Pat McEnaney says county teams that receive a high number of black cards only have themselves to blame.

A survey of black cards handed out during the national league shows that this year's competition winners Kerry have received more than anybody else (25), followed by Down, Longford and Sligo on 22. All-Ireland champions Dublin were shown just nine.

Former referees chief McEnaney says the facts don't lie and that teams should look within for the reasons as to why they are being penalised:

"Perceptions are one thing, facts are another. If a county has a bad record with black cards, there has to be a reason. Sure, there are some wrong calls, but they spread out fairly evenly among counties so if you're getting more than others, you need to ask why," the Monaghan man notes in The Irish Independent.

"Having said that, referees are not consistent enough. I'd say it stands around 50pc to 60pc, when it should be it over 90pc. Even some of our top referees aren't getting it right often enough."

Tweet

Most Read Stories