O Leary gets the all clear

[Frank Casey]

From today's Irish Examiner - De Paper

23 August 2007

O'Leary 'delighted' with All-Ireland clearance

By Michael Moynihan and Brendan Larkin
CORK footballer Noel O'Leary last night expressed his relief and delight after being cleared to play in the All-Ireland football final on September 17.

The wing-back clashed with Meath's Graham Geraghty in Sunday's All-Ireland semi-final, and though the matter was dealt with by referee Brian Crowe at the time, it was investigated by the Central Competition Controls Committee. The committee sent video evidence to Crowe, who then decided the yellow card he issued during the game was the appropriate punishment.

"It's mighty, I'm delighted with it," said O'Leary yesterday. "I had a fear this could roll on into next week, which wouldn't have been ideal preparation, so it's mighty to have the news. We have three and a half weeks free now to prepare for the All-Ireland final."

Added a relieved Cork selector, John Corcoran: "Thankfully common sense prevailed. It was a thing of nothing. It would have been a grave injustice for Noel if he was to miss out on the final."

National Referees Committee spokesman Rev. Fr Seamus Gardiner said referring cases back to referees for clarification has now put enormous pressure on officials, and they are being asked to make what can be massive calls..

"All this started when players were being exonerated through video evidence. The decision was then made that video evidence should work the other way also. Along the way a further decision was made that unless a referee changes a decision he made on the day of the game, it cannot be changed.

"Further to that again the CCCC can now seek clarification from the match referee in relation to any incident which may occur during the course of the game. I agree that it puts added pressure on the referee as it did in this particular case.

"It's a big call to have to make but referees have to make those calls if they are necessary. In Noel O'Leary's case, the referee was satisfied that he had dealt with it as he saw fit and felt the matter should end there."

The referee in question, Brian Crowe from Cavan, met with the CCCC on Tuesday and based on the clarification he gave, they were not in a position to take any further action against the Cork player.

O'Leary added that while Cork were delighted to get over the semi-final hurdle, they were now fully focused on the decider.

"It's great to have gotten over the hoodoo of the semi-final, but we're not there to play an All-Ireland final — we're there to win it. We're on the go as a team for five or six years, some lads even longer, and nobody wants to just play in a final — they want a medal."

After the semi-final the delight among the Cork players was evident, but O'Leary points out that last Sunday was a stepping-stone.

"We celebrated a bit but we want to win the final, that's the goal and nothing else. How we look at it is the Meath game is gone, it's over and there's no point talking about it now. The following morning we said to each other, 'that's it now, it's all about the All-Ireland final'.

"We have to keep the consistency up to try to win it, that's the goal. Our football's getting better and there's a strong base to the team, we're more experienced. I didn't care how we won the Meath game, we just wanted to get to the final. Looking back at the Sligo game, the way we played that day mightn't have beaten Meath, but we still beat Sligo by six points, a substantial beating. Winning is the bottom line."

The wing-back added that the survivors of the '99 final were helping the other players to maintain their focus.

"Guys like Anthony (Lynch), Eoin (Sexton) and Nick (Murphy) are keeping us grounded, and rightly so. They'll always say that was a game they let slip, and they don't want to do that twice. The chance is there for them. A lot of the rest of us are around a few years as well, so it's a big chance for us, too, even if it's going to take a huge team effort.

[Sandy Hill]

Added a relieved Cork selector, John Corcoran: "Thankfully common sense prevailed. It was a thing of nothing. It would have been a grave injustice for Noel if he was to miss out on the final."

Where the f><K do you go when you hear an observation like this?

[galla]

Just a load of crap. Why bother having a disciplinary comittee???

[meathie]

No wonder O Leary got the all clear it was a feckin Mayo linesman, ceratinly wouldnt be doing Grahma any favours 

[BlackhallGael]

Unbelievable that anyone can say that O'Leary should not have been suspended. He struck Graham Geraghty and for that he deserved a red card. For the referee to get another chance to do the right thing and still decide it was not a sending off offence is just plain wrong.

I hate to see any player missing an AI Final through suspension but if you're willing to strike on a football field then you should be willing to take the punishment that comes with that.

There have been numerous threads on this and other discussion boards regarding players that have suffered broken jaws and worse from being struck off the ball during football/hurling matches. No matter how hard the punch is if it connects in the wrong way then the victim can be seriously injured. By letting this go the GAA are condoning violence on the football field.

[Croí na hÉireann]

What gives you the right to call Noel O'Leary a sc**bag? I'd reckon he's a grand fella.

If some of the Dubs did that to Geraghty you'd be cheering or in a very silent minority so save us the feigned outrage.

first of all only a sc**bag would just punch a man in the face when he isn't expecting it.

And secondly you don't see dublin players do this type of stuff!

I'll repeat me earlier question Tankie, here's the clip: http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=NV_c1zd88vs

"So by that logic Ciaran Whelan is a sc**bag for elbowing David Mitchell in the face when he wasn't expecting it? Agree or disagree???"

[GalwayBayBoy]

Added a relieved Cork selector, John Corcoran: "Thankfully common sense prevailed. It was a thing of nothing.

Apart from the fact that he clocked him.

In all seriousness though he should be suspended for the final. No question. Not nice for any player to miss an All-Ireland final but don't go around punching people if you want to play in big games. Not only that but he had already booted Paul Galvin on the ground in the Munster final so he has previous.

I mean how can we criticise the Australians with a straight face when we let fellas get away with stuff like this?

[David McKeown]

Unbelievable that anyone can say that O'Leary should not have been suspended. He struck Graham Geraghty and for that he deserved a red card. For the referee to get another chance to do the right thing and still decide it was not a sending off offence is just plain wrong.

I hate to see any player missing an AI Final through suspension but if you're willing to strike on a football field then you should be willing to take the punishment that comes with that.

There have been numerous threads on this and other discussion boards regarding players that have suffered broken jaws and worse from being struck off the ball during football/hurling matches. No matter how hard the punch is if it connects in the wrong way then the victim can be seriously injured. By letting this go the GAA are condoning violence on the football field.

I agree that he should have been suspended (mind you I dont think he should have been booked during the match but that's a different argument), however rather than this showing that the GAA condones violence I think it shows that the disciplinary procedures are still not adequate.  As I was discussing on another thread, I have talked to a few in the know in relation to sports law about these new procedures and they don't think they'd hold up to scrutiny were any player suspended under them to appeal.  If anything good comes out of the O'Leary case its that it might help the association to look at the process and get it right this time.

[parttimeexile]

What gives you the right to call Noel O'Leary a sc**bag? I'd reckon he's a grand fella.

If some of the Dubs did that to Geraghty you'd be cheering or in a very silent minority so save us the feigned outrage.

first of all only a sc**bag would just punch a man in the face when he isn't expecting it.

And secondly you don't see dublin players do this type of stuff!

I'll repeat me earlier question Tankie, here's the clip: http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=NV_c1zd88vs

"So by that logic Ciaran Whelan is a sc**bag for elbowing David Mitchell in the face when he wasn't expecting it? Agree or disagree???"

I never saw that footage before. Did Whelan get punished for that? He could have done some serious damage?

[Gnevin]

A line needs to be draw in the sand here .
Are we to enforce the rules as stated in the rule book are going to ignore it when it suits .
If a Dub has to be the first to miss a big game because of it then so it it. The Association and our Games will be the better of it

[heffo]

What gives you the right to call Noel O'Leary a sc**bag? I'd reckon he's a grand fella.

If some of the Dubs did that to Geraghty you'd be cheering or in a very silent minority so save us the feigned outrage.

first of all only a sc**bag would just punch a man in the face when he isn't expecting it.

And secondly you don't see dublin players do this type of stuff!

I'll repeat me earlier question Tankie, here's the clip: http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=NV_c1zd88vs

"So by that logic Ciaran Whelan is a sc**bag for elbowing David Mitchell in the face when he wasn't expecting it? Agree or disagree???"

I never saw that footage before. Did Whelan get punished for that? He could have done some serious damage?

They were both booked - Whelan & Mitchell

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

In the absence of an on-line instantaneous video review/replay facility for the referees no solution here is going to be anything like perfect. The GAA should take a lead here from the RFU and introduce the technology now, not tomorrow or the next day. Until that happens this a topic that will rear its head again, and again.

[Gnevin]

In the absence of an on-line instantaneous video review/replay facility for the referees no solution here is going to be anything like perfect. The GAA should take a lead here from the RFU and introduce the technology now, not tomorrow or the next day. Until that happens this a topic that will rear its head again, and again.

Rugby is by its very nature a stop ,start game .Video couldn't be used in GAA games with out slowing down the entire game

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Rugby is by its very nature a stop ,start game .Video couldn't be used in GAA games with out slowing down the entire game

Not necessarily, in the time it takes the referee to blow up for a foul the video-ref could be fully clarifying the position, with no perceptible delay. The technology is there now, and even if it were to introduce a slight inertia (which it wouldn't), wouldn't that still be much preferable to the interminable wrangling over one man's judgement?

[Fuzzman]

I haven't read this whole thread so maybe someone else has said this but...

Firstly, I am no fan of Geraghty. I think he is a great footballer but a thug and yes he takes some awful punishment but he hands out often worse.
Secondly, I think the punch was so obvious and for the CCC to let this go is just unreal
Thirdly, as a Tyrone man I was disgusted with Ryan McMenamins two knee lunge on one of the Armagh Thompson twins and don't see how such exceptions can be made year after year.

I think the GAA need to say at the start of the season that from here on in video evidence in county matches only CAN be used by referees afterwards to change their suspensions accordingly.
At least that way everyone will know from the start what's happening and so there will be no stories of
"Well why did you not take such and such up for his tackle"

How can they castigate the Aussies when they have such material to use against us.