Cork delegate says investment needed to improve refereeing after All-Ireland hurling final
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A Cork club delegate left furious over Johnny Murphy’s officiating of this year’s All-Ireland hurling final says greater investment is required from Croke Park to raise the standard of inter-county refereeing.
Youghal delegate Liam Ó Laochdha told Tuesday’s Cork convention that it took him up to two months to get over the anger he felt arising from certain refereeing decisions during Cork’s one-point All-Ireland final extra-time defeat to Clare.
While Ó Laochdha did not mention Limerick referee Murphy by name, he described as “awful” some of the calls that went against Cork that afternoon.
The game’s most controversial refereeing moments included the missed tug of Robbie O’Flynn’s jersey, by Clare corner-back Conor Leen, as the former shot for an equaliser at the end of extra-time; David McInerney not being sanctioned for dragging down O’Flynn as the clock headed towards the 70-minute mark, and Seamus Harnedy’s goal chance that came off a Clare back but for which no 65 was awarded.
“We have had some awful, awful refereeing decisions against us over the past number of years, and in particular, this year's All-Ireland,” said Ó Laochdha.
“It took me a month, six weeks, two months to get over the anger that I had after that particular display in the All-Ireland final. So I would say, we must raise the standard of refereeing at inter-county.
“The players and the competitions have moved on. And every support has been given to them [the players], but I don't think the referees are getting the support that they need.
“We have to work harder to get referees of competence and to make sure that the officials that work with them, work with them and help them out, and that includes the sideline officials, the fourth official, and the umpires.
“So I think we have to go up the road, up to Páirc an Chrócaigh, and make sure there is money invested and that we get a better standard that the players deserve.”
Elsewhere, outgoing Cork GAA referees chief Niall Barrett says penalties will have to be introduced if more of Cork’s bigger clubs don’t start supplying referees.
The former inter-county referee said every club in Cork should have a referee of equal quality to their flagship team.
“Going forward, we have a problem in that a huge amount of clubs in the county are not providing referees. People are telling us, we can't get referees. I never accept the word no. They are making no effort to do it because it is the bottom of their agenda,” Barrett insisted.
“Just look at the referees who are refereeing most of our county finals, a lot of them come from small clubs. They are providing two or three referees, some are providing four or five. Others are not. And these are huge clubs. They have four or five adult teams. Every club should have a referee of the quality of the first team from their club.
“Penalties will have come into being.”
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