Irish Independent is forced to apologise for it's behaviour !!

[Stevie g 8]

He should tell them to go to sh**e

[LaurelEye]

He said Fahy was the worst ref in Ireland!!!

For this he should apologise......cos he isn't even the worst ref in Longford!

To my delight Fahy will never ref a Longford game!

But he could ref a Mostrim game, Shamrock...

[orangeman]

Will Lyng be next to have to apologise ?



Wexford's Ciarán Lyng has blasted the GAA for demanding that team-mate Anthony Masterson make a public apology to referee Derek Fahy.

The fall-out follows Fahy's controversial decision to allow Limerick's match-winning point to stand against Wexford in the fourth round qualifier between the sides.

Lyng was also publicly critical of referee Fahy in the wake of the incident, and expressed his feelings through Twitter.

However, it is his team-mate Masterson that has felt the wrath of the GAA.

Lyng told The Irish Daily Mail: "I have been waiting for the post but nothing arrived."Maybe some of the things Anthony said after the game were a little bit over the top but I do think they lack understanding with how a player is feeling immediately after a match like that.

"We put so much in and to go out like that is just the worst possible feeling you can have as a player."

Lyng advocates the introduction of hawk-eye technology, but insists that umpires should be able to rule on 'square-ball' decisions as well as point scoring.

He added: "I know people keep saying that. But all they have to do is adjudicate whether the ball has gone over the bar or not. and whether a player has breached the small-square rule or not.

"That is just two jobs and if they had to go out and do as many jobs as players have to do then I honestly don't know how they would cope."

[orangeman]

WEXFORD defender Aindreas Doyle has accused the GAA of attempting to censor his team-mate Anthony Masterson.

He also said the only reason the goalkeeper is apologising for his comments about referee Derek Fahy is to ensure he can play for his club Castletown in the county championship. Masterson has been forced to retract his post-match remarks about Fahy's performance in Wexford's All-Ireland fourth round qualifier defeat to Limerick last month.

The GAA's Central Competitions Control Committee sent a letter to Masterson ordering him to apologise or risk an eight-week playing ban.

News of the demanded apology has infuriated Wexford's team-mates who took to Twitter to express their views.

Wexford full-back Graeme Molloy tweeted: "What a F**king Joke! Forcing a player to apologise for telling the truth! #GetYourActTogether #PlayersSecondBest."

Doyle tweeted: "#GAA silent when players get slated on TV/papers. We are scrutinised by every man and his dog surely we as individuals can have an opinion."
Given the opportunity to expand on his views, Doyle claimed the GAA were attempting to gag Masterson.

"I'm not pushing for professionalism but it has to be realised we're in this position purely in a voluntary capacity," said Doyle.

"The GAA says nobody makes any money out of the games but that is false. Plenty of people make money out of them.

"I don't see the GAA standing up for players. Martin Clarke's brother (John) quit inter-county football because of the abuse he got on internet forums but did the GAA defend him?

"That was the main point of my tweet — players are getting slated all the time and the GAA are doing nothing about it.

"Referees are getting good expenses but they're not allowed to be criticised whereas we are. They're trying to censor Anthony."

Doyle believes Masterson is only retracting his comments for the sake of playing for his club.

"Anthony's been surprised by the reaction. He's been in and out from under washing machines all day taking phone-calls from the media. That's a nine-to-five job he's trying to do.

"He's a very good Castletown clubman. That's why he's really apologising. He wants to be involved. If that's what it takes, then that's how he's going to do it."

Doyle finds it difficult to understand why people can readily express their opinions of players and yet they, even as amateurs, are prevented from doing so. "Anthony is being grilled by the GAA for something he said about the referee in the heat of the moment and with a camera put in his face.

"Players are so accessible these days. We go to work but anyone can ring our offices or come up to us on the street, which is fair enough, but then the GAA turn around and say Anthony can't express his opinion, which is strange. Everyone I've spoken to has come to the same conclusion on what happened and they can't all be wrong."

Masterson was also supported on Twitter by former Offaly hurler turned pundit Daithi Regan: "I hope A masterson does not apologise, too many crap decisions been made, our top Gaa stars are not commodities, should not be treat as such."

In yesterday's Irish Examiner, Masterson confirmed he would apologise for the remarks. A Wexford County Board source confirmed the letter of apology will be sent this week.

[Hound]

No sympathy for Masterson.

The decision was clearly a tight call and the officials made the call as best they could. Him saying it was "a yard wide" is hard to believe - especially the way for a previous point he was screaming at the umpire that it was wide, when it was clearly over the bar. He knew 100% that ball was over, yet he tried to cheat because he thought the umpire might not have seen it. Now lots of players do that (unfortunately), but you can't go criticising a ref in the manner he did, given his behaviour during the game.

[Hardy]

I agree 100%, Hound, but this stuff about the authorities demanding an apology instead of imposing a prescribed sanction is out of the blue. It's never happened before, as far as I know and I'd like to know which rule provides for it.

[AZOffaly]

In that interview on Newstalk he (Masterson) also said that he 'had no idea' whether it was a score or not. His gripe was with the ref for basically agreeing with the umpire who said it was a point, and with the umpire who said it was wide for walking away.

I've heard from several neutral observers, including some media at the game, who said it was a point, and the ref had a good view.

So a) The Goalie had no idea
b) He was thick that the ref agreed with the one umpire.


Neither a nor b merit what he said about the ref, especially if the ref was correct. It's a bollox of a way to lose, but waving it wide if it was a point would be a sickener for Limerick, especially if they lost in extra time.

The apology is crap. Make him look like a schoolboy, which is presumably the intention of the bigwigs.

[muppet]

In that interview on Newstalk he (Masterson) also said that he 'had no idea' whether it was a score or not. His gripe was with the ref for basically agreeing with the umpire who said it was a point, and with the umpire who said it was wide for walking away.

I've heard from several neutral observers, including some media at the game, who said it was a point, and the ref had a good view.

So a) The Goalie had no idea
b) He was thick that the ref agreed with the one umpire.


Neither a nor b merit what he said about the ref, especially if the ref was correct. It's a bollox of a way to lose, but waving it wide if it was a point would be a sickener for Limerick, especially if they lost in extra time.

The apology is crap. Make him look like a schoolboy, which is presumably the intention of the bigwigs.

I remember that. Now it was 'a yard wide'.

He would do well to remember his own performance against the Dubs before attacking a ref on a tight call. Having said that the Gaa demanding an apology is even dafter and probably martyrs him in his county.

[Hound]

I agree 100%, Hound, but this stuff about the authorities demanding an apology instead of imposing a prescribed sanction is out of the blue. It's never happened before, as far as I know and I'd like to know which rule provides for it.

I think this stuff about "demaning an apology" is the media's words.

Masterson was told that he was going to be disciplined, but that if he apologised to the ref, then they would likely be more lenient on him. So they were trying to give him a heads up on how to avoid a ban. They don't particularly want to ban him, but they do want to put down a marker that its not acceptable.

[The Burner]

In that interview on Newstalk he (Masterson) also said that he 'had no idea' whether it was a score or not. His gripe was with the ref for basically agreeing with the umpire who said it was a point, and with the umpire who said it was wide for walking away.

I've heard from several neutral observers, including some media at the game, who said it was a point, and the ref had a good view.

So a) The Goalie had no idea
b) He was thick that the ref agreed with the one umpire.


Neither a nor b merit what he said about the ref, especially if the ref was correct. It's a bollox of a way to lose, but waving it wide if it was a point would be a sickener for Limerick, especially if they lost in extra time.

The apology is crap. Make him look like a schoolboy, which is presumably the intention of the bigwigs.

Summed up perfectly. Christ almight Wexford are some shower of moaning whingers. There are still going on about it. At least Kildare have moved on even though they have more reason to be aggrieved. Wexford have none really because it WAS A POINT!

[snippets]

Point number 1.  Say Joe Brolly hapened to say something that was needing of an apology could the GAA ask him to apologise (note recent highlighted Des Cahill fai case) or face suspension Joe is still playing.
Point number 2.  I felt Masterson was out of order and it was a more manly thing to apologise.  If threat of a ban forced him to do the right thing then it was strong arm tactics used well. 
Point number 3.  If bans can come from post match interviews and that type of Mc Geeney / Mc Guinness rubbish then Id be banning my teams and myself from heat of the moment post match interviews.

[Jinxy]

The Wexford players would want to grow up and give Twitter a rest for a few days.

[Stevie g 8]

the man was angry which is understandable and said a few heat of the moment things.the gaa should just let it go

[saffron sam2]

I agree 100%, Hound, but this stuff about the authorities demanding an apology instead of imposing a prescribed sanction is out of the blue. It's never happened before, as far as I know and I'd like to know which rule provides for it.

It could also be a tacit acceptance from the powers that be that, whilst Masterson's comments were riddled with inaccuracy and hyperbole, there is more than a shred of truth in them. In the past few days we've heard Michael Curley admit that referees guess square ball decisions and Padraig Duffy admit that there is a problem with the square ball rule. Implicit in their comments is the fact that the square ball is the tip of the iceberg. It's not square balls that Masterson or Niall Carew or Derry are complaining about.

The way that Gaelic football is refereed and the way in which those referees are assessed needs to be totally rethought. Until then we will keep seeing this type of story.

I look forward to the GAA hierarchy apologising for the appointment of and performance of folk like Fahy, Duffy x 2, Doyle, Sludden, Deegan et al. I'm not holding my breath though.

[Jinxy]

Eugene loves a good oul moan.
He is the dourest man in western europe.