Laois/Cork Minors

stevemac

Was anyone else there?
What do ye think should happen?

Imposter

There's an article on the indo website today about a letter sent in to the GAC from Laois accusing one of the Cork officials of striking a Laois official. I reckon there'll be some heads rolling, some major suspensions (possibly also of players) and large fines for the both of them.

If what's been reported is accurate that sort of action will have to be taken.

Waylander

What happened? A big mill?

stevemac

yeah, once the fight had calmed down he started throwing punchs again and it started up again. That was on the sunday game last night. They had a video of it.

It was a laught though. The ref and the linesman where walking to centre of the field and missed the whole start of the fight

impr0v

That selector is fuxed, the video footage caught his sly little punch in full technicolour. If the sunday game hadn't featured it he might have sgot off fairly lightly, but now that it's in the public domain and spillane and co were pontificating about it, he'll have to be made an example of.

stevemac

yeah, but they missed the 1st half of the fight.
Didn't even know there was camera's there

stevemac

http://www.rte.ie/sport/2004/0802/gac.html

http://www.hoganstand.com/laois/2004/august/080104.htm

just a couple of links on the storey, nothing really there but ah well.

getting nasty know

http://www.hoganstand.com/laois/2004/august/0802042.htm


http://www.hoganstand.com/general/2004/august/0802042.htm

Flukey

It was all in full view of the cameras with the Cork mentor clearly seen to throw the punch that started the whole thing.

stevemac

I was there.
it started when a cork player hit a laois plalyer from behind while walking off. The mentor on camera was half way through

cournioni

I'd say it was a good laugh there. That Cork selector will have the book thrown at him no doubt. Clear as day that punch was...

Flukey

It certainly looked clear enough on camera. The fact that it is on camera will make the GAA have to go down harder on him than if there was no footage.

stevemac

was it a camera to tape the match or was in a camcorder?

from last night the highlighted the main point but the also said that started it. And it didn't. It just started it back up.
A point i'd like to make, and don't laugh at this, is that the ref was partly to blame for it.

During the game there was a few instances of players kicking or one of a player throwing a dig(but missing) and the ref pretty much ignored it. If he had've stamped down on it during the match the 1st punch mightn't have being thrown afterwards.
The match wasn't dirty but there was those couple of dodgey instances that the ref ignored.

And no the ref is not fully to blame, most of it goes to players and selectors involved.

Flukey

Any after-match melees always stem from something that happened on the field during a match, so no doubt there is something in you say. You have the advantage over us in having been there. The GAA will look at the video evidence and take into consideration whatever else happened off-camera that they can get definite information on. There was a general statement on this kind of behaviour issued by Seán Kelly yesterday, so whatever happens it will be stern action after this.

stevemac

yeah, i'm nervous about what happens. Because of the cork mentor i can see them getting kicked out, and if they go we go as well

but i don't want to be kicked out for next as well.

article6

stevemac wrote:

yeah, i'm nervous about what happens. Because of the cork mentor i can see them getting kicked out, and if they go we go as well

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if the incident (the "flaking" as the Cork commentator called it) begins while the ball is not in play, doesn't that mean the teams can't be disqualified?

stevemac

dunno bout the rules
but the fight happened between the end of normal time and the beginning of extra time. which caused the extra time to be cancelled

Flukey

There will be disciplinary action, but I can't see disqualification as part of that.

stevemac

imagine the replay though?
could be nasty

Flukey

There will be a bit of tension to be sure. A good strong referee should put an end to that. They will all be under the spotlight as a result of the other night and both teams will get stern warnings to behave. It'll certainly add a bit of spice to the replay. Seconds out...!

Shaque attack

stevemac wrote:

imagine the replay though?
could be nasty

could well be a dirty one did anyone hear when/where/if the replay is on? couldn't go to the first one because of work but from what i heard on the radio the fight was pretty vicious, i wasn't suprised when i saw brendan quigley throwing a punch on the sunday game last night though, i hope to god both teams aren't suspended

Flukey

I think that is unlikely. Firm action, but not that firm.

stevemac

doubt they'll release details of a replay until after the investigation.
There was a typical laois reaction from the players though. All in.
Only a few trying to sort it out.
Probable the same in every county but it always seemed to be the highlight when it happened when i played there.

stevemac

just had a look at the cork gaa website and forum. One of the posts say that the 'times said that a cork midfielder was the catalyst for the whole fight' , then he goes on to say 'i wonder was he the victim? '

thats not word for word but i hink its funny.
He's the catalyst, ie he started it, can't dress that up any other way but i like the way he's trying not to say it might have being cork that started it.

But everyone will do that when its there own county involved

stevemac

link mightn't work because you need to register for site but heres an update anyway.



Cork and Laois may be expelled from minor championship



09:10 Tuesday August 3rd 2004



Both Cork and Laois are facing possible expulsion from the minor football championship after two melees between the final whistle and extra-time in their All-Ireland quarter-final in Limerick on Saturday. Cork captain Ollie O'Sullivan lost three teeth during the disturbances, while the Cork team doctor also suffered a head injury that needed stitches. Laois, meanwhile, claimed one of their officials was struck by a Cork official and have lodged a complaint with the GAA's Games Administration Committee.

stevemac

Kelly stresses there will be no hiding place for guilty parties
Tuesday August 3rd 2004
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GAA president, Seán Kelly has promised that there will be no hiding place for those who are tainting the Association's image by resorting to violence on or off the field.

He is extremely concerned by the recent spate of incidents and warns that stern action will be taken where there is sufficient evidence of wrongdoing.

"We have got to stand firm on this. We simply cannot allow our games to be marred by violence and if the tough decisions need to be made, we'll make them.

"It's important to keep things in perspective, however. There are hundreds of games played without incident every week so overall discipline levels are quite good. However, we have had problems at a minority of games which give the entire Association a bad name. We can't allow that to continue," said Kelly.

He was speaking after a weekend in which a shameful brawl at the end of the Cork-Laois All-Ireland minor football quarter-final stunned on-lookers in Limerick. Players and officials were involved in the fracas which lasted a few minutes.

The GAC are to collect as much evidence as possible prior to deciding what action to take. Kelly said that it was especially worrying to see serious violence at a minor game and believes that it shows how far the win-at-all-costs mentality has gone.

"There are times when I think people forget that this is an amateur game. Of course it has to be taken seriously but there's a balance between that and going completely over the top. Personally, I don't believe that the beaten provincial finalists should be allowed back into the All-Ireland series at minor level. These lads are getting plenty of action anyway so they don't need to be given a second chance in the Championship. However, that's a separate issue and had nothing to do with what happened in Limerick."

He also believes that it's time the GAA undertook a radical review of its disciplinary procedures. He favours dividing the Games Administration Committee into fixture-making and disciplinary bodies, a proposal that is likely to come before Congress next April.

He is also a supporter of the system which applies in Australian Rules, where a QC overseas disciplinary matters with the assistance of a special committee. Other than in disciplinary maters, he has no dealings with players or officials, which ensures his total independence.

It's different in the GAA where disciplinary bodies are comprised of ordinary members. However, strong-willed or honest they may be, it can be difficult making hard calls in what is essentially a small community.

Kelly fears that the breakdown in GAA discipline reflects a wider society problem where respect for authority is becoming increasingly diluted.

"Having said that, the GAA has to make sure that our own procedures are strong enough to deal with people who step out of line. We are in the middle of two fantastic championships which are providing great games and entertainment so the last thing we need is unsavoury incidents which give us all a bad name.

"I would urge GAA members to take a step back and reflect what they are about. Passion is a wonderful thing in sport but it has to be controlled. Most people realise that but for those who don't we have to make sure that the rules are strong enough to deal with them and also that the rules are implemented to the strictest letter of the law," said Kelly.

Martin Breheny

stevemac

Horrific all-in melee sickens witnesses
Monday August 2nd 2004
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ONE independent witness, broadcaster Seán Bán Breathnach who was covering the match for Radio na Gaeltachta, said it was the most horrific fight he has ever witnessed in his long career covering Gaelic games.

He was in the broadcasting gantry when he first saw it breaking out and got down pitch-side to witness most of it and actually described what he was witnessing live on air.

"There were two bouts, the first for three minutes and then two minutes and everyone was getting involved; players, officials and even supporters," Breathnach said.

He said the one Garda on duty had been knocked to the ground and that in the midst of the melee he witnessed two kicks directed at a Cork player on the ground.

"Boots, fists, head-buttings, it was a free-for-all of the like that I have never witnessed before at a match," he said.

"This was a '3am-outside-the-chip-shop brawl' of the worst possible kind. My own son, who is 14 and a half, was seriously shocked by it and I met a woman whose husband went in to act as peacemaker, and she was visibly shaking at what she had witnessed.

"The Cork medic had blood pouring from his head and there was blood on the ground and on several peoples' hands and clothes," Breathnach said.

Flukey

It is kind of amusing that he ran down to get a ringside seat!

Discipline has become a problem of late. We'll have to see what happens next.

stevemac

i think that both teams have to go.
there talking about clamping down and punishing offenders and if they don't they'll make themselves look toothless again.
Fines wouldn't cut it this time
And i'd say a few mentors and players will get suspensions as well.