Waterford manager Davy Fitzgerald has again found himself on the wrong side of the officials after their win over Laois on Saturday night. The Déise manager was least pleased at stewards removing one of his backroom team from behind the goal. He wasn't much happier with the refereeing team who sent off forward Mikey Kiely in the 6th minute of the game either.
The controversy originated from Davy Fitz placing a member of his backroom team behind Waterford keeper Shaun O'Brien. Fitzgerald used the same tactics in the Dublin game, but his luck ran out in Port Laoise. Early in the second half, three stewards from O'Moore Park confronted the Waterford coach behind the wire.
The incident took place in this weekend's second round of the Allianz National Hurling League. Speaking after the game to reporters, Davy was seemed fairly aggrieved at the attempt to move his coach, which came in the 43rd minute of the game.
I probably don't think that's right to tell you the truth. I think he's entitled to be behind the goal. You can have as many people as you want behind the goal normally.
I can’t understand why a steward is trying to move him, I just don’t understand that. They want me off the field, not coming on trying to make switches. All I’m trying to do is be innovative and come up with different ways around it so if you want to make a change you can make a change.
The ejection was captured on the TG4 cameras.
Going into further detail Davy explained why the man was there and what his function is, saying it comes down to the abolition of the on-field moar foirne. Fitzgerald explained to TG4 the man was a creative solution to getting messages onto the pitch, a task becoming ever more difficult in today's game. Fitz made it very clear that there was nothing sinister about his man's presence and he categorically wasn't there for puckouts.
It’s not for puckouts, I will totally refute that completely.
He's looking at the game, he's giving an instruction or two that we're giving, because we're not allowed, with the maor foirne gone to get messages to move here there and anywhere, it's so difficult.
Normally a maor foirne would run up to the goals and say ‘listen, we need to get the ball here and here.’ We can’t do that anymore. I don’t think it is any bad thing to tell you the truth. In effect he is passing a message on and just making a change, that’s it.
This wasn't Davy's only issue with the officials on the day, also taking exception to Michael Kiely's early red card, which saw the Déise reduced to 14 men after just six minutes. Kiely was sent off for an off-the-ball incident caught by the umpires, but Davy was struggling to make sense of the booking after the game.
So what Sean Stack is saying is he just dug him for no reason. That doesn’t make sense to me, that he just dug him for no reason. That doesn’t make sense.
I think he said he actioned his elbows back which appeared that he used the hurley, he says he didn’t. I can only take Mikey at his word, on what he said. Mikey was very upset at it and I honestly believe the umpires need to have a good look at themselves and think can you really do that to someone after a few minutes? Very harsh I thought on Mikey.
"I think we've a bit of work to do but there is certain aspects of our game that I would be very happy with."
Smaointí Davy Fitzgerald, bainisteoir buacach Port Láirge.@WaterfordGAA|@GAA_BEO|@officialgaa#LAOvWAT|#GAABEO #AllianzLeagues pic.twitter.com/ZKq8ssgGGl— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) February 11, 2023
Waterford next game will see them take on Antrim from the comforts of home on Sunday 26th February at 1 pm. All eyes will be on Davy Fitzgerald to see if and where his backroom team pop up around the ground.
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