Men in white
To be honest, I thought he was OUTSIDE the small rectangle before the ball was played. And the constant replays of the decisive incident at Croke Park on Sunday have proved it.
Definitely outside. Near enough to be inside, it has to be said, and near enough to view what was going on but without a shadow of a doubt outside the small rectangle (note: I was always a disaster at geometry in school but even I can see it’s far from a square).
And he wasn’t the only one outside it. The other umpire at the corresponding upright was also outside it but, like his colleague, could surely see what was going on. And couldn’t, even with a blindfold on, have missed Benny Coulter lurking in front of goal to connect with Martin Clarke’s dropping ball.
Except he did, both white coats somehow combining to fail to spot the Down man where he shouldn’t have been and we immediately reflect back to Meath’s ‘goal’ against Louth which also appeared to have gone unnoticed by the referee or his fellow officials.
Begging the question, not for the first time, what’s the point (an apt term in view of a Kildare score at the other end which wasn’t awarded) of having these white coaters when they can’t even spot the basics?
Much debate in the international soccer arena about the deployment of additional officials near the goal-lines to look out for infringements - currently being tried in the Europa League - but it may be that the problems will continue if they’re as observant as some of their G.A.A. counterparts.
No doubt that the best team won on Sunday but it has to be said that Down weren’t at the races up until Coulter netted the crucial goal which was to prove highly significant.
But what a match and what a finish even if this column’s favourites for the All-Ireland are gone. Down to go on and beat Cork in the Final, alert umpires or no alert umpires.
The events at senior level overshadowed the minor semi-final which preceded it - Cork recovering in blistering fashion to edge out Galway on a scoreline of 3-15 to 5-8, a thriller that you couldn’t keep your eyes off for a second. Unless you were an umpire.
Mchel’s memory
The grand old man of Irish sports broadcasting, Mchel O Muircheartaigh, was the subject of an interview on the Ryan Tubridy show. His favourite moment in his lengthy career of commentating on Gaelic games?
A certain All-Ireland Final in 1992 when Donegal took care of the Dubs in their own front yard. A great team and one that hadn’t figured before at this stage, the R.T.E. man recalled the heroics of Brian McEniff’s warriors and why he plumped for this particular highlight.
Some plaudit when you sit back and consider just how many matches, not just All-Irelands, that O Muircheartaigh has commentated on down the decades.
World holes out
According to Darren Frehill on R.T.E. radio’s Morning Ireland programme on Monday “the world waited” while Colin Montgomery pondered his wild card selection for the European Ryder Cup team.
Indeed it did. I happened to be in Dublin for a couple of days and everywhere you went and whatever mode of transport you went to it in, it peppered everybody’s conversation. It was a one track theme on the Luas and you couldn’t even go upstairs in the double deckers without someone referring to it.
Would Harrington make it after his disappointing showings of late, they were all asking (he did much to the apparent surprise of the small ballers). I’m just assuming similar queries were being aired all around the globe.
Yes, the Ryder Cup circus is almost back in town and with it, all the hype surrounding this duel at dawn running all the way into dusk over a few days in October. This year’s two competing teams are - from left to right and in no particular order of merit - Europe and the United States. Can’t wait.
Window shop
The last thing you need when there’s a beaming sun making its presence felt is for someone to go and shut the window but this is precisely what happened in England and Scotland on Tuesday leaving the likes of our own Shay Given staring out longingly through the pane (pain?) at other greener pastures.
When are the authorities going to smash this window completely and allow us get back to the old days when your team could sign a player or five right throughout the season and no questions asked?
Slice of Pizza
Former Derry City central defender, Peter Hutton, has been giving the Republic of Ireland players some cautionary advice in advance of tomorrow afternoon’s opening European Championship qualifier in Armenia. The Candystripes faced Armenian opposition in the form of Pyunik three years ago in a Champions League qualifying tie.
“The pitch was bone hard, and it had a lot of divots. I don’t know what they were filling them in with but it wasn’t sand - it was more like broken tarmac, almost gravelly. The bus we got to the ground was very dilapidated. Don’t worry about sightseeing, there is nothing to see,” said Hutton.
Didn’t get what he said about the conditions for the second leg in Armenia.
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Weather for Donegal
Monday 21 May 2012
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Temperature: 10 C to 18 C
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