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So it appears that some Louth fans have form for this sort of behaviour.

maor_uisce (Tyrone) - Posts: 167 - 19/08/2010 11:07:38    750234

WIND UP ALERT!
but seriously, don't brand us all the same when you don't know the full story of what happened in the sheelan cup final

Louth_And_Proud (Louth) - Posts: 40 - 19/08/2010 11:27:28    750255

Assaulting refs has been a cancer in the GAA for a long time now. Not enough has been done in my view to tackle this problem head on. My own father was assaulted many years ago after reffing an Under 16s match. He got a phone call a couple of days later from the county board to see if he was ok and that was the end of it as far as they were concerned.

bubba83 (Dublin) - Posts: 333 - 19/08/2010 11:36:04    750260

It was only a matter of time before this happened and I am sure there will be more especially as only last week a Donegal referee had his jaw broken at an U16 game which admin wouldnt let me post on.It is about time as well this cancer in the GAA has to be got rid of but I am sure there will be posters on here saying it is the referees own fault, bit will soon stop.ring the perpatrators to court and put them in jail

tinrylandman (Carlow) - Posts: 387 - 19/08/2010 11:41:22    750263

It is a disgrace that in this day and age referees are treated the way they are. It is the reason why so few want to become one

frankbhoy77 (Antrim) - Posts: 1300 - 19/08/2010 11:51:25    750271

If you had been reading that same page for the last month or so you would have seen that this type of thing is happening all over the country !! Stop taking cheap shots at Louth !!

Cavan_Slasher (Cavan) - Posts: 10253 - 19/08/2010 11:53:11    750274

This is not a wind up!

The incident happened on the 26th June in a match between Glyde Rangers and O'Raghallaighs. Two players from Glyde Rangers were sent off and the referee was assulted after the match. The ref is now sueing the club that hosted this match Mattock Rangers claiming that he was not afforded enough security after the match.

This would lead me to ask to ask the following: Who is responsible? The club that hosted the match or the club whose supporters attacked the ref. In my opinion it shoud be the club whose supporters attacked the ref.

Duffster (Meath) - Posts: 279 - 19/08/2010 11:56:38    750281

Apologies, this was in no way meant as a wind up.

maor_uisce (Tyrone) - Posts: 167 - 19/08/2010 12:03:31    750292

thank you cavan slasher for putting a bit of sense into this debate, alot of people are coming on here, high and mighty, as though there has never been any incidents at their clubs or other clubs in their respective counties.

PK57 (Louth) - Posts: 1660 - 19/08/2010 12:04:26    750294

This ref is unique lads.Thats all ill say.

If he wins this case its a black day for the GAA.
Hes taking it against a club who hosted the match, for not offering him ''adequate security''.
Possibly hes been advised thats his best route for compo.

Its totally and utterly wrong & if this club loses its case what club will want to host matches ever again.

This could set a very dangerous precedent.

sam57 (Louth) - Posts: 1502 - 19/08/2010 12:05:40    750299

Am not condoning the incident which happened in louth but this a regular occurance in louth gaa i believe there has been a number of incidents involving this referee. A club walked off during a game because of the standard of his preformance, i believe its was wrong for the thugs to attack him but also shame on the louth county board the level of officating in the county is a farce... look at monaghan every ref has his own umpires at games in louth everything and anything goes, its like the wild west in terms of gaa. to many referees are unfit and don't keep up with the play which leads to awful decisions which leads to incidents like this... Top referee's for final, not sub standard officiating

shaggylegend (Monaghan) - Posts: 1948 - 19/08/2010 12:09:57    750305

This is something that is starting to get out of control in the GAA and it must be stamped out immediately before a ref gets badly injured. Far too many players and supporters think it is their right to abuse/attack the ref if their team is beaten, strong action needs to be taken against individuals who show any type of disrespect towards an offical.

Referrees are do their best as do players but both will enivatably make mistakes during the course of a match however some people need a reality check; only recently I was at a club match and a player missed a close range free to draw the match in the final minute and his team lost the match by a point yet some of supporters and management from his team started to abuse the referree after the match because he had made a couple of marginal decisions during the match and because they werent happy with the amount of injury time. I thought this was quite baffling considering that they had a handy free to draw the match yet they still considered it the refs fault that they were beaten, I mean there wasnt much more the ref could do except kick the free over the bar for them!! When a team looses a match the first thing they should look at is their own performance and not that of the ref...the ref isnt at fault if forwards cant kick over handy scoring chances or if defenders keep on fouling, yet if a team is beaten they wont look back on the handy chances they missed but instead they will concentrate on the free the ref didnt give them.

I think the GAA should impose heavy suspensions/fines on anyone who verbally abuses a ref and anyone who lays so much as a hand on a ref should get a lifetime ban, if these rules were strictly adhered to I think it would make a big difference. Far too often people who abuse refs get away too lightly.

Thunderstruck (Meath) - Posts: 472 - 19/08/2010 12:22:53    750335

it is disgraceful that the ref was assaulted and it is disgraceful that this ref is now taking legal action against a club who were good enough to provide grounds for a game. what does he expect them to provide - bodyguards? joke if he gets his payout from this. how about suing the people who did assault him....

kilglasskrazy (Roscommon) - Posts: 80 - 19/08/2010 12:36:49    750351

Anyone know the full extent of the injuries that the referee sustained in this alleged incident ??.

BallsMcQ (USA) - Posts: 941 - 19/08/2010 13:33:48    750446

I don't know the ins and outs of this case,but I'm really hoping that this will make some people sit up and finally acknowledge that there is an inherent problem within our national games whereby it's deemed fair play to physically or verbally abuse a person giving entirely voluntarily of their time. When will people realise that it is nothing short of DISGRACEFUL that a guy in his mid 20's can get his jaw broken as a result of refereeing an U16 game in Donegal,or that Willie Barrett can get hit with a hurley and it's met with almost universal apathy. Martin Sludden gets attacked in Croke Park,our national stadium and people say 'Era,he didn't get a proper belt at all,there was no harm in it.' What if there wasn't any gardaí there on the day? A few years back,a referee was locked in the boot of his car after a game(not sure what county). Am I the only one who thinks this is unbelieveable stuff? We've all heard stories form local games - 'did you hear, such and such a fella hit the referee after the game, twas some craic!'.

I think it just beggars belief,the attitude some people have to the whole thing. It's as if,by putting on the kit, a referee is fair game for whatever abuse comes his way. Why is that the case? A volunteer, same as the guy cutting the grass, loves the game, wants to do well and he's subjected to some of the stuff I've outlined above.

There has been nothing but silence from Croke Park and indeed congress on this issue. Why is this the case?

Trenchman (Waterford) - Posts: 114 - 19/08/2010 14:30:28    750529

I am from Mattock and a number of our men got around him including a former Chairman after the game, this picture was even in the Drogheda indo of Peter protecting him !

As some of the Louth men has stated this ref is some operator ! One thing following the guy who boxed him(Allegedly) but following us for putting up the game and then helping him off the field ! We have a serious strong legal team so please god we will be ok, we just bought two new fields to help young people in the village and someone tries to sue us for holding a final and not having 20 body guards !! - UNREAL !!

MR (Louth) - Posts: 2570 - 19/08/2010 14:58:26    750570

sam57
County: Louth
Posts: 826

750299 This ref is unique lads.Thats all ill say.

If he wins this case its a black day for the GAA.
Hes taking it against a club who hosted the match, for not offering him ''adequate security''.
Possibly hes been advised thats his best route for compo.

Its totally and utterly wrong & if this club loses its case what club will want to host matches ever again.

This could set a very dangerous precedent

I agree with you to a point Sam57. Harsh on the club that hosted the game, but this is a serious problem in the GAA and unfortunately the legal route might be the only way there is some progress made on this issue. Ironically,if the case is won,just watch how quickly the GAA/clubs will react to prevent a reoccurence.

Trenchman (Waterford) - Posts: 114 - 19/08/2010 14:59:43    750572

Only last week a referee was assaulted coming off the pitch in ruislip and subsequently followed into his dressing room and while togging off after the game was assaulted again by a few officials from a senior football club in london.The ref should take these people to court,whether he made mistakes or not he does not deserve this......

stranded (UK) - Posts: 408 - 19/08/2010 15:23:28    750614

MR - i truly hope you are successful as should anyone who claims to be a GAA supporter. a dangerous precedent could be set here

kilglasskrazy (Roscommon) - Posts: 80 - 19/08/2010 15:45:09    750649

What sort of security is the hosting club supposed to provide for games?
Is the an official rule on who or what is supposed to be in place for these games?

It's getting all too common this & unfortunatly I doubt there's a county in the country that has seen something of a similar nature.
The question is, where does it stop & who stops it, or do we let it become the norm like Sunday league & under age games in England.

Jinxie (Meath) - Posts: 6347 - 19/08/2010 16:23:05    750712