Tullamore GAA members hit with long proposed bans

AS expected GAA authorities have come down with full force on Tullamore GAA Club following the ugly scenes at the end of their recent Leinster Club Senior Football Championship defeat by Meath's Summerhill.

A player, who didn't play on the day, has been hit with proposed 96 week ban by Leinster Council for a push that left the referee Barry Tiernan on the ground.

Another member, a well known local man who has served as a club officer, has been given a proposed 48 week ban. Leinster GAA had sent footage to Tullamore GAA of an alleged incident where there appeared to have been an attempted trip on a linesman and asked them for comment on it. Tullamore GAA have also been fined €2,500.

The scenes had erupted after the referee had initially awarded an injury time penalty to Tullamore for a pick up but then over turned it after intervention by a linesman. It held up the end of the game for a few minutes and while the decision to overturn the penalty may have been correct as the pick up was in the big area and not the small one, confusion, chaos indecision and uncertainty reigned for a few minutes.

Furious Tullamore supporters and members abused the referee after the game and the footage of him being pushed to the ground has been widely circulated since then.

Tullamore GAA Club have the right to a Hearing into the proposed bans and are certain to take this up. They will be particularly concerned at the 96 week ban on the player, a huge punishment for a young man.

While the evidence of the offence is conclusive, there may have been extenuating and exceptional circumstances for this player and Tullamore GAA will be anxious to pursue any possible avenue for a later reduction in suspension.

Whether they can succeed in getting any reduction of the suspension remains to be seen and GAA authorities will come down with the full rigours of the law on any abuse or interference with referees and match officials. They must be seen to do this but the offence was very much out of character for this particular player – a very good footballer who has played the game cleanly and fairly and would not be noted in any way for coming to the attention of disciplinary authorities before now.

Tullamore GAA Club will have sought advice on the best route to go with this but the first step is to bring their case to the Leinster GAA Hearings Committee. Where they go after this has to be determined then as the GAA disciplinary bodies will almost certainly uphold the bans and it is not clear if the Disputes Resolution Authority or any other GAA body has the power to or will consider reduction of a suspension for an incident of this nature – even if evidence of extenuating circumstances are presented to them.

Tullamore manager Niall Stack spoke to the referee shortly after the game, where he is likely to have apologised and Tullamore GAA officers are in very uncharted waters with this whole affair and the options open them – they won't be standing over any abuse of officials and will hold their hands up in this regard but they will also be keen to try and ensure a player does not miss two years of action.