KELLY ZEROES IN ON OFFICIAL COMPLAINT
FORMER Tipperary star Eoin Kelly says referees have been far too prominent in the allianz hurling league so far.
Kelly reckons match officials have been too whistle happy.
in particular, the 2010 all-ireland winning captain felt that referee colm lyons was too much of a central figure in Tipperary’s one-point loss to Wexford on sunday.
he said: “The ref gave a lot of frees in the game, and even the cork v clare game the night before, the ref blew a load.
“Referees seem to be under pressure to use the whistle at the moment.”
Kelly insists there was no need for croke Park to insist on a clampdown on certain aspects of the game on the back of an enthralling championship campaign last year. he said: “last year we had a great championship, so if it’s not broken, what are they trying to fix? leave the game alone!
“Bar the goal line decision between Tipp and Waterford last season, referees weren’t being talked about at all and that was an umpiring decision anyway. Now we have them all over league sunday at the weekend, what does that tell you?
“This is all coming from the hierarchy in croke Park, but we want to see free-flowing hurling. Why are they trying to change the mindset of referees now?
“We had a referee-free summer last year. We don’t want to be talking about them and i’m sure the refs don’t want us talking about them either.
“The lines of communication need to be way clearer, you don’t need a committee tweaking things just to be seen to be doing something,” he told Paddy Power News.
Kelly took issue with former team-mate Noel Mcgrath’s sending off on sunday, which had a significant bearing on the game.
“i don’t think anyone will argue with the first yellow he got. The second yellow though was very harsh, the fact that it was under the main stand and right next to the Wexford management didn’t help either.
“The roar of the crowd can influence a referee too. Would he have been sent off for that in championship? i don’t think so. it wasn’t even a high tackle!
“if he was red carded for that in championship you wouldn’t forgive the referee for it.”