Davy Fitzgerald claims official ‘despises me' as he fumes over Antrim red card during heavy loss to Galway
A seething Davy Fitzgerald claimed linesman Johnny Murphy "despises me" after seeing his Antrim side heavily beaten by Galway.
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The 53-year-old lost his temper at half-time as well as post-match
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Declan McCloskey couldn't believe it when ref Thomas Gleeson brandished the red card
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Johnny Murphy has long been a highly-respected official
The home side were already in firm control on the cusp of half-time when Declan McCloskey was sent off for throwing Tom Monaghan to the ground as they led 2-12 to 0-8.
But the red card clearly opened the floodgates for the second half as Micheal Donohue's side ran rampant.
Fitzgerald was so aghast at the decision to send only his player off over the clash that when the whistle for half-time blew he angrily confronted linesman Johnny Murphy.
Murphy was the focus of his ire as it had been whom had spotted McCloskey and Monaghan grappling and ultimately advised referee Thomas Gleeson to only send McCloskey off.
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It is worth noting that on The Saturday Game, neutral observer Jackie Tyrrell was firmly in the belief that a red card was too harsh of a punishment for the action.
However, Fitzgerald's post-match comments
The Clare legend alleged: "No, it wasn't Gleeson (who'd made the decision).
"It was Johnny Murphy seeing it and Johnny Murphy now, probably Johnny Murphy wouldn't have any time for me, number one.
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"That's out there. Everybody knows that. Himself and one or two more of them. They actually despise me, and that's fine.
"Would it have made a difference there? It wouldn't make a difference.
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"Galway better were than us, way better than us, and there's no getting away from that. I'm just disappointed how we played as a team in the second half."
Earlier in the interview he had said Antrim will be taking the matter to GAA headquarters.
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He stated: "Today once again once the man was sent off, it was over.
"But our issue with the man sending off, and we wouldn't have won the game by the way, is he got a punch in the stomach before that and nothing was done.
"The way one of our players was treated by the officials is something we're going to go to Croke Park and talk about as well.
"We're not happy with that. Would it have made a difference today? No way.
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"We weren't near in Galway's class today, but there's certain things in the GAA we have to look at and that's it."
The bitterly disappointing outcome leaves the Saffrons with essentially a relegation play-off next weekend against Offaly.
The Faithful will be coming into that Tullamore tussle on the back of a more creditable
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