Fintan O'Toole
Reports from SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh
LAST SATURDAY NIGHT in Salthill, Ben O’Connor aired his views with the direction hurling was going in. He was not pleased.
Tonight after watching his team win on home soil against Tipperary, the Cork manager doubled down.
The sight of Shane Barrett and Jason Forde being picked out for red cards was an example of O’Connor’s frustrations with decision making and the instructions referees are receiving.
“We’d two fellas sent off outside, we’re after seeing it below on the screen. Two of them below are pulling jerseys, and we’ve two fellas that are training for the last six months, and that’s the way they’re treated.
“I am unhappy with the two of them, the Tipp fella as well. He is training as long as Shane Barrett is. He gets a red there, and he could get a couple of games for that. Two red cards, God help us.
“The referee told them that they continued the fight. That’s what he told Shane Barrett. Contributing to keeping the melee going. That’s what he said. So he blew it up two minutes early as well, in case things got out of hand.
“I’m not blaming Liam Gordon for anything. I’m blaming the GAA officials. I’m not here going fighting against the GAA or any of them, but I’m looking for the game to be played the way it should be played, and that’s just let the boys at it. If there’s a dirty belt, let them at it.”
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Cork manager Ben O'Connor. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
O’Connor believes referees are coming under too much pressure from the way they are assessed.
“The referee inside, a fella above sitting in the stand, and he telling the referee, you didn’t do that, you didn’t do that. Ticking boxes, that’s what it is, ticking boxes, and we’re refereeing games by numbers now, that’s what it is. And the referee is so worried about, I won’t get a game again for the rest of the year, I have to tick the boxes.
“The best Munster final in memory for the last few years was Clare and Limerick, John Keenan reffed it, wasn’t it? So John Keenan obviously didn’t do what he was supposed to do that day. Everyone said after what a great day out John Keenan had, brilliant match, brilliantly refereed, and he got no more matches after that.”
The Cork boss also returned to a topic he had raised after last week’s game against Galway and sought to explain his views further.
“Last week, my words got twisted and turned. I was speaking to ye above in Galway after the match and RTÉ had something on, I wasn’t even watching it, something above in Dublin on Sunday night about one of our players. My comments were twisted and turned.
“What I’m on about is, and when I say soccer, red card, yellow card, technical areas, you can’t go onto the field, can’t get a message in. So where are we getting all this from? We’re getting it from soccer. That’s where it’s all after coming from. No fella gets a belt.
Liam Gordon refereeing during last night's game. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
“A Fitzgibbon Cup match, I was watching it the other night, a University of Galway fella ran out, there was a UL fella in front of him, he went up to bat the ball. He got the ball and tapped your man on the back of the head, yellow card. Is that a yellow card? That’s what our helmets are for. How many years ago were we playing without helmets?
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“There’s no fella giving a fella a slap down on the head for no reason with a hurley. I said it outside there. We’re playing the fastest field game in the world. So if I’m going 100 miles an hour that way and there’s a fella turning and twisting and I put my hurley out and it gives him a tap, I didn’t mean to do that. We’re getting a yellow card for that.
“I’m sure you saw the clip during the week. Did you see that? It’s going around on social media, Adam English against Tony Kelly. That’s a free. That isn’t even a yellow card. That’s a change of movement, you’ve got a tap of the hurley on the head. That’s what I’m on about.
“They’re trying to cleanse the game. And when I say cleanse the game, something like that is just something stupid, a little tap like that.”
O’Connor also believes free-takers are permitted too much time before taking their shots.
“You go home and watch the stats of the game, how long was the ball in play tonight? For 75, 76 minutes, how long was the ball in play.
“There should be a limit on it, yeah. Definitely. Without doubt. From the time the referee’s whistle is blown, there should be a limit. In club and county games, a team is up a point and time up, and they get a free, the fella from the farthest down corner, he is walking on out, and he is let take it, slowing down the game.
“There should be a time limit on all those things. There are improvements that could be done to our game, not watching for a fella pulling and tearing at jerseys.”
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Ben O'Connor: 'Two red cards, God help us. I am unhappy with the two of them.'
LAST SATURDAY NIGHT in Salthill, Ben O’Connor aired his views with the direction hurling was going in. He was not pleased.
Tonight after watching his team win on home soil against Tipperary, the Cork manager doubled down.
The sight of Shane Barrett and Jason Forde being picked out for red cards was an example of O’Connor’s frustrations with decision making and the instructions referees are receiving.
“We’d two fellas sent off outside, we’re after seeing it below on the screen. Two of them below are pulling jerseys, and we’ve two fellas that are training for the last six months, and that’s the way they’re treated.
“I am unhappy with the two of them, the Tipp fella as well. He is training as long as Shane Barrett is. He gets a red there, and he could get a couple of games for that. Two red cards, God help us.
“The referee told them that they continued the fight. That’s what he told Shane Barrett. Contributing to keeping the melee going. That’s what he said. So he blew it up two minutes early as well, in case things got out of hand.
“I’m not blaming Liam Gordon for anything. I’m blaming the GAA officials. I’m not here going fighting against the GAA or any of them, but I’m looking for the game to be played the way it should be played, and that’s just let the boys at it. If there’s a dirty belt, let them at it.”
O’Connor believes referees are coming under too much pressure from the way they are assessed.
“The referee inside, a fella above sitting in the stand, and he telling the referee, you didn’t do that, you didn’t do that. Ticking boxes, that’s what it is, ticking boxes, and we’re refereeing games by numbers now, that’s what it is. And the referee is so worried about, I won’t get a game again for the rest of the year, I have to tick the boxes.
“The best Munster final in memory for the last few years was Clare and Limerick, John Keenan reffed it, wasn’t it? So John Keenan obviously didn’t do what he was supposed to do that day. Everyone said after what a great day out John Keenan had, brilliant match, brilliantly refereed, and he got no more matches after that.”
The Cork boss also returned to a topic he had raised after last week’s game against Galway and sought to explain his views further.
“Last week, my words got twisted and turned. I was speaking to ye above in Galway after the match and RTÉ had something on, I wasn’t even watching it, something above in Dublin on Sunday night about one of our players. My comments were twisted and turned.
“What I’m on about is, and when I say soccer, red card, yellow card, technical areas, you can’t go onto the field, can’t get a message in. So where are we getting all this from? We’re getting it from soccer. That’s where it’s all after coming from. No fella gets a belt.
“A Fitzgibbon Cup match, I was watching it the other night, a University of Galway fella ran out, there was a UL fella in front of him, he went up to bat the ball. He got the ball and tapped your man on the back of the head, yellow card. Is that a yellow card? That’s what our helmets are for. How many years ago were we playing without helmets?
“There’s no fella giving a fella a slap down on the head for no reason with a hurley. I said it outside there. We’re playing the fastest field game in the world. So if I’m going 100 miles an hour that way and there’s a fella turning and twisting and I put my hurley out and it gives him a tap, I didn’t mean to do that. We’re getting a yellow card for that.
“I’m sure you saw the clip during the week. Did you see that? It’s going around on social media, Adam English against Tony Kelly. That’s a free. That isn’t even a yellow card. That’s a change of movement, you’ve got a tap of the hurley on the head. That’s what I’m on about.
“They’re trying to cleanse the game. And when I say cleanse the game, something like that is just something stupid, a little tap like that.”
O’Connor also believes free-takers are permitted too much time before taking their shots.
“You go home and watch the stats of the game, how long was the ball in play tonight? For 75, 76 minutes, how long was the ball in play.
“There should be a limit on it, yeah. Definitely. Without doubt. From the time the referee’s whistle is blown, there should be a limit. In club and county games, a team is up a point and time up, and they get a free, the fella from the farthest down corner, he is walking on out, and he is let take it, slowing down the game.
“There should be a time limit on all those things. There are improvements that could be done to our game, not watching for a fella pulling and tearing at jerseys.”
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