Dublin V Kerry 28/08/16 3.30pm RTE/SKY.

[The Aristocrat]

Did someone say Gough is a teacher who lives and works in Dublin but he represents Meath at intercounty level?

You have to wonder does that impact on a ref to any extent when he knows if he makes a bad call against Dublin then he will be hearing about it the next day at work or from his neighbours whereas if it had of been a Ulster ref he wouldn't have cared about any such bad calls.

I just think the Crowley one was so obviously a foul and if it had of happened near the start of the game it would have been given and maybe a yellow card. If he had of given it and it was a draw would so many of you be saying the ref did quite well?

On top of that Gough is on the Dublin team's payroll, regularly coming in to referee A v B games at €80 a pop. It also gives the Dublin team extra info on what he blows for and what he lets go.

They get in multiple referees, as do other counties, its whats been done for years so please try and find another excuse!

[yellowcard]

The criticism of Gough since Sunday's match has got ridiculously excessive. Breheny and Parkinson still having a pop at him this morning basically implying that his integrity was compromised. Maybe they have a point but in fairness I haven't heard too many from the Kerry camp doing much complaining apart from a few programmes and bottles apparently being thrown by fans at him after the match. With the criticism of his failure to implement the rules I think we can expect to see a return to rulebook refereeing for the final where there will be a lessened flow to the spectacle and a greater free count. Even if its a subconscious decision the scrutiny of Gough since Sunday is bound to have an effect.

The overall effect is that Gough might not now get another Dublin match again because of his perceived bias towards Dublin. The irony is that it is almost being made out to be the main reason for the Kerry defeat. Mayo were served a far greater injustice in the 2014 semi final when ironically Kerry benefitted from some very dubious decisions by Cormac Reilly.   

[sambostar]

Utter nonsense from Breheny in the Indo re Dublin games can't have a ref who lives there. How many refs does that rule out? Probably the best 2 refs currently for a start in Coldrick & Gough

[omagh_gael]

Parkinson losing the bap on Twitter, retweeting pictures of Gough standing with Sam last year when the Dubs visited his school. Also, posting videos of the 45 incident with McMenamin slowed down and zoomed in, as if Gough had that view. If that wasn't enough retweeting posts about Gough also coaching kid's teams at McMenamin's club. This conspiracy is up there with JFK and man landing on the moon.

[The Aristocrat]

Scruff works for a clickbait site, not worth reading his comment, agenda driven drivel.

I'm glad some people see through all the nonsense, Should McGuiness and the two O Se's for an honest viewpoint. 

[Jinxy]

I sincerely hope someone like John Bannon will publicly address the nonsense Gough has had to deal with since the final whistle was blown on Sunday.
It really is disgraceful to question his integrity in the national media the way Breheny & Co. have.
It's bad enough when you have clowns on social media coming up with all sorts of conspiracy theories, but you expect that.

[Jell 0 Biafra]

The conspiracy theory explains why McCarthy was harshly called for steps in the first half for a handy free, why no free was called on the foul to Philly Mc prior to the one Kevin Mc got away with, and why the final Kerry scorer was let away with about 8 steps:   You've got to make the conspiracy look the part so people can dismiss conspiracy theorists as crazy. 


That's what they want you to think.

[easytiger95]

I sincerely hope someone like John Bannon will publicly address the nonsense Gough has had to deal with since the final whistle was blown on Sunday.
It really is disgraceful to question his integrity in the national media the way Breheny & Co. have.
It's bad enough when you have clowns on social media coming up with all sorts of conspiracy theories, but you expect that.

Second that Jinxy.

The people in the stands who threw stuff - any stuff- at him should be absolutely ashamed of themselves. But even worse are journalists who know full well that some kind of Calcipoli match rigging in the GAA is utterly implausible, or are incapable of seeing that a ref (from bleedin' Mordor of all places!!!) would have no grá for the Dubs (in a footballing sense).

Some people need to realise that impugning a man's integrity on the pitch can have consequences (and serious ones) off it.

Some people need to stop pursuing clickbait at the cost of their own (minimal) reputations.

And some people need to realise that the greatest lesson any sport can give you is how to lose, given it will happen to all of us, in one way or another. And I speak as Dub who's been there since 83 and have seen them come up with more and more outlandish ways of losing, up until the present time.

It is only a bleedin' game. Jaysis.

[Jinxy]

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/football/mike-quirke-dublin-won-because-they-were-the-better-team-not-because-of-the-referee-418640.html

'Now, I know the free count was 22-13 in Dublin's favour. Also, I'm acutely aware that it was a stonewall yellow card foul committed by Kevin McManamon for his shuddering hit on a rampaging Peter Crowley in injury time that could have led to a potential Bryan Sheehan game-levelling free. I'm further aware that there were several other instances like the two 45s a minute apart in the second half (one each for Paul Murphy and McManamon) that were called incorrectly, in my opinion, and both in Dublin's favour. More still, when you look at Brian Fenton jumping into a hop ball between Kieran Donaghy and Michael Darragh McAuley and stealing the possession illegally before either had touched the ball,... there was plenty that you could point to as a disgruntled Kerry supporter as reason why the referee had potentially cost Kerry the game or at least a chance of a replay.

However, again, I find such excuse-ridden thinking to be utter bullshit.'

[Fuzzman]

Who and when was the last intercounty ref from Dublin any why hasn't there been one in ages?

[Jinxy]

Jim Gavin would make a great ref.

[Hound]

Who and when was the last intercounty ref from Dublin any why hasn't there been one in ages?

Maybe mind playing tricks on me, but I seem to remember we had a lad with long black hair who reffed intercounty, called Woods. Back in the 80s or 90s I think. Don't think he got close to an All Ireland final though.

Heffo or Indiana would probably remember if I'm right or not.

[JoG2]

So to sum up,  posters from Dublin and Tyrone reckon Gough was mighty,  and the majority of the rest think he was sore on Kerry. Read in the Irish News today that intercounty  ref's have to make around a 1000 calls a game... A brain melting stat! 

[5 Sams]

So to sum up,  posters from Dublin and Tyrone reckon Gough was mighty,  and the majority of the rest think he was sore on Kerry. Read in the Irish News today that intercounty  ref's have to make around a 1000 calls a game... A brain melting stat!

I think that was Jarlath guessing at a number..

[Keyser soze]

The problem with David Gough is that everything has to be about David Gough, he consistently confuses the size of his ego with the size of his talent.

Should never have been let near a whistle again after his joke display in the Hogan final this year. Some of his decisions on sunday were appallingly bad.