McShea’s Say: Referees deserve so much more respect than we're currently giving them

Referees astound me because they are probably the most generous people in the GAA.

I can’t comprehend why anyone would become a referee, seriously, it’s beyond me. From the day you start with underage matches, through to Junior and Senior games a referee can get the kind of abuse that would land the perpetrators in court if they repeated it on the street.

No one ever congratulates the referee for doing a good job, no one ever bangs on about the great sacrifices they make.

I recently read a piece with Donegal ladies star Susanne White and her recall about travelling the length and breadth of the county with her dad Jimmy as a youngster was simply lovely to read.

Susanne said she could easily have been away five or six times a week with her father. And it just got me thinking about the person behind the whistle.

The verbal abuse I see and hear now on occasions is simply dreadful. It can be difficult to see why people continue to do a job like that but they do.

And it is vital that they do, because without referees there would be no games. They are next in importance to the players, and there is only one explanation for why they do the job they do, generosity of spirit.

They give up their time and take the abuse solely for the sake of the GAA. There are no local kudos to be gained, nobody wants to buy the referee a pint. They are probably the true heroes of sport.

It takes some guts to win a 50/50 ball against a back who is two stone heavier than you, but that pales in significance compared to the bravery required to award a last minute free or penalty against the home team in front of a partisan crowd you will have to walk through to get to your car.

Who would fancy that? Only a referee. On Sunday watching the epic clash between Kilkenny and Clare in the All-Ireland hurling semi-final, Clare had a goal disallowed at a vital moment in the second half.

But there is nothing inevitable about the outcome of close matches. A referee can flap his wings the wrong way and a whole empire can come tumbling down. I got to thinking about referees and their wonderful commitment to our games after watching two matches in recent weeks.

The first game was an U-13 battle between Aodh Ruadh and Four Masters, and the second was the All-County League game between Aodh Ruadh and Bundoran. The common denominator here in both games was Killybegs’ Jimmy White.

The level of scrutiny that referees undergo these days is unprecedented. This analysis is part of the increased coverage that Gaelic games get these days.

Referees do not have the benefit of a TV replay when making a call, so split second decisiveness is required in even the most intense of games.

In Jimmy’s case, his ability to stay cool when under pressure from players, team mentors and supporters is a critical characteristic and Jimmy has it in abundance. In today’s game players are honed to a level of fitness much higher than was usual in years gone by and this has put increased pressure on our referees to match our players for speed.

Jimmy has no problem in this regard as his fitness levels are on a par with his playing days when he was an integral member of a great Killybegs team that won several Senior Football Championships.

And his experience as a player has played a major role in his success as a top official.The GAA is constantly looking for new referees and there is no better role model than Jimmy White, who we hope will continue to perform to the very highest level on the local Donegal club scene for some time yet.

We are fortunate here in Donegal as we have many top referees who give of their time week after week. Enda McFeely, Robbie O’Donnell and Marc Brown, to name just a few, are also top class and consistent week after week.

Special evening

Last Friday evening the 1983 Ulster winning Donegal team had a game of golf and a most enjoyable social evening in Ballybofey.

The occasion, arranged by team captain Michael Lafferty, was an outstanding success and the team, who were most unlucky to lose their All Ireland semi-final by one point to Galway, had some players who could or would be very capable of taking the Donegal reins from the departed Aidan O Rourke.

Tommy McDermott, the former Ballyshannon player, made his way from London for the occasion and the laughter and comradeship that was evident simply confirmed the unique bond that still exists in a talented group of footballers.

Ballybofey Golf Club excelled with the welcome and excellent food and service which went a long way to making it an evening to remember.

All-Ireland race

While we would all love to see our two teams from the province, Derry and Monaghan, win their All-Ireland semi-finals this weekend Kerry and Dublin, after their impressive quarter final displays, will be raging hot favourites to advance to yet another decider.

I just feel the firepower in both the Kerry and Dublin attacks will be too much for the Ulster sides to contend with for 70 minutes.