Pat McEnaney

Does he think he's bigger than the GAA or is he intent on doing his own thing?

After finally getting to see all the coverage of the Antrim/Tyrone game i was pretty surprised to see the best ref in the country blatantly going against the GAAs rules and letting foul pass after foul pass go unpunished!! The commentators said he was displaying "common sense" when applying the rule but i think he showed a lack of respect for the players for not applying the letter of the law when it should have been!!

We had a ref in the Tipp/Kerry game getting death from players/fans and the commentators for pulling up what is now deemed to be a foul pass with the hand, when up in Belfast we had Wee Pat doing his own thing!

There is enough problems and whinging from players and management regarding the new rules but this will only get worse when refs don't act to the same rule book! How the hell are players and managers going to get it into their heads that the rules have changed when in one game they get away with fouling the pass and the next they get pulled up for breaking the rules?

Players and managers complain that they don't think the rules should have been changed, but they always do when it means they have to do something differently don't they? Don't get me wrong, the GAA should have implmented this new rule change for the start of next season, but they didn't so we have to get on with it!!

Should Pat be stripped of reffing any of the major matches for his unwillingness to follow the new GAA rules? I think he shouldn't be considered for any until he shows that he will pull the line like the rest of the refs!

Discuss!

A rule in sport should be well defined so that in watching a foul, 95% of people should agree on the call to be made. The rules are too open to interpretation by refs, players, managers and supporters. This must change.

I agree completely with you about Pat. I abhore it when I hear refs getting praise for using "common sense". This essentially means that h e ignored the rules. Ref to the rules that are there. If that means that the game is being stopped ever 15 seconds then change the rules, not the way they are enforced.

But McEnaney did pull for a few handpasses he deemed illegal. He didn't do what the others did though and get whistle happy pulling for handpasses that he couldn't see. Pat seemed to give the player the benefit of the doubt and it worked well.
I don't agree with RMD that common sense refeering is ignoring the rules. As Spillane said last weekend putting your hand on an opponents back is technically a foul but if there is no pressure applied and it is not affecting the player in possession of the ball there is no need to call it.

We can't have a situation where the referees differ in approach.
I notice McCartan is alreay asking for a "mceneany style" interpretation for sundays match. Once this is happening it should send serious alarm bells.
Needs to be black or white

Jonsmith wrote:I don't agree with RMD that common sense refeering is ignoring the rules. As Spillane said last weekend putting your hand on an opponents back is technically a foul but if there is no pressure applied and it is not affecting the player in possession of the ball there is no need to call it.

Then the rule should be changed JS. You shouldn't have to depend on the ref to "interpret" the rule.

he is doing the other refs a great disservice if you ask me - he is contradicting everything they do and yet he is the one getting the credit for ignoring the rule book.

He is the reason there is so many problems with refs not the other guys

Agree totally with some of the posts on here. I feel he fast becoming part of the problem with refereeing by doing his own thing and the match at the weekend compounded that view!

It appears he is intent on being the manager and commentators friend rather than doing the job to the rule book he is trained to. I forgive any referee for making a mistake, we all can do it but i feel Wee Pat thinks he's bigger than the rule changes! If i do my own thing at work i get a right ballsing, why is he any different!

He needs bringing down a peg or too, and i don't mean give him the next Derry game as that's not punishment enough!!!!

He completelyy ignored the rules when refing Cork V Kerry in Munster last year. Lynch went right through Gooch for every ball and was not blown up. All Ireland final Lynch tried the same thing, yellow card and 3 handy points for Gooch in the first ten minutes.

I think Pat believes his own hype.

Never liked him as referee..

Have to say I like him and I think the players respect him too - which is obviously very important. I can't think of any other good one tbh!!

mullins wrote:Never liked him as referee..

I'd have good time for McEneaney as a referee. Surely after 5 minutes of a game, players will have "sussed" how he's operating and be able to get on with it. If he's pulling, well that's it, adapt and get on with it....
He's quite communicative so it shouldn't be a problem.
A bit of fluency improves the spectacle even if the better teams i.e. Leitrim haven't taken the stage yet...

Jayo Cluxton wrote:Have to say I like him and I think the players respect him too - which is obviously very important. I can't think of any other good one tbh!!

Jayo most Dublin fans would say Brian White

I used to like Paddy Russell until a game there about 15 years ago when he gave a couple of dodgy big calls .... lost repect for him after that ........

Jayo Cluxton wrote:I used to like Paddy Russell until a game there about 15 years ago when he gave a couple of dodgy big calls .... lost repect for him after that ........

Jayo Brian White is the new Paddy....

Chalk this one down...No matter what fook-ups he gets into this Summer, Gerry Kinneavey (Gearoid O'Canamha????) will get the A/I Final...He's 50 toward years end and then excluded...

Oh! for a "bitter rivalry" final and Gerry at the helm..

The Forum would last a full solid fortnight on his decisions alone...P'raps Dublin V Tyrone...

Boxtyeater wrote:Chalk this one down...No matter what fook-ups he gets into this Summer, Gerry Kinneavey (Gearoid O'Canamha????) will get the A/I Final...He's 50 toward years end and then excluded...

Oh! for a "bitter rivalry" final and Gerry at the helm..

The Forum would last a full solid fortnight on his decisions alone...P'raps Dublin V Tyrone...

If it is he owes us one..But i wouldn't look past Cork Leitrim final in september..remember you have the easy side of the draw

Tyrone and Dublin is not a bitter rivalry Boxty. Sure Tyrone are only knocking around (and knocking us around) for 7 years ....

mullins wrote:[
If it is he owes us one..But i wouldn't look past Cork Leitrim final in september..remember you have the easy side of the draw

When the Exiles squash the Sheepstealers on Sunday, the Connacht S/F venue becomes crucial....

Pairc Séan or an away clash in Ruislip????

The first hurdle this year is the biggest..

Jayo Cluxton wrote:Tyrone and Dublin is not a bitter rivalry Boxty. Sure Tyrone are only knocking around (and knocking us around) for 7 years ....

A quite considerable number of contributors to this forum represent these counties Jayo and I'm sure the anguish that could be espoused would be epic....
Jaysus it's only 15 years since.......If anyone could cause a hiccup Kinneavey could...*

*Free tip...Forget about mouse or rat poision....a saucer of cold coca-cola as you hit the sack does the trick...
Mice or rats can't belch...they combust internally...
Junior Crane and myself are going global with this one....We've done extensive research on our fact-finding trip and this is the money spinner....

Boxtyeater wrote:

mullins wrote:[
If it is he owes us one..But i wouldn't look past Cork Leitrim final in september..remember you have the easy side of the draw

When the Exiles squash the Sheepstealers on Sunday, the Connacht S/F venue becomes crucial....

Pairc Séan or an away clash in Ruislip????

The first hurdle this year is the biggest..

At 8-1 the beers will be on you the weekend.. -

Boxtyeater wrote:
*Free tip...Forget about mouse or rat poision....a saucer of cold coca-cola as you hit the sack does the trick...
Mice or rats can't belch...they combust internally...
Junior Crane and myself are going global with this one....We've done extensive research on our fact-finding trip and this is the money spinner....

I usually leave out a saucer of Iron Bru and two large magnets. Works a treat...

mullins wrote:[

At 8-1 the beers will be on you the weekend.. - [/quote]

London will rattle 'em....Worth €10 at a plus 4 to 6 point spread....Roscommon are frail on away trips past Ballaghderren..

I have to say that I like McEnaney as a ref and the cavery dinner is always a great job after heading home from Croker. Some of us Tyronies haven't quite forgiven him for sending off PC in the 2001 quarter final V Derry but I thought he handled last weeks game well to be honest and let the thing flow which is a rarity among some of the refs we have at the minute who are too whistle happy.

I don't want to be over critical of Derek Fahy as he was the referee when our club won the Junior all Ireland title by a point in '07 and he blew for time when the Kerry opposition were attacking our goal with exactly one minute of added time played. We didn't complain at the time mind you but Derek and many other refs are more concerned with keeping the accessors happy in the stand as opposed to the paying public and players in general. I'd be more in favour of ref's using their common sense as opposed to being centre of attention. The public don't pay in to see McEnaney, Deegan, Fahy and how they perform, We're more interested in what goes on between the two opposing teams.

mugsys_barber wrote:I'd be more in favour of ref's using their common sense as opposed to being centre of attention.

Aaarrrgggh Mugsey, you're killing me. What does common sense have to do with it? Should the ref not enforce the rules. By asking refs to apply "common sense" we are essentially saying that the rules are bad but that instead of changing them we are going to get the refs to ignore some portions of them.

RMD if a rule (for example) says that you may not touch a player while he bends to pick up the ball and you graze his side as he does so, the player is not thrown off balance or prejudiced by the contact in any way, but the rulebook states no contact is allowed on the player, do you think this should be a free or should the ref use common sense and let play continue?