More Thuggery on the GAA field

[ONeill]

Derrytresk Statement

The Derrytresk club are delighted to have made it through to this year's All Ireland Junior Football Championship club final. Our players thoroughly deserve to be there after all of the hard work that they put in over the last twelve months. It is disturbing to be on the receiving end of a number of quite serious allegations which have been aimed directly at our club since yesterday afternoon. We are disappointed that such allegations have been aired by GAA people through various media outlets over the last 24 hours. We believe that the referee and his officials were best placed to deal with all aspects of Sunday's game. We remain confident that the GAA itself is best placed to provide the correct channels to deal with all matters which may or may not arise from this game. We therefore we will be making no further comment on the matter and will continue to prepare for the biggest day in our club history.

[Mont]

Derrytresk Statement

The Derrytresk club are delighted to have made it through to this year's All Ireland Junior Football Championship club final. Our players thoroughly deserve to be there after all of the hard work that they put in over the last twelve months. It is disturbing to be on the receiving end of a number of quite serious allegations which have been aimed directly at our club since yesterday afternoon. We are disappointed that such allegations have been aired by GAA people through various media outlets over the last 24 hours. We believe that the referee and his officials were best placed to deal with all aspects of Sunday's game. We remain confident that the GAA itself is best placed to provide the correct channels to deal with all matters which may or may not arise from this game. We therefore we will be making no further comment on the matter and will continue to prepare for the biggest day in our club history.

Fantastic, great to see a club finally take responsibility for the actions of their players, supporters, mentors etc.....................or not as the case may be

[cicfada]

Tis fairly clear from the video that Derrytresk have a lot to answer for  with the glee with  which  their subs vaulted  the hoarding to get involved in the fight no matter what provocation was there. Subs should not be getting involved!  Both clubs though  should be sent the  video clips to identify which players/officials are involved and punishments handed out accordingly!

[Shamrock Shore]

Sweet Lord - that official statement is some load of steaming poo.

[Lecale2]

If this incident happened in a county league match we would never have heard about it. Nobody appeared to be injured and the match was finished. I see worse incidents every month, nobody complains and no bans are handed out.

However this was an All Ireland Semi Final under the control of Croke Park and I strongly suspect they will take a hard line with both clubs. I predict that the final won'tl be played on 12 February and the DRA will be involved. The Derrytresk subs may have cost the club the biggest day in their history.

[thewobbler]

Hardstation, Lecale, I think you're missing the point on purpose here. Whether it happens 10 times a weekend of not doesn't matter; it's still shameful scenes and makes our games look like free for alls.

The big difference with this incident and others is that this one is caught on TV. Usually by this stage both clubs have retreated behind a wall of silence and any GAA investigation is pointless. There's enough on that tape though for the GAA to hand out proper bans and fines. And I hope to God they do.

[ONeill]

There's no doubt that subs/supporters should not be on the field. No one is excusing that and I'm sure the club expects punishment for that through the proper quarters. It's a massive pity this has happened as Derrytresk have no history of this at any level. They're a harmless junior club with a clean slate. Tensions ran high and the whole Kerry/Tyrone overtones were simmering and have been since the Omagh battle a few years ago.

What does stick in the throat is the abuse being levied at the Derrytresk players for their tactics, and then Tyrone/Ulster football beyond that. The first punch thrown was by a Dromid man at the man with the clipboard. Again, that doesn't excuse the incursion onto the field of the hyped-up subs and that response is regretted, no matter how exaggerated it has become.

Dromid had 2 reds and 9 yellows. The Hill had 2 yellows.

[Lone Shark]

Lads is there more video evidence around other than the clip there?

It's just that posters here are saying that the Dromid player started it by going at the Derrytresk official with the clipboard, but on that clip the Derrytresk guy with the clipboard (who is out of the technical area and in a zone he's not supposed to be) is the one advancing towards the players. Both men appear to be swinging at the same time but certainly the first thing I see is a Derrytresk player on the ground, no idea how he got there (though other posters say it was from a fair shoulder) and the Derrytresk official going to where he has no right to be - from a place that he has no right to be. How is everyone so sure that the Dromid man swung first? Please note I'm not saying he did or didn't, just that it's plain to see on the video that

We have Dromid number 4 and the clipboard guy swinging away, and guys with bibs in the area but nobody else initially doing anything violent.  Then the Derrytresk number 18 is the next one on the scene getting involved, followed immediately by the Dromid number 5, followed by a lot of guys in bibs, who admittedly could be from anywhere since there are four different colour bibs, albeit two of the guys are wearing blue underneath, and then a lot of Derrytresk subs. One sub in particular makes several swings and kicks at a guy on the ground and anyone who defends that or says that he deserves to even sit in Croke Park, never mind tog out, is badly misguided.

What am I missing? It just seems to me that comments like this don't make sense. 

The actions of the Tyrone subs is totally unacceptable. However, on listening to Joe Duffy Show and reading some of the posts here, you would think that Dromid were completely blameless. The first punches were thrown by numbers 4 and 5 from Dromid. 

Now either there's another clip out there, or that's just plain wrong.


As for those that say this kind of thing happens all the time, I have to ask, what the hell kind of games do ye go to? I'm a GAA supporter, player and journalist and between the lot I take in an average of 4-5 games a week at all levels. I can count on one hand the amount of times I've seen multiple people getting involved from off the pitch, maybe four times that I can think of in the last 20 odd years.

The only instance I can think of in Offaly that came close was one where the referee was struck and that saw the club involved suspended for two years, albeit that was rescinded to no home games and a 10k fine (iirc) on appeal, as well as suspensions for the culprits and some committee members.

I'd imagine that Derrytresk can gear themselves up for something similar now. I'd also say that if I was Dromid Pearses, I'd stay in training. There has to be a very live chance that Derrytresk get thrown out here.

[INDIANA]

Lads is there more video evidence around other than the clip there?

It's just that posters here are saying that the Dromid player started it by going at the Derrytresk official with the clipboard, but on that clip the Derrytresk guy with the clipboard (who is out of the technical area and in a zone he's not supposed to be) is the one advancing towards the players. Both men appear to be swinging at the same time but certainly the first thing I see is a Derrytresk player on the ground, no idea how he got there (though other posters say it was from a fair shoulder) and the Derrytresk official going to where he has no right to be - from a place that he has no right to be. How is everyone so sure that the Dromid man swung first? Please note I'm not saying he did or didn't, just that it's plain to see on the video that

We have Dromid number 4 and the clipboard guy swinging away, and guys with bibs in the area but nobody else initially doing anything violent.  Then the Derrytresk number 18 is the next one on the scene getting involved, followed immediately by the Dromid number 5, followed by a lot of guys in bibs, who admittedly could be from anywhere since there are four different colour bibs, albeit two of the guys are wearing blue underneath, and then a lot of Derrytresk subs. One sub in particular makes several swings and kicks at a guy on the ground and anyone who defends that or says that he deserves to even sit in Croke Park, never mind tog out, is badly misguided.

What am I missing? It just seems to me that comments like this don't make sense. 

The actions of the Tyrone subs is totally unacceptable. However, on listening to Joe Duffy Show and reading some of the posts here, you would think that Dromid were completely blameless. The first punches were thrown by numbers 4 and 5 from Dromid. 

Now either there's another clip out there, or that's just plain wrong.


As for those that say this kind of thing happens all the time, I have to ask, what the hell kind of games do ye go to? I'm a GAA supporter, player and journalist and between the lot I take in an average of 4-5 games a week at all levels. I can count on one hand the amount of times I've seen multiple people getting involved from off the pitch, maybe four times that I can think of in the last 20 odd years.

The only instance I can think of in Offaly that came close was one where the referee was struck and that saw the club involved suspended for two years, albeit that was rescinded to no home games and a 10k fine (iirc) on appeal, as well as suspensions for the culprits and some committee members.

I'd imagine that Derrytresk can gear themselves up for something similar now. I'd also say that if I was Dromid Pearses, I'd stay in training. There has to be a very live chance that Derrytresk get thrown out here.

Bottom line.

Guy with clipboard doesnt interfere with Dromid player= no row.

The rest is just newspaper filler.

[ONeill]

We have Dromid number 4 and the clipboard guy swinging away, and guys with bibs in the area but nobody else initially doing anything violent. 

It's amazing how people see different things with the same clip. The lad with the clipboard I think makes one swipe which misses. The first time he puts his free hand up to block a swipe. Hardly 'swinging away'.

[tyssam5]

There's no doubt that subs/supporters should not be on the field. No one is excusing that and I'm sure the club expects punishment for that through the proper quarters. It's a massive pity this has happened as Derrytresk have no history of this at any level. They're a harmless junior club with a clean slate. Tensions ran high and the whole Kerry/Tyrone overtones were simmering and have been since the Omagh battle a few years ago.

What does stick in the throat is the abuse being levied at the Derrytresk players for their tactics, and then Tyrone/Ulster football beyond that. The first punch thrown was by a Dromid man at the man with the clipboard. Again, that doesn't excuse the incursion onto the field of the hyped-up subs and that response is regretted, no matter how exaggerated it has become.

Dromid had 2 reds and 9 yellows. The Hill had 2 yellows.
[/quote

How would senior county rivalry extend to junior club football? I can see effecting the way it is commented on and reported afterward, but how would be a contributing factor toward the row?

Looks like the Kerry lad down on the line started the rumpus and was then surprised by something that looked a worms-eye view of the first fence at Aintree! Subs lepping onto field should be getting a ban, most of the rest is just standard Kerry whinging.

[Lone Shark]

We have Dromid number 4 and the clipboard guy swinging away, and guys with bibs in the area but nobody else initially doing anything violent. 

It's amazing how people see different things with the same clip. The lad with the clipboard I think makes one swipe which misses. The first time he puts his free hand up to block a swipe. Hardly 'swinging away'.

Between number 4 and clipboard guy, I'm not trying to start a row when I say I genuinely couldn't pick one of them out as more sinned against or sinning - leaving out the fact that the clipboard guy shouldn't be anywhere near that of course.

However you can't deny that when the camera comes over to them first after around three seconds of the clip, it's the clipboard guy that's advancing, when there is no reason for him to do so? That much is indisputable and is more than enough to knock the whole "they started it" stuff on the head for me. 

[Sportacus]

Frick me, more bad headlines and nobody to blame only ourselves. Why would the GAA take a tough line in this when they haven't before. If they had, shit like this wouldn't happen as much.  Too many cute hoors on committees making sure boys get off the hook, most recent example being Ulster Council scaling back antrim county board's ban on rasharkin for attacking the ref.  Families have a lot of choices these days about sport for wee Johnny, GAA would need to sort it but I have little faith.  And the folks on this thread splitting hairs about who did what first are missing the long term big picture in a big way.

[ONeill]

We have Dromid number 4 and the clipboard guy swinging away, and guys with bibs in the area but nobody else initially doing anything violent. 

It's amazing how people see different things with the same clip. The lad with the clipboard I think makes one swipe which misses. The first time he puts his free hand up to block a swipe. Hardly 'swinging away'.

Between number 4 and clipboard guy, I'm not trying to start a row when I say I genuinely couldn't pick one of them out as more sinned against or sinning - leaving out the fact that the clipboard guy shouldn't be anywhere near that of course.

However you can't deny that when the camera comes over to them first after around three seconds of the clip, it's the clipboard guy that's advancing, when there is no reason for him to do so? That much is indisputable and is more than enough to knock the whole "they started it" stuff on the head for me.

They seem to accept that fact themselves. - http://kerrygaa.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=general&thread=3607&page=10#128942

[Lone Shark]

One poster on one board that may or may not even be affiliated with the club is hardly "acceptance".

I am from Offaly - if I say that Edenderry won their county title this year due to a steroid programme started in the local school, does that mean it's gospel because I'm from the same county, a mere 40 miles away?

Regardless, the clipboard guy had no right to be there and his presence alone could be deemed to be "starting it", particularly if he was preventing a quick sideline or anything like that.