Interview/Referee Pat McEnaney: Even the most passive GAA observer must wonder what motivates the man in the middle. What is so satisfying about constant abuse from disgruntled supporters and frustrated players? For Pat McEnaney, a cartilage injury playing soccer in 1985 was the turning point.

Pauric Duffy, a former GAC chairman, was recruiting referees and approached the Monaghan man.

"I thought refereeing might come easily to me," says McEnaney. "I knew the game. I used to think I was quite good at winning frees myself and cheating at a referee. I believe one of the ingredients for a good referee is that you have to be confident in your own ability. Every day I referee an intercounty game, people question decisions I make, so you've got to be a confident fellow to be able to take the hits."

McEnaney, who retired last year from playing football with Corduff Gaels, has in 19 years' refereeing officiated at club, county and intercounty games.

Video evidence is already part and parcel of rugby league games. He watches video analysis at referees' meetings but would not like to see matches stopped to examine incidents on video. He prefers the after-match studio analysis and debate.

He believes controversial incidents "sell papers, sell news and get people talking. The bottom line is that people like controversy.

"People are still talking about the World Cup goal England scored (in 1966 against West Germany). People are still talking about the Maradona 'hand of God'.

"There is no need for conversation after a rugby league match because there is nothing really to discuss. I think if we take that (controversy) out, we won't have people talking anymore.

"As a referee I don't like it but as spectators . . . I was even watching the old games and there were some great punch-ups. I was enthralled by it all," he adds, laughing.

In 1996 McEnaney refereed the McRory Cup and Ulster finals. There were mêlées in both games. After the brawl during the 1996 All-Ireland final, he dismissed Mayo's Liam McHale and Meath's Colm Coyle. People said he would never referee another final.

But as he said on RTÉ's Blowing the Whistle programme a few years later, football was soon put into perspective. His father died.

"The hurt and abuse I got in 1996 wasn't forgotten about but it (the bereavement) made me realise that there's a lot more important things here than football.

"But I had to change my style of refereeing, become a little tighter and a bit more ruthless. After that I set out my stall as to where I was going, and my ambition after all that was to prove people wrong and referee another All-Ireland final."

Which he did, taking charge of the 2000 All-Ireland final. Yet if a player mentions to him a past booking or sending-off, he often won't remember. Nor will he allow a difference of opinion over a game to sour a relationship. "Tommy Lyons made a comment last year after I refereed Dublin and Armagh that I had a poor day at the office. But that doesn't stop myself and Tommy Lyons having a chat.

"The only thing that bothers me when I am refereeing is the 30 players inside the white line. Paddy Collins said to me once, and it's stuck with me, 'Never confrontate a game that is already confrontated.'

Club football gives McEnaney more problems with indiscipline than those on the intercounty scene although he says there have been too many controversial incidents in the hurling and football championships this year.

There is room for improvement, he says, "let that be managers being wrong, let that be players being wrong - and also if I may put on record, referees being wrong. I think all three of us and also the committees that be, I think we've all made mistakes this year."

Some of the problems, he says, are down to journalists. Pointed questions are asked about referees, and that gives managers the opportunity to "have a crack" at them.

The Westmeath and Fermanagh breakthroughs aside, he believes this year's championship has been poor. He likes the way Fermanagh "express themselves. That's how Fermanagh play. Their manager Charlie Mulgrew looked like a lad who always enjoyed his football when he was playing."

At 42, McEnaney plans to have a crack at the big stage for another two years before going into coaching. If his appetite for refereeing diminishes within the next two years, his replacements have a big gap to fill.