A few years ago I read a column by a sports journalist who recalled the night he got locked in a GAA ground. It was a simple mistake. Failing to realise the journalist was still in the press box, the caretaker locked all the security gates and went home. To make his escape our intrepid reporter had to scale a high wall and avoid a confrontation with an Alsatian dog. I know the journalist in question and when I read the article I thought it was hilarious. I was thinking about that column on Sunday night. The reason it came to mind was because I got locked in O'Donnell Park in Letterkenny. I didn't find the experience quite so hilarious. Before my imprisonment, everything was going to plan. After interviewing Mickey Harte and Jim McGuinness, myself and two other journalists were escorted to a changing room where we were allowed to write our reports. I was the last to leave. And, by the time I emailed my copy, I was cold and hungry. I was really looking forward to turning my car into a mobile sauna and buying a cup of coffee at the first petrol station I could find. Unfortunately for me, I had to stall that plan. When I turned the handle of the changing room door, the gold lever came off in my hand. 'No problem,' I thought. If I can re-fix the handle, the door will open. So I reinserted the handle. But the door still didn't open. I didn't panic. I knew there would be other options. First, I checked the windows. But they were too small. An overfed cat couldn't get through them. Then I stood on the bench and peered out the window. But it was just me, the howling wind and the great black beyond. I was obviously on my lonesome. 'Hello'. 'Hello'. 'Hello'. The sound of litter skirting across the tarmac rammed home the message that I was all alone. Still, I refused to panic. Next, I went into the showers and the toilets to look for another exit. Surely there would be a back door. There was no back door. Then I tried what always works in the movies. In Hollywood, the door always succumbs to a hefty shoulder charge. But that's Hollywood, California. In Letterkenny, County Donegal, they hang doors differently. I bounced off the frame. Then I started kicking the door. I knew that wasn't going to work but I had lost my temper by that stage and I needed to kick something. Having exhausted all the physical options, I knew I was going to have to rely on the kindness of strangers. It was time to make a phone call. I rang someone who rang John Haran, the former Donegal player and Letterkenny club stalwart who is my new personal hero. John rang the caretaker. In a relatively short space of time, I experienced my very own Nelson Mandela moment. Mandela was held captive for 27 years. I did about 27 minutes. It was long enough. Following a pleasant chat with the caretaker, I was informed that there was a problem with the door. When the journalist who left before me slammed it shut, the handle on the outside came off. For some mechanical reason, of which I remain ignorant, I was unable to make my exit. Sunday's trip to Letterkenny was the first time I had ever covered a game in O'Donnell Park. Despite the brief period of solitary confinement, I still couldn't criticise the ground. Indeed, my difficulties were quite similar to the teething problems which the new black card rule also encountered. Over the weekend a total of 20 pre-season games were played in the four provinces. Those 20 games produced a total of 17 black cards. Naturally, there were a few contentious decisions. In the Athletic Grounds, Armagh's Robbie Tasker was replaced after he pulled the jersey of Queen's student Conal McNulty. Jersey pulling doesn't come under the black card's jurisdiction. When Paul Grimley asked the referee to explain his decision, he was told that Tasker "had initially fouled the Queen's player and had then fouled him a second time". Even the referee's explanation doesn't offer a sufficient reason for showing a black card. The rule is clear. A player must "deliberately pull down an opponent". Tasker didn't take McNulty to the floor. When Sligo's Pat Ewing made a comment to the referee, he thought the tone of his remark was in keeping with the standard exchanges which take place during a game. But the referee took exception and issued a black card. The rule states that a player "must remonstrate in an aggressive manner". Ewing was adamant that there was no hostility in the words he directed at the referee. The biggest blunder took place when Louth's Brian white was the victim of mistaken identity. Having picked up a yellow card, white was shown a red card after he was incorrectly penalised for committing a black card offence. (A yellow card followed by a black card equals a red card). Of course, there were other mistakes, but the fact that needs to be remembered is that mistakes were also made in last year's pre-season games. If a referee sends off the wrong person, the rule is not at fault. It's the referee's fault. And referees are going to make mistakes and players are going to make mistakes. It is simply going to take an extended period of time before everyone becomes accustomed to the new legislation. However, a feature of Sunday's action which is worth highlighting is that no-one has yet to complain about "manliness" of the games being diluted. Before the black card was introduced the scaremongers claimed the new rules would lead to a tepid, non-contact sport. Those fears have already proved to be unfounded. As Mickey Harte admitted on Sunday, the new rule discourages players from obstructing their opponents when they run to take a return pass. It will also discourage players from abusing referees, and tripping and pulling down opponents. There is nothing 'manly' or courageous about any of that behaviour. All in all, Sunday's nationwide experiment with the new rule was broadly encouraging. Naturally, there were problems. There were errors. Some things shouldn't have happened. But as I too learned at the weekend, on your first venture anywhere, it's inevitable that a few mistakes are going to be made. * BLACK IS THE COLOUR: Referee Joe McQuillan shows UUJ'S Pearse Casey the black card during Sunday's Dr McKenna Cup clash with Down. The weekend's games saw 17 black cards being issued, and it is no surprise that some of them were contentious given that any new rule will take time to bed in Picture: Philip Walsh
