This is a topic for me that rears it's head over and over again throughout not only the inter county scene but also the club game.
For weeks we are hearing about referees making mistakes from Maurice Deighan in the Mayo game to Barry Cassidy in the Tyrone game on Saturday. I do agree that Deighan did not have a good game and that perhaps Harte should not have received a Black Card, however the constant referee bashing by managers and sections of the media seems to abdicating players from any fault in their actions and the consequences.
I am seeing this reflected in the club game in Antrim more and more and for me the this was perfectly highlighted in a club game I attended in Ahogill in Antrim yesterday. The game was an early throw and a Div 1 relegation shoot out, therefore for me as a neutral a great game to take in. If you would have sent the God Lord himself I believe no matter what he did he would have struggled to please both teams. From the moment the referee threw in the ball there was an air of tension with two teams desperate to stay in the top division. It appeared to me no what call the referee made one or the other team were not happy about it. For instance the away team's goalkeeper was constantly looking to take a quick kick out and when he was pulled for kicking a rolling ball he lashed into a tirade of abuse towards the referee, why? Was the referee not right to hop the ball?
Course he was but it appeared through the goal keepers ignorance of the rules that he knew better. On another occasion a player caught a clean mark, whistle went, however two opposition players immediately waded in with a tackle, again the ref blew a free, which was met with cries from the players and their bench of 'he played on'. Problem here again a fundamental lack of understanding of the basic rules.
The yapping and challenging of almost every decision given was constant even for the most obvious of fouls. I understand players get frustrated, a players basic lack of understanding the rules is not something for a referee to be blamed for. The ref in question yesterday is for me one of the better refs in our county and if we want to retain referees like him and attract new ones, clubs, managers and players need to begin to reflect on who really made the mistake was it the ref of was it the player who did not fully understand the rules, or do we continue with mindset that all players never foul and refs only blow the whistle to destroy the game????
Replying To SaffronSpice: "This is a topic for me that rears it's head over and over again throughout not only the inter county scene but also the club game.
For weeks we are hearing about referees making mistakes from Maurice Deighan in the Mayo game to Barry Cassidy in the Tyrone game on Saturday. I do agree that Deighan did not have a good game and that perhaps Harte should not have received a Black Card, however the constant referee bashing by managers and sections of the media seems to abdicating players from any fault in their actions and the consequences.
I am seeing this reflected in the club game in Antrim more and more and for me the this was perfectly highlighted in a club game I attended in Ahogill in Antrim yesterday. The game was an early throw and a Div 1 relegation shoot out, therefore for me as a neutral a great game to take in. If you would have sent the God Lord himself I believe no matter what he did he would have struggled to please both teams. From the moment the referee threw in the ball there was an air of tension with two teams desperate to stay in the top division. It appeared to me no what call the referee made one or the other team were not happy about it. For instance the away team's goalkeeper was constantly looking to take a quick kick out and when he was pulled for kicking a rolling ball he lashed into a tirade of abuse towards the referee, why? Was the referee not right to hop the ball?
Course he was but it appeared through the goal keepers ignorance of the rules that he knew better. On another occasion a player caught a clean mark, whistle went, however two opposition players immediately waded in with a tackle, again the ref blew a free, which was met with cries from the players and their bench of 'he played on'. Problem here again a fundamental lack of understanding of the basic rules.
The yapping and challenging of almost every decision given was constant even for the most obvious of fouls. I understand players get frustrated, a players basic lack of understanding the rules is not something for a referee to be blamed for. The ref in question yesterday is for me one of the better refs in our county and if we want to retain referees like him and attract new ones, clubs, managers and players need to begin to reflect on who really made the mistake was it the ref of was it the player who did not fully understand the rules, or do we continue with mindset that all players never foul and refs only blow the whistle to destroy the game????"
Refs do get hard time sometimes and am speaking as a club ref ( though taking year out for my health and well being )
Refs have split second to call frees etc but I can't understand how Peter Harte got black card as to me it was yellow at most .
Alot of Poeple don't know the rules but some refs seem to not other when it comes to black card . Cavan player clearly body collided Tyrone player along sideline and ref deems it a yellow not black .
To much inconsistency around black cards time for a video ref to call out if ref not sure
It's always the referee's fault because a lot of people hand failed to grow up.
I mean, we all know pre match that the ref will make a few mistakes, some will benefit our team some will benefit the opposition. Its inevitable and unavoidable yet the dumb will still rage (only about the few decisions that went against them mind).
What makes it worse is that when viewed dispassionately, you can nearly always make an allowance for why the ref made a particular call as well. But yet the dumb menchildren still rage.
Complaining that the ref didn't do exactly what you wanted is the exact same as raging at the sun every evening when it sets.
I never cease to be amazed at how everyone in a game, players, managers, umpires, linesmen & referees make mistakes but only the referee gets hauled over the coals.
Players week in week out make horrendous cock ups not to mention trying to con referees & yet they get a pass. The ref gets one call wrong & the sky falls in on top of him.
Replying To MuckrossHead: "I never cease to be amazed at how everyone in a game, players, managers, umpires, linesmen & referees make mistakes but only the referee gets hauled over the coals.
Players week in week out make horrendous cock ups not to mention trying to con referees & yet they get a pass. The ref gets one call wrong & the sky falls in on top of him.
Funny old game."
I agree with the general point of the thread, but I wouldn't say refs are the only ones to get stick for mistakes. Managers get an awful time from some supporters, with extreme examples of it bordering on criminal at times. The other point I'd make is that if players make bad mistakes, there are consequences for them (losing a game or losing their place on the team). That can be a lot worse for them than someone calling them a b****x. Being a ref can be an absolutely thankless job.