Kildare chairman calls for video technology
August 31, 2010Ashe's plea comes in the wake of two controversial decisions involving umpires in Kildare's All-Ireland football semi-final loss to Down on Sunday. The Lilywhites are adamant that Alan Smith had a perfectly good point waved wide in the seventh minute, while TV replays showed that Benny Coulter was clearly in the square when he fisted home Down's goal six minutes later.
And after a summer of high-profile refereeing blunders, Ashe believes video replays should be introduced as quickly as possible to prevent any further injustices from taking place.
"It can start with the All-Ireland championships and I think all the stadia are well equipped to do that. This would do away with all the controversies that have been going on this summer," he said.
"Having been on the receiving end of it, we can now respect how Louth felt earlier on in the summer. It's not like the technology isn't there. On Sunday when Alan Smith's shot was ruled wide, the replay on the big screen in the stadium showed it went over. Everybody could see it instantly. The same with Benny Coulter's goal, there was a replay straight away of it and everyone could see he was in the square."
He added: "The technology is readily available to see whether disputed scores should be allowed. It doesn't take long to review scores. Of course officials are not going to see everything and you have to allow for human error. It's very frustrating for everyone. There's a major question mark when nearly 30,000 Kildare fans go home feeling aggrieved. The team and management have put in a massive effort, and it's disappointing when things like that go against them.
"The goal being awarded was harder to take as you would think a square ball can be clearly spotted. I know Pat McEnaney is a very experienced referee and had experienced officials with him, with Joe McQuillan, an inter-county referee acting as an umpire. It's just difficult to understand it all."
Ashe insists Kildare are not using the controversial scores as an excuse for defeat.
"We are beaten, Down are in the All-Ireland final and that's it. The score is still the same, 1-16 to 1-14 in Down's favour. We wish James McCartan and his Down team all the best in the All-Ireland final." Tweet
