The great eL (Dublin) Refs Debate

**pete** · 14/04/2003, 2:37 PM

Round 1:
Cork City v Pats - dublin ref (D McKeon)
Bohs v UCD - dublin ref (D McKeon)
Derry v Longford - dublin ref (Stokes)
Rovers v Drogs - dublin ref (Feighery)
Waterford v $hel$ - cork ref (Kelly)

Be interesting to see if this trend continues as the weeks go by...

Are their no other non-dublin based refs In the Premier division?

**pineapple stu** · 14/04/2003, 9:25 PM

Thing is, if there are no other refs (and I don't know), how can people complain when their game gets reffed by a Dub?

And why aren't the culchies going out reffing?

That would be most people in this forum...

**Ref** · 15/04/2003, 10:34 AM

would you like to be a referee pete?

i could point you in the right direction if you want.

roughly 45% of the panel is from Dublin.

there are 1200 referees in Ireland - 400 are from Dublin.

the other 800 are scattered throughout the other 25 counties.

rural areas that are GAA strongholds like kerry, kilkenny etc have fierce competition with the GAA and that effects membership of clubs which in turn leads to a lack of clubs and leagues with a small number of clubs lack professionalism in some cases and this affects the recruitment of referees.

a lot of rural areas will not have young referees that would be aspiring to eL football, these areas are generally made up of ex-players and dads that want their son to have a referee on saturday mornings.

to be a eL referee you have to be a grade one by at least 28/29 if you want to go eL. that means you'd realistically have to start refereeing before 20 or in your early 20s.

also, a lot of referees have no aspirations to referee eL and others simply wouldn't be up to that standard.

the best referees in the country are on the panel at the moment.

and the strongest junior and senior leagues are in Dublin and it only makes sense that somebody reffing such a standard of football would make the transition easier than somebody down the country refereeing in Schull or Westport where lets face it the standard wouldn't be great.

theres many other factors involved, but pete the best referees in the country are the ones doing the games at the moment.

comments pete post them.

**sadloserkid** · 15/04/2003, 10:39 AM

Point me in the right direction ref...

**Ref** · 15/04/2003, 10:42 AM

If anyone seriously wants to be a referee post below and put your location after your name and I'll take it from there

**sadloserkid** · 15/04/2003, 10:44 AM

Ok, I'm giving it serious thought but not committing to anything just yet...

I live in Limerick city.

**pete** · 15/04/2003, 12:00 PM

Nah couldn't do that reffing lark myself

If 45% of refs on the panel from dublin then city should get a dublin ref approx 45% of the time. Can update this thread as the league progresses to see how the numbers work out...

**pineapple stu** · 15/04/2003, 12:35 PM

Originally posted by pete
If 45% of refs on the panel from dublin then city should get a dublin ref approx 45% of the time. Can update this thread as the league progresses to see how the numbers work out...

But he also said that because the Dublin junior leagues are stronger than the rest of the country, the Dubiln refs will be stronger as well, which would mean that more of the top refs would be from Dublin.

You should give the reffing a go, though. Makes you realise how many decision you thought were wrong are actually right.

**pineapple stu** · 15/04/2003, 12:54 PM

Dubs aren't better footballers, but less of them get taken by the GAA, so I'd imagine the leagues are better. I can't compare from first-hand experience, but it makes sense. Plus, with more people, the top leagues should be stronger.

As for the refs - of course there are plenty of bad refs. But the point is that reffing higher quality, as you pointed out, on a more regular basis will do a lot to improve you as a ref.

**sadloserkid** · 15/04/2003, 1:17 PM

Junior football is it boys? Two words for you all - Fairview Rangers.

**Ref** · 15/04/2003, 11:24 PM

Originally posted by Conor74
Look folks, there is no huge difference in the standards of players from county to county.

how many kerry referees on the eL panel conor?

**Macy** · 16/04/2003, 9:06 AM

Far be it for me to stick up for the jackeens, but wasn't the Kerry under 21 team a select team from the Kerry league(s), whereas all the other teams were single club teams???

**pete** · 16/04/2003, 9:24 AM

Originally posted by Macy
Far be it for me to stick up for the jackeens, but wasn't the Kerry under 21 team a select team from the Kerry league(s), whereas all the other teams were single club teams???

Could also be argued that Bohs have as large a player pool as County Kerry?

Dunno what any of this to do with refs though.

**Macy** · 16/04/2003, 10:23 AM

Originally posted by pete
Could also be argued that Bohs have as large a player pool as County Kerry?

Not very convincingly IMO, considering the competition from traditional "nursery" clubs, other eL teams, LSL etc etc and the fact that young players are more likely to get scouted to england from Dublin....

Originally posted by pete
Dunno what any of this to do with refs though.

Nor me, something to do with better standard of players = equals better refs? I'd say it's better overall standards + more competitive = equals better refs... Also bigger population = more leagues = more games = equals more refs = more chance = more Dub refs at the top

levels....

**joe** · 16/04/2003, 12:33 PM

Originally posted by Conor74
That's a fair point Macy, but thought the original group stages included a lot of select teams - wasn't there a Limerick City (not the club) and a Limerick county? Must check it out.

Limerick were there as were UL (University of Limerick). As for representative sides, afaik mayo district league entered, but not sure if there were (m)any others

**sadloserkid** · 17/04/2003, 8:12 AM

Originally posted by Conor74
wasn't there a Limerick City (not the club) and a Limerick county?

In the U-21 League? If so, then Joe has it right above. UL and Limerick FC took part.

**pete** · 26/04/2003, 2:14 PM

Round 1:
Cork City v Pats - dublin ref (D McKeon)
Bohs v UCD - dublin ref (P McKeon)
Derry v Longford - dublin ref (Stokes)
Rovers v Drogs - dublin ref (Feighery)
Waterford v $hel$ - cork ref (Kelly)

Round 2:
Drogheda Utd v Waterford Utd Referee: I. Stokes (Dublin)
St Patricks Ath v Shamrock Rov Referee: J. O�Neill (Waterford)
UCD v Cork City Referee: J. McDermott (Dublin)
Shelbourne v Derry City Referee: A. Buttimer (Cork)
Longford Town v Bohemians Referee - H. Byrne (Dublin).

Round3:
Waterford Utd v St Patricks Ath Referee: D. Hancock (Dublin).
Shamrock Rov v UCD Referee: P. McKeon (Dublin)
Derry City v Drogheda Utd Referee: D. McKeon (Dublin)
Shelbourne v Longford Town Referee:J. Feighery (Dublin)
Cork City v Bohemians Referee: J. O�Neill (Waterford)

Round 4:
UCD v Waterford Utd Referee: P Tuite (Dublin).
St Patricks Ath v Derry City Referee: H Whoriskey (Meath).
Drogheda Utd v Shelbourne Referee: I. Stokes (Dublin)
Longford Town v Cork City Referee: D Hanney (Dublin)
Bohemians v Shamrock Rov Referee: A. Kelly (Cork)

Round 5:
Derry City v UCD Referee: D. Hancock (Dublin)
Waterford Utd v Bohemians Referee � J McDermott (Dublin)
Shelbourne v St Patricks Ath Referee � D McKeon (Dublin)
Drogheda Utd v Longford Town Referee � Jim O�Neill (Waterford)
Shamrock Rov v Cork City Referee: H Whoriskey (Meath).

Round 6:
Bohemians v Derry City Referee � J O�Neill (Waterford)
Cork City v Waterford Referee � D McKeon (Dublin)
St Pats v Drogs Referee � E Barr (Dublin)
UCD v Shelbourne Referee- A Kelly (Cork)
Longford v Rovers - Referee: A Buttimer (Cork).