Meath’s defeat by Down in the 1991 All Ireland SFC Final stands virtually as the most upsetting day yours truly has ever had following sport. Numerous theories have surfaced over the years as to why our lads came up short on the day. The four week break between the semi final and final didn’t help. Losing players of the calibre of Colm O’Rourke, Robbie O’Malley and, eventually, Mick Lyons would be catastrophic to any team. It would also go a long way to explaining why the team underperformed so obviously in the first half.
However, there was one elephant in the room which far too little was made of. Namely, the fact that Leitrim referee Seamus Prior only allowed less than 20 seconds of stoppage time at the end of the match.
While there is no way the Connacht official’s discharge of his duties could be pinpointed as reasoning for Meath’s demise, his allocation of such a paltry amount of overtime certainly halted what was a gargantuan rescue attempt.
But then, even that far back the question would have been valid regarding whether rreferees need to be in control of timekeeping as well as everything else.
There is, and has always been, a reluctance within the GAA’s inner sanctum to adopt measures from other codes which would undoubtedly benefit theirs. Invariably though, such reservations are eventually assuaged. See the ‘Mark’, red and yellow cards, substitute number boards and the Sin Bin as viable exhibits.
Basketball is a sport to which this corner has often referred over the years. Firstly because there remains – and forever will – an avid interest therein, most importantly in this instance, though, as there is much other entities could glean from the fast-paced five-aside-fare.
Not least the fact that, as a sport played in such a small space with low numbers on court, there are three referees deployed for every game. So how one man or woman is expected to control a game with 15 either side is beyond me.
Purists wlll course say they have two fellow referees doing the line and four umpires. But lets face it, those on the line are usually there because they’re not up to doing the ‘important’ job, and the umpires should be sponsored by either Specsavers or the Natural History Museum!
The hoops also have the count down clock, which, to their immense credit and foresight, the LGFA took it on board long ago. Similar applies to the Sin Bin. The GAA did, admittedly take the latter on board. Albeit belatedly. Every day can be a learning day, if you want it to be.
While the Ladies Football governing body have been a beacon for forward thinking in many ways, there is a feeling – here at least – that they could in fact do with adopting a few dictums from the men’s game at present.
Specifically, the ‘Mark’ – high fielding is as admirable from the ladies as it is in the men’s and should be rewarded accordingly. Also, if I recall correctly, the ‘Square Ball’ infringement whereby there are parametres under which it doesn’t apply.
Whatever about the latter, more learned students of these things than this one concurred with inclinations here that the stipulation with regard to barging also needs re-visiting.
Having said all of the above, I do believe that the expansion in use of the HawkEye technology would be a nailed on win-win situation for all sectors of the GAA.
Look, I’ve made no secret of the fact that, for me, the alacrity with which match officials are put on pedestals commensurate to Michelangelo’s David is at best counterproductive.
No doubt those topped up with the seemingly obligatory consignment of outrage will be ready to pipe up with “Would you do it? ” (referee) and the honest answer is I would love nothing more than to be able to do it. Or even umpire as I am. Though how a wide would be signalled with the use of only one arm could get interesting!
My uncle is a former referee who hung up the whistle for no other reason than the fact his face didn’t fit with the top table at the time. Incidentally, he tells an interesting story from that time. A fellow whistler, considered to be one of the elite back then, was encountered during the working week, and the conversation went as follows:
Elite Man: How many have you put off this year so far?
My Man: Jazus Tim (Not the other lad’s real name) I wouldn’t have a clue, why?
Elite Man: Ah, I’ve 11 so far, I’m about halfway through my quota.
Now, if there are officials with the Tim mindset – and there are at least two who spring to mind immediately – is it any wonder people become irate and frustrated? Before anyone has a seizure, as with anything in llife, there is a line which of course shouldn’t be crossed in registering those feelings, but is it any wonder people’s gears get grinded?
Consider that the good referee is the one you don’t notice. Yet there are some who think they’re Father Ted doing the Elvis episode! Poor refereeing not only deserves to be highlighted, it needs to be.
As has been said in this space previously, referees are paid employees of the GAA when on duty, why shouldn’t they be subject to scrutiny and sanction if found to be off their game? If a player has a poor game, they are taken off and/or dropped, if a manager isn’t coming up with the goods, they get the boot. What has to happen for the pedastal to be removed from under others?
But when this point was made to somebody in the wake of Meath’s historic victory last weekend, I was virtually being gifted a lifetime pass to the pits of hell. We in Meath presently have the pleasure and blessing of having a group of players of equal if not better quality than this county has ever produced. Male or female.
Luckily enough. Every ounce of it was required to negotiate not only a highly impressive Donegal side but also utterly atrocious refereeing. To my mind, what Mary Kate Lynch was Sin Binned for wasn’t even a foul, let alone a card-worthy offence. Vikki Wall was binned after quite simply holding her ground and the opposing player not being able for it. Emma Duggan was frontally charged off the ball and a free given against her. Need I go on?
To use the example of the last Sunday’s match, Fergal Lynch of the Meath Chronicle noted “At least 10 clear and obvious errors by the official” – the vast majority of which would’ve been seen for what they were – nothing – if there was some form of video assistance available to match officials. It wouldn’t take long for an official to trot over to the sideline, review the incident and then carry on as required.
Thus saving players, mentors and supporters anger and frustration and not leaving referees open to opprobrium – whether justified or not. Rugby has it, basketball has it and soccer has belated caught on too. Yes referees deserve respect, but respect should be earned, not just donated.
Which is what makes the sycophantic, snivelling kow-towing that goes on towards referees in rugby so nauseating. Then again, while the oval ball game has made great strides in normalising itself in recent years, there’s still an element of it with its head severely entrenched up its own backside. Why, for example, is there a need to refer to things ‘Laws’, not ‘Rules’ like every other sport on the planet. Come to think of it, the answer to that is simple – pretentious pomposity.
For their tag line, GAA referees have “Give Respect, Get Respect”, and, to be fair, in the vast majority of cases, that’s exactly what happens. Yes, there will always be idiotic players and mentors and/or fans (possibly guilty as charged in the latter bracket on occasion) but then there are whistlers who swoon around like Ewan McGregor’s dancing in Trainspotting!
A very large percentage of the time, players are not stupid, they know what and when is too far. The stories of the training matches in Nowlan Park are legendary – where the great baseball-capped one just blows the whistle, throws in the sliotar and lets them flake away at each other. The thought process presumably being that if they can survive in that bear pit, they are ready for anything. It’s fairly safe to say the methodology is working!
In my humble opinion, much of the give and take between referees and those whom they are working with – for it has to be a two way street – comes down to communication. In one way rugby has it cracked. The manner in which match officials communicate with players, telling them when they are about to infringe and explain why they arrive at the decisions they do. If only they could lose the authoritarian arrogance the world would be a better place.
To conclude where we started, with GAA, in my view, Barry Kelly of Westmeath stood out as a brilliant communicator during his refereeing career. Praising players for good play and keeping them onside with his manner whilst doing the match.
To reiterate the central point of this piece, there are lessons all sectors of the GAA can learn, both from each other and outside influences.
So much progress has been made in recent years, as detailed in some of the measures mentioned herein. The properly structured football competitions will come in time, so too technological assistance for match officials. Possibly even the second referee.
This weekend, there dawns the latest incarnation of a new GAA world. In this seat, it is anticipated with curiosity, trepidation and a ting of ‘If it’s not broke, don’t fix it’. Rapid reactionary judgement is of no benefit to anybody.
There has been progress in many ways, but it’s definitely a case of a lot done, more to do.
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