I tell family to ignore all nasty abuse I get, but they go and do the opposite..

ALL-IRELAND FINAL REF WAS WORRIED FOR FATHER’S HEALTH AMID STORM OVER RED CARD OFFENCE IN 2017 HURLING SEMI-FINAL

ALL-IRELAND hurling final referee James Owens says he feared for his family’s wellbeing amid fierce abuse directed at him.

Following a high-profile incident in last year’s Championship, Owens told how he worried for his father James senior’s health after he had already endured a heart scare.

The Wexford match official said he allows the criticism to wash over him but that it’s not so straightforward for his family members.

He explained: “We have done a couple of courses on just how to blank that out. That’s ok for me but I do feel for the umpires, they don’t get the same sort of training. So if there’s a problem they talk to me.

“I’ve experienced it, that my family have really suffered on some of the decisions. It’s just the general talk, or whatever. It’s all on social media.

“That does have a very negative effect. If you have your family suffering from decisions you make, obviously it is going to affect you in a way as well. “But that’s social media for you. I can’t do a whole lot about it.” In last year’s Waterford-cork All-ireland semi-final, which Owens took charge of, Austin Gleeson was fortunate not to be sent off after appearing to pull at Luke Meade’s helmet and was free to play in the final as the alleged offense wasn’t followed up on. But the fallout that went with it worried Owens. “That did have an effect on the family. I was very worried for my father at the time because the year before he had a triple by-pass.

“What I tried to say to him on the Sunday night, or the Monday, I just had to tell him that you need to block yourselves from social media, you’re not to buy any papers or anything like that.

“But sure you tell them to do that and they go and do the opposite. To try to find out what people are saying.

“If you look over all the social media websites it’s the same guys that are passing the same comments. And it’s the same, hurtful, you know.

“Again, I don’t get involved in it but they [ family] made me quite aware of some of the stuff that was going on. I try to tell them to ignore it.”

Owens was speaking at the launch of the GAA’S Referee Development Plan 2018-21, which suggests expanding the use of Hawk Eye beyond Croke Park and Semple Stadium as well as using other technology to aid referees, which could see a television match official introduced.

Owens would be in favour of this along with a designated match official who explains certain decisions on behalf of referees.

“This could be the same individual that could be communicating to the media, he could be communicating back to us if we wanted it.

“We all love to referee in Croke Park and Thurles where we have Hawk Eye and we have the luxury that if we think it’s a score or not a score, that on we go and use it.

“Obviously it would a step forward if there was a review, especially for the big decisions that need to be made.

“If he needs clarity on something, you could be talking as minor as a yellow card but it could lead into a second yellow.

“Definitely red card issues if the referee is in doubt or whatever.”