I canāt wait to read a story where the ref fights back.
All concerned lost the head there.
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A referee was assaulted in Laois not so long ago and I believe the aggressor accused the referee of firing a headbutt at him. Its funny, he actually thought the referee was in the wrong for doing so, despite him being in the middle of the field horsing abuse into the referee. Anyway, no headbutt was proven, video evidence was inconclusive, and my man got himself 48 weeks if Iām not mistaken.
ffs, youāll get head the balls now wanting to be refs just to get a go off someone.
Shur what harm
For those giving out about refs or justifying misconduct against bad referees I wonder has the thought ever occured to organisations like the GAA/LGFA/CA and FAI that if there was proper consequences for the clubs as a whole of these perpetrators that a better standard of referee may be attracted into the game?
Certain clubs have reputations and are noted for agro all around the country.
I understand in Camogie (I am unsure about the other gaelic codes)if a mentor abuses a referee the club is fined. Trouble is camogie clubs have no money and the perpetrator pays it. All is forgotten and ok for a while but the issue can crop up again. A club as a whole should be held responsible for its membership. If a mentor or otherwise from a club is involved in violent conduct then that club should be automatically suspended from the competition. Make it a disciplinary matter for the club and have them expel the guilty party.
Other clubs then take note and there is a knock on positive affect on the games.
Just a thought.
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Kick the club out. Every team every grade. Wouldānt be long solving it.
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The perpetrator of any violent act should be judged by the Law.
That would sort all this unnecessary shit out. End
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Yes of course CH but like when has that ever happened and how about the heads of these organisations just go and take a lead on it.
Sure Glen
THE mentor accused of assaulting a referee in the immediate aftermath of a junior football match in Wexford has apologised for his actions, stating āmy emotions got the better of meā.
Glen McManus of St Josephās GAA club was involved in an altercation with referee Michael Lannigan and his umpire at the final whistle which saw his side slump to a narrow one point loss to Our Ladyās Island.
He has now been āindefinitely suspendedā by his club and Wexford gardaĆ confirmed that they are carrying out inquiries, while Wexford GAA are to carry out an investigation of their own as soon as the refereeās report is filed.
āIt was a very tight game and emotions got the better of me,ā Mr McManus said in the wake of national media condemnation. āI was totally in the wrong, I understand that. Iām sorry it happened and I mean that. Iām raging with myself and Iām raging that I wonāt be involved in our relegation final now.ā
The St Josephās clubman, however, also feels that the incident has been greatly exaggerated and blown out of proportion.
"Iām hearing all kinds of things,ā he said. āThat I elbowed the man, that I headbutted him, that I punched him. The truth is that I pushed the man and he fell over. As far as I could see there was no damage done to him. Then the umpire, who is his cousin, came at me and I pushed him to the ground too.ā
Despite this, gardaĆ confirmed that the referee later presented himself at Wexford General Hospital where he received treatment.
"As far as I could see, he wasnāt harmed,ā Mr McManus continued. āMaybe the GAA are looking to make an example of this, I donāt know. I went over to the ref at the final whistle and I was just going to say something along the lines of āthanks for robbing us againā. We had three black cards in the game and it was really tight. But I lost the head and I pushed him and Iām sorry for that.
"I know in my heart of hearts that I only pushed him over though. I didnāt throw a punch or elbow him, honest to God. I put my hands up and I admit I was in the wrong, but I did not strike that man.
"Still though, it shouldnāt have happened. There were kids at that game. Iām not just raging about missing out on the relegation game, but about making a bad name for the club and for myself. Iāve got my own business and everything to think of too.
"I just hope that the referee can be honest and state what really happened.ā
Wexford GardaĆ confirmed that inquiries were being carried out in relation to the incident and itās anticipated that the ref will file an official statement in the coming days. At this point, gardaĆ are likely to compile a book of evidence to present to the Director of Public Prosecutions, as is protocol for assaults at sporting events. While eyewitness reports would play a big part, itās understood gardaĆ are looking at the possibility of some CCTV footage being available.
Meanwhile, Wexford GAA await the refereeās match report before carrying out their own investigation, but itās likely that a lengthy ban will be imposed.
The referee, Mr Lannigan, was contacted for comment, but said that he was not in a position to discuss the matter at this stage in his recovery.
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He looks like a thug anyway.
Unfortunate choice of words. Control the aul rage there Glen.
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The fact the team hasnt been thrown out and just handed relegation is surprising me. They are down to play on Friday evening in their relegation final.
Always a tricky one, do you blame the team/club for the mentor. I guess you should, but its not always as clearcut.
I respect Wexford for what theyāre doing in the aftermath, am I right in saying a fella has also been suspended for abusing a referee on twitter?
The GAA needs a no tolerance approach to this. Its easy to say āoh we love to see these thingsā. but thats horseshit and in truth many in the association have left that shite behind. Any club who gets involved in this should be investigated thoroughly. Vetting, coaching qualifications, structures, etc. Absolutely go through them with a fine tooth comb. Make it so the Club wont even consider having to go through such a thing again.
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Suspended indefinitely until the hue and cry has died down.
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Heās raging quite a lot 
Seems contrite. Let him back for relegation dogfight.
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