came out with some mealy-mouthed apology as a sop to the Joe Duffy whingeline brigade.
You did nothing wrong Joe.
Plough on.

[Logan]

Regardless of the rights or wrongs of the incident, I am more concerned about why Joe Sheridan would want to talk to a reporter about this at this stage.

Indeed

[Applesisapples]

Joe Sheridan did nothing wrong, he didn't cheat. It was up to the referee to make the call. Martin Sludden has a history of making bad calls, note the two Red Cards issued to Armagh this year in the national league against Down and the Championship against Monaghan. The easy option for Sludden was to award a free, out or in, the toss could have been argued either way, whilst some say he should have asked the umpires that also is fraught with problems as technically umpires and linesmen can not call a foul. the GAA need to revisit the powers that linesmen and umpires have to assist referees make decisions. Had the umpires got the powers required they could have called the ref and he could then have made his call based on the evidence given.