When will people realise the problem isn't really the referee, it is the players and management who send teams out to play in such an unsporting way. A number of players were booked for off the ball stuff yesterday but yet both teams carried on with it. Watching Mark McHugh crouch over and scream into a Tyrone man's face as he lay on the ground made you think how bad things have got since his father's days. You could never imagine Martin McHugh resort to that nonsense, yet he also played in a time of intense rivalry and he always wanted to win.
1724989 Sean Cavanagh's black card was never a black! It was a high tackle, not a cynical one and should have been a yellow. Poor decision by the ref. At the match yesterday I was of the opinion that Gallaghers yellow was the right decision but after seeing it again last night I think he was lucky not to see black for a deliberate trip.
A game will hinge on one of these inconsistencies this year and the GAA need to get it sorted. I thought the ref needed much more help yesterday than he got from his umpires and linesmen. The amount of off the ball stuff by both teams was unreal and the ref had enough problems dealing with the on ball stuff. Two experienced linesmen and they hardly made a comment to him all day.
There was a lot going on yesterday but there will be a lot going on any time two of the bigger players in this years Championship come head to head in a close contest.
Straight away I can see the same potential when Donegal meet Armagh and Derry meet Down while as the competition progresses other big teams will get thrown against each other with the same potential for packed games.
As such I agree that the GAA really need to sit down with their referees and try and come up with a consistent way of applying their own rules.
1725000 When will people realise the problem isn't really the referee, it is the players and management who send teams out to play in such an unsporting way. A number of players were booked for off the ball stuff yesterday but yet both teams carried on with it. Watching Mark McHugh crouch over and scream into a Tyrone man's face as he lay on the ground made you think how bad things have got since his father's days. You could never imagine Martin McHugh resort to that nonsense, yet he also played in a time of intense rivalry and he always wanted to win.
Well you summed it all up there Soma. People will try to defend it and say that it is part of the game now and everyone does it but it is horrible to watch and attendances and TV viewer numbers will reflect that. The funny thing is that most of the modern day so called "hard men" would not have lasted 10 minutes back in Martin McHugh's day.
There are a number of issue with all this. 1. THere is a culture in the GAA of giving out about the ref, a lack of respect. It happens at all levels in all counties. 2. The four umpires serve no purpose at all. They are only there for the sandwiches afterwards and are usually related to the ref or some mate of his from home. Top class players deserve to have the best officials, not the soundest lads the ref knows. 3. Players will do whatever they can get away with. Everytime you get a weak ref, you end up with a game that goes to the dogs. Remember the free for all after the all Ireland semi last year, the Meath v Louth Leinster final - all ended up as a farce because the ref wouldn't enforce the rules and his umpires didn't help him. 4. Ulster football matches are always niggly and full of off the ball messing (when Ulster counties meet in the qualifiers they aren't near as bad) and the fans like it. If you like what you saw on Sunday then you condone that type of ******* about on a GAA pitch.
I would love to see Mayo win sam but I wouldn't pay to watch them play like that. 14 men behind the ball, handpassing the ball backwards, taking frees backwards, players mouthing off all day long at the opposition and at the ref. It's a disgrace and if my son went out to play that way I wouldn't be happy.
agree with some of what is said, most poster defending there players and team, while picking something similar that opposition does and ranting about, We not going to increase young children playing if all they see is pulling draging riped shirts on guys sledging etc there parents will bring them to another sport. Yes i do believe it is cleaner than 40 years ago but there is still a lot to do. I think first thing is refs or officals need nobody questioning there decision on the pitch player or management, and only one player(caption) can talk to him. like rugby yes they will make mistakes like every player will during the game.