29-07-2025
Kilkenny's 'extreme frustration' as they break silence on Tipp scoreboard fiasco
Kilkenny have broken their silence on the All-Ireland semi-final scoreboard fiasco which they say caused 'extreme frustration'.
However, county board chairman PJ Kenny said there was never any question of the game with eventual champions Tipperary being replayed after the Croke Park scoreboard displayed the wrong score after recording a Noel McGrath wide as a point, causing Kilkenny to chase goals late on when points may have salvaged extra time for them.
As it was, referee James Owens reported the final score as 4-20 - rather than 4-21 - to 0-30 in favour of Tipperary, meaning that there was no avenue for a replay, not that Kilkenny were pursuing one in any event.
Although Kilkenny held their silence, Kenny said that lines of communication between them were open at all times in the aftermath of the game and that they received an apology for the error.
He told the KCLR Hurling Podcast: 'There was communication that evening after the match. Obviously there was extreme frustration with the players, management and the county board and all the fans as well who paid to go to the match. There was deep frustration. We were in talks with Croke Park from the very start that evening. We knew and under no rule, it was never going to a replay.
'We didn't want to broadcast it all over the front pages and we did talk to Croke Park regularly on the Sunday and Monday and we looked for an explanation. We were also conscious as well, Tipperary and Cork were in the All-Ireland final. There was no point in taking away from their… there was nothing to be gained that way but we were in talks.
'Croke Park took full responsibility. They wrote a letter which we actually read out at the county board meeting the week after that. They took full responsibility for what happened. They issued an apology, particularly they felt for the players and management and they're probably the people who put in the most effort in it so it wasn't an easy time.'
Kenny added that Croke Park pledged to put procedures in place to ensure that there isn't a repeat episode, something that he said Kilkenny will hold them to account on.
'They say they're looking at procedures going forward and we will enquire about them going forward - we won't just let that go. We need to have that it won't happen again because it was a very stressful time and look, when you're playing and you're chasing a lead, the scoreboard, it does affect your decision-making, it does affect your decision-making.'
