I doubt this would happen but if there was a video referee that the referee on the pitch could call on to make the final decision on the incident none of the unsavoury incidents after the final whistle would have happened and the result would not be in question!. Take responsibility for these calls away from the umpires altogether and only allow them to signal scores and wides or off the ball incidents (maybe)

It's a no brainer but I doubt it would be introuced, the GAA will probably have the same view as FIFA had to goal line technology but then again change is on the way with that too!

ncc1701 (Limerick) - Posts: 25 - 12/07/2010 12:37:09    704904

I remember Ciaran Clancy getting sent off for nothing in Croker when Wicklow had Meath by the goolies........

We want a replay as well.

sponger (Wicklow) - Posts: 2897 - 12/07/2010 12:38:31    704908

Louth deserve a replay. Its dissappointing to see Joe Sheridan claiming he deserved a penalty, JOE...YOU WOULD OF A HIGH MARK FOR OLYMPIC DIVING!!! Three critical points; first, the TWO Meath players were in the square...SQUARE BALL. Second, Joe Sheridan dived...FREE OUT SIMULATION. Third, Joe Sheridan carried the ball over the line then threw it....FREE OUT.

I know theres a perception that Meath could have got a decision for this free and that free etc etc but at the end of the day you have to look at this realistically. The Ref, linesman and two umpires got the three decisions wrong in about a five second period. Three of those officials were in good positions to make a call. They didnt. And the call came in the dying seconds of the game. It looks fishy to say the least.

NOTE TO TYRONE FANS: Let 95 go lads. The incident was a poor call in 95, but was a call that refs get wrong all the time. And it was the ref alone that made that decision and he didnt have the backup of umpires two yards away to make a correct call. Similarly, when Eoin Mulligan scored his WONDERGOAL against Dublin he changed hands twice and we should have got a free out. It wasnt spotted, Tyrone supporters call it a great goal, I call it poor refereeing. But it was the ref alone that made that call. Its gone, Tyrone won. Yesterdays incident involved three officials who dont know the rules who clearly got it badly wrong. If there is any justice, Meath should offer a replay. I think they'll win; they couldnt be any worse than they were yesterday. If Dublin were in a similar position they would be forced into a replay, mainly because the GAA would see euro signs!!!

JoeyBloggs (Dublin) - Posts: 7 - 12/07/2010 12:39:41    704914

Beautiful.Meath or should I say France.Meath.
This kind of thing happens less than a blue moon so it's going to do no harm to the Gaa. It's doing Meath more harm than the Gaa. Replay the game and this time the real meath team will turn up and win the game fair and square and no more bad feelings.

CoTyrone (Tyrone) - Posts: 261 - 12/07/2010 12:43:32    704925

Meath1986
County: Dublin
Posts: 113

Fair play to you! Like I said elsewhere I don't think there should be a replahy as I can't see where the calls for replays would end in the future! I would like to commend your honesty in the fact that there was no honour in the victory and I whole heartedly sympatise with the louth supporters!

I just hop that the GAA act quickly in sorting out the farce that is the selection, the use, and the role of the umpires in intercounty GAA matches! Young up and coming referees should be used who know the rules it should be your stepping stone the actually getting a whistle in a championship game

Fifa ignored the calls for goal line technology before the world cup and history repeated itself and made them look even more stupid so i hope the GAA wake up and use the officials we already have!

pigonastick (Dublin) - Posts: 487 - 12/07/2010 12:44:11    704928

Bottom line is there no provision for a replay in the rule book, It was a total injustice for Louth to have lost the game yesterday but they lost it. Games are refereed by humans and human error is always a factor. Unfortunatley for louth this was a much bigger error than usual but if you say this game has to be replayed where do you stop. What if a point was waved wide 20 mins before game is over and the team who weren't awarded point loose by a point, should there be a replay? Answer is no as long as we have referees there will be mistakes. The manner of this result taints the whole leinster championship, there is no glory in this for Meath. As a Meath supporter I only wish that Seamus Kenny had fisted the ball over the bar and the game was a draw and both teams could have another go

GreenGael (Meath) - Posts: 108 - 12/07/2010 12:48:59    704940

Andycapp
County: Meath

Theres not a chance Louth will get a replay,how can you award a trophy and go through all the speeches etc like Nigel Crawford did and then take it away from him,have every sympathy for Louth but its an amateur game,mistakes will be made! time to draw a line under this and move on now!!

"how can you award a trophy and go through all the speeches etc like Nigel Crawford did and then take it away from him"


Much simpler to do than say awarding a winning goal to a team when clearly 2 if not 3 fouls were committed in the lead up to it a decision you have to remember resulted in depriving another team of winning a first Leinster SFC title in 53 years.

So I put it to you Andycapp how can you take a Leinster title away from a team who played their hearts out and award it WRONGFULLY and UNFAIRLY to another team ?. And whats more I find it difficult to comprehend how another team can accept a trophy in these circumstances.

BallsMcQ (USA) - Posts: 941 - 12/07/2010 12:49:59    704943

I think Joe must think it was penalty as some of the Louth players clearly entered the ruck from the side and the knock on when the two louth lads went for the same ball.

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12120 - 12/07/2010 12:53:03    704951

What the bloody hell are meath fans getting villainized here for, i sat in the croker with the 15,000 or so meath fans and we had nothing to do with the decision that was given, we have no authority on the pitch lads.

Now i can't make any profound points that haven't already been made here so il just give my humble opinion of the match, for the way a minority Louth fans carried on after the match NO REPLAY, the game is over, yous were unlucky but MEATH ARE LEINSTER CHAMPIONS. Don't forget the most important point before Joe Sherdians try, JP Rooney effectively lost that game for Louth for 2 reasons.....kicked the ball away once, kicked the ball away twice, if he hadn't of done that i have no doubt that the ref would have blown up for full time. Anyway who the hell would want to see a replay between those 2 counties after the scenes that went on yesterday, it was disgusting to watch and if there is a replay it could well be the 1st time that we see segregation at gaa match.

Now im not trying to divert from the obvious fact that Sheridans goal shouldn't have been awarded, a blind man would see that but this is sport lads, these things happen, Louth played the better football but they also got the vast majority of 50/50 calls during the match and these things have a habit of balancing themselves out. Also would anyone have given a toss if that happened to Meath, not a hope because there was 31 counties caught up in a fairytale yesterday and we were just playing a supporting roll.

Btw did anyone hear what happened to Sean Boylan yesterday, heard a nasty rumour that he got a dig after the match but as far as i know it is just a rumour so i wouldn't read too much into it.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 12/07/2010 12:54:23    704954

In fairness, it was a good try scored by Sheridan, Brian O'Driscoll would have been proud the way he dived for the line. I thought for a second rugby was back at Croker !!

Seriously, the only people who should be deciding if there should be a replay should be the Meath County Board. If the CCCC declare one, then the biggest can of worms ever in the GAA will have been opened. Would it mean if Cork had lost yesterday in Thurles by a point that they should have got a replay because of a very iffy decision by the ref, or if Waterford at lost by a point, because of a ropey decission by one of the umpires in the first half. We'll end up like the 1900s with the championships being finished the year after due to objections and replays

I've a ton of sympathy for Louth but manure happens, it's the joy of sport

mpsox (Carlow) - Posts: 20 - 12/07/2010 13:00:00    704971

Htaem - He did get hit. He was on newstalk this morning. A very strange interview. It was a disgrace that someone would strike a gentleman and legend like Sean Boylan. The interview was strange as Ivan Yates seemed to think the whole thing was a joke and it was obvious that Boylan was not impressed. Strangely though Boylan didn't seem to think there was much wrong with the goal.

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12120 - 12/07/2010 13:01:57    704977

What happened at the end of the game has nothing whatsoever to do with Meath !! Forget about it lads as the ref made a blunder and thats that !! There will be no replay nor should there be or the next time something happens it would be setting a precedence and holding up the C/ship with appeals etc. Well done Meath !!

Cavan_Slasher (Cavan) - Posts: 10253 - 12/07/2010 13:08:39    705003

Meath are Leinster Champions end of story

I suggest that all the Neutrals take a step back and ask themselves
If Louth had won yesteday because of a bad ref call and if Dublin or Meath had lost because of that decision would you still have the same sympathy for the victims ?

Omar.d (Cavan) - Posts: 1141 - 12/07/2010 13:09:32    705006

Breffni39

I heard a bit of Boylan's interview. I wouldnt be surprised at him at all saying the goal was good.He would never let the Meath side down so always liable to back the official line.
He was always a bit of an Arsene Wenger anyway. He never saw a controversial incident clearly during his long managerial career.

BIG SACKS (Tyrone) - Posts: 1681 - 12/07/2010 13:13:31    705022

Louth deserve a replay,but if they get a replay,then every contentious decision that happens from here on out will have players,managers,county boards&fans crying for a replay.sure Waterford could have done the same if they had lost by a point after Ben O Connors free clearly went wide.if Waterford had won yesterday after Tony Brownes goal,then Cork could have asked for a replay cus twasnt a free in the 1st place.unfortunately,when games are put fully in the hands of the referee,human error is bound to occur&unfortunately,Louth were on the recieving end yesterday,but best of luck to them if they do get the replay.

HOO_RAH (Kerry) - Posts: 61 - 12/07/2010 13:15:27    705028

People are saying that Louth kicked it away - they didn't. They were 2 points up, they had done enough. Also some are saying that Louth got soft frees, maybe so but they were legitamately kicked over the bar. The last score wasn't a score, if the first guy had scored a goal eventhough it was a square ball, the uproar wouldn't be as bad. But the fact that Sheridan carried the ball over the line makes it null & void.

I wouldn't blame Sheridan but surely in the light of day Meath should do the only honouranle thing and offer a replay.

county man (Limerick) - Posts: 1102 - 12/07/2010 13:16:15    705031

As a Louth man in Croke Park, I was disappointed by the behaviour of a small element of our supporters. They should be named and shamed and it must be stressed these were in the extreme minority. Their behaviour has no place in civilised society and they let themselves and their county down. As I walked down to Croker from Quinns most Louth and Meath supporters were having the banter and the craic and apart from a few scumbags (no other words for them), it should have been a great day out. Those fans who ran on to the field should be ashamed and what they tried to do. I have no doubt that the Louth County Board will ensure that they will be named as most are easily identifiable. I am sure most people agree with this approach. The above issue addressed, there were a number of points need to be addessed:

1: Where were the Gardai and Stewards to ensure the referees safety off the field? They were very slow to get onto the field. Given the circumstances of the goal which I could see from 50m away was thrown, it was obviously very controversial so the ref should have got off the field instead of hanging around.

2: The umpires. Granted the referee was 30-40 metres back from play (even though on the Sunday game his view looked okay), the role of the umpires was crucial. In my experience at games, umpires can be very indecisive in terms of making decisions when it is not clear cut. Most see their job as waving wide, out for a 45 or for a score. Anything else such as infringements, square balls - they tend to shy away from these decisions and leave it to the referee to deal with. They do not have much experience of game defining moments. Umpires should be trained as to the rules and referees should rely on them more often as they are another 4 sets of eyes watching. The referee cannot see everything but he got the biggest decision wrong yesterday.

3: The referee did not cover himself in glory throughout the game. I thought he got a number of decisions wrong with soft frees being given on both sides in cases and blatant fouls not being given in others. This is part and parcel of GAA refereeing unfortunately. After marking down the goal, the referee went to the umpire to ask him to raise his flag? As some posters have pointed out, Why did the umpire not raise the flag immediately after the goal went in? I suppose the answer is because at the very least he was uncertain on whether to give a goal. The umpire was then asked by the referee to raise his flag and not to consult one or both of the umpires. This decision lies firmly on the referees shoulders.

It is very hard to take a defeat like this when it was so clear cut. I understand people mention precedents etc and injustices but being such a mistake while being watched by 2 umpires. There are such fine lines between defeat and winning. Good referees generally get the big decisions right. At the very least he has to consult before making an informed decision.

I would expect that the referees report will be handed in today and he will state that he got the decision wrong. The only hope for a replay is if Meath offer one. This would be a very nobel gesture and I wouldn't be expecting them to do this - it is hard to ask a player to give up their Leinster medal however it was earned. I think no matter what way it goes both Meath and Louth lose. If Meath don't offer a replay then it will be 31 counties against them for the rest of the season. If they do, then Louth will be the canon fodder for giving into mob / thug rule and for the foreseeable future be associated with this.

Lose Lose as far as I see!!

Queen (Louth) - Posts: 58 - 12/07/2010 13:41:15    705094

as I said on another thread earlier, I'm sure no one died yesterday??!! so ya know what pick up the papers today Louth and read bout the tragic loss of young lives in Donegal and build a bridge,this defeat is far from the end of the world.

londain5 (Waterford) - Posts: 5 - 12/07/2010 13:47:32    705116

i was in croke park yesterday and being a louth man i'm sick to the back bone.as for meath i dont think they can take the blame for this they do what meath always do and thats play till the last second.the cccc have to hang their heads in shame this morning how 2 empires and the ref could allow this goal.and as for the anticts of about 10 or 15 louth supporters it should not be hard to find them and charge them,the team should not suffer because of them.10 or 15 out of 25000 supporters i'v seen worse at club game.were not all like that our blood was boiling.wee are true leinster champions

butcherboy36 (Louth) - Posts: 3 - 12/07/2010 13:48:34    705118

Marksman.. dont blame Meath for scoring a suspicious goal, if it was Rooney would u complain then ?, i very much doubt it.
There were 2 umpires there,only a 3 yards away, didnt even move to put up the flags when ball went in, yet the referee moved in to seemly insist the green flag go up, so dont blame Meath, want to play the blame game, blame the referee, and yer forwards for missing so much.
Although yesterday i did feel very sorry for Louth, to hear the tripe on local radio from so-called Louth fans,i wouldnt bother offering a replay, barely a comment mentioned the cowardice and thuggery of a few Louth fans, seemly ye consider the villians to be Meath and Sheridan..pathetic!

maco (Meath) - Posts: 357 - 12/07/2010 13:49:47    705122