WEXFORD INITIATIVE IS A STEP IN RIGHT DIRECTION
JAMAL SHINES IN EPIC FINALE
every county, because this is a very, very serious and worrying situation.
“Wexford have been proactive and perhaps Croke Park can use this initiative by Wexford to make sure it happens in every county.”
Some other counties appear to have taken note of incidents happening around the country in recent weeks and have acted to make sure they’re not next under the disciplinary spotlight.
For example, Derry GAA have told clubs that only three people will be allowed inside the pitch enclosure for the rest of the Championship — a manager, selector and medic — and all will have to wear labelled bibs.
Everyone else has to be in the dugout, stand or a designated area.
“On the inter-county scene, the move to remove people from the sideline, bainisteoir only, was a great move,” continued Barrett.
“I think it paid dividends since it came in, but I think we need to look at the sideline at club level and how many people are encroaching and coming into the field of play.”
Wexford chiefs have also stated that a ‘Give Respect, Get Respect’ handshake will take place before every game until the end of the season between players, match officials and managers.
“You have to try a lot of things,” said Barrett. “I think you have to move in that direction.
Welcome
“I welcome that. The handshake is very, very important, with mentors involved as well. It would make everyone aware of their responsibilities prior to the game. (left)
“We can all get caught up in the moment and maybe give out about different instances.
“But stepping over the white line, there is a responsibility on everyone who is part of a management team to behave themselves during the course of the game.”
Barrett also believes clubs have to take more responsibility for the behaviour of their members, be they players, mentors, parents or supporters.
“The onus has to be on the club,” he said. “The punishment or sanction has to be severe enough so that they can impact.
“Loss of game is a very, very big one and I am aware of situations where it has happened where someone (referee) came over and got on to mentors on the sideline, who were called out to stop it.
“The club must take responsibility for their people inside on the line.
“The spectator one is a difficult one for me.
“Spectators, just because they pay money doesn’t give them the right to go onto the field and do anything.
“We have to get it into their head that the four white lines are a sanctuary for the referee and the officials.
Medical
“We cannot be running onto the field of play. The medical people are a different scenario and there is no issue there.
“We have to ensure everything is geared towards safety and our games are played in a proper spirit.
“We take our defeats and victories without having to resort to attacking the referee and so on.”
Barrett doesn’t see a nationwide referee strike as a possibility.
“I don’t think that would ever be co-ordinated,” he said.
“I can perfectly understand it, but I couldn’t see it happening.
“I would prefer the Wexford proposal to create a greater awareness.
“What is happening is, we have an incident, a situation highlighted in the media and three or four weeks of an investigation. A sanction is imposed and then we move on with our lives.
“Appeals then happen. Unfortunately it’s based on the referee’s report, or something missing, or the wrong rule, and we move away from what actually happened.
“I’d be disappointed at times when people bring forward an appeal and challenge things in a severe case of assaulting an official.
“I think it’s wrong.”
CROKE Park’s playing surface has been levelled in preparation for the laying of a new pitch following Garth Brooks’ five recent concert dates.
GAA chiefs use turf from their €700,000, 50-acre farm in the Naul, Co Dublin to relay the surface.
Previously the GAA imported the turf for Croker from Lincolnshire, but issues with the time it took to transport the pitch in refrigerated lorries led to a new approach.
Transport
Transport times from the UK were 18 to 20 hours compared to the three hours it takes between harvesting the pitch at the Naul and laying it.
The old turf on the Croke Park pitch has been stripped away in readiness for the laying of the new surface.
MOEEN Ali and England came up agonisingly short against a debutant with nerves of steel in a T20 game they should have won.
Pakistan all-rounder Aamer Jamal was given 15 runs to defend from the final over and despite facing down a well-set Moeen, he came up trumps to secure the five-run win even though the target was only 146.
Stand-in skipper Moeen finished 51 not out, but was left kicking himself after failing to get hold of more than one big shot in an over of wide yorkers.
Required
He missed out from the first two balls. From the third he launched a giant six over mid-wicket to make it eight runs required from three balls, but seamer Jamal, coping with a sodden ball thanks to the dew, stuck to his plan and it worked.
“It was a very good game again,” said Moeen. “We are disappointed we didn’t chase those runs.
“We’re a better team than that. We got strangled in the middle by their spinners, and we couldn’t get going.”