The spokesman for the National Referees Committee (NRC), Father Seamus Gardiner, has clarified a couple of matters arising from last weekend's action. At the NRC's meeting this week, Padraig Duffy, who chairs the GAA's Games Administration Committee (GAC), made it clear that a referee's decision in relation to indiscipline on the field would not be overturned.
This clarification arose in relation to incidents involving the goalkeepers in Thurles and Croke Park. Cork's Donal Cusack was not cautioned at all after blatantly fouling Tipperary's Paul Shelley, although the foul led to a penalty award by referee Pat Horan. Dublin's David Byrne received a yellow card after rushing out of goal to join in a fracas. Despite a ruling that the "third man in" would be singled out for severe reprimand, the GAC will not intervene to overrule referee Seamus Prior.
"There were queries about the application of the third-man-in rule," according to Father Gardiner. "It was stated that the matter was to be dealt with by the referee. If match officials don't notice the incident, it can be reviewed using video evidence, or if the referee decides to give the player a red card, that would obviously be reviewed. But in the case of a yellow card or a caution, the GAC won't intervene."
Father Gardiner also defended Galway referee Michael Curley, who was involved in a contretemps with Cork football manager Larry Tompkins. During the second half, Curley asked Cork captain Philip Clifford to request Tompkins to retreat to the dugout. He was criticised for not handling the incident himself and giving the Cork manager a red card if appropriate. "It had been decided the week before that referees would restrict the use of red and yellow cards to players and not show them to team officials," he said.
It was also announced that Curley would take charge of the Ulster final between Derry and Armagh at Clones on Sunday week. John Bannon of Longford has been appointed to the Munster final between Kerry and Clare in Limerick on the same day. Armagh's Brendan Gorman will referee the Leinster replay between Kildare and Offaly, also on that weekend.
Gorman was the original appointment for last month's CorkKerry Munster semi-final in Killarney, but a severe back problem meant he was replaced by Michael Curley.
Leitrim footballer Colin Regan is expected to know today if he will be called before the GAC for further investigation into his off-the-ball strike of Roscommon's Francie Grehan in last Sunday's Connacht semi-final.
The video evidence was reviewed at the GAC meeting in Croke Park last night. If further action is to be taken, Regan will be summoned to their meeting next week.
