Ulster suspension

*marie*

From gaa.ie :

CDC suspends Ulster trio for four weeks

Thursday, August 4

A number of decisions relating to disciplinary issues were made at a meeting of the Central Disciplinary Committee last night.

Paul McGrane and Ciaran McKeever (Armagh) and Ryan McMenamin (Tyrone) each received four-week suspensions arising out of incidents in the replayed Bank of Ireland Ulster SFC final at Croke Park on July 23.

Waterford's Shane Hearne and Diarmuid Kinsella of Wexford, who were both sent off while playing for their counties in the Tommy Murphy Cup on July 31, were also suspended for a period of four-weeks.

Following a personal hearing, the one match pitch exclusion ban imposed on Clare hurling manager Anthony Daly was lifted.

Culchie

No

I can't recall McKeever's incident but McMenamin and McGrane definitely deserved theirs.

The amount of rabbit punches and deliberate hits to the face and mouth area was disgusting, especially McGrane, who was at it all the time.

I'm all for a hard physical game, but these deliberate attempts to do damage to mouth and nose area needs to be cut out of football.

All said and done, they have another 50 years to live after they finish playing football.

Fair Play to the Ulster Council, and BTW Kenneth Mortimer got off lightly as far as this Mayo supporter is concerned as well.


P.S Why the poll ?

cruiserweight

Depends on which incidents you are talking about? McGrane and McMenamin definitely deserve theirs, in fact McMenamin could not complain if he had gotten a longer suspension IMO. As for McKeever he got a second yellow card for the meelee for which Canavan was sent off, all I saw him doing was drag Canavan out of the fight. Maybe something else happened but if that is all he did then he can feel hard done by.

As for the Anthony Daly incident, I don't know the specifics, nut was he not suspended for pitch incursions? If that is the case he did enter the playing are during the game to deliver water and instructions to players so I don't know how he got off!

weemcd

No

Being from Armagh, i always said McGane was lucky to not walk, but things have caught up on him now, same goes for McMenamin though i think he deserved even more for his tactics.

not too sure about McKeever now, id have to see a reply of what he had done.

Armagh will certainly miss Toal and now McGrane in Midfield :(:(:(

Ive always preffered Philly Loughran to Toal, but now Armagh are down to Loughran and im not sure who they will replace Mcgrane with.

Lemlin

No

I agree with the suspensions, especially McMenamin. What happened Ciaran Whelan's or Tomas O'Se's though?

Surely the punches they've commited were just as bad as McGrane's.

CCOVICH

No

Lemlin wrote:

I agree with the suspensions, especially McMenamin. What happened Ciaran Whelan's or Tomas O'Se's though?

Surely the punches they've commited were just as bad as McGrane's.

Here, here. How can TO'S be warned as to his future conduct (that was it wasn't it?)-he either committed an offence and deserved to be punished, or he didn't, why bother taking it to the CDC otherwise?

Whelan's was even more obvious.

I would agree with the suspensions for McGrane and McMenanmin. Ciaran McKeever, I don't really know. Paddy McKeever could have been cited as well.

CCOVICH

No

P.S. Has/will Michael Collins be suspended for one of the worst refereeing displays in recent memory?

Flukey

No

I think the decisions by the CDC were right. As to the performance of Michael Collins, it is hard to referee a match like that when things get out of hand, and it isn't always the referee's fault when they do. We have the benefits of TV replays or sometimes a better view of a particular event when we are at a game than the ref has. As supporters there are a lot of things we don't see that a referee does. We often condemn a referee for a decision because we didn't see what happened while he had an ideal view, only to realise he was right when we see it that night on TV. From our seat in the stand we may not have given a free because we didn't see it, so the same thing will happen to referees.It may be a blatant free from where we are sitting, a few yards away from the incident, while the referee is much further away.

Whether something should have been a free or not, it is only a free, or not a free, if the referee says so, even if he is wrong. No referee is ever going to get things perfectly right. They can't see everything that we see or a camera sees. Referees do have bad games and make bad decisions, but they are doing their best. Most of the time they do get it right, and nothing is said. As they say, you know a referee has had a good game when nothing is said about him.

CCOVICH

No

Never mind about what was a free and what wasn't, I'm well used to that. My attitude is generally to hell with the ref. just go out and try and win the game, most refs. in this year's championship (I've been at five games) are woeful (inconsistentcy is their biggest offence). Teams shouldn't depend on the referee to win the game for them, and in general, they can't complain if they lose the game 'because of the ref' (cos you can be sure he will have given bad decisions against the other side as well).

However, Collins' worst indiscretion that day was the second yellow that never was for Stephen O'Neill. If ever a decision changed a game, that was probably it. That had nothing to do with what he saw/didn't see, that was utter incompetence.

Flukey

No

Put simply, contrary to popular belief, it is not a free if a player fouls another player or makes a technical foul etc., it's a free when the referee says it's a free. They get it wrong and it doesn't matter if we think it should have been a free or if it actually should have been a free. It isn't a free until they say it is. Equally if we think it wasn't a free or if it actually should not have been a free, it is, if the referee says it is. That's the way the system works.

Culchie

No

BTW, regardless of the Ulster Final antics.... Michael Collins is a bad ref anyway.

He was also ref for Mayo V Roscommon, and when he was announced the crowd groaned.

He is super fussy, and always misses the more foul aspects of the game, and always go for the soft option of pulling up fellahs for fouling the ball or for 4.5 steps etc.....

You'd need a 'Sky Cam' on all the players to help him out, because he misses everything.

Lemlin

No

Paul Brady from Cavan got 12 weeks for a stamp, which it can be argued he commited unknowingly, as he did not look down and see the player before he stepped on him.

Yet Ryan McMenamin can lunge with his two knees at a player's face/neck and he only gets four weeks?

Forget about the refs, the GAA need to get a bit of consistency in their own decisions.

It seems to me that they're attempting to protect the big teams.

Conor Gormley got away with a straight punch in another match, far worse than Trevor Mortimer's punch that he got 4 weeks for.

And I've already mentioned O'Se and Whelan.

hawker

Lemlin wrote:

Paul Brady from Cavan got 12 weeks for a stamp, which it can be argued he commited unknowingly, as he did not look down and see the player before he stepped on him.

Yet Ryan McMenamin can lunge with his two knees at a player's face/neck and he only gets four weeks?

Forget about the refs, the GAA need to get a bit of consistency in their own decisions.

It seems to me that they're attempting to protect the big teams.

Conor Gormley got away with a straight punch in another match, far worse than Trevor Mortimer's punch that he got 4 weeks for.

And I've already mentioned O'Se and Whelan.

I tend to agree with you Lemlin. The bigger teams seem to be protected. The Kerry's, Dublins, Armaghs and Tyrones are the teams that benefit most from the inconsistency of the GAA.

Culchie

No

Lemlin wrote:

Trevor Mortimer's punch that he got 4 weeks for.

QUOTE]

He put his two feet into his opponents groin.

Waylander

Whelo has been very lucky not to get sent off twice in this seasons championship, and the CDC should really have hauled him out and made an example of him. As for Brady, if I remember correctly he studied the Tyrone player on the ground before he ground his studs into the leg of the opposing player. 12 weeks was the minimum he should have got for that. I think McMenamin got away fairly lightly also, he should have got the same punishment as Brady, for a fairly similar foul. I did not see that match, just McMenamin's challenge so I cant really comment onthe other sendings off.

Culchie

No

I think it's a great improvement that this board is hauling in players after the match is over.

I heard Micky Harte moaning on Newstalk's Off the Ball program, but the interviewer never asked him what he thought of the tackles.

They are a disgrace, and only by banning these culprits (often the same ones every season) and them missing out on big matches, will the penny start to drop.

A big step forward this year in helping football back on it's feet.



The next big thing they need to clamp on now, is when someone has fielded the ball, they inevitably are swarmed to the ground, it is amazing how many times the fellah with the ball on the ground, is 'accidentially' received a knee into the face/head area.

Also, wtf do the umpires do? Surely they should have full responsibility to work like a touch judge in rugby, I mean properly in practice, not in theory as at present.

5 sets of official eyes on the pitch, and then the CDC will soon put a stop to it all if they show some determination to do so.

Lemlin

No

Sorry about that Culchie, I heard he'd got 4 weeks in Galway last week and presumed it was for punching the Galway fullback when both were on the floor.

Brady didn't study anyone. He's a clean player and if you knew him, you'd know that. He's never been sent off in his life before and I doubt he's ever even got a yellow card.

That aside, to say McMenamin got away lightly with four weeks is an understatement, he should have got 12 at least. He could have caused serious harm, not just injury, to the player he lunged at (can't remember who it was).

Culchie

No

Lemlin wrote:

Brady didn't study anyone. He's a clean player and if you knew him, you'd know that. He's never been sent off in his life before and I doubt he's ever even got a yellow card.

That aside, to say McMenamin got away lightly with four weeks is an understatement, he should have got 12 at least. He could have caused serious harm, not just injury, to the player he lunged at (can't remember who it was).

I'm not trying to be pedantic, because I think we all agree these guys deserve what they got (Whelan got away with it etc...) ..... however this argument about a Previously Clean record iof Brady's is shot to bits by your very next sentence.

You see McMenamin has never been sent off in a championship match either.

I thought Brady's act was premeditated, so he deserves his ban...and yes McMenamin got off lightly.

Lemlin

No

Well then I'm willing to admit Brady got what he deserved so. The fact is though that players like Whelan, O'Se and Gormley shouldn't be getting away with acts like theirs.

Culchie

No

Lemlin wrote:

Well then I'm willing to admit Brady got what he deserved so. The fact is though that players like Whelan, O'Se and Gormley shouldn't be getting away with acts like theirs.

Agreed.
However it is a start, and refs have a habit of leveling things out over time, so there could be some rough justice on the way for Whelo yet.

Waylander

Brady's act was definitely premeditated Lemlin, if you cannot see that there is no objectivity about your opinion at all. It was because of the foul that in the Tyrone Cavan thread I said I hoped Cavan went out because Ifelt they were a dirty team. He looked at the Tyrone player on the ground before stamping, it is clear from the replay that he did this. I really cannot believe you are arguing against that!

Lemlin

No

Well he's been very lucky. He should have gone in the first minute against Meath and should have got at least a 4 week ban after the Wexford game.

His temper will be tested when Dublin face Tyrone though. He'll have to be ready not to retaliate when he gets some pretty big hits.

As for Brady, I've admitted he should have went then in my previous post. Is that not enough for you Waylander?

Waylander

Noone has, or is likely to disagree with you about Whelan. The kick against Wexford was also terrible, he should have walked for both offences.

Culchie

No

Lemlin wrote:

His temper will be tested when Dublin face Tyrone though. He'll have to be ready not to retaliate when he gets some pretty big hits.

Definitely potential for game of the season (no disrespect to Monaghan).

I'd fancy the Dubs against Tyrone if they can keep 15 fellahs on the field, ...... 'IF' ! ..... Whelo will have to be squeaky clean that day, and that will take away from his game a little.

Lemlin

No

I still feel Monaghan could have somthing to say about that this weekend.

cruiserweight

Well according to todays Independent both Armagh and Tyrone have decided to appeal the bans

Armagh and Tyrone vow to appeal bans
Friday August 5th 2005

TYRONE officials have launched a stinging attack on the "absence of consistency" of the GAA's Central Disciplinary Committee in the wake of suspensions handed down to three players yesterday arising out of incidents in the replayed Ulster final.

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte reacted angrily to the one-month ban handed down to his corner-back Ryan McMenamin, stating it "added insult to injury" after the sending off of Peter Canavan and Stephen O'Neill, decisions that were subsequently rescinded.

The ban rules McMenamin out of tomorrow's All-Ireland qualifier against Monaghan and also the All-Ireland quarter-final against Dublin tomorrow week, should Tyrone advance.

McMenamin is appealing the decision and Tyrone last night left his corner-back slot vacant in the hope that he will be cleared to play against Monaghan.

The Tyrone team shows just one change from the side which lost to Armagh in the Ulster final replay, with Owen Mulligan restored to the starting 15 at the expense of Martin Penrose.

Peter Canavan has recovered from rib and shoulder injuries, but again starts on the bench.

Armagh duo Paul McGrane and Ciaran McKeever were also suspended for a month yesterday and will miss their quarter-final either next weekend or on Saturday, August 20.

Armagh are to appeal both decisions to the CAC (Central Appeals Committee) and are hoping they can be heard tonight as the body chaired by former GAA president Sean McCague is due to meet in Dublin to consider an appeal by the Dublin County Board on the Kilmacud Crokes/St Brigid's saga.

Confirming that McMenamin would also appeal, Tyrone chairman Pat Darcy said it was unjust that he could miss two games to the Armagh players' one.

Darcy said the CDC's decision to pick out players from Armagh and Tyrone was "cherry-picking" after equally serious incidents were not acted upon earlier in the championship.

McMenamin had been yellow-carded by referee Michael Collins at the time for sticking his knees into John McEntee's chest after he had fouled the Armagh centre-forward.

"In my opinion the authority of referees is being seriously undermined by what has happened here," said Darcy. "Referees make decisions that reflect the mood of the game. No committee can ever legislate for what the thought processes of a referee are.

"I admit what Ryan did was wrong. But he was dealt with at the time."

The decision to suspend McMenamin and McKeever, who were both yellow-carded during the game, is a significant step by the CDC.

Commenting on McMenamin's ban, Tyrone manager Harte said: "This really adds insult to injury. Setting aside the incident itself there is the broader issue of consistency here and that has been appalling. There have been several other incidents this year (that went unpunished)."

Armagh manager Joe Kernan expressed his disappointment at the decisions, particularly the McKeever ban as he had already been dealt with by the referee.

"The referee felt he merited a yellow card and that's what he got. It was his second and he was sent off.

"All Ciaran did was drag a player away from a melee. I don't know how that warrants dangerous play as he was charged with," said Kernan.

"In Paul McGrane's case we felt we had sufficient video evidence from another camera angle to support the view that what he did wasn't intentional."

Curiously, McKeever is alleged to have been asked by a member of the CDC if he had apologised to Canavan for the incident!

McGrane's probable absence from a quarter-final tilt against Laois, Derry or Monaghan will leave Kernan with a major headache.

Kernan does not recall being without his highly influential midfielder since taking over as manager in 2003, while he is also without John Toal who is ruled out for the rest of the season after sustaining a serious knee injury in the drawn Ulster final against Tyrone.

Malachy Mackin and John McEntee are the obvious options for midfield but under-21 player Gareth Swift could also come into consideration.

Culchie

No

It's a joke, they know they are in the wrong.

I wish they would just take their medicine. It smells bad, just the same as yerman from Westmeath going to the high court for an injunction to appeal.

This is rotten stuff.

It's like Ferguson, Mourinho and Wenger trying to shape the authorities rules and procedures to suit them.


Time for the Dog to wag the tail for a change and cut this s.h.i.t.e out.
Do like the driving penalty points, if they appeal and fail, they should double the suspensions.

stevemac

No

Culchie wrote:

Agreed.
However it is a start, and refs have a habit of leveling things out over time, so there could be some rough justice on the way for Whelo yet.

oh god, imagine the amount of column inch's and time given over to a dab decision against the dubs.

Culchie

No

I dunno.

I think the Dubs get too much bad press.

I like them in the closing stages of the Championship, it is good for Gaelic Football.
The players are decent enough fellahs, a couple of them sail close to the wind, but as Tayto say " There's Always One ".

It's the s.h.i.t.e every night in the Evening Herald that the reporters write that gets up most people nose I think, I just stopped buying the paper.

If Whelan does get hit by a didgy decision, I think most people will know deep down that he head it coming to him .... including the Jackeens.

Lemlin

No

Its not just the Herald anymore though. The Sun, and yes, I do know its another terrible paper, ran a two page spread on them every day after the Wexford game.

I'm sure they went with the same again after the Laois match too. I wouldn't mind but its a paper that, when I've been unfortunate enough to read it, has always got its GAA coverage completely messed up.

I suppose they're trying to sell papers though.

Breezer

No

They are indeed. And being a Dub I love readin about the Dubs, long may it continue, however pissed off you lot get (only messin, i see ur point, if it was another county i'd be complaining). Irish Times is good for GAA, especially on Saturdays and Mondays. If Dublin have been playin there'll be a good bit about them but same goes for most other teams, especially at this stage.

Anyway I agree that Wheelo has to settle down, he's far more use on the pitch than off it apart from anything else. Plus if we're up against Tyrone and he starts that kinda crap the game'll probably disintegrate; Tyrone (and Armagh) games seem to do that fairly often.

Back on topic, delighted that McMenamin is gone and O'Neill is back cause that was ridiculous. Dunno about Canavan, something could've happened in that pile-up but you have to give him the benefit of the doubt I guess. He did seem to shove the linesman aside just before he was sent off though - anyone else see this?

Lemlin

No

Can't believe Tyrone's arrogance in trying to play McMenamin yesterday. How the hell can they try to say he's innocent? Yesterday, they stuck two fingers up at the disciplinary procedures of the game.

McMenamin's tackle was one of the worst in the Championship and he clearly looked down at the Armagh player before lunging at him. He should have walked there and then and been hit with at least a 12 week ban.

Hopefully we'll get a good referee like Pat McEnaney for the Tyrone vs. Dublin clash. I doubt it'll disintegrate like an Armagh vs. Dublin or Armagh vs. Tyrone game because these teams haven't a history like the pairings just mentioned.

That said, Canavan is a little knick knack and he'll be looking for some revenge for ten years ago.

cruiserweight

McMenamin is going to try once again to have his suspension over turned

http://www.rte.ie/sport/2005/0808/mcmenamin.html

Tyrone's Ryan McMenamin will be back to plead his case for a third time this Wednesday as he seeks to have his four-week suspension overturned in time to face Dublin in Croke Park on Saturday.

McMenamin is serving the suspension for an incident that occurred during the Ulster Football final.

He has already appeared before the Games Disciplinary Committee, who handed him the initial four-week suspension, and he had an eleventh hour appeal refused by the Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA) that could have allowed him to appear against Monaghan last Saturday.

However, Tyrone GAA secretary Dominic McCaughey has admitted to the Irish Examiner that the situation does not look good for the Red Hand defender.

The board will be supporting him when he returns to face the DRA in a bid to clear his name on Wednesday as he bids to become available for selection to face Dublin in this Saturday's All-Ireland quarter-final.

While I think that he should serve a long suspension for his act of thuggery, it must be acknowledged that in principle there is a case that the rules have not been applied even handidly through out the championship. A stand must be taken against serious foul play and from teh start of next years championship the rules must be applied fairly to all so that no protests of this nature can be launched!

cruiserweight

Lemlin wrote:

Can't believe Tyrone's arrogance in trying to play McMenamin yesterday. How the hell can they try to say he's innocent? Yesterday, they stuck two fingers up at the disciplinary procedures of the game.

McMenamin's tackle was one of the worst in the Championship and he clearly looked down at the Armagh player before lunging at him. He should have walked there and then and been hit with at least a 12 week ban.

Hopefully we'll get a good referee like Pat McEnaney for the Tyrone vs. Dublin clash. I doubt it'll disintegrate like an Armagh vs. Dublin or Armagh vs. Tyrone game because these teams haven't a history like the pairings just mentioned.

That said, Canavan is a little knick knack and he'll be looking for some revenge for ten years ago.

I doubt Paddy Russell will get the game again