The Strange Case Of The Disappearing Team!!!!

Saturday 11.06.2011

Club

It is a few years now since a county team scored a point in a game in Croke Park when they were the only team on the pitch because the opposition refused to take the field for extra time. The game had finished all square in normal time and the powers that be declared there should be extra time. However one team, and if memory serves me right I believe it was Cork, chose not to show for the extra time. The referee, as the rules decreed, threw the ball in and a point was scored with no member of the opposition team on the field of play thus ending the game in controversy. It was one of those strange but amusing scenarios you thought we would never see repeated. Well that was until today when a game of Junior Football in Tyrone resulted in something very similar.

Carrickmore Thirds were down to play Dungannon this evening with an original starting time of 6-30pm. However last Monday the game apparently was changed to a 5-30pm throw in with both teams receiving official notification, allegedly. When Dungannon and the referee took to the field today Carrickmore, who were playing at home, were nowhere to be seen. The referee gave them until 5-45pm to have a team on the pitch but the green and golds were unable to assemble sufficient numbers in time. The result was the ball was thrown in with only one team on the field of play. Dungannon’s top scorer Patrick Quinn, fortunately for his side, managed to put the ball over the bar but with no one there to take the kick out the referee blew the final whistle and the shortest game of the year was over.Final score Carrickmore Thirds 0-0, Dungannon Clarkes 0-1. I can just see the newspaper reports now “A narrow but deserved victory for the visitors who enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, created the only meaningful attack in the match and had a 100% success ratio in terms of shots for scores. A flawless performance!!!!!!!”

It would appear The Clarkes headed home with two points but very little change to their scoring averages however I have a feeling we may not have heard the last of this one.