Race row ‘storm in a teacup’

JUSTIN MCNULTY says the ‘racism’ row that engulfed Laois last week was a ‘storm in a teacup’ — and claims trash-talking terms like ‘Kerry langer’ are part of the game. Mcnulty’s Laois were caught up in a storm when Armagh officials complained that their captain Ciaran Mckeever was the subject of ‘racist and personal abuse’. The incident was alleged to have preceded Mckeever’s sending-off in Portlaoise during their Allianz Football League game, though the allegation was subsequently downgraded

to ‘inappropriate exchanges’.

I r onically, Laois manager Mcnulty is an Armagh legend himself and a member of the All-ireland-winning 2002 team.

He claimed at yesterday’s launch of the GAA Kellogg’s Cúl Camps that the situation was a ‘storm in a teacup’ and was not an issue.

He praised his players for not adding to the debate last week and said if he had ever been criticised about where he came from, it wouldn’t have bothered him.

‘If something was said to me ... I’m from where I’m from and it’s not something that’s going to insult me,’ said Mcnulty. ‘It’s like me calling someone a Kerry langer. What’s the big deal?

‘That’s where you’re from, so really, I think it’s a storm in a

verbal teacup. There’s no issue at play here. There’s been hysteria created out of something that’s not even that big and that’s not even a big issue. It’s not an issue.’

Mcnulty’s All-ireland-winning manager from 2002, Joe Kernan, told Sportsmail when the row broke last week that sectarian abuse may be an issue in Gaelic games.

But Mcnulty, who has played and managed in various counties i ncluding Armagh, Cavan, Dubl i n and Laois, wa s unequivocal in his stance.

‘It’s not an issue,’ he added. ‘For it to be claimed as an issue is just crazy and the less said about it, the better.’

The incident had the potential to affect the Laois players and their preparations last week ahead of their weekend trip to Kerry, a game they lost by four points.

‘The players are mature and wise enough to know that there wasn’t anything in it and they knew that they were playing Kerry, recent All-ireland champions, a team that everyone measures themselves against,’ said Mcnulty.

‘They knew they had to refocus. Any distractions would potentially take away from your focus so it wasn’t an issue for the players. No issue whatsoever.’

GAA director general Paraic Duffy has revealed that the Gaelic Players Association have been asked to advise players against engaging in trash-talking.

Down football ace Benny Coulter says the practice, also known as sledging, has been going on for years and has backed the moves to address it.

‘I think over the last couple of years it is not as bad as it used to be,’ said Coulter. ‘Three or four years ago it was bad.

‘I spoke to a few of the l ads out i n Australia during the International Rules and they felt the same.

‘They were getting a bit of sledging too, the likes of Stevie [Mcdonnell] and Paddy Bradley. It’s definitely not as bad as it used to be. You felt like turning and driving someone. Obviously you can’t.’

Despite his conviction that the tactic has died down somewhat in recent years, Coulter admitted it is still quite prevalent.

‘There was a lot of talk l ast year of players going out to intimidate whoever they were marking,’ said the 2010 All-ireland finalist.

‘There was a book out there and there was a bit I read in it where they were told to go out and intimidate whoever they are marking.’

Asked whether he believed that sledging actually worked for some players, Coulter said: ‘Sometimes it might put you off, other days it might drive you on. It’s a two-way thing. Some days it works, some days it doesn’t.’

Interestingly, Coulter said he received most attempts at harassment and intimidation during games in Ulster but that it wasn’t such a problem against southern teams. Therefore, there was no suggestion of an antiUlster bias.

‘Definitely not,’ said the Mayobridge cl ubman, who said forwards were more likely to be on the receiving end of trashtalking. He accepted it was difficult for referees to be seen to be proactive on the issue. ‘I don’t think they can do anything about it,’ he said. ‘ How can you stop it? If it’s there going on and the referee doesn’t know about it, it’s impossible to stop it.’ Coulter spoke i n June of 2010 about his frustration with another aspect of t he modern game, defensiveness. He famously stated that he wouldn’t pay i n to watch any match. ‘I still do hold that view,’ he said yesterday.

‘ I just think the game is very, very defensive at the minute. I suppose the only teams you would maybe pay to watch are Kerry and maybe Tyrone.

‘ I think i t’s all very defensive and there’s too much tactics in it.’