Fourdogs wrote:

wp_rathead wrote: agree with sol on this, while I would happily contribute we would be getting into murky territory if professional coaches started accepting cheques from fans ..
a banner of support or something be cool if we had for Thomond?

Guys
I am happy to get a 8ft banner (or 2) like the "Charlie" one we had in France if someone wants to draft up the wording.
Think we should wait until the next home game in Sportsground and hang them in front of the Clan Tec. At least that way they will definitely be seen on TV

Pause for thought.. It's one thing backing Pat Lam on the forum, banners on the Clan Stand is upping it quite a notch. There are Clan forum members and now paid up Clan Supporters. Official protest should have members blessing.. just a thought..

Now that Pat has pretty literally taken one for the team, this may have an additional galvanizing effect on the players for the last run in and we see them trying to perform for Pat as much as possible to repay him.

Would you be allowed to put up a banner or would it be removed as soou as it would be unfurrled?

wp_rathead wrote: agree with sol on this, while I would happily contribute we would be getting into murky territory if professional coaches started accepting cheques from fans ..
a banner of support or something be cool if we had for Thomond?

Guys
I am happy to get a 8ft banner (or 2) like the "Charlie" one we had in France if someone wants to draft up the wording.
Think we should wait until the next home game in Sportsground and hang them in front of the Clan Tec. At least that way they will definitely be seen on TV

agree with sol on this, while I would happily contribute we would be getting into murky territory if professional coaches started accepting cheques from fans ..
a banner of support or something be cool if we had for Thomond?

If there's a huge call for this, we could absolutely look at getting something up. Whether or not it's a good idea to get into crowdfunding fines for professional sportspeople, no matter how much we agree with what was said or disagree with the fine, is another story. Something tells me Pat knew well there'd be a fine coming, and was happy to pay the price of getting it out n the open!

Front Row Lady wrote: So boys/girls are we going to do a whip round to cover the fine??

Yep, count me in for €10. Any chance the Clan could facilitate this.

hodges rewarded for his mistakes by being on the line at the england v france game

So boys/girls are we going to do a whip round to cover the fine??

To be expected really, they had to make some sort of stand to stop a precedent being set and it being open season on the officials. What will be interesting is where Leighton Hodges ends up officiating in the coming weeks.

Pat Lam fined 8000 with 5 suspended

That's f*cking ridiculous.

Pat Lam fined 8000 with 5 suspended

Keeping a eye out for a certain touch judge / referee while in Cardiff

galway_gas wrote: Given a choice I would prefer for Hodges to ref our Munster match. The boys will be doubly fired up and will want to prove a point for Pat.

Given a choice I wouldn't have Hodges anywhere near any Connacht games. Regardless of the issues from last weekend; he is simply one of the most officious whistle happy blowers on the circuit and I struggle to remember a game that hasn't been negatively affected by him being in the middle. Absolutely no empathy for the game and his communication style with players and captain's comes across as quite arrogant.,

Given a choice I would prefer for Hodges to ref our Munster match. The boys will be doubly fired up and will want to prove a point for Pat.

rossie wrote: You have to wonder why our rugby media are not putting more pressure on pro12 to rectify this issue? have irfu told them to back off?

Maybe their lawyers told them to back off.

Seriously though, I reckon (1) this isn't really interesting to any non-Connacht readers in the week of a galactic showdown between the Proud Gaels and the Ebil Warrenballs, and (2) nobody - not Lam or Connacht or the IRFU or Linton or Hodges or the Pro12 - is willing/stupid enough to talk about it so there's little opportunity to give the story any oxygen.

As evidenced by the examples of "bans" for coaches guilty of far more serious misdeameanours earlier in this thread, not to mention the fact that any significant ban would amount to the league firing Lam (bans are "from all rugby activity", not matchday as per football) and deliberately hampering Connacht's Champions Cup [strike]charge[/strike] limp, the league won't be able to give Lam anything more than a slap on the wrist. Likewise the refs commissioner can't really suspend Hodges or replace him for the Munster game as that would be at least a slight on the character of, and possibly could be construed as close to constructive dismissal of, someone who - however rubbish he was for the Cardiff match - clearly was not biased: he made two controversial calls in Connacht's favour and one against. So no story really.

I think we're all agreed with Rossie that the reffing issue is of vital importance to the League's credibility, but the likely outcome is probably going to amount to "Move on, nothing to see here."