Referee Derek O'Mahoney being escorted off the field by officials following U. 21 championshiop Semi-Final
In recent years, GAA players have been highly crtiticised for the discipline shown towards referees, and opposition.
The most recent shocking scenes were reported following the championship meeting of Cavan vs. Dublin last Saturday in O'Moore Park, Portlaoise. Tipperary native Derek O'Mahoney, referee, had to be escorted by officials and Gardai after two decisions in the fianl minutes of the game that sparked controversy.
O'Mahoney was jeered by Cavan fans as he left the pitch. The game was level with two minutes remaining but a tackle by Conor McHugh on Cavans Conor Moynagh which many argued was a black card offence, as he blantantly deliberately pulled him down, but only resulted in a yellow. A free rewarded to Cavan in extra time secured them a win, claiming a one point victory over Dublin.
Cavan could face disciplinary charges after the verbal abuse given to the referee after the game. One person attempted to physically attack the ref while others threw things at him from the stand while he was being escorted off the field, which is simply disgraceful. Whatever about the passion GAA followers show for the game, that is just not on.
The incident got me thinking about the whole phenomena of the black card. It has come under a lot of scrutiny since it was introduced a few months back. I think it has caused a lot of confusion amongst players more so than anything else and I think referees are still getting accustomed to the whole black card offence.
My dad, a referee in both Wicklow and Kildare, was not surprised by the reaction of the crowd. He reckons there will always be a certain bit of controversy when a game is so tight, especially in the final minutes. He's reffered matches where players have approached him after matches threatening to hit him, and management verbally abusing him from the sideline. He was actually physically attacked after a match once, where a player came up from behind and pushed him to the ground. But, referees shouldn't have to put up with abuse. It's not what they sign up for. They're there to do they're job and that's it.
I've lost count of the amount of matches I've been to in Wicklow and Kildare where fights have broke out. At this stage, it's pretty much inevitable that theres going to be some sort of spat, whether it be a bunch of players ganging up on eachother or anuse towards a referee. It's such a pity because it really takes away from the game, and the GAA has such a great reputation for a fantastic sport.
O'Mahoneys referees report will be filed with complaints but I think a stance should be taken on this issue for good. The campaign of 'Give Respect, Get Respect' was introduced to fight abuse against referees but clearly something more has to be done to tackle discipline in the GAA.
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