O'leary cleared to play in final

Benedict XVI

From the Indo

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/oleary-beats-video-rap-as-ref-crowe-holds-firm-1063436.html

What was this ref thinking ?, fair enough he may not have had all the fact at the time to give a red but surely in the video it is clear that O'Leary hits Geraghty, so why is the ref saying that a yellow was still sufficient punishment for a strike ?.

premierstone

Perhaps someone had a word in his ear that it would be the easiest thing - or am i been a bit too cynical?

The Rooster

Never thought the ref would say he made the right decision, after viewing the video evidence.

An off-the-ball strike caught plum by the cameras! I suppose it wasnt particulalry hard and it didnt cause any harm, but still....

blackbelt

Be that as it may,the ref actually didn't see it with his two eyes and thats the technicality O Leary can get off on.Jayo got a fair whack in the face against Tyrone in 05 replay and there was no sending off.

I think the system should be in place like rugby and use video evidence to make a value judgement.Mr Geraghty can hardly complain though,to do so would be hypocrisy at its worst although I don't condone such behaviour.

One Cold Hand

Surely they can put a system in place where the ref initial decision can be over-ruled by a retrospective review of video evidence? The ref can't be expected to see everything that happens so this would be no reflection on his abilities...

premierstone

blackbelt wrote:

Be that as it may,the ref actually didn't see it with his two eyes and thats the technicality O Leary can get off on.Jayo got a fair whack in the face against Tyrone in 05 replay and there was no sending off.

I think the system should be in place like rugby and use video evidence to make a value judgement.Mr Geraghty can hardly complain though,to do so would be hypocrisy at its worst although I don't condone such behaviour.

BB dont turn this into another Geraghty thread please infact if anything geraghtys behaviour on sunday was exemplary and an example to all he was targeted on more than one ocassion but never once retaliated or complained and took it like a man and was clearly seen at the final whisle congratulating cork players. The fact is O'Leary should not be playin in the final it was as clear a red card as you could imagine and then there was his kick against paul gavin in the munster final - he'll get his just rewards some day:p

HankScorpio

I think the system should be in place like rugby and use video evidence to make a value judgement.Mr Geraghty can hardly complain though,to do so would be hypocrisy at its worst although I don't condone such behaviour.[/QUOTE]

The system is in place at the moment. The CCCC reviews the incident, the ref gets a chance to view it again & is then given the opportunity to change.
It's an absolute disgrace that despite(for once) the camera caught the punch in clear view, that the ref has bottled the decision. He got a ban after kicking Galvin against Kerry, so why does he get away with punching Geraghty.
Can you imagine that it was the other way around & Geraghty was the one who struck him. Front page of every paper.....Joe Duffy having a field day with Geraghty bashers phoning in. Now that's hypocrisy.

yop

Pure joke, so u can punch a player now off the ball and get away with it, the committee bottled it.
Geraghty is no angel but you cannot punch a player.

bv253

.........its about time somebody gave Geraghty what he deserves. As said above he can have no complaints. What goes around comes around. Geraghty got away with a double assault in the Dublin game and the rest over the years. I suppose he can be consoled by the thousands who voted for him in the election, him being such a legend. Oh wait, how many voted for him.......

Benedict XVI

Is this a cases of the ref being as thick as bottled pig s**t

Is he trying to convey the message of all and sundry that…

‘I’m the ref , it was my game, I’m in charge, and no committee will use video evidence and show me up as making a mistake’

That is the only way I can read it, he saw the video and ignored it.

The committee should have the ability to go over the head of the ref, i.e. make a decision without having to go back to the ref to ask him if he is going to change his decision.

blackbelt

I wholeheartedly agree that Geraghty was examplary and did well to keep his cool but unfortunately for GG he has done the same as O Leary did three times in one match and got away with it.If he was shown complaining,it would be the most hypocritical thing a player could do.I actually thought GG took it really well as he was shown smirking at O Leary after he got up.

I'm not trying to turn it into a Geraghty thread because one of the parties concerned is GG so I can't be blamed.I'm just stating a fact.There was no malice and I said that behaviour is inexcusable.

The reality is that GG should have been banned in June as O Leary should for the final.

Imposter

Such a decision should not be left to the ref. No matter what he does he's the villian.

In saying that though allowing video evidence to be used after the fact is dangerous. it needs to be clear that this is only for disciplinary issues but the bigger problem is applying it evenhandedly.

PinkSniff

bv253 wrote:

.........its about time somebody gave Geraghty what he deserves. As said above he can have no complaints. What goes around comes around. Geraghty got away with a double assault in the Dublin game and the rest over the years. I suppose he can be consoled by the thousands who voted for him in the election, him being such a legend. Oh wait, how many voted for him.......

Oh my goodness......bv253, what are you talking about? As a huge Meath fan, I love seeing Geraghty play due to his obvious talent on the field etc BUT I didn't vote for him as his personality does not suit the position of politician so you are getting completely confused.... I still respect him as a footballing legend......Obviously you cannot see the difference between football and politics??????

MementoMori

Is this a cases of the ref being as thick as bottled pig s**t

Is he trying to convey the message of all and sundry that…

‘I’m the ref , it was my game, I’m in charge, and no committee will use video evidence and show me up as making a mistake’

That is the only way I can read it, he saw the video and ignored it.

The committee should have the ability to go over the head of the ref, i.e. make a decision without having to go back to the ref to ask him if he is going to change his decision.

Totally agree. Anyone who watches football matches regularly will know this is totally in keeping in character for Brian Crowe.

IMHO has been the worst high-profile match referee for football matches over the last few years.

Would almost be funny but when I saw he was the ref, pointed it out to my dad, along with the phrase "bloody muppet"

Consistently inconsistent with an arrogant attitude to boot.

Has a tendency to favour the side behind, gives them softer frees than the side ahead, which is utterly ridiculous.

The only possible upside to this is that he will be kept away from bigger matches.

blackbelt

Where are you on this one Lemlin?:)

Brian Crowe is one of the best referees in the country hands down.It is a show of character not to budge or crack under pressure and he stood by his original decision which further underlines the theory that the referees decision is final.He's always seemed fair and has never given any ridiculous decision in my memory of games he's refereed.

However,O Leary did deserve a red card but he didn't and he'll be extra careful in the Final as I believe he'll be a marked man.

premierstone

Brian Crowe had a chance to watch the video of the incident and he still maintains that it was only a yellow card offence so if this is the case is it safe to assume that the next inter-county game that this clown is in charge of every player on the field can punch an opposition player to the ground and escape with a yellow card and that if for some bizzare reason they do receive a red card it will be overturned because Brian Crowe is now on record as sayin that punching someone in the face off the ball is only a yellow card offence???

bv253

PinkSniff wrote:

Oh my goodness......bv253, what are you talking about? As a huge Meath fan, I love seeing Geraghty play due to his obvious talent on the field etc BUT I didn't vote for him as his personality does not suit the position of politician so you are getting completely confused.... I still respect him as a footballing legend......Obviously you cannot see the difference between football and politics??????

obviously Geraghty doesn't know the difference either, as he expected all the GAA fans' votes. Credit to the Meath public for not falling for it. Geraghty, undoubtedly has talent, but in my opinion that is greatly overshadowed by his, many, misdemeanours through the years. Being a great player/professional is more than performing on the pitch. You have conduct yourself off it as well etc. Coyle should have told him to sling his hook months ago. I believe Meath could have done better without him. No team needs a disruptive person in the camp, who thinks they are the team. Roy Keane and Graham Geraghty would make the best of mates

Stoner

it's a joke, I wonder if he was from Carlow would he be cleared to play (no jokes about Carlow please, I'm not from there anyway)

To tell you the truth it seems to me that you can punch a player in the face, happens all the time, if he was banned the GAA would have to face the Cork CB, they would question why a man was banned for hitting a man who should have possibly been banned for the same offense, if GG had been dealt with in the same way as people want to deal with O'Leary then he would not have been on the pitch to get punched, and I'm sure GGs mouth and rep had something to do with the punch in the first place (not that this is a reason to hit him, it's more of a reason to agrue that O'Leary would not treat GG replacement in the same way)

Anyway my ban time for GG playing in the Cork match might not stack up, but I think you guys know what I am saying.

What the guy did was not fair, but it is happening all the time so coming down on him for it alone is unfair too IMO. This thing would prob go to the highcourt anyway if he was banned and all the other video evidence could be used to show that it is the GAA who need to change their attitude first and filter a harder line downwards throughout the organisation.

yayamark

The referre was an idiot

noel o leary is a scumbag twice in one season hes acted like one.

the gaa are a bunch of fools for not setting an example for the younger generation.

if u think back to the aussie rules what was the difference between that and this. The gaa gave out stink about the punching and fighting and then do nothing about this.

Makes me sick to pay so much for the tickets.

cournioni

MementoMori wrote:

Totally agree. Anyone who watches football matches regularly will know this is totally in keeping in character for Brian Crowe.

IMHO has been the worst high-profile match referee for football matches over the last few years.

Would almost be funny but when I saw he was the ref, pointed it out to my dad, along with the phrase "bloody muppet"

Consistently inconsistent with an arrogant attitude to boot.

Has a tendency to favour the side behind, gives them softer frees than the side ahead, which is utterly ridiculous.

The only possible upside to this is that he will be kept away from bigger matches.

I don't know about that. Crowe refereed my local clubs game against our nearest neighbours and biggest rivals Drumgoon in a league match this year and had a great game. He kept the lid on everything and kept the game flowing. I was on the losing side that day but I had to congratulate him on a great game at the end.

Can't say the same for our other intercounty referee McQuillan. He was refereeing our game with our other local rivals Knockbride. He came togged out in his luminous orange International rules kit, prancing around the place like he was Pierluigi Collina or something. He gave some ridiculous frees against us with Peter and Larry Reilly diving around the place. He also failed to keep a lid on all of the niggly stuff going on off the ball and it caused an all out brawl after the final whistle. He didn't report any of it, because of one or two high profile players involved in it. Muppet.

Personally, I think Crowe made the right decision not to suspend O'Leary. As thuggish as it was, Crowe didn't see it in real time as he had another incident to deal with on the far side of the pitch. To give a red card for something that he or the umpires are unsure about in an All Ireland semi final would be daft and something that I personally believe would be wrong. To suspend a player for the All Ireland final on video evidence would be ridiculous, and I believe that Crowe knows it. If he had seen the incident in real time I believe he would have sent him off however.

Graham Geraghty said it himself after the game, these things happen in the game of football. It was an off the ball incident, but it wasn't an attempt to break his jaw or anything serious like that. It was a punch and a weak one at that. Geraghty saw it coming and took it in hope that Crowe would have seen it. He didn't, and Geraghty rightly didn't make a big song and dance about it. Video evidence should be used in certain cases, not for every off the ball incident under the sun. If we start there, where do we stop?

Pride Fighter

blackbelt wrote:

Be that as it may,the ref actually didn't see it with his two eyes and thats the technicality O Leary can get off on.Jayo got a fair whack in the face against Tyrone in 05 replay and there was no sending off.

I think the system should be in place like rugby and use video evidence to make a value judgement.Mr Geraghty can hardly complain though,to do so would be hypocrisy at its worst although I don't condone such behaviour.

True.