MARC Ó SÉ believes Ronan McNamee’s red card against Cavan in last weekend’s Ulster SFC quarter-final should be rescinded ahead of Tyrone’s showdown with Donegal this weekend.
McNamee was sent off near the end of Tyrone’s eight-point win after an altercation with Cavan’s Conor Brady.
The 2019 All-Star is set to appear before the GAA’s Central Hearings Committee tonight in a bid to be freed to play in the semi-final at Brewster Park on Sunday.
Speaking on this week’s episode of The42 GAA Weekly, Kerry legend Ó Sé felt the incident only warranted a yellow card.
“I didn’t see what happened before it, I only saw where he put his hand put and pushed yer man’s face. To me it’s not a red card, it’s not. It’s a yellow card, but not a red. In today’s day and age when you’ve got four umpires, two linesmen and a referee – okay fair enough the referee didn’t see it because it was right behind him.
“By pushing yer man he nearly headbutted the red. I’d like to see what happened before it. It’s kind of aggressive handbag stuff.
“I’d love to know what happened before that incident the McNamee got so aggressive. In certain situations players get aggressive because referees miss things and they don’t take action.
“Maybe McNamee saw something happening there that he wasn’t too happy with. All of a sudden the dark cloud comes down and he’s off the field. They’re going to appeal it, I’d imagine he’ll be getting off for that.
“It doesn’t merit a red card. I was often told if you’re going to get a red card make sure you earn it. I don’t think he earned that one anyway.”
Ó Sé also felt that Michael Murphy was’t given enough protection by the referee when he entered the fray in the second period of Donegal’s win over Derry.
“If you were to contrast that with the Michael Murphy situation when he comes off the bench, to me that’s cynical. I would put that in the same bracket as Maurice Fitzgerald coming off the bench in 2001 in Thurles.
“He came off the bench and all of a sudden there’s four or five fellas going up shouldering him. introducing him onto the field. A referee needs to take control there. Michael Murphy came on the field, one fella gave him a shoulder, another fella caught him around the neck.
“If you’re going to try and get rid of anything, you get rid of that type play. Obviously Derry had played that one cynical, saying when Murphy comes in what are we going to do?”
