HWHwinfootball brawloftheyear
September 1981
HWH/Bunclody 1-8, Duffry Rovers 0-6: The football brawl of the year took place at Bellefield on Sunday evening when HWH/Bunclody quite literally kicked Duffry Rovers out of the championship, in an ill-tempered, foul-ridden game which was let completely out of control by referee [NAME WITHELD].
It was a game where the ball came a very poor second to the man, and the kicking, punching, dragging and mauling that prevailed did nothing to enhance the game as a spectacle or the reputation of either side, Bunclody in particular.
For no doubt about it, they were the main culprits. They were allowed by the referee to get away with their own brand of the vigilante rule throughout, as they constantly intimidated and even assaulted the Duffry players.
At one stage of the first half, five Bunclody men ganged up on three from the Duffry to slog it out at the bottom half of the pitch while play continued at the top half. The referee didn’t want to know, and took no action even after his umpires brought the fight to his attention.
Later, two Duffry men were flattened off the ball as Bunclody went through for what ended up as a goal for Martin Handrick. As they got up and retaliated, leading to another mini-melee, the referee simply gave the signal for the kickout to be taken, and allowed the play (and the fight) to continue.
Another baffling decision came in the 48th minute. A Louis Rafter shot for the Duffry came back off the post and James O’Connor fisted the rebound to the net, but the goal was disallowed. The reason why remains a mystery.
But worst of all for the Duffry came in the 55th minute, when they were three points behind. Tom Millar was upended as he bore down on the Bunclody goal, and the referee signalled for a penalty. But as Millar picked himself up off the ground, he received a box in the face from a Bunclody man. He responded by throwing the ball at his assailant - and the referee took away the penalty and threw up the ball instead!
With that, Rovers’ best chances were gone, and Bunclody now qualify for a county semi-final meeting with Enniscorthy Starlights on Sunday week.