Kevin McKernan was forced to go sit in the stands after 40 minutes of Down’s Ulster final with Tyrone.
Black card.
Kieran McGeary was taken out of the action in Clones too because he found himself with nowhere else to go.
Black card.
Dean Rock started the Leinster final on bloody fire. He kicked a score off his left, he burst through and finished with pure aplomb to hit the net and his tail was up. He was no sooner headed for the bench though.
Black card.
As a GAA referee "the black card" is Gaelic footballs achillies heel. Dean Rock being the perfect example #DubVKil #GAA
— Pól ☘ (@poljoy32) July 16, 2017
It wasn’t as if it was much punishment for Dublin anyway – Bernard Brogan came on in his place – but it’s not right that a man has to wait weeks and months for these big games only to be taken out of it when it comes to the day, and over the head of something trivial too.
Against Kildare, Rock came steaming out looking for possession. He didn’t win it. He fell over seemingly courtesy of the defender and he tangled with the feet of the opposition. They’re a good 100 metres from any danger, they’re fighting for a loose ball but his game is over because he was deemed to have cynically fouled.
Whether you reckon it was a black card not – that sort of coming together is not why the rule was brought in.
And it was the last straw on a Sunday that was the last straw for a lot of people regarding the black card.
Can we just stop with the black card now .
— Niamh Thornbury (@niamharmagh11) July 16, 2017
Today will be the death knell for the black card #gaa
— Damien Mallon (@lemallon) July 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/Eoiny_Carroll/status/886608536796581888
May well not bother trying to physically get the ball anymore if hats a Black card lad https://t.co/ouD0UDOE9y
— Conor.mortimer ⚽️ (@Conmort) July 16, 2017
what a joke. that was no black card. ref is poor
— Brian Max (@Uridium_Max) July 16, 2017
There are some who reckon it was a black card and therein lies the problem. By the letter of the law, some could argue that it looked that way – we’ll never know the intent. But by common sense, it once again was not a foul that brought about the introduction of the black card in the first place.
- Colm Cooper said that Dean Rock’s, by the letter of the law, was a black card.
- Joe Brolly said that there are too many cards being given. That it should be a last resort.
Referee Anthony Nolan might be getting some sympathy for that decision but he’s had a bit of a nightmare himself – dishing out a yellow for a stunning shoulder tackle from Johnny Byrne on Paddy Andrews.
This is bang on though. The intention of the rule is decent. The application of it is deplorable.
Black card rule needs revising. Should be only for point/goalscoring opportunities. Rock's black card was cruel.
— Evan Dunne (@EvanDunne) July 16, 2017
It’s not being applied for what it’s supposed to be applied to – and the punishment is pretty shit anyway.
