Former Galway and Sligo manager Kevin Walsh thinks linesmen should have a more prominent role to play in intercounty games than what they have now.
Most linesmen on the sidelines are referees and he believes they can see more of what’s going on on the field and should be used better.
Speaking on the Clash Act podcast here on scoreline, he says there’s no reason why they can’t be given whistles.
More influence
It gets harder (to do this) as you go down the clubs and you’re down to the junior b and the junior a, that gets harder as you might never have enough people to do it” said Kevin.
“If you put your life and soul into something that’s the least you deserve. Now it’s beyond me how you always have referees doing linesman there any way in the big games, it’s beyond me to say that they’re just there to fill in for someone who gets injured”.
“This cannot be all about a referee, this has got to be about the best for that person, no more than management, it can’t be about the manager”.
Equal power
“So for me, if I got two inter-county referees on a sideline and all they’re doing is waving a flag to tell you where the ball went, I mean the referee will see that himself, give him a role with a whistle around his neck, he shouldn’t have to say oh I’m not going to step in, I’m a referee as much as he is,” said Kevin.
“That’s where this needs to come to, if we even have three referees at that point, it stops the tugging off the ball, it’s going to stop momentum changes which can be given by one referee who will referee tough on one team and not the other team.
“Those three people (should) have the same power” he added.
Catch up with Kevin’s interview on the Clash Act Podcast below.
