As far as I am concerned Louth are this year's Leinster champions. We cannot let cheats get away with that which would bring the whole GAA into disrepute!

tommy k (Galway) - Posts: 3314 - 12/07/2010 11:36:16    704760

UMPIRES are usually old men and to be honest have caused alot of problems down through the years. I dont know is it because of old age and lack of eye site or is it because they are afraid to speak up but its time they properly train these guys for the championship. Yesterday people in Louth were left shattered and will be for a long time. This was the bigest moment in the players sporting lifes and the same for most of the fans. To make a decision like that was madness and careless and its time people start putting there hands up and start talking responsibility for there actions. These boys have trained hard all year and to be robbed like that cant and should not happen. Not in this day and age. It would be big of Meath to replay this one and to be fair they should not have to make the decision, but if the gaa wont make the call, Meath should offer it, they have a great tradition of football, and can show all sports what fair play is all about.
As for umpires its time the gaa start getting men that can see and also speak, LOUTH deserve to be Leinister champions but at least give them another shot at it

kerry4life (Kerry) - Posts: 4 - 12/07/2010 11:38:07    704765

Jimbo, Joe Sheridan is the last person who should be ashamed of himself after yesterday I love to hear Dublin and Mayo people come on various threads here and dictate to Meath from their ivory tower. Meath County Board will not be offering a replay and nor should they, it is totally unfair to expect them to make a decision or gesture like that. The faceless mandarins in Croke Park who have failed for years to deal with the poor standards or refereeing and umpiring are the ones who have to answer here, not Meath. Sadly the whole furore over the goal has totally pushed to one side some other very unsavoury incidents in the game that should have been examined afterwards, Nigel Crawford was almost gouged on the ground in front of me in the Hogan Stand and the shameless unsporting behaviour of JP Rooney near the end by kicking the ball away twice was a disgrace, perhaps Peter Fitzpatrick should condemn his player over that as well as the officials. I am not detracting from the finish of the game but if we are going to examine one thing then we must examine everything. Sadly after yesterday I feel that it is now inevitable that some sort of security fencing will be reinstalled in Croke Park, preventative measures wont stand up after yesterday and with a referee attacked, and very lucky not to have been hurt, I feel fencing will return. I expect the Louth County Board to act swiftly and decisively on that.

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3734 - 12/07/2010 11:42:07    704775

If Meath don't offer Louth a replay then it will be always remembered as the final they didnt win.A sham and a hollow victory that couldn't be enjoyed.

I seem to remember Laois giving a replay to Carlow years ago in Portlaoise when Laois were giving a point that was proven wide on the Tv after...Will Meath be as sporting?

BigJohn.6_8 (Galway) - Posts: 704 - 12/07/2010 11:42:31    704777

Definitely. Meath should realise that they have been on the receiving end of some bad calls in the past and graciously offer their neighbours a replay.

roundball (Tipperary) - Posts: 2514 - 12/07/2010 11:45:31    704784

Very sad for Louth but in Sport all kinds of decisions can go against you - The ref made a terrible mistake - but the 2 Louth players that fumbled the ball make a big mistake as well as did other Louth players earlier which left them in a vulnerable position where a last minute refereeing mistake could and did cost them the match.

They should have been so far clear that a last minute goal legal or otherwise would not have cost them.

They have to take responsibility themselves for leaving themselves in that position instead of looking to place the entire blame on the mistake made by the ref. In sport as in all walks of like we are too eager to look around to see who we can blame rather than taking a look at ourselves and asking could we have done more to prevent the situation.

I would be gutted if something like this happened to Monaghan next week but I'm confident I'd take the same view.

The Sage (Monaghan) - Posts: 351 - 12/07/2010 11:45:42    704785

What a sweet sweet victory. Replay? No. Louth lost the game in the other 72 minutes, dropping balls into the keppers hand, wides, constant fouling of Meath players in the final 10 minutes or so, kicking the ball away. The behaviour of SOME of there fans was terrible, and at the end of the day these things happen in sport, Meath are Leinster champions and thats all that matters. Calling Meath players "Cheats" is absolutely scandolus, they had no say on the goal. Joe put it well yesterday, "if it wasnt a goal then we would have got a penalty anyway" ROLL ON THE ROYALS...

Super_Royals, as a sportsman and a life-long supporter of Meath Gaelic football, I find this sort of self-delusional gloating quite disgusting, and if you were a sportsman yourself you wouldn't find it so sweet. There is a fine tradition of football in Meath, one of the finest in country, typified by greats and honourable men such as Trevor Giles, who know the honour of winning and of truly deserving it. There was no honour in the manner of yesterday's outcome, and no honour in being given a bogus hand-out. I don't think a lot of the Louth players covered themselves in glory yesterday with some of their conduct either during of after it, but the idea of taking pleasure in the misfortune of one's fellow competitors is more repugnant to me than I can politely say on this forum.

I am very disappointed by the reaction of Eamonn O'Brien and Nigel Crawford in refusing to acknowledge that there is a bigger picture to all this than a Leinster final, and by refusing to accept the need to do the right thing and replay this game. It is not Meath's fault that so many terrible mistakes were made yesterday, but they have the opportunity to put it right, if they truly wanted to prove TO THEMSELVES, let alone to their fans and the rest of the country, that they deserve the title of Leinster Football Champions, then they would unhesitatingly make known their desire to replay this match. It is dark a day for Gaelic Football and hollow day for Meath fans, those of us that are honest with ourselves that is.

Meath1986 (Dublin) - Posts: 247 - 12/07/2010 11:46:18    704788

Correction to my previous post it was Seamus kenny who was gouged not Crawford was mixing up with another incident.

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3734 - 12/07/2010 11:47:22    704792

People are talking about setting a precident here but wouldn't it be a nice sporting one.
If Meath did offer a replay then it's their decision, if similar things happen in games going forward then it's up to the teams involved.
We are not talking about the GAA forcing a replay, they definitely should not do that, in their eyes the result should stand.
I'm sure alot of the Meath supporters on this site where screaming for a replay when France beat us. Think of the out-cry when they wouldn't.
This is a very similar issue.

ColinWex (Wexford) - Posts: 901 - 12/07/2010 11:55:52    704809

Richieq
County: Meath
Posts: 384

He wasnt fouled. He stated that he was... in reality he fouled the ball.

Time to put the hands up Joe...

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20600 - 12/07/2010 11:57:25    704816

Give the umpire positions to refrees and not old blind men for the championship games at least. Time for change and move forward, some of these guys are in there late sixtys and early seventys and just not up to speed of the match, give the role to refrees, they know the rules and could make big calls when the main ref cant see what happens, Louth were totally wronged yesterday, can it go to a replay, YES, should it go to a replay YES

kerry4life (Kerry) - Posts: 4 - 12/07/2010 11:59:05    704817

Meath1986 - fair play to you. There must be a lot of good football people in Meath who are disgusted at this, as indeed will the genuine Louth people be appaled by the clowns who assaulted players and officials at the full-time whistle. As others have said, it's a very hollow victory and whilst I don't expect Meath to offer Louth anything, the real loser yesterday was the honour and intergity of Gaelic Games.

breffniman (Cavan) - Posts: 12 - 12/07/2010 12:02:11    704824

Meath1986 - wow - that is some comment - fair play to you

MR (Louth) - Posts: 2570 - 12/07/2010 12:04:52    704835

breffniman
County: Cavan
Posts: 6

704824 Meath1986 - fair play to you. There must be a lot of good football people in Meath who are disgusted at this, as indeed will the genuine Louth people be appaled by the clowns who assaulted players and officials at the full-time whistle. As others have said, it's a very hollow victory and whilst I don't expect Meath to offer Louth anything, the real loser yesterday was the honour and intergity of Gaelic Games.

I'd like to second that, fair play to you Meath1986.... also this is the line of the thread right here...

I don't expect Meath to offer Louth anything, the real loser yesterday was the honour and intergity of Gaelic Games.

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20600 - 12/07/2010 12:05:43    704840

I'd love to know how ye'd have got a penalty if Joe Sheridan didn't throw the ball in the back of the net considering there was a square ball incident before that Meath1986. The GAA should be anle to use video evidence to force the replay, the same way the used it to suspend Galvin. No excuses, there has to be a replay.

omoorecailin (Laois) - Posts: 3 - 12/07/2010 12:12:08    704857

I feel that Meath fans are getting a bad name here. we are all very unsatisfied with the manner in which we won. we are actually pretty decent supporters believe it or believe it not. but this whole topic is very out there! yes the goal is very controversial i will not deny it but its hard on us in Meath also , because we are a lot better than we showed and performed yesterday and yes its a pity it had to end like that. i think if the meath and louth game gets replayed it will be a turning point in the gaa because every team who has a decision go against them will want a reply and counties will be fighting about the other county having the decency to offer the replay!

Beautiful.Meath (Meath) - Posts: 537 - 12/07/2010 12:27:02    704887

If Louth don't get a replay does that mean that the CCCC is only there to suspend Tyrone and Kerry footballers? Granted a few other counties have felt the CCCC but ourselves and Kerry have gotten the Lion's share of them. Maybe the CCCC should have a look at themselves for a change.

CoTyrone (Tyrone) - Posts: 261 - 12/07/2010 12:29:54    704890

Beautiful.Meath
County: Meath
Posts: 94

Honestly man.. you got a lucky goal in the first game against Laois... Laois were the better team and proved that to get the replay in the last few seconds of the game.

Dublin are a complete shambles at the minute and that win against Dublin was a very strange game indeed...

And now you fluke a goal once again to win Leinster...

Meath are an avearge team... Top forwards, dodgy/average midfield, dodgy back line.

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20600 - 12/07/2010 12:32:27    704894

omoorecailin
County: Laois
Posts: 3

704857
I'd love to know how ye'd have got a penalty if Joe Sheridan didn't throw the ball in the back of the net considering there was a square ball incident before that Meath1986. The GAA should be able to use video evidence to force the replay, the same way the used it to suspend Galvin. No excuses, there has to be a replay.

Omoorecailin, I don't know why you are addressing me on this issue as I never suggested that there was a penalty incident here? Having looked at the video footage it is abundantly clear to me that Sheridan was NOT PUSHED, as he claimed, and that he fouled the ball on the ground falling as he did under his own momentum. While can I understand some overwrought Meath fans in desperation claiming, or wanting to believe that there should have been a penalty, I cannot understand how some neutrals on here could think so.

The ONLY thing that one might say looking at the footage on YouTube is the Louth goalie in coming across does fall heavily on Sheridan while he is on the ground, but it would be ludicrous to suggest that this tangle merited the awarding of penalty, not least because being on the ground, Sheridan should not be allowed to play the ball with his hands, which he clearly did.

Meath1986 (Dublin) - Posts: 247 - 12/07/2010 12:35:36    704900

I'd love to know why Joe thinks it was going to be a peno he done a rugby style jump with the ball where is the peno Joe??????

Also he had his worst game ever in a royal shirt he was dreadfull and then to get a lucky break like this in the end....No justice!...and JOE no Peno???

BigJohn.6_8 (Galway) - Posts: 704 - 12/07/2010 12:36:41    704902