Another umpire error in a final

For the second successive week there has been an embarrassing umpiring error in a closely contested provincial club final. TG4's Árd San Aer highlights programme last night indicated that the Waterford club Stradbally had a good point disallowed in the first half of the Munster final against Clare's Kilmurry-Ibrickane.

Only a week previously James Stephens won the Leinster hurling final by a point from UCD despite at least one point of their winning total having gone wide.

Sunday's television pictures show that a shot from Stradbally's Niall Curran in the 20th minute of the final at Thurles, which was waved wide, actually went over. The Waterford club went on to mount a second-half comeback that brought them to the verge of victory before Clare champions Kilmurry-Ibrickane equalised.

Unfortunately for Stradbally there is little recompense available. GAA rules do not allow for individual scores to be reviewed even on video evidence but it is a source of irritation to the authorities that high-profile mistakes continue to be made.

The replay will be next Sunday at 1.30 in Kilmallock.

Meanwhile, Dublin chief executive John Costello has hit out at the treatment of the county's recent football managers by followers. In his annual report to next week's county convention Costello says that the abusive behaviour may affect the willingness of people to take up coaching positions. "We all have our opinions on players, teams and games but it reaches unacceptable levels when a team manager is abused by supporters, albeit by a small minority.

"Dublin's last three football managers, Tommy Lyons, Tommy Carr and Mickey Whelan, all had to endure ridiculous levels of criticisms, in some cases from people who should have known a lot better.

"It's a dangerous trend. Apart altogether from the fact that nobody should be subjected to abuse and insults after giving so much of their lives in pursuit of what's good for Dublin football, it can act as a disincentive to talented people to put their neck on the block and take up management positions."

Among the motions being considered at next week's convention are a number on modifying Rule 42, the provision used to prevent soccer and rugby being played at Croke Park. There is also a motion from the Civil Service club to delete Rule 5, which was used to prevent a debate on Rule 42 at last April's congress.

Meanwhile, Cork county secretary Frank Murphy has criticised the handling of the suspensions handed to two of the county's minor footballers after a fracas broke out before extra-time was due to be played in the All-Ireland quarter-final against Laois last July.

"Unexpected flare-ups as the teams were leaving the field led the referee to dispense with the additional time. The disciplinary proceedings, which followed left a lot to be desired." Laois, who won the replay, also had to play without suspended players.

The county convention will debate a motion to ask next year's GAA Congress to allocate 55 per cent of the tickets for All-Ireland finals to competing counties on the basis of the number of clubs in either county.