Zero tolerance of overcrowding on sideline is vowed

The issue of sideline overcrowding in Cusack Park was addressed by chairman Frank Mescall and Competitions Control Committee (CCC) secretary, Brendan Shaw at last Wednesday night’s meeting of Westmeath GAA’s county committee.

Overcrowding is damaging the sideline, “looks terrible” and was totally in breach of match regulations, delegates were told. “The situation won’t be tolerated,” Mr Shaw explained, and if necessary, fines would be imposed for reported serious breaches, an intervention the CCC wasn’t keen to pursue but would do so if the situation continued.

The unease of referees was raised by Mullingar Shamrocks delegate Barry Kelly at the conclusion of the meeting and the veteran referee warned that the sideline situation was “like a powder keg waiting to explode over the next few weeks”, with championship football and hurling reaching its concluding stages.

Referees had very little problems with players “inside the white lines”, he added; the difficulties were located “outside the white lines” where there was a complete lack of tolerance for even one perceived mistake committed by a referee.

Mr Kelly said that the situation was getting worse, and mentors and team managers – “many with loyalty to the club badge akin to a Premiership player” – were “waiting to pounce on a single mistake”.

Mr Kelly’s sentiments were fully supported by Mr Mescall, who a requested delegates to “please remind your mentors to behave themselves”.