Former Waterford hurler Seamus Prendergast does not want to see the black card introduced in hurling.
The debate could be up for discussion when Congress convenes at the end of this month, with former GAA President Liam O’ Neill voicing his full support for such a motion.
Speaking to the Irish Examiner this week, O’ Neill said that the increase in cynical fouling requires action to prevent the skill of the game being killed.
The 37th president of the association claims that the black card is the best means of stopping undesirable play.
“I am delighted it’s been looking at. Pat Daly and I stuck our necks out in 2008 and 2009 when the black card in hurling was ruled out at Congress. We have been reaping the results of that ever since.”
“You’re now seeing the pull-back now and body checks and it’s stopping skilful play. Hurling is about skill and it’s the most skilful game in the world - I’d debate that with anybody - and if you don’t allow a person who is skilful to display his skills you’re doing down the game.” – he told the Examiner.
Prendergast is of the opinion that something needs to be done, but that the black card is not that thing.
“I don’t think the black card is working 100% in the football so I don’t think it should come in to the hurling”.
“My thoughts on it are that maybe a player that’s deliberately pulled down once he’s inside the 45-yard line, they should be awarded a penalty straight away for the attacking team”
“I think that would stop people doing the cynical fouls on that part of the field”.
Asked why the black card was not working in the other code, Prendergast thought that the evidence of the continuation of cynical fouling was enough to prove his point.
“Well they’re still plenty of fellas being pulled down and you know they’re only exchanging a player with another player”
“The bigger teams have the panels to cover that. The likes of Dublin or maybe Donegal or Mayo, they have a panel of players there that somebody can come on and replace the fella that gets black carded.”
“If it’s a penalty in either code it can change the course of the game”
You can here more from Seamus here
https://open.spotify.com/episode/08ik5kuz8BzmauE2r6UXvm?si=hHxfD3iyS-aBeGszfHigiw
