Ulster Council reduce club's penalty in ref attack case

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Ulster Council reduce club's penalty in ref attack case
An Ulster club hit by some of the harshest penalties handed down to any unit of the GAA for some time has had the punitive measures diluted on appeal to the Ulster Council hearings committee.

St Mary's, Rasharkin were initially suspended from all competitions above minor level next year and had four members expelled from the association and four others suspended for lengthy periods by the Antrim Competitions Control Committee, following an attack on referee Ray Matthews after a game against Lamh Dhearg in the U-21 football championship semi-final.

Now the provincial hearings committee has decreed that the ban on the club's participation in games above minor level next year should be rescinded but that the team must play all games away from home.

The club will also be bound over for two years and, should any serious incidents of indiscipline occur during that period, then they will be answerable directly to the Ulster Council.

The club, though, have been banned from participating in the 2012 Antrim U-21 football championship and have been fined £500.

Meanwhile, Tyrone double winners Dromore will not get to defend one of the titles they won in 2011, after their final avenue of appeal failed.

Following incidents in the closing stages of the county league final last month between the St Dympna's and Carrickmore, the Tyrone CCC imposed a number of sanctions, including not allowing either club to take part in the top four play-offs for the 2012 Division 1 league title.

Dromore first took their case to the Tyrone hearings committee and when that failed they went to the Ulster Council, but the Provincial hearings committee upheld the decision of the Tyrone CCC.

Irish Independent
Tuesday December 20 2011

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Shockwaves as assault-victim referee quits in protest over ban reduction
By Ruaidhri O'Connor

The GAA's inconsistent approach to discipline came under scrutiny last night when a referee dramatically resigned after a punishment against an Ulster club was reduced.
Ray Matthews took the drastic course of action in the wake of the Ulster Council's decision to amend some of the initial penalties handed out to the Rasharkin club in Antrim.

Rasharkin followers were found to have attacked Matthews after an U-21 game in October and a series of big bans and penalties were imposed by the Antrim County Board.

The club was originally banned from all competitions above minor grade, but following their appeal to the Ulster Council they will now be allowed to play in adult league and championship competitions in Antrim next year.

Rasharkin's home ground will remain closed for senior matches in 2012 and club's adult teams will have to play all their games at away venues.

The Ulster Council's appeal judgment said that any further transgressions over the next two years could see the original bans re-imposed. Rasharkin's appeal to the Ulster Council only concerned the sanctions handed to the club -- not the hefty individual bans which saw one player, two club members and a member of the Rasharkin coaching staff expelled.

Matthews, however, said he was extremely annoyed, disappointed and disgusted at the outcome of the appeal.

The referee added that he had feared for his life during the ugly assault, which left him being hospitalised. The Antrim County Board does have the option of appealing against the provincial body's ruling.

Irish Independent
Wednesday December 21 2011