Who would be a referee, huh?
In an ideal world, every club contributes one whistler to the GAA ecosystem - that is how it should work.
Some show more aptitude for officiating than others and end up making the Championship panel and get the chance to strut their stuff on the national stage.
Not just anyone gets to be the man in the middle for intercounty football matches and with whatever prestige accrues, you are also a defendant in the court of public opinion.
It would seem that Roscommon's Paddy Neilan managed to piss off both sets of fans in Thurles on Saturday evening as Armagh snuck past Tipperary on a scoreline of 1-17 to 1-15 in their Round 3B qualifier.
A couple of Gardaí made their way on to the field at full-time, just in case the home support decided to take matters into their own hands, but no Garda escort was required.
The Tipperary fans, like their manager Liam Kearns, kept control. Kearns was clearly furious when interviewed on RTÉ Radio after the match, but refused to say anything too inflammatory about Neilan.
Others were not so kind.
https://twitter.com/SportsJOE_GAA/status/886259528374865920
There were a few baffling decisions. In the first half Armagh's Gavin McParland had the ball in the net, only for Neilan to bring play back and give Armagh a free. If ever a passage of play was deserving of the advantage rule, it was Jamie Clarke's beautiful pick-up on the run and devastating diagonal ball to McParland.
There was a similar [dis]advantage incident for Tipperary after the break, and the home side were furious when Stefan Campbell pointed in the final five minutes as they were convinced they were denied illegally at the other end.
Neilan would do well to steer clear of Twitter (and the Square in Thurles) this evening.
https://twitter.com/ConanDoherty/status/886278129425231872
https://twitter.com/conordoyle83/status/886282663467905026
https://twitter.com/cahilljackie/status/886276347693322240
https://twitter.com/ShaneSaint/status/886278275059912707
https://twitter.com/MichaelKane10/status/886278363937198080
https://twitter.com/BrendanBoylan/status/886277148230733824
https://twitter.com/JohnMickBrennan/status/886282550255247364
https://twitter.com/ConorGreally/status/886278447575830528
https://twitter.com/Brennan_PB/status/886280868985057284
