Attacks on GAA referees – ‘culture change needed’

A former head of the GAA’s referee committee has said a “culture change” is needed among supporters to prevent assaults and abuse of officials at games.

Pat McEnaney was speaking following reports of an assault on an off-duty garda who stepped in to protect a referee who was being verbally abused by supporters at a match in Sligo last week.

“It’s something that’s happening within our association and has been going on a long time,” said Mr McEnaney.

“I think there are better facilities [for referees] now, dressing rooms and pitches being fenced off and that. I think the referee’s lot has improved a bit, but we’re not the finished article. It’s about changing a culture.”

GAA headquarters said figures for assaults or incidents of abuse against referees were not collated at a national level.

“Any issues like that that arise are dealt with by the competitions control committee of the individual county,” a spokeswoman said.

Tipperary-based referee Willie Barrett, who was struck on the back with a hurley in 2010 by a supporter, said incidents such as that in Sligo were "worrying" but not common.

“It’s something that you don’t think about. In one year you might do 70, 80, 90 or 100 matches and someone comes in and hits you in one, so you don’t expect it to happen to you,” he said.

There have been many high-profile instances of attacks on referees over the years, some of which have ended up in court. One of the most infamous incidents happened in Wicklow in 1985 when referee Johnny Price from Roundwood, Co Wicklow was bundled into the boot of a car and driven away by a group of supporters following a controversial under-21 football final.

Death threat

In 1986, referee Carthage Buckley received an anonymous death threat in the post after a stormy Leinster football championship match between Wicklow and Laois, which featured four sendings-off and became known as the battle of

Aughrim

.

Two men were convicted in 2012 of assaulting referee Martin Sludden on the pitch after he awarded a goal to Meath in the Leinster senior football championship final against Louth, which cost Louth the title. Mr Sludden later admitted the score should not have been given.

Gardaí brought a case to the Dublin District Court against two men from Dundalk who were convicted and fined €1,000 each.