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What would you suggest as the minimum suspension? This is an emotive issue for me as I do a lot of refereeing in a number of sports and I feel refs need protection. What Galvin did was very intimidating and such an insignificant ban is disgusting. One of the biggest problems that has always faced the association is a dearth of quality officals. The Galvin incident for me will exaserbate this problem as it puts out a message that if you intimadate a referee or a linesman you will only get 3 months. It offers little protection to officials. Imagine if this happened in the all Ireland final Galvin would have missed one game. As I have said disgusting

I assume that as their is no home advantage in the all Ireland series that the hill tickets will be split evenly between the counties

Absolutely Disgracefull that the minimum period for interference with an official is three months. To my mind Galvin should have been looking at a year minimum but if the rule book says three months then it needs changing

I don't normally contribute to these boards but there's a lot of claptrap knocking about on his thread that I can't let go. I'm involved in medium size club and I have seen the system in operation at all levels (except DRA). The system isn't perfect but there's no crisis. Changing the rules again is plain daft.

As an administrator I've put alot of work into learning the new system since last year, and it's fine in 99% of cases. If everybody put a bit of effort into reading the rules they'd find the same, and they wouldn't want to have to learn yet another system next year or the year afterwwards. The problem cases are nothing to do with the system. It's the stupid decisions that are causing problems. Giving Paul Galvin a 6 months proposed penalty was totally disproportionate by the CCC and then the CHC go and make the exact same mistake. Making the referee change his report to upgrade Colin Moran's yellow card was stupid and the CHC again made the exact same mistake as the CCC. The system gave them two chances to get it right and they got it wrong both times. No wonder they end up appealing. You can't legislate for stupidity, so more rules are a total waste of time. The only change that will sort out the so called crisis is hiring professional disciplinary committees but who's going to pay for that?



   

I understand what you are getting at but I think you completely miss the point. The system has handed down these decisions no matter what way you look at it. You cant say the system is fine but its just the decisions reached within that system that are the problem.

We have firstly a refs decision....

which is followed by a CCCC decision....

which can be appealed to the CHC.....

and then you can ask the DRA to see if the above all was done properly....

....and of course no one has legally challenged a suspension post DRA....yet!

Any attempt to legally challenge the DRA would almost certainly fail as anyone entering the DRA has to agree in advance to accept the decision as binding.  Once this is done the courts are generally reluctant to entertain any appeal.

As far as a judicial review is concerned (at least as far as the north would be concerned) this would also be unlikely to be entertained as a decision of the DRA would likely fall outside of the jurisdiction of the courts.  Private organisation and not of a public law nature etc.

He refereed one of our games last year and played 10 mins of injury time somehow and to cap things off right at the end our opponents won a free 30 metres out on the sideline.  He then proceeds to move the free to the middle of the 13metre line for dissent.  When asked by our umpire why he had done this he said and I quote "under playing rule 4.1 if its in injury time and I move a free for dissent I have to move it to the 13m line".  News to me that one I was pretty sure that rule involved ensuring all players were in position at the start of a game

well i was told that it also included reference to case law from that era, as well in addition to the Finlay case. With all due respect to himself and Finaly they are taking the piss. people can talk about Gaa procedures but I doubt any sporting body's legislation in the world makes allowances from this utter pisstake from counties. The DRA should be disbanded i my view , all its doing is making some barristers a lot of money.

To be honest my colleagues made a lot more when appeals went to court as a few did pre DRA so until the rule book is changed it's a necessary evil.

Frankly I think it's a ludicrous attempt at a defence, unless it can be proven that someone deliberatley leaked the info than it must stand no chance surely?

I've nothing against Paul Galvin and the only comment I'd pass is that he was soooo stupid to do what he did in a nothing game that his team had already won, but for the good of the association as a whole and the integrity of the current system I'd be disappointed if the ban is even reduced, but I won't be surprised if he's let off to appear in the next game either.

Unfortunately its not that ludicrous, it would be similar (although not the same) as someone mounting a defence that because a jury pool was so contaimed by media speculation they didnt get a fair trial.  That said its far for a defence that certain to succeed but it may have a good chance depending on who made up the dra panel in this instance

It looks like the Galvin team have put forward a very interesting argument that because the 6 months ban was leaked to the public before the player had his personal hearing, Galvin was unduly prejudiced.  TBH that argument may have a fair chance of succeding in the interests of natural justice but if it does it will mean we need another route and branch restructuring of the disciplinary proceedure.  The third in 5 years.  As I have said before its time we got professional in to rewrite the rule book so that we get things right this time.

Personally I can't understand how they more than one appeals body is needed. Surely the functions of the DRA could be amalgated into the initial appeals body to cut down the ridiculous amount of bureaucracy.

It's because this isn't or at least wasn't an appeals body per se. It's an alternative form of dispute resolution that is independant of the GAA which is designed to avoid court battles. In many was it's similar to the CAS. If your interested TAC drop me a mail and I'll send you through the article I did on it a few years ago. Outdated now mind you

What is vital here is that if Galvin is getting off scot free because the wrong penalty was imposed, then the GAA powers must act quickly to re-impose the correct sanction.
What is annoying about incidents where players have ducked out of suspensions over technicalities, there has never been any effort to re-impose the sanction.
If players and counties realised that justice wasn't so easily thwarted, then it would cut down the nonsense of every player going through to appeals process to evade justice.

Unfortunately within the rules of the assocaition thats not always possible and reintroducing most suspensions would in effect amount to a technical breach which would allow them to be overturned.

The DRA is getting a lot of stick on here, but unfortunately it is a necessary evil within the GAA.  Irish courts have shown themselves to be more willing to give interlocutory injunctions to sports stars then their counterparts in England (Dwain Chambers case) and as a result to keep the assocaition out of the courts on a regular basis where the costs would get really high the DRA is needed.

All that being said it never ceases to amaze me that the association have never asked some of the more senior members of the DRA like Liam Keane or Jack Anderson or even Joe Brolly to sit down and rewrite the rule book to reduce the number of loop holes in it.  Its about time they did.

Just finished watching the game there again and to be honest I feel a lot better now than I did coming out of the ground.  For me Armagh didnt deserve to lose today and lead from the 21st minute until 3 minutes into the 2 minutes of injury time that were to be played and during that time Fermanagh didnt have too many guilt edge chances to take the lead (a few though to cut gaps or bring themselves level).  That said a lot of players that have been very good this year had very quiet games I thought C McKeever was as annonymous as I have ever seen him and Charles and the two Kernans where far from their best.  If those 4 improve for next day I think we would have a very good chance.  Also a strange thing to note whilst at the game I thought McGrane was completely outplayed but watching on the tv it seemed he just lacked support from half backs and half forwards.  Hopefully that will change next day.  Also although in hindsight I think MOR coming off was a catalyst in the game at the time it happened I wasnt surprised to see the change made as I felt he was giving away cheap ball.  Again at the game it seemed we won nothing in midfield after he went off but from the tv it seems we won the next 2 breaking balls in midfield and in fact won 4 breaks and 2 clean catches at midfield in his abscence (Armagh finished with 5 clean catches and 8 breaks won at midfield).

As always a quick word on the ref.  During the game today I thought he had a very good game as good as any ref ive seen in quite some time save for the complaint TAC made about the inconsistency in relation to short frees which somewhat blotted his copybook.  On the tv however it seemed that he got a lot of what were arguably crucial decisions wrong namely the square ball for the goal, the 4 minutes of injury time and the hand pass he gave as a throw right at the death.  That said no referee is perfect and I think he deserves to get the replay.  Anyone but Bannon

All that said Fermanagh are a superb team and will be very difficult to beat next day and its a game im looking forward to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBijQzm9H0A

Certainly not the worst song ive ever heard and much better than I could do

Thought it was a poor enough game today with Armagh full value for their win. Thought McKeever was excellent today on coulter. Ref was very poor although I have no complaints about O Rourke getting sent off. Both teams will have to improve to challenge for honours this year. Also thought Stephen Kernan had as good a game as I have seen from him today

Annaghmore beat Belleek 1-7 to 0-7 tonight in Belleek.  Slightly better of the two teams to be honest.  Belleek may feel hard done by the own goal that was originally signalled by both umpires before their umpirethen changed his mind.  Looked a clear goal from my pretty good view tbh

Stayed in the same hotel as the Portugal team at the World Cup in 2002.  Arrived the day Corea put them out which caused a massive street party in Seoul during which we were given loads of Corean flags and stuff.  Got back to the hotel and the who Portugal team were in the lobby.  Never moved as quick in my life to get rid of the stuff wed been given.  Got photos with the whole squad.  Next day saw Rui Costa in the bar and went up to him and offered him a pint to commisserate he said hed take it only if we joined him for it.  So me and my brother and cousin ordered pints and sat down.  When the bill came Rui Costa paid for it (which was a good job as it was about 15 euro a pint).  Wouldnt let us leave and he and Pauletta and Petit paid for out drinks all evening and the 6 of us sat chatting.  Three really nice guys