TWO OF HURLING’S top names believe that ”sledging” between opponents is Gaelic football’s dirty little secret.
Both the legendary Henry Shefflin and Cork’s Patrick Horgan said that they have never experienced any malicious trash talk while on the field.
Football’s darker side came under the spotlight again following Donegal and Tyrone’s Ulster championship clash, with Sean Cavanagh opening up on his experience of personal abuse.
There have been calls for referees to take action to stamp out the nastiness but Allstars Shefflin and Horgan feel that there is no such problem in hurling.
“I’ve never seen it on a hurling field in all my years,” Shefflin said.
“I’ve never experienced it – a lad misses a free and he says something like, ‘You missed a free,’ but that’s basically it.
“From talking to different players, hurling-wise, and from your own experience, it seems to be something that’s crept into the game of football.
You would hope that it just doesn’t creep into the game of hurling. And I don’t imagine it will.
The speed of hurling makes it harder for players to get in each others’ faces and spark a bout of verbals, he suggested.
“A big thing for me, with the football – because there’s runners going left, right and centre, they’re banging each other and blocking a run, and next thing the lads fall on the ground, they get up, and they say something to each other.
With hurling we don’t have that because the ball is gone 50 or 60 yards and that’s it, the play is over that side. So I’d imagine that’s probably helping the game of hurling, that there’s not that same level of physical contact.
Speaking to the media on Monday, Cavanagh said that some players would go so far as to research an opponent’s family history and then use it to taunt them.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Shefflin said.
“There was a rumour of that last year that I’d heard at one or two of the football matches. And anyone who said it to me, I said ‘No, I don’t believe you’ and that was basically it.
“It’s only when players are starting to come out now and actually say it, and I think you’ll hear more of it creeping out now as well, different players saying it.
I just find it absolutely crazy. I think there’s no place in the game for it, and I think that’s been the general consensus from everyone.
“I think if it’s going on in certain teams, management need to step up to the mark and say ‘Look, lads, this is not going to happen on my shift.’”
Donegal manager Rory Gallagher complained that his captain Michael Murphy had been physically ‘targeted’ by Justin McMahon, who had been detailed to a man-marking role on the forward.
Horgan criticised the nasty edge to the game in Ballybofey, and agreed with Shefflin that hurling’s speed is partly its saviour.
Michael Murphy, a man hanging off him, I don’t know how someone wants to go around doing that as a job.
“It just bugs me like so. I don’t know. I have no time for it anyway.
“It’s probably harder in hurling because the ball can travel so far so quick, whereas when you’re building in football, fellas they could be trotting around for a while, running off the ball for ages, so I’d say it happens more in football, yeah
“When it happens it’s not nice. To even see it on Sunday wasn’t nice.”
I’ve never seen a sport that congratulates itself as much as hurling. And I play the game.
Gaelic football is the ugly, obnoxious, boring sister of the beautiful, sexy, exciting game of hurling. If I was hurling, I’d be congratulating myself too!
Player asked question and answers it.. How is that congratulating itself?
Obviously a Kilkenny man here….
Cos Meath and Tyrone are shite at hurling!
Hurling is such a fast game players don’t have time to be standing around and trash talking.
It just goes to show how amateurish the game is when it’s accepted in the game at top level down to grass roots.not to mention the abuse that’s given to Referees by players and the crowd.
So soccer players don’t abuse refs? I would say soccer players reaction to the refs is even worse than in the gaa. Personally I think Rory Gallagher and mickey Harte really need to get this out of their team, they should be responsible for their players behaviour but of course neither do anything. This is the second in the space of two weeks Tyrone football has been in the media for cynical play and sledging. This isn’t just an ulster thing but it’s much more common here
timeouts and stoppages aside, basketball is as quick as hurling in terms of play going from one end of the court to the next and thrash talk is rife in it so I don’t agree with the speed argument. there’s plenty of time for getting in a fellas ear during frees, 65s and puck outs. Nash being blocked by players on his run up field for penalties being a case in point.
Paul what about the abuse supporters give to refs?didnt some lad invade the pitch last year to tackle the the referee in the latter stages of the all Ireland and he was almost an over night celebrity after it
And what about soccer supporters beating the head off each other before and after games, or shouting racist chants and homophobic chants at players and refs. Doesn’t make sense to say the gaa is amateur because there’s sledging in the game. There’s sledging and much worse in the English league and that’s a multi billion pound industry.
throughout my years of school, there were numerous occasions were people loafed each other with a hurl, its the best sport out there but I don’t believe its immune to trash talk or the likes
Are you telling me there was no sledging between Tommy Walsh, Jackie Tyrell and Lar Corbatt back in that famous 2012 semi.Come on Henry. It look like Henry was do a bit of it himself in last years semi vs Limerick
Fair play to you for seeing that in the monsoon like conditions in last years semi or is it just b-llsh-t?
Slow tedious game that leaves fellas standing around doing sod all. That gives them the time to sledge. Soccer is the same!
Galways ‘Joe rabitte’ got buried by a Rossie lad during a hurling game a few years back. Took a Hurl to the base of the skull, knocked him clean out. That was the only time I’ve seen an ambulance having to come on to the pitch.
Sledging is undesirable, obviously, but how are you ever going to police that all over the pitch or stamp it out?
Doesn’t seem feasible.
Either players are aware of how low they go with it or just get thick skinned about it.
I’m sure it goes on in most or all field sports anyway
Trash talk/sledging is apart of most competitive sports.
If a fella wants to tell you that
you’re shite, let him.
“that was a bad effort there,you’re fair shite”
hey is that your mother on the sideline,she’s nice isn’t she or she’s some size isn’t she…
Hurling and Football is a great sport to get your revenge over your opponent.
Think this is all been blown out of proportion.