SHE MADE HISTORY at a Dr McKenna Cup game last night but referee Maggie Farrelly is not expecting any red carpet treatment in the GAA.
Farrelly has been blazing a trail in the GAA and last night became the first female referee to take charge of a senior male inter-county fixture for the clash of Fermanagh and St Mary’s.
But the Cavan woman insists she is no different to any other upcoming referee in the GAA and revealed the level of welcome she has received.
“Everybody has been very much supportive and respectful and definitely has integrated me into GAA officiating seamlessly,” Farrelly told the BBC after last night’s game.
“I’m just Maggie Farrelly and I’m a referee. I don’t expect red carpets rolled out for me or anything, I’m just treated like everyone else.
I don’t have high expectations how I should be treated because I’m no different to anyone else.
“At the end of the day you’re only a referee. Regardless of gender, I have the same fitness tests to do, I have the same written tests to do and I get the same support like any other referee.”
In 2014 Farrelly became the first woman to officiate at a male inter-county fixture when she was fourth official in a league meeting between Dublin and Kerry in Croke Park.
Last summer she took charge of the Ulster minor championship tie between Fermanagh and Antrim.
But she traces her initial involvement to a simple desire to help out her local club in Cavan, Laragh United.
“When you’re involved with a club, you try to do as much as you can and help them out.
“I initially thought I was going to be refereeing at just juvenile level and then sort of progressed from there.
“Then I got into refereeing reserve football, the all county league and then sort of progressed into Division 1 football.
Then I refereed reserve championship, then intermediate, junior, senior championship. So the sort of progression was there ongoing.
“In 2011, I got invited on to the Ulster Academy. I spent two years on it and basically during that period, basically officiating intercounty blitzes at provincial level and national level.
“Then we’ve been officiating at minor and senior championship at club level at intercounty level.
“Last year was the first intercounty provincial championship at minor level. So my progress is no different than the lads that are with me. The lads that started out on the same academy with me, they’re the very same.
“Everybody’s progressing at the same rate. It’s just the opportunities that you’re given.”
Andy Reid has always been a quality player, unfortunately his career coincided with the premier league craze for big athletic centre midfielders and out and out wide players. 442 was his downfall that is why he’s been excellent the last 18 months, he has no position with Forest just picks it up anywhere on the pitch and makes things happen. Donkeys like Chris and Pat just form an opinion without reason, they’ll be wavin their plastic hammers all over the pub when he’s helping Ireland to the next Euros
Fair point but dies that still not mean that physically Reid was/is not good enough for the premier league? He’s had 2 or 3 opportunities to prove himself as a premiership player and has failed every time. It takes a lot more than the ability to “pick out a pass” when it comes to making it at the highest level. I believe Reid wasted his best years because he did not give total and unrelenting commitment to ensuring that he was at his absolute maximum level of physical fitness, which would have allowed him to be a consistent performer at premier league level. Hence he would often string a few decent performances together at Sunderland in particular, then disappear for a few months and suddenly appear again “looking fitter than he has ever looked” (WTF?) for another spell of good form before disappearing again. That kind of attitude would have been acceptable in the 70s or 80s but not in the modern game.
As for Reid’s future with Ireland, well, the guy is thirty something so he is hardly the future is he? Could be a decent option off the bench if we were struggling to break down Georgia away for example, but it would be embarrassing to see him up against Ozil, Kroos, Gotze and co.
The journal has an obsession with Andy Reid though, so expect plenty more articles on him while he is still in the mix for Ireland selection.
I disagree with your point about him not being good enough for the PL, what I was saying was the type of football being played at those clubs (Sunderland, Spurs) at the time was where centre mids were box to box and wide players who could run at people. Now with various formations being used by PL clubs there is more of a demand for players who play between the lines, he could easily play 3/4 of the teams in the premiership now, good players need good players around them. What are all the “” regarding?
I just think he’s vastly overrated by the Irish media that’s all. Who are the 3-4 sides that play these formations nowadays that would accommodate Reid? Teams like west ham/crystal palace/stoke/Sunderland play the same shite football today that they were playing ten years ago.
He’s nowhere near good enough to play for a top 6 side. He lacks pace to play behind the strikers for a top level side. His work rate was also exposed when he came up against top players of a similar style. The difference between the likes of Reid and the world class creative players is their willingness to work off the ball. Based on his career to date I think he has been lazy in the past and that’s what I meant by the quotes about him being in the shape of his career/lost a few pounds etc.. Shouldn’t he always have maintained that level of conditioning? Is that not what he is paid to do?
Professional footballers getting praised for losing a few pounds of fat?? It’s a joke. Like Roy Keane said “it’s like praising the postman for delivering mail”
That’s my opinion anyway
Those comments should be reported on the basis of nothing but stupidity
Ah booo
Feel bad for him I know he has it in him but hasn’t gotten a big enough chance to prove it!
He has had multiple chances at premier league level and with Ireland throughout his career and has never taken any of them or nailed down a proper starting place for a sustained period of time under any manager? Were all his previous managers wrong then?
“Nottingham Forest star”
I must remember that next time I need an example for the meaning of oxymoron.
^^^^^^^
You’re an idiot. You know nothing about football. Better not to speak when you’ve nothing but stupid things to say.
Hes fat anyway!
Big loss for Ireland, he can do things that others can’t.
But Forest, already crippled with injuries, are absolutely fooked without Reid.
Still makes me angry at least 4 years of international duties were robbed off him. Wouldn’t mind if Whelan and Green were worthy their places in the squad