Connaught Cup 2008/09

**Thunderblaster** · 18/03/2009, 8:30 PM

Match officials performance was reported on the Mayo newspapers and there were critical reports on their handling of the game. The two penalties never looked like penalties, the disallowed goal, well, I was up the other end of the pitch for that one. I'm only aware of the throw in incident after reading the newspapers, RE: West United's second goal. The incident in extra time for the drop ball was a total embarrassment to football. Why did the drop ball take place in the other half of the pitch? Why deny Westport United a legitimate goalscoring opportunity in such despicable fashion? Whether the match officials were poor, biased or played to the occasion, they and only they can answer that. What happend on Sunday was that a team that prepared so hard to win a Connacht Cup were ripped off. The expenditure the club put in to achieving that aim counting for nought but the supporters were cheated. People got out of bed early on Sunday morning, hired buses, drove cars and hitched lifts. They also had to buy food and basically give up their day to get behind the team. These people deserved better for their unswerving loyalty and yet, they got a kick in the teeth. Apparently, a supporter was so traumatised by what happened on Sunday that he could not sleep that night. Is that morally right? Folks, there is a difference between losing a game and being cheated out of a game, and I felt what happened on Sunday was the latter. After the trauma the club has suffered from it (seen as embarrassing by other clubs that were in attendance at the game), I think that the least West United could do, as a gesture of goodwill to all those who felt cheated and ripped off, is to offer a rematch of the Connacht Cup quarter final with neutral referees (Not Mayo or Galway referees). One of the FIFA mottos is one of Fair Play, and such a gesture would be applauded by all right thinking people within the game of football.

**hoop4life** · 18/03/2009, 8:47 PM

i see where you are coming from tb. we got the same treatment in limerick and on reading the local papers it sounds like ye were cheated out of it and its not the first time that galway refs have won the game for galway teams. i can name two other occasions but thats for another day.
but, do you honestly think that west would consider giving you a replay?? it was not their fault that the refs were terrible and if the shoe was on the other foot, i don't think that westport would be offering west a replay.
but don't worry tb, west won't go on to win it and your dear friends from over the road will do ye a favour and beat them in the final!!!!

**east utd** · 19/03/2009, 9:03 AM

lads ,what worries me over the fallout from this match,when galway teams visit mayo can they still get a fair game,referees will be under fierce pressure especially say drawn away to westport.i would like to think so.also with the final to be played in galway which officials will be given the job,will say castlebar ask for roscommon refs?

**Westside142** · 19/03/2009, 12:08 PM

Originally Posted by west awake

if he was spot on about everything,which official had something to do with our club?why did none of ye complain about the officials when the westport no 2 kicked the west no 11 off the ball and was spotted by the linesman and wasn't sent off,the westport support abused the officials and the west players from start to finish,the west players lost count the amount of time they were called thinkers and knackers by gthe westport sideline,it's the same as last year down there when we beat westport,sour grapes no one turned up again after the game in the pub,was talking to dave horkan after the game and he said he had no major problem with the ref as he felt he could of got sent on a few occasions for persistent fouling.

I have to add also that other galway teams were watching what was going on and they couldn`t believe what they were witnessing and took off in embarrassment.I was on the sideline and don`t tarnish westports name with that rubbish about abusing west`s players your getting desperate when your down that road looking for a reaction.

**rava** · 19/03/2009, 2:16 PM

Hardly the first time westport supporters have been accused of a bit of verbals.

**west awake** · 19/03/2009, 2:20 PM

Originally Posted by Westside142

I have to add also that other galway teams were watching what was going on and they couldn`t believe what they were witnessing and took off in embarrassment.I was on the sideline and don`t tarnish westports name with that rubbish about abusing west`s players your getting desperate when your down that road looking for a reaction.

other galway teams?you mean galway hibs and the likes who all want to see west beaten,west have come from the bottom of the 1st division to the top of the premier in 4yrs,there is alot of jealousy amongst alot of the galway clubs towards west especially hibs.it's like westport and castlebar the rivalry.sure ye could always go to the high court to get a replay,thunderblaster can tell them about that poor man who couldn't sleep on sunday night.

**hoop4life** · 19/03/2009, 2:20 PM

Originally Posted by rava

Hardly the first time westport supporters have been accused of a bit of verbals.

agreed!!!!

**threefivetwo** · 19/03/2009, 3:51 PM

look lads i realise that ye feel ye were hard done by but them things happen in football, it's not west's fault if the refs and linesmen were in the wrong, after celtic being treated so bad down in limerick we didn't go on about wanting them to offer a replay, we took it on the chin even though obviously we were very annoyed, it's all part of the game...

tb i hope that fella got sleep the night after, i'm sure the fai or connaught fa would feel awful bad about that if ye were to go to court again!

**threefivetwo** · 19/03/2009, 3:52 PM

Originally Posted by hoop4life

agreed!!!!

definitely agreed!!

**threefivetwo** · 19/03/2009, 3:55 PM

Originally Posted by east utd

lads ,what worries me over the fallout from this match,when galway teams visit mayo can they still get a fair game,referees will be under fierce pressure especially say drawn away to westport.i would like to think so.also with the final to be played in galway which officials will be given the job,will say castlebar ask for roscommon refs?

the connaught final is always played with neutral refs as far as i know, i know in the 2 that we played in they were neutral anyway! mayo refs wouldn't be on a mayo teams side anyway, they always seem to be the same to both teams no matter what county the other team is from, FAIR PLAY its called!!

**Thunderblaster** · 19/03/2009, 6:36 PM

Originally Posted by west awake

the west players lost count the amount of time they were called thinkers

Have to say that I would take that as a compliment, as I would then be seen as having a philosphical outlook on the game!!

**Thunderblaster** · 19/03/2009, 6:56 PM

Originally Posted by west awake

i must say westport weren't very gracious in defeat,they were invited by west back to the local pub for a meal,which west do for every home game against teams that travel,they informed west before the game that they would be coming back afterwards,they never showed up,despite saying they would and about 20 meals went to waste

Westport would be usually gracious in defeat, but it is hard to be gracious in defeat in the circumstances of Sunday. I really cannot comment on the meals bit.

**west awake** · 19/03/2009, 7:30 PM

west united were officially informed today that indeed westport have an objection in protesting about the officials and the state of the pitch.why didn't they protest about the pitch before the game?sour sour grapes,they have requested a replay at a neutral venue!

**west awake** · 19/03/2009, 7:39 PM

Was at the match , Tony G was the ref with Paul Mc G one of the linesmen , didnt know the other. In the first half one of the Westport lads No 2 followed through with a kick on West defender which Paul brought to attention of ref . Got yellow but going on rules should have walked ...Red!!! Saw it myself !!! Ref did well in a tough job with probably more Westport support than home side , who were very vocal towards him. Their No 7 Horkan was also booked , bit of niggle there .....
Didnt envy his job stuck in the middle between two sets of very vocal supporters , but did well i thought. Not an easy job by any means . West won fair and square without playing to their full potential.

this was a neutrals point of view on the galwaysoccer.editboard.net

**hoop4life** · 19/03/2009, 7:50 PM

Originally Posted by threefivetwo

tb i hope that fella got sleep the night after, i'm sure the fai or connaught fa would feel awful bad about that if ye were to go to court again!

ha ha ha!! love it!!!

**FahyForever** · 19/03/2009, 9:30 PM

Seen as how Fahy Rovers won�t be winning the Connaught Cup anytime soon, I can honestly say I would be happy to see Westport win it any amount of times. However, this objection seems to smack of sour grapes to me. Westport have possibly the most loyal and dedicated fans in Connaught football, but their passion does not override the rules of the game. Should Ireland get in touch with Georgia and say �We had a look at the penalty decision lads and would ye fancy a replay?�

It�s not Wests fault if the officials messed up. Lodge a complaint about them (the referee and linesmen) as is your right, but requesting a replay on a neutral ground seems a bridge too far. And thats from someone with a bias towards Westport.

**the 12 th man** · 20/03/2009, 12:46 PM

Leveller,take a chill pill,your last couple of posts are borderline trolling,make your point without insults next time or your post will be deleted.

12 th man.

**the 12 th man** · 20/03/2009, 3:01 PM

On second thoughts Leveller's post(s) and its quoted ones deserve to be binned and that's where they're going.

**FahyForever** · 20/03/2009, 4:28 PM

Does that mean that the reason you have deleted my posts is because they quoted Levellers and you don�t want his to be viewed? Because I had written nothing offensive in mine and don�t see why they should be deleted otherwise. Is there not a better system? Why should I be censored despite not doing anything wrong?

**the 12 th man** · 20/03/2009, 6:22 PM

Originally Posted by FahyForever

Does that mean that the reason you have deleted my posts is because they quoted Levellers and you don�t want his to be viewed? Because I had written nothing offensive in mine and don�t see why they should be deleted otherwise. Is there not a better system? Why should I be censored despite not doing anything wrong?

The posts relating to Levellers are in the rubbish forum,some don't deserve to be there but are because they quote or relate directly to them.

At the moment there is no other way of doing it.