Ref David Gough gives fresh take on rules after being 'horrified' at first
Leading football referee David Gough has heaped praise on the new rules, saying they have brought a 'happy atmosphere' to matches.
It's something of an about turn by the Meath official, who was vocal in his criticism of the swathe of rules changes when they were passing through Special Congress in November and again at the outset of the Allianz League in January.
Gough said that he was 'horrified' at how the rules were written and said that 'to bring in 49 rule changes was astonishing'.
However, some three months on, he says that the work of Jim Gavin's Football Review Committee has seen levels of respect afforded to referees go through the roof, particularly at club level.
The two-time All-Ireland final referee was taking part in a panel discussion for the launch of SuperValu's five-year extension to its all-Ireland SFC sponsorship alongside Dublin footballer Niall Scully, Armagh footballer Jemar Hall and Cork dual star Hannah Looney.
'They've been great for us, once they bed in,' he said of the rules. 'I think the greatest one for us is one of the values that's based in the GAA. Respect - and the respect that's afforded to referees now on the pitch and from the sideline has increased greatly.
'I notice it not so much at inter-county level in that we have a great relationship (with the players) on the pitch and a good relationship with the management teams but certainly for club referees around the country.
'They are telling us anecdotally that the enjoyment for them in refereeing and the respect that they're getting has increased significantly and that there's greater silence on the pitch and they're allowed make their decisions, go through the thought processes.
'There just seems to be a happy atmosphere among the referee cohort at the moment in relation to the respect on the field.'
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