21/05/2015 12:06:08
tyroneed
County: Tyrone
Posts: 519

1726430 I'd agree also. Rules aren't enforced harshly enough in the GAA.

It's bad refereeing that caused this to happen in the 1st place.
A referee can ruin A players year in 60 minuets and go unpunished that's what needs to change to stop
things like this happening.
Referees need to be accountable for what they do on the pitch as much as any player.
But there is no call for spectators head butting a referee on his way to the changing rooms after any game.

TYRONE_MICK (Tyrone) - Posts: 332 - 21/05/2015 19:12:53    1726773

It's bad refereeing that caused this to happen in the 1st place.
A referee can ruin A players year in 60 minuets and go unpunished that's what needs to change to stop
things like this happening.
Referees need to be accountable for what they do on the pitch as much as any player.

Are you for real TYRONE_MICK???????????????????????????????????

Nobody should ever resort to head butting a referee that's completely unacceptable. But I agree with Mick in that the quality of refereeing in both codes in woeful. Keenan officiated the Tipp Vs Offaly league quarter final, I had never heard of him before and I was hopeful that he would be an improvement on some of the current hurling referees. He was worse, that's really scary it the standard is dropping further.

The solution is keep training, over-train if needed the referees until standards improve.

Killarney.87 (Tipperary) - Posts: 2513 - 22/05/2015 09:33:33    1726899

The options open were to suspend the individual for up to 2 years, debarment and expulsion from the association. The club could also face fines, disqualification or expulsion from the Association.

In my opinion I think this person was lucky to only get two years. The legal option is open to the Ref and is one which he will not doubt seriously consider. For what it's worth, John is a very competent ref and I'm sure that this wont stop him from officiating at games.

Torcaill (Australia) - Posts: 204 - 22/05/2015 10:34:34    1726929

Hmmm....I wonder why refereeing standards aren't improving! No bloody wonder with the verbal and in this case physical abuse they have to put up with. If Sean Cavanagh thinks is worried about players mental health from sledging then God help the refs is all I'd say.

This thug should be banned for life from the GAA

benjyyy (Donegal) - Posts: 1422 - 22/05/2015 10:51:13    1726938

Killarney87, I've played in plenty of matches in Wicklow and there is no other ref you'd want to have but John Keenan, he genuinely goes out and tries to ref a game as fair as possible, a lot of referees in the county would be wary of clubs with certain reputations and penalise them in matches. I was at the match and it was a really tough one to referee. I was embarrassed to be at the same match as that attacker, he's the lowest of the low, a 2 year ban is a joke but it's actually strict for Wicklow, I personally know the lad who's jaw was broken last year and its a disgrace how he has been treated. You can't win with the majority of the lot on the county board and it's fairly demoralising the storys that come back every year

Victorious87 (Wicklow) - Posts: 597 - 22/05/2015 11:02:11    1726949

Now the standard of referee's and officiating is one thing, voicing concern on that is another, but physical violence? Why go to the GAA? go to the local Garda station - ridiculous. The person responsible needs a day in court and to face the consequences - the GAA are irrelevant in this situation.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4897 - 22/05/2015 11:26:44    1726968

21/05/2015 19:12:53
TYRONE_MICK
It's bad refereeing that caused this to happen in the 1st place.
A referee can ruin A players year in 60 minuets and go unpunished that's what needs to change to stop
things like this happening.
Referees need to be accountable for what they do on the pitch as much as any player.
But there is no call for spectators head butting a referee on his way to the changing rooms after any game. Absolute rubbish. Speaking as a referee, albeit in another sport and sporting organisation, no matter what happens and how a referee acts they don't deserve this. Referees are held accountable but what happened here and what happens around the country on a too regular basis is not a referee being held accountable its a referee being assaulted by thugs

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 22/05/2015 11:57:31    1726989

From what I gather the Wicklow CCC gave the individual a 96 week bad - that's the maximum they can give,

Posters are on here complaining about the referee, Wicklow CCC etc, but in reality it's the individual and his club, the Club can if they want extend the ban to 5 or 10 years.... now that would signal the right signs.

And its not just Wicklow, EVERY county , i mean EVERY county has these nutters!!!!

cuchulainn35 (Armagh) - Posts: 1676 - 22/05/2015 13:05:35    1727031

Benjyyy, a couple of red cards would sort out a lot of messing. I should correct myself and say the linesmen and umpires don't help either. A lot of the off the ball stuff would be sorted if the linesmen and umpires helped the referee more. They need to be more assertive. At a recent match I attended ( I won't say which one to keep the peace, stuff was happening under the linesman's nose and he did nothing about it, the referee didn't see it as he was up with play at the other end, a better linesman would have brought it to his attention and the referee would have dealt with it.

So in sort swift early action from a referee will sort out a lot of this stuff around sledging. It doesn't necessarily have to be a read card or the seemingly dissued black card, a yellow will do to set the tone.

Victorious87, I hear you, I've heard of the legend of club matches in Wicklow. Did any on duty Gardai attend these matches? If each incident happened on the streets of Bray, Wicklow, Baltinglass, Greystones etc you expect an arrest for GBH.

I am just saying referees need to be properly trainined in general. I have left Tipp matches where we won (a less frequent event of late) feeling annoyed by the refereeing performance, I never highlighted it at the time as I didn't want to wind up the losing county but the low standard of inter-county hurling referees is something I feel really strongly about.

The two Westmeath hurling referees are the only one I rate, the rest are awful in my opinion with maybe the exception of Fergal Horgan, I am not too familiar with his abilty as he obviously doesn't referee Tipp matches but I hear good things about him. Johnny Ryan the other Tipp referee is an accident waiting to happen, thankfully the league final passed off without a major talking point.

Killarney.87 (Tipperary) - Posts: 2513 - 22/05/2015 13:44:00    1727055

yet another bad advertisement for the GAA, This would not be allowed to happen in any other sport. The thug should be banned for life. If his club have any back bone they should kick him out he should not be allowed on a GAA pitch again. Even though it should not come down to them the Referee's should take a stand and refuse to ref any games in Wicklow until that little ball!&x is dealt with properly.

jacktheDub (Dublin) - Posts: 944 - 22/05/2015 13:57:24    1727064

Clubs in Kildare have nutters like this who think it OK to say/do what they want to the ref.

Point is, It's tolerated by the clubs. They think these lads are just "characters".

daytona11 (Kildare) - Posts: 4012 - 22/05/2015 14:07:47    1727073