MAYO BOSS UNHAPPY OVER REFEREE APPOINTMENT
LADIES FOOTBALL – Mayo ladies football manager Peter Leahy says the decision of the Connacht LGFA to appoint a former Mayo underage coach as referee for their Connacht final defeat to Galway made it impossible for him to officiate impartially.
Despite an appeal from the Galway management team earlier in the week, Gerry Carmody took charge of the MacHale Park clash on Sunday, and according to Leahy it has a significant impact on how the game was refereed.
Carmody switched counties from Mayo to Roscommon two years ago, but he served as Mayo minor manager in 2012 and 2013.
Galway manager Stephen Glennon praised Carmody’s performance in the final and the Mayo boss also stated Carmody sought to referee the same fairly, but that it was impossible due to him being appointed in the first place.
“One hundred per cent it made an impact on the game. The frees that they were getting compared to ours. Did it effect the result of the game, we won’t know that. There were five or six incidents there,” said Leahy.
“I never give out about referees. But it wasn’t Gerry’s fault, he was put into an awful position and it became an impossibility for him to ref it impartially.”
Despite the Galway appeal the Connacht LGFA did not change their appointment and Carmody did not step away from officiating the fixture. Leahy felt he made the right call.
“No he shouldn’t have withdrawn because he shouldn’t have been put under that pressure in the first place. He is a very honest referee and he came to ref it honestly. But what happened, it became an impossibility for him. I wouldn’t blame Gerry in any way shape or form.
“Galway were dead right; Galway were clever. When you can get an edge you get an edge. They put a complaint in and it was very clever of Galway.”
Galway manager Glennon felt Carmody had a good day out at MacHale Park, but he called on ladies GAA officials to take responsibility for the issue.
“The Connacht LGFA might not like that and the Ladies Football Association at national level might not like that but we’re accountable to people. Everyone else has to be accountable to one another and I stand over it. I have no regrets over it,” he said.