kerry v donegal

[J70]

Does anyone know for certain what the role of an umpire is, apart from signalling a score or a wide in relation to rough house tactics? Occasionally a ref will speak to one re a passage of play so I assume they have some kind of power in relation to off the ball antics. Linesmen cannot make calls re the actual play, but can for any off the ball caper, but umpires??

During county matches in the last few years, I've seen forwards getting half strangled by defenders, continuously elbowed in the adam's apple, stamped on repeatedly, kicked on the achilles repeatedly, getting slabbered at etc etc..Its all happening with a few feet of 2 x umpires who 99% of the time do sweet f all about it. I've seen forwards shouting at the umpires to do something, and the umpires respond by looking down at the ground (well if they can see the ground beyond their rotundness) not wanting to get involved.

When you live abroad like myself, you rarely get to see this stuff, as it's never highlighted, presumably because a lot of it is not picked up by cameras. Unless all teams are at it, why are managers and players not highlighting it? Neil McGee and Philly McMahon and the odd other incident are highlighted, but that's once or twice a year. The GAA needs to clean up its act.

[Il Bomber Destro]

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/mike-quirke-kerry-prove-they-have-no-problem-dancing-under-the-dark-lights-386383.html

I must admit to only seeing the tail-end of the incident live — it was impossible to catch every flash point. But from watching it back, McGee was most deserving of the few dunts he received for what he tried to do to Fitzgerald's fingers. It was right up there with eye gouging or spitting at an opponent, in my book. A nasty, deliberate act designed to inflict real damage and provoke an opponent. Completely unnecessary and unwarranted, no matter what colour jersey you're wearing, or what county you hail from.

*************
So you're entitled to hit a lad a few boxes then?

If anything, Donaghy lit the fuse with his man-handling of Donegal's pack leader Michael Murphy following an early hop ball. He threw him to the turf in what seemed like a statement of intent... 'ye boys won't come into our house and bully us today'.

So players are allowed to do that now? rugby tackle lads to the ground to make a statement of intent?

McGee deserved a lot more than a few boxes and a 1 match ban. He got off lightly in both respects.

Quirke called the Donaghy incident lawless, he's hardly saying it's OK as you're insinuating

+1 McGee didn't get half hard enough. There was a time in football when if you did that you'd expect a slap in the mouth for your troubles. The problem now is that you're rewarded for sly cowardly actions. What McGee did was way worse than what Fitzgerald did.

What's going on in football at the moment is shaming our game and it's high time a good few IC teams and individuals had a rethink about some of their ways.

Totally 100% agree. Tyrone, under harte, with ricey, gormley etc brought in most of these horrible dark provocative acts and have used it to their advantage. Donegal are one of the teams who have seen that it can be used to the advantage of a team as the player who retaliates is often the one more severely punished.

Meath were dark in the 1990s or is tramping on a player's head or emptying a player as they kick the ball noble and tough?

Meath were a big physical side and everything they did v tyrone in 1996 was done openly in front of the ref and should have been dealt with as it was in open play. what I'm talking about is the underhand provoking of players using sledging or trying to injure way off the ball and out of sight of the play.

What sort of blathering idiot are you?

Colm O'Rourke was rejoicing in the recent past about hitting DJ Keane with a blindside box to the head, off the ball with the referee no doubt oblivious to it as he was following the play ending up with the incident going unpunished . Nothing brave or manly about that but very much the act of a a coward.

What has changed today is that you won't get away with these cowardly punches off the ball, as there are too many cameras, match officials etc on the game. Thus the battlefield has moved to more sophisticated and stealthier methods of provocation. Retrospective banning and linesmen reporting incidents to referees means you now have to be much more careful in how blatant you are.

Meath were a team who had absolutely no confliction in deliberately breaking the rules to get an advantage. They didn't do it because they were hard and tough, they did because they knew they could get an advantage from it.

What McGee did was wrong and should be punished but don't be such a glaringly obvious hypocrite.

[Zulu]

That's all good and well and nobody is denying there were unsavoury incedents in the past but the tone of the games were hard, fair and honest - it's not that now. It was never a utopian version of hard but fair football, however there wasn't a systematic attempt to get players sent off or to exaggerate contact to get a red card. In the past you might have got a dig in the ribs and you'd give one back to let him know you'd not put up with that shite, now you'd be as likely to get your ass felt and if you reacted at all the guy would fling himself to the ground holding his face as if you'd hit him with a shovel. Neither are great for the game but only one is devious, cowardly and embarrassing to the sport.

[Il Bomber Destro]

That's all good and well and nobody is denying there were unsavoury incedents in the past but the tone of the games were hard, fair and honest - it's not that now. It was never a utopian version of hard but fair football, however there wasn't a systematic attempt to get players sent off or to exaggerate contact to get a red card. In the past you might have got a dig in the ribs and you'd give one back to let him know you'd not put up with that shite, now you'd be as likely to get your ass felt and if you reacted at all the guy would fling himself to the ground holding his face as if you'd hit him with a shovel. Neither are great for the game but only one is devious, cowardly and embarrassing to the sport.

They're all devious, nasty and embarrassing to the sport. Retrospective bans and having match officials report incidents to the referee have certainly helped reduce the dirty strikes of the ball, at senior county level, at least. The GAA need to come down hard on those who engage in this behaviour and they to put rules in place not after the next big talking point occurs.

I'd say you were also a lot more likely to get a broken jaw from a dirty unprovoked stroke off the ball in the past than you are likely today.

The problem is all down to the rules and officiating quality. A strong referee will be able to stamp that nonsense out early on in the game, if the players think they'll get away with it then they'll do it.

I don't think any of the serious sides will think twice about doing something underhand if they think they can gain an advantage out of it and get away with it. The standard of refereeing is a complete joke as are the disciplinary procedures, this is the breeding ground for most of the nonsense occurring.

[BluestackBoy]

No point trying to appeal to players better natures so rules & procedures have to be put in place.

1. Only the captain allowed to talk to the ref, as in rugby.

2. Linesmen & umpires to police foul play & report to referee.

3. Video to be used after games to catch unseen misdemeanours.


None of this would be difficult to introduce or need votes at congress, just a manly set of balls to enforce.

[longballin]

In the 1980s the late Mick Holden lifted his own player Barney Rock off the ground by the scruff of the neck when he lay playacting... no chance of that happening these days.

[blewuporstuffed]

No point trying to appeal to players better natures so rules & procedures have to be put in place.


1. Only the captain allowed to talk to the ref, as in rugby.

2. Linesmen & umpires to police foul play & report to referee.

3. Video to be used after games to catch unseen misdemeanours.


None of this would be difficult to introduce or need votes at congress, just a manly set of balls to enforce.

These all seem reasonable to me, and should be able to be enforced at intercounty championship level at least.

[longballin]

No point trying to appeal to players better natures so rules & procedures have to be put in place.


1. Only the captain allowed to talk to the ref, as in rugby.

2. Linesmen & umpires to police foul play & report to referee.

3. Video to be used after games to catch unseen misdemeanours.


None of this would be difficult to introduce or need votes at congress, just a manly set of balls to enforce.

These all seem reasonable to me, and should be able to be enforced at intercounty championship level at least.

The first one could be difficult as in rugby all the players move together more or less but like if an incident happens in GAA say in corner forward it is a long haul for a keeper as captain to go up to speak to ref. Waste enough time waiting for Cluxton to come out and take a free as it is..

[westbound]

No point trying to appeal to players better natures so rules & procedures have to be put in place.


1. Only the captain allowed to talk to the ref, as in rugby.

2. Linesmen & umpires to police foul play & report to referee.

3. Video to be used after games to catch unseen misdemeanours.


None of this would be difficult to introduce or need votes at congress, just a manly set of balls to enforce.

These all seem reasonable to me, and should be able to be enforced at intercounty championship level at least.

The first one could be difficult as in rugby all the players move together more or less but like if an incident happens in GAA say in corner forward it is a long haul for a keeper as captain to go up to speak to ref. Waste enough time waiting for Cluxton to come out and take a free as it is..

You are right.
It's a great idea in theory, but in practise it'd just waste too much time.

I think referees just need to get much tougher on back chat! Use the black card rule that is in place!

[BluestackBoy]

No point trying to appeal to players better natures so rules & procedures have to be put in place.


1. Only the captain allowed to talk to the ref, as in rugby.

2. Linesmen & umpires to police foul play & report to referee.

3. Video to be used after games to catch unseen misdemeanours.


None of this would be difficult to introduce or need votes at congress, just a manly set of balls to enforce.

These all seem reasonable to me, and should be able to be enforced at intercounty championship level at least.

The first one could be difficult as in rugby all the players move together more or less but like if an incident happens in GAA say in corner forward it is a long haul for a keeper as captain to go up to speak to ref. Waste enough time waiting for Cluxton to come out and take a free as it is..

Point taken.

[samwin08]

Hi Zulu
You are posting since 2007 and you have posted over 6000 times , twice a day
You have an opinion on everything


So why don't you just  cop on.

[Zulu]

Well now that's an odd post from samwin08. Your post is rubbish on pretty much every level but odd as well. Thanks though for taking the time to post that nonsense.

[Beffs]

No point trying to appeal to players better natures so rules & procedures have to be put in place.


1. Only the captain allowed to talk to the ref, as in rugby.

2. Linesmen & umpires to police foul play & report to referee.

3. Video to be used after games to catch unseen misdemeanours.


None of this would be difficult to introduce or need votes at congress, just a manly set of balls to enforce.

These all seem reasonable to me, and should be able to be enforced at intercounty championship level at least.

The first one could be difficult as in rugby all the players move together more or less but like if an incident happens in GAA say in corner forward it is a long haul for a keeper as captain to go up to speak to ref. Waste enough time waiting for Cluxton to come out and take a free as it is..

Point taken.

Easily gotten around by nominating a vice captain, who plays out field. The captain takes care of issues in one half of the field and, the vice captain takes care of the other half. Solves the problem of a goal keeper or a corner forward having to run the entire length of the pitch, every time the ref blows his whistle.

[westbound]

No point trying to appeal to players better natures so rules & procedures have to be put in place.


1. Only the captain allowed to talk to the ref, as in rugby.

2. Linesmen & umpires to police foul play & report to referee.

3. Video to be used after games to catch unseen misdemeanours.


None of this would be difficult to introduce or need votes at congress, just a manly set of balls to enforce.

These all seem reasonable to me, and should be able to be enforced at intercounty championship level at least.

The first one could be difficult as in rugby all the players move together more or less but like if an incident happens in GAA say in corner forward it is a long haul for a keeper as captain to go up to speak to ref. Waste enough time waiting for Cluxton to come out and take a free as it is..

Point taken.

Easily gotten around by nominating a vice captain, who plays out field. The captain takes care of issues in one half of the field and, the vice captain takes care of the other half. Solves the problem of a goal keeper or a corner forward having to run the entire length of the pitch, every time the ref blows his whistle.

Even if you nominate 3 'captains' or vice captains, there is no guarantee that any of them will be near an incident when it occurs. In rugby the 15 players are almost always in a small area (not to mention that a rugby pitch is significantly smaller) so the captain will always be near an incident. Also, rugby is much more stop start that we want football to be so again it lends itself better to pausing to wait for the captain to talk to the ref.

I'm all for something that would prevent every player feeling like they have a right to question every decision with the ref, but a workable solution would need to be found.

[Il Bomber Destro]

The last thing we'd want to do is take direction from a shit sport like rugby.