Reprieve for St. Mary's - EDIT - All Referees now on strike

[Lone Shark]

But how does it become hearsay and common knowledge that a certain person did it? Somebody must have seen it, and if they were at the game and in the vicinity, chances are they are affiliated with one of the two clubs. I'm not saying that everybody saw it, but in order for it to be common knowledge, somebody out there must be able to say with complete certainty that person X was the guy who hit Mick Mahon. Either that or it's just some collective consciousness with no real basis in fact.

You can't square that circle, anyway you put it - and I don't mean to imply that you're trying to, now that I re-read that last line!!

[Barracuda]

Interesting reading indeed. I am now going to throw a spanner into the works.
There is of course another side to this story as there is to nearly every story.

Let me state clearly that striking the ref is not allowed and should not be tolerated and punishment should be handed out.

Having said that considering the seriousness of the whole matter there should have been an independent investagation and that means reading but not necessarly believing the refs report. I suggest thatthat while the guy was wrong to strike none the less there most of been something major wrong with how the game was handled by the ref. I understand that indeed the ref was way out of line and did more than just contribute to the outcome but in fact influenced the game a big way- this can be confimred by not just the losing team but more importantly by many of the winning team and it supporters.

What Im saying is that not just the individual who did the striking and not just Shrinoe but also the ref should be called to heel and asked defend their actions, and punishment dished out to all 3 if appropriate.
The ultimate cause of this was extremly poor refeering and poor decision making by the ref and this ahould also not go unpunished.

[Over The Black Spot]

But how does it become hearsay and common knowledge that a certain person did it? Somebody must have seen it, and if they were at the game and in the vicinity, chances are they are affiliated with one of the two clubs. I'm not saying that everybody saw it, but in order for it to be common knowledge, somebody out there must be able to say with complete certainty that person X was the guy who hit Mick Mahon. Either that or it's just some collective consciousness with no real basis in fact.

You can't square that circle, anyway you put it - and I don't mean to imply that you're trying to, now that I re-read that last line!!

It's common knowledge around the village of Shinrone & most of South Offaly for that matter. From the clubs position however, they have no basis for naming him as the man obviously hasn't admitted to it so they're only acting on heresay if it wasn't a club member that witnessed it (you'd be surprised how many are not club members so it's quite possible). The story of who did it obviously originated from someone who saw the incident but it's been so long now & the story has done so many rounds, that it's probably forgotten where the story originated (except by the person who saw it but they're obviously keeping stum aswell). If that's not confusing I don't know what is!!

I've made my position clear regading what should happen if the club know the mans identity so I won't state it again.

[rocket57]

Glad to see the referees stand up to this they dont deserve to be treated with disrespect they are doing a good job in difficult cercumstances the clubs are not man enough to tell on the person who done it he should be banned for life and untill they name him both clubs should be banned from all games
Ihave nothing to do with referees god knows how i have given out them before but they are doing their best go on refs stand up to them the game will be better for it

[Bord na Mona man]

I can't say I blame the refs.
Sadly there we have a culture within the GAA where groups don't want to "grass" a culprit.
If the club officials exposed the individual, they'd probably be perceived by many as not sticking up for their own.

Unfortunately its a GAA cultural thing. There is an expectation to bat for you own club men no matter how ridiculous the offence. In the club I play for in Dublin there was an incident years ago where a player took the field with drink on him and broke an opponents jaw with a punch. In the subsequent legal procedings, club members that didn't come forward to back him up (tell fibs on his behalf) were viewed a pariahs and it caused much division in the club.

Doing the right thing often takes the courage to be unpopular. Unfortunately the coward's way out is being taken here.

[Bord na Mona man]

Sign post in Shinrone:

[OY_]

This couldn't be condoned no matter how dire the referee's handling of the game was, but can or should a club really be held responsible for the actions of a lunatic supporter? Under what rule are clubs held responsible for these actions? This guy wasn't a club official or team mentor, but came down out of the stand and according to the referee was identified as wearing a Shinrone top. While it's probably true to say that his identity is known to St. Marys, it was very shaky grounds to ban the team. What if I were to don a Tullamore top and clock a referee during a Tullamore/Shamrocks game, could I get Tullamore thrown out of the championship?

[Bord na Mona man]

This couldn't be condoned no matter how dire the referee's handling of the game was, but can or should a club really be held responsible for the actions of a lunatic supporter? Under what rule are clubs held responsible for these actions? This guy wasn't a club official or team mentor, but came down out of the stand and according to the referee was identified as wearing a Shinrone top. While it's probably true to say that his identity is known to St. Marys, it was very shaky grounds to ban the team. What if I were to don a Tullamore top and clock a referee during a Tullamore/Shamrocks game, could I get Tullamore thrown out of the championship?

All the more reason why they should identify the man involved.
If he is of no strong connection to the club, then why should they worry about protecting him?

[Muck Savage]

This couldn't be condoned no matter how dire the referee's handling of the game was, but can or should a club really be held responsible for the actions of a lunatic supporter? Under what rule are clubs held responsible for these actions? This guy wasn't a club official or team mentor, but came down out of the stand and according to the referee was identified as wearing a Shinrone top. While it's probably true to say that his identity is known to St. Marys, it was very shaky grounds to ban the team. What if I were to don a Tullamore top and clock a referee during a Tullamore/Shamrocks game, could I get Tullamore thrown out of the championship?

That's a crap way of looking at it. Give me one reason why any Ref should go out and Ref a game if there is no respect for them from the teams involve. These guys have to get up and head to work like the rest of us the next morning, have families etc. That type of excuse that he's not a club official or mentor is the very shield that the cowards hid behind. Was the man a club member? Well then the club have to take responsibility. Do we have to turn our grounds into places similar to Soccer grounds with cameras to look out for "lunatic supporters"?
Protecting someone like this is condoning it. Mahon could obviously take out a private suit against the man/club/club ground the game was played in/GAA but he has a little bit of pride in the whole thing.
The man himself is obviusly nothing more than a coward, hiding behind a club that is showing some level of stupid loyalty for some strange reason. It's the usual "I was there but I didn't see what hapened" playground muck. It's time to grow up and realize that we're in a civilized society where you can't go around hitting people because of a "game" and an amature one at that!

[ballymanabroad]

I'm fully behind the referees in ther current stance but I would ask that now they have shown that they can cause games throughout the county to be postponed when they unite in support of their collegue, would they agree to referee games that do not involve any of the clubs involved in that game? At least the rest of us wouldn't suffer. I don't think it would take long for the club responsible to 'name and shame' when all around them their rivals are playing competitive games.

If nothing else this episode has put 'respecting the referee' back at the forefront of player's and non-playing supporter's minds. Hopefully that will follow through for this season and beyond.

[TheManFromFerbane]

Just a point on this. Is anyone else a bit disappointed about how little attention this is getting in the national media? We had to listen to them talking about it every day when the CORK SENIONR INTER COUNTY PLAYERS were on strike but now when no OFFALY CLUB PLAYERS IN EVERY GRADE can't play there isn't a whisper about it. I'm based down in Kilkenny and I bring the subject up with lots of different people and nobody knows about it.

I think its a bit of a joke to be honest and just shows the bias towards the intercounty element of the GAA and also the bias of the national media to the two cities in the country.

P.S. I fully support the referee's in their actions.

[the bare biffo]

It's not affecting the elite section of the association, so it really isn't that important.... is it.

[Kevin]

I'm fully behind the referees in ther current stance but I would ask that now they have shown that they can cause games throughout the county to be postponed when they unite in support of their collegue, would they agree to referee games that do not involve any of the clubs involved in that game? At least the rest of us wouldn't suffer. I don't think it would take long for the club responsible to 'name and shame' when all around them their rivals are playing competitive games.

If nothing else this episode has put 'respecting the referee' back at the forefront of player's and non-playing supporter's minds. Hopefully that will follow through for this season and beyond.

Agree that the situation is unfair, but if the referees can't be assured protection the games should not be played at all. The referees have leverage now. They must use it to get what they feel they require to resume. This is all fair game. Should they decide to hold out until the individual in question comes forward, they have put the ball in his court. Should the individual not come forward, then the spotlight turns to the club. Who will ultimately decide that they are accountable for what happened?

IMO should the referees continue to hold out, this decision should be met with no scrutiny whatsoever.

[Lone Shark]

Excellent point by MFF above.

No doubt the national media reckons that this is some little skirmish between insignificant referees and officials, rather than big names like Dónal Óg Cusack, Frank Murphy and Seán Óg Ó hAilpín. Certainly I for one was getting very annoyed when people were commenting on the Cork strike and prefacing their remarks with sentences like "Cork is a very proud GAA county...." and that sort of garbage - as if they wouldn't have bothered if it was Leitrim or Carlow, who would be just as proub but just dont have 400,000 people to pick from.

However there is a double edge to this. Much like in real life, pride matters even though it shouldn't. Somebody cheats on their partner in a far away nightclub where no-one ever finds out about it, and it's a lot easier to forgive than if it's done in full view of everyone. So it is with this - while it is a bit of an insult that we're not worthy of the same level of coverage, it's probably better in terms of getting it resolved - the eye of the nation made it all the more difficult for the Cork lads to compromise I thought.

[Offalys Future]

If the refs are on strike how come Brian Gavin reffed a practice match between Dublin and Offaly last weekend?