NIFL chief warns against referee abuse in wake Portadown ‘howler’ as he makes technology call

NIFL CEO Gerard Lawlor gave his opinion following Linfield’s controversial second goal against Portadown on Saturday

The fallout from Linfield’s second goal against Portadown on Saturday continues with Northern Ireland Football League CEO, Gerard Lawlor, taking to social media to give his thoughts on the matter.

With the game tensely poised at 1-0 to the Blues with half an hour left at Windsor Park, the Ports were left angered and stunned as the hosts were awarded a second goal despite Aaron McCarey seemingly blocking Matthew Fitzpatrick’s effort on the line.

Referee Declan Hassan granted the goal after consulting with his assistant with Portadown and the wider football community baffled by the decision.

While Lawlor accepted a mistake had been made he cautioned against any online abuse to the officials and praised Ports boss Niall Currie for his handling of the situation post-match.

Lawlor also said NIFL would look to sit down with the Irish FA to make sure lessons are learned and to support referees, and he also suggested technology should now be “seriously considered”.

Posting on his ‘X’ account Lawlor said: “No doubt the incident with the second goal at Windsor yesterday was a howler. Frustrating, and it shouldn’t happen, but it did.

“Before jumping on those involved, let’s remember they’re human. They’ve got feelings, families, and it’s easy for faceless accounts to pile in, criticise and of course be abusing. Credit to Niall Currie too for how professional he was in his post match interviews.

“Honestly, I’ve seen more good performances from refs this season than bad ones, but yes, mistakes have happened.

“We all love giving our opinions and that’s part of football! But as authorities we have a responsibility to make sure lessons are learned, improvements are made, and referees get the support they need.

“Mistakes can actually open the door for change. As a league, we’ll try to sit down with the Irish FA to talk this through.

“Personally, I think it’s time for a fresh structure for our senior refs, proper investment, and while not always popular, maybe technology must now be seriously considered.”