Constant whistling spoiled spectacle on frustrating night

IWATCHED a lot of Gaelic games over the weekend, seven matches in total between four I attended plus three more on the box. It started in Parnell Park on Saturday when the Meath Under-20 footballers - seven-point victors over Wexford one week earlier - were beaten out the gate by Dublin on a 2-14 to 0-7 scoreline.

While the absence of their star full-forward Shane Walsh was clearly a mitigating factor, his presence wouldn’t have been enough to bridge the 13-point gap even on his very best form.

With all due respect, people forming the opinion that progress of any sort is being made in Minor and Under-20 football in Wexford are completely deluding themselves. We are light years away from the standard produced by the Dubs in this demolition.

Afterwards, I ventured from Donnycarney to Dublin 3 for the Croke Park double-header, and then I was in Chadwicks Wexford Park after some shut-eye where the nightmare of that loss to London in Ruislip last year was consigned to the deep recesses of the mind.

And because of the early start there, I was able to head home and look at Galway versus Tyrone live, before watching Monaghan and Mayo in football plus Limerick and Cork in hurling without acquainting myself with the results beforehand.

I’m sure that many of you opted for the rugby clash with England instead, but each to their own as they say.

Of the seven matches witnessed, and parking my obvious Wexford bias and delight with the hurling win for a moment, I have to say that the entertainment value for the spectator was at its lowest ebb in that first match in Croke Park.

It was an awful spectacle if truth be told, and I’m struggling to figure out referee Johnny Murphy’s approach to the game.

There’s a couple of myths that need to be dispelled in attempting to analyse his performance. First of all, frustrated supporters often claim that if an official hasn’t played himself at the highest level, then they don’t have the required ‘feel’ for the tempo of the game.

In Murphy’s case, though, he has represented Limerick in Senior football and Intermediate hurling, and also gave long service to Ballylanders and their sister club of Glenroe.

Surely, then, he should be aware that nothing drives players to distraction any more than being stopped in their tracks for a free to be awarded in their favour after breaking through a tackle.

Secondly, I often hear that referees are under so much pressure to do everything by the book and apply the rules to the absolute letter of the law, because there is an assessor who will come down hard on them if they don’t comply.

I’m not buying that either, because how then does that explain Fergal Horgan’s completely different approach to taking charge of our clash with Kilkenny six days earlier?

I’m sure there was an assessor monitoring him too, but he was sparing in his use of the whistle even though some of the hits were ferocious.

I think the game that everyone enjoys and wants - from players to mentors to supporters - is the one where frees really have to be earned, and where the referee only blows the whistle if it’s clear that no advantage is accruing.

That applies to a defender bursting out with the ball every bit as much as an attacker bearing down on goal, so why on earth did Murphy continually stop the play when instances of the former variety happened on Saturday?

I’ve written it before, and here it comes one more time: a player performing poorly is likely to be dropped, a manager is at risk of getting the boot if the results are poor, but a referee can have a stinker and remain at the same level regardless.

Consider, for example, how Seán Cleere completely lost the run of last year’s All-Ireland semi-final when we went down to Tipperary.

I would have thought that such a sloppy performance would have merited some time officiating in the ‘purgatory’ of the lower divisions before returning to the top flight - only if it was felt that was merited.

Yet, there he was on Sunday, taking charge of the Limerick versus Cork clash in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Watch closely to see how quickly Johnny Murphy will get another Division 1 game. Rest assured, it won’t take long.