National Forum

Brawls/Melee's, They Dont Make Them The Way They Used To

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Ulster club and county sides were brilliant at this. They really would intimidate sides outside the province who couldn't handle it and that's why Tyrone, Armagh, Donegal, Crossmaglen were so successful. However Ulster football has lost that edge, that "**** you, who are you looking at?" mentality and our teams are also behind now in the physical stakes too. Not only have Dublin, Kerry, Mayo caught up, they have overtaken our sides now physically and mentally.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9818 - 17/02/2018 14:19:36    2077649

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Replying To tomsmith:  "Tommsith here

The best/worst was in a Hurling Club game in Galway some years ago, where a big full forward named Johnny something or other cut loose .
he took stayed on the field I think after what looked like several swings on the way into Goal and on the way out.
the poor ref is seen trying to calm him down.
Wasent at the game but saw it on utube"
Johnny Maher for Loughrea against St. Thomas. He was rugby tackled to the ground and threw a punch (missed) then followed up with two belts of the hurley (didn't miss, two lads dropped like sacks). What does the ref do? Give Loughrea the penalty, of course and the bould Johnny scored it. To put the tin hat on it all, he followed that up with a couple of shoulders, a slap with the hurley and a kick right in front of the ref. And he still played on. It's easily found on the tube. Mind you, if that's the worst you ever saw, it's definitely the only bit of Galway club hurling you've ever watched.

marooney (Galway) - Posts: 88 - 17/02/2018 15:29:32    2077683

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Replying To runnerin:  "Yep Meath v mayo was a decent scrap they started it we finished it they still moan about it fed up listening to McHale still whingeing ...but Louth and laois was the best scrap I saw in croker was on the hill that it stared in the small square hill end and finished in the tunnel in the centre of old hogan great scap altogether"
Didn't one of yer fellow brothern start spouting that on a trip to Westport before he was ran out of town kicking and screaming and then got a dressing down from the judge in the local court afterwards??

Spoddgy (Mayo) - Posts: 660 - 17/02/2018 22:32:46    2077790

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Replying To Spoddgy:  "Didn't one of yer fellow brothern start spouting that on a trip to Westport before he was ran out of town kicking and screaming and then got a dressing down from the judge in the local court afterwards??"
Well the truth hurts what can I say

runnerin (Meath) - Posts: 202 - 18/02/2018 00:15:15    2077806

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Replying To tomsmith:  "Tommsith here

The best/worst was in a Hurling Club game in Galway some years ago, where a big full forward named Johnny something or other cut loose .
he took stayed on the field I think after what looked like several swings on the way into Goal and on the way out.
the poor ref is seen trying to calm him down.
Wasent at the game but saw it on utube"
Watched it back there. Unbelievable [url=]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpC0Xzg62ZM

Suas Sios (None) - Posts: 1558 - 18/02/2018 03:32:27    2077821

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Replying To runnerin:  "Well the truth hurts what can I say"
It probably does but maybe not as much as the physical pain inflicted on the said meathman?

Spoddgy (Mayo) - Posts: 660 - 18/02/2018 09:27:50    2077833

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The point which I was trying to make is say two lads start to go at it for whatever reason, when the referee's attention is brought to this most of them will sprint down the field blowing the whistle like its going out of fashion creating a commotion. The game has been stopped and everyone's attention is brought to the brawl or in reality the tussle between two lads. When other players see what is happening they have no game to play as it has been stopped so they run in to support their fella. This is what starts the vast majority of brawls.

TheFullBack (Galway) - Posts: 110 - 19/02/2018 09:52:34    2078240

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Replying To browncows:  "If someone is pulling and dragging out of you the only way to stop it is with a good tump. Dragging and pulling has destroyed the game and most of the Refs are not up to the job of stopping it even with linesmen and umpires who appear asleep most of the time. Sometimes though the odd linesman ends up getting a player send off to show his authority (the guy doing the line in Dublin v Carlow was an example and him supposed to be a top class Ref). The guy that starts pulling and dragging should get one warning and the next offence should leave him watching the match."
I went the opposite end of the spectre once, was getting pulled , dragged , hit every time I went for the ball, had enough lad hit me a soft enough dig, but went down as if he had hammered me, he got a yellow, didn't go near me rest of the game.

Rosineri1 (UK) - Posts: 2099 - 19/02/2018 10:59:11    2078261

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Replying To perfect10:  "amidst all the talk of brawls and melee's in gaa matches,one thing that strikes me now is that there is never a closed punch thrown in any of them.all pushing,shoving,wrestling,etc.
i am now going wax lyrical to meath v mayo in 1996,or the louth laois brawl where a sub came on like a crazed lunatic and started swinging punches to beat the band.
sundays "brawl" would have been described as "handbags" by men like mick lyons,niall cahalane,paidi o se,etc.
give me the old school brawl,when men were men,any day."
I thought/ hoped this kind of glorification of violence was a thing of the past. I've played football in Wicklow for 25 years spanning a time when such stuff was fairly common place. I sincerely doubt you've ever been involved in one of those brilliant brawls you romantically describe or you wouldn't be longing for them. You'd better just hope that you or your children are never suffer some of the head/ facial injuries I have witnessed as a result of violence on a football pitch.

clubfan17 (Wicklow) - Posts: 108 - 19/02/2018 11:13:03    2078267

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Replying To clubfan17:  "I thought/ hoped this kind of glorification of violence was a thing of the past. I've played football in Wicklow for 25 years spanning a time when such stuff was fairly common place. I sincerely doubt you've ever been involved in one of those brilliant brawls you romantically describe or you wouldn't be longing for them. You'd better just hope that you or your children are never suffer some of the head/ facial injuries I have witnessed as a result of violence on a football pitch."
i was involved in a few brawls in my time,some started by me.
it happened about once a year,not every week and games were not ruined by pulling and dragging and grabbing faceguards.

perfect10 (Wexford) - Posts: 3929 - 19/02/2018 16:59:50    2078447

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My dad was recruited by a neighbouring Longford club for a Junior game in back in the 70's. Playing under a different name of course and totally illegal. He had mates over the county bridge. He was fairly used to rough and tumble stuff in Leitrim already anyway and being a farmer and builder he had arms like fence posts and wasn't that intimidated by scraps. Half way through the match in a place called Mullinlaghta (current county champs I think) he reckoned a massive melee took place and he seen some lad who had buck teeth getting a box and a long tooth flying up in the air! He still chuckles at that. But he was taken aback with how dirty it was.
He also played in the Cavan Junior championship now and again as well under another name with nothing major to report from there! Some lads he worked with in Dublin recruited him. He wasn't that bothered about rules and regulations!
But he reckoned the worst he ever encountered was one of his own teammates who he said laid out players at any chance and as captain he would be ashamed of him and seen teams walking off the pitch in disgust at some of these off the ball incidents. He reckoned he hardly ever seen anyone getting sent off in the 70's.
Reminds me of Dinny Allen and Paidi O Se RIP. Dinny hit Paidi, Paidi retaliates with a haymaker and then realises what he done was wrong putting his hands up to his face, the ref runs in and fell over! Then gets up, makes them shake hands and away they go and not a book to be seen! Think its on youtube somewhere.

Grey_Wolf (Leitrim) - Posts: 236 - 19/02/2018 19:17:48    2078501

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Replying To Wally:  "And hardly a word spoken about it on the Sunday Game or since.

But Colm Cavanagh lifting his foot and innocently connected with Brian Fentons stomach in the other semi-final and the Sunday Game panel described it as gratuitous violence which has no place on the football field!!

We really need an overhaul of these dinosaurs.

Sorry to change the subject."
Gratuitous violence and an accident are not the same thing. The Sunday Game panel are talking crap. (I didn't see the incident or The Sunday Game.)

Tacaí Liatroma (Leitrim) - Posts: 1189 - 20/02/2018 11:57:40    2078692

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Replying To Grey_Wolf:  "My dad was recruited by a neighbouring Longford club for a Junior game in back in the 70's. Playing under a different name of course and totally illegal. He had mates over the county bridge. He was fairly used to rough and tumble stuff in Leitrim already anyway and being a farmer and builder he had arms like fence posts and wasn't that intimidated by scraps. Half way through the match in a place called Mullinlaghta (current county champs I think) he reckoned a massive melee took place and he seen some lad who had buck teeth getting a box and a long tooth flying up in the air! He still chuckles at that. But he was taken aback with how dirty it was.
He also played in the Cavan Junior championship now and again as well under another name with nothing major to report from there! Some lads he worked with in Dublin recruited him. He wasn't that bothered about rules and regulations!
But he reckoned the worst he ever encountered was one of his own teammates who he said laid out players at any chance and as captain he would be ashamed of him and seen teams walking off the pitch in disgust at some of these off the ball incidents. He reckoned he hardly ever seen anyone getting sent off in the 70's.
Reminds me of Dinny Allen and Paidi O Se RIP. Dinny hit Paidi, Paidi retaliates with a haymaker and then realises what he done was wrong putting his hands up to his face, the ref runs in and fell over! Then gets up, makes them shake hands and away they go and not a book to be seen! Think its on youtube somewhere."
Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0h3QQIBH6Y

Tacaí Liatroma (Leitrim) - Posts: 1189 - 20/02/2018 14:53:35    2078751

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