I'm sure most have seen it...

First of all this needs to be stopped. Whatever about identifying who was fighting on the pitch, all mentors and subs of both teams who entered the field should get large bans

DundalkGael (Louth) - Posts: 891 - 09/06/2018 09:29:36    2108872

These things happen from time to time In contact sports..It doesn't look good when you see it and especially when subs and management get Involved..I watched it a few times and it did look nasty..very easy for some one to get a punch on the head and be seriously injured

dave1988 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1043 - 09/06/2018 10:11:31    2108881

I was at the game. Firstly it shouldn't of happened. Unsavoury incident in an otherwise sporting excellent game of football. Punishment should be dealt out. There wasn't that many punches actually thrown, a lot of it was handbags and dragging. That's not go all Joe Duffy because it was two Ulster teams.

The_Fridge (Tyrone) - Posts: 2088 - 09/06/2018 11:16:20    2108890

Both teams should be expelled from the competition. This nonsense has to be eradicated from out sport. I don't care if it at Seniir, U20 or U17 level, if a brawl of this magnitude wrupts both teams should be expelled from the competition. Complete expulsion might make other counties think twice. Players involved should face an automatic 6 month band. Until the GAA takes a hardline approach this nonsense will continue. It will be too late when a player sustains a life changing injury.

I am all for being competitive but a player must play within the rules. Basically, accept defeat no matter how disappointed and be man enough to shake the hand of the opposition players and move on.

OakGael (Derry) - Posts: 293 - 09/06/2018 11:19:38    2108894

The_Fridge (Tyrone) - Posts: 2088 - 09/06/2018 11:39:40    2108897

I watched the incident twice and I can't say I saw any punches, it looked like a load of pushing and shoving really fellas trying to grab each others jerseys, let's just say iv seen worse.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 09/06/2018 11:47:33    2108900

Cuckoosinging (Roscommon) - Posts: 992 - 09/06/2018 11:49:12    2108901

A highly entertaining game with 48 scores yet the main talking point is a brawl?

The_analyser (Roscommon) - Posts: 3741 - 09/06/2018 12:19:00    2108906

Throw both teams out.. As someone stated all it needs is one punch to the side of the head and a player could be seriously injured. This crack of saying it's harmless etc is moronic. Subs running on for a free for all in front of a packed attendance, its time to lay down a marker , yes punish
both counties by expulsion ..

Belclare1 (Galway) - Posts: 1626 - 09/06/2018 12:40:23    2108911

I was at the game last night, and boy was it value for the £9 admission fee! 2 bouts of extra time - an absolutely brilliant game - two excellent free flowing teams with nothing between them. Both a credit to their counties!

This was actually a very clean and fair game - I felt that the ref was part of the reason the brawl happened - as the game hit the melting pot he took his eye off it and started discussing a score with the umpire while the lads behind started a bit of argy-bargy. In fairness he dealt with it well in the end. The worst part was seeing mentors involved, the rest was really pushing and shoving.

Of course the media focus on the one unsavoury incident - not the 95-100 mins of thrilling action!

Brolly (Monaghan) - Posts: 4472 - 09/06/2018 12:53:05    2108913

The narrative about this incident will be mostly talk about ulster football which will be like sweeping this under the carpet ,a few bans and fines and only a matter of time until the next incident whether that be in a football game or hurling regardless of wherever it happens.
this was an U20 game of football in which i have no doubt there was many children present. brawls like this have no place on a GAA pitch or even in a town centre at 3am saturday or sunday morning and need to be dealt with fully and harshly to stamp scenes like this out of the game..
id imagine many posters here on hoganstand have their own stories of mass brawls like this hurling or football with their own clubs..in my experience years ago we had a football game at u14 level in which scenes not too different to this brawl happened, we lost a player (13 years of age) who got absolutely pummeled and was left a bloody mess and in the fallout parents pulled 2 players from the team moving those lads to concentrate solely on rugby and soccer.
this isnt a dig at either armagh or tyrone or ulster football because lets face it this happens all over the country but examples need to be made of these teams and this behaviour needs to be stamped out permanently

pidge (Cork) - Posts: 543 - 09/06/2018 13:02:09    2108915

Looks terrible, gives oxygen to those who love to put the boot into the game ,I've seen worse but honestly it's a long time since I've seen those scenes they are not nearly as regular as the old days,
Perspective is what's required and measured punishment, the reaction to social media should not be a factor into a knee jerk reaction

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 09/06/2018 13:06:23    2108916

Thank god for some common sense comments on here already. I thought this was going to turn into another unnecessary witch hunt.

I have to agree too that it seemed like a load of handbags which we have seen numerous times at county level over the past few years.

Gone are the days when anyone actually gets punched.

lambofgod (Mayo) - Posts: 116 - 09/06/2018 13:11:56    2108918

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 09/06/2018 13:45:25    2108927

My god, so many sweetie wives on here, next you will be saying make the game non contact.

I, like a few others on this thread was at the game. Possibly one of the best games I've ever witnessed, it had everything good about football from a group of lads who gave absolutely everything. Such a pity someone had to lose. Yes, there was a 30 second brawl but if you are going to start a thread each team there's a row were going to need a bigger forum.

sean og (Armagh) - Posts: 1053 - 09/06/2018 15:38:24    2108953

Remove all physicality from the game immediately , kids up and down the country will be heading to tag rugby in droves if this jersey grabbing and pushing continues !!

achara (Monaghan) - Posts: 561 - 09/06/2018 16:06:49    2108959

PaudieSull1 (Down) - Posts: 738 - 09/06/2018 18:13:43    2108998

Appalling & embarrassing. The fear in that child's volce. Sums them up.

greysoil (Monaghan) - Posts: 965 - 09/06/2018 18:50:00    2109012

an absolute disgrace and both sides should be heavily punished, no place in sport for this type of thuggish behaviour, anyone who has crossed the white line to get involved should be banned and punished as much if not more than the players who should have been on the field, some example to show young spectators and any punishments should be shown to the younger folks that this behaviour is unacceptable and won't be tollerated

bulmccabe (Tyrone) - Posts: 361 - 09/06/2018 20:03:58    2109050

The big issue is the subs/mentors coming on from sideline.......bigger issue is the number of times free for all s involving spectators, mentors etc has happened at the Athletic Grounds in recent years, for a ground that gets a hell of a lot of high profile games you would have to ask what or where are the stewards?
PaudieSull1 (Down) - Posts: 537 - 09/06/2018 18:13:43 Theyre not "mentors" if thats how they act.
A mentor is supposed to be an older experienced person to train and develop those in their care. If thats how they act theyre not a mentor.
Yes questions should be asked of the stewards and more what training do they receive but also of what is in place to stop people accessing the pitch during games.

DonaldDuck (Tipperary) - Posts: 544 - 09/06/2018 20:54:28    2109087