FEARGAL LOGAN SET the tone when he spoke to reporters in the aftermath of Tyrone\u2019s six-point defeat to Armagh, which was marred by the sending off of five players.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Four men dismissed –\u00a0Michael McKernan, Padraig Hampsey, Peter Harte, and Kieran McGeary \u2013 were on the Tyrone side and Logan confirmed they\u2019d be appealing the suspensions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The GAA will examine David Gough\u2019s report before issuing suspensions to the the four Tyrone players and Armagh\u2019s Greg McCabe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s expected Gough dismissed the players for contributing to a melee or dangerous play, both of which are Category III offences that carry a minimum two-game ban.<\/p>\n
Back in May 2018 at a media briefing,\u00a0referees development chairman Willie Barrett let it be known that officials were instructed at a pre-championship seminar to crack down on additional players becoming involved in scuffles.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve seen a number of games where a melee has occurred and we\u2019ve asked our referees to deal with it very strongly,\u201d said Barrett at the time. \u201cWhere there are two players involved, it\u2019s fine, the referee can deal with it, but where more players come in and add to that, it then becomes a melee.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s a melee? Making a bad situation worse. So, we feel that we need to deal with that and we\u2019ve given clear instruction to referees that red cards must be issued in those situations where players are coming in and you\u2019re eventually seeing five or six or seven players involved.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe would be particularly honing in on the first and second person into the melee, shall we say, after two players have been involved. We believe that\u2019s causing other players to come in. Likewise in hurling, if it\u2019s left to the two players and the referees and officials, there\u2019s generally no difficulty.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, the unsightly melees have continued since then and referees rarely dealt with them as strongly as Gough did.<\/p>\n
These days, melees can occur for a wide variety of reasons. Some teams use them tactically: to slow the game down, to distract the referee or to draw his attention to an incident they feel must be dealt with.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The all-in brawl at the end of the clash in the Athletic Grounds on Sunday wasn\u2019t a good look for the GAA.<\/p>\n
The actions taken by Gough were unusual in that he stood back, looked out for the players that made \u201ca bad situation worse\u201d, to use Barrett\u2019s phrase, and followed the rulebook to the letter in dismissing five players.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s no surprise to hear Tyrone are appealing the red cards. Kieran McGeeney\u2019s post-match comments strongly suggest Armagh will follow suit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTalking to Greg there, he feels hard done by,\u201d said McGeeney.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you have a bit schemozzle like that there, it\u2019s really hard to see. I\u2019m sure everybody\u2019s going to be looking at videos tonight and there\u2019s going to be solicitors all over the place.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n Four Tyrone players are shown a red card for their involvement in a brawl.<\/p>\n
Source: Philip Magowan\/INPHO<\/p>\n
The appeals process in the GAA is farcical. Suspensions are overturned on technicalities as lawyers find loopholes in the rulebook. Players who know themselves they\u2019re guilty of an offence routinely escape punishment. It has long become a nationwide trend.<\/p>\n
A system implemented by amateurs that\u2019s challenged by legal professionals is fundamentally flawed.<\/p>\n
A tweet from Eamon McGee in 2015 summed the flawed disciplinary system up: \u201cLost my appeal to the red card I got in club game. Irony: any appeal I\u2019ve won in the past I was as guilty as sin. The one time I\u2019m innocent, I lose.\u201d<\/p>\n
Following the infamous Battle of Omagh in 2006, when two major melees broke out in a league game between Tyrone and Dublin, four players were sent-off and nine were subsequently issues with suspensions. In the end, only the ban for Tyrone\u2019s Collie Holmes stuck as both counties exploited ambiguity in the laws.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The GAA\u2019s high volume of successful appeals must supersede any other sport in the world.<\/p>\n
If Croke Park are serious on stamping out melees, then they need to back Gough\u2019s decision when the inevitable appeals come from both counties.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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It could be argued that Hampsey and, to a lesser extent, McKernan appeared unlucky to receive straight reds. But if the Association does not enforce a number of suspensions, it will essentially send out the message that Gough\u2019s decision to take strong action was wrong.<\/p>\n
It will tell club and county players that mass brawls are still part of the game.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As the number of referees decline to worrying levels across the country, failing to back Gough could have unwanted repercussions for officiating.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve actually seen situations in club games in Kerry where referees have made calls (to send players off),\u201d said Marc \u00d3 S\u00e9 on The42 GAA Weekly.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cObviously a lot of club teams video their games. They\u2019ve appealed, sent them into the CCCC and they\u2019ve got off. What it\u2019s done is it has disillusioned a lot of referees who are saying, \u2018What\u2019s the point?\u2019 I know one or two referees in fact who\u2019ve decided not to referee anymore.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBy taking the decision away from them, maybe they feel they\u2019re losing integrity in some way. It will be a huge thing to see what the GAA are going to do.<\/p>\n \u201cThere will be appeals, Tyrone are certainly going to appeal. It will be very interesting over the next few days to see what\u2019s going to happen there.\u201d<\/p>\n The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!<\/p>\n