Martin Cole gets four week suspension

[Lecale2]

The Committee are reacting to the extent of the accidental injury instead of the fouls committed by both players.

I agree with Western Exile. It's the broken nose that got him suspended. We just have to accept it and move on. I hope they don't decide to appeal but that has never been Down's style.

[Mickey Linden]

Absolute disgrace lads! This is going to ruin our championship this year! It seems that someone will get suspened after every game. Cole was the man in possession. He is only banned because Harte broke his nose! Dan Gordon broke his thumb can they not use video evedience to suspend someone from Tyrone for this?

[saffron sam2]

The Committee are reacting to the extent of the accidental injury instead of the fouls committed by both players.

I agree with Western Exile. It's the broken nose that got him suspended. We just have to accept it and move on. I hope they don't decide to appeal but that has never been Down's style.

Short memory my good man. Does the name Ross Carr ring any bells?

Or if they do decide to appeal, they could use the "It was an off the record incident and not meant to appear in any national media outlet" defence.

It would appear, that like 2003 and 2005, Tyrone seem to be benefitting from any 'disciplinary' procedures that the GAA have in place.

Whilst the procedure is unprecedented and the suspension harsh, I think that both can be justified, although Harte's role should also be subject to scutiny, as was the case, for example with Paddy 'Ball Grabber" Campbell and Enda Muldoon from a few years back.

The most questionable incident of the whole game is one that no-one has mentioned here. As Ambrose Rogers scored the second Down goal, a heroic Tyrone defender (no. 7) can clearly be seen trying to stick the boot in him. This cowardly action is worthy of at least a three month ban. I think we need a citing commissioner for all these games. I am available for this job.

[miss mess]

monk didnt even know anything about the ban until he seen it on the news

[orangeman]

Absolute disgrace lads! This is going to ruin our championship this year! It seems that someone will get suspened after every game. Cole was the man in possession. He is only banned because Harte broke his nose! Dan Gordon broke his thumb can they not use video evedience to suspend someone from Tyrone for this?

This is getting out of hand. The suits will be looking to ban somebody after every match - gaelic football will soon be a non contact sport if the suits get their way.

[Maximus Marillius]

SS2 you should stick to sorting Antrims problems out as by each week they become bigger and bigger

Absolute disgrace lads! This is going to ruin our championship this year! It seems that someone will get suspened after every game. Cole was the man in possession. He is only banned because Harte broke his nose! Dan Gordon broke his thumb can they not use video evedience to suspend someone from Tyrone for this?

sure stick your head in the sand and pretent Cole did not very aggressively through his fore arm back...naw it never happened...I didn't see it because my rose tinted coloured glasses were in the way of my eyes

[amallon]

I think Cole was very harsly dealt with here, there was no intent. 

He was lucky to stay on the field for an incident a few minutes later.  He was coming out of defence with the ball a used a hand off in the face of an on coming Tyrone played lifting the Tyrone man clean off his feet.  Another yellow in my book, I was screaming for him to be taken off before he got sent off.

[Maximus Marillius]

I think Cole was very harsly dealt with here, there was no intent. 

He was lucky to stay on the field for an incident a few minutes later.  He was coming out of defence with the ball a used a hand off in the face of an on coming Tyrone played lifting the Tyrone man clean off his feet.  Another yellow in my book, I was screaming for him to be taken off before he got sent off.

Now that takes the biscuit FFS

[North Longford]

My take on it was that firstly I did think Harte gave Cole a right good dig with a closed fist and it was this that caused Cole to react. I think the ref should have blown Hartes indiscretion because it was severe enough to warrant a ticking and it wasn't as if Cole had some major advantage by letting play go on.
I'm afraid I disagree with the majority on Coles actions tho. There is a difference in shrugging a fella off with your arm which I think is what most people are refferring to here and what happens an awful lot. That is much more of a push off but in this case Cole definitely swung at Harte and no matter where he hit him it was never going to have the affect of "shrugging him off". In this case I really thought there was a bit more intent in the swing made by Cole  (obvioulsy not to break Hartes nose but to hit him rather than shrug him off) That all being said I thought the ref issuing the yellow was sufficient punishment and I'm amazed the hierarchy have intervened. If this is the standard they are in for a long summer!!

[behind the wire]

1. harte gave cole a right good dig in the ribs with the closed fist, this is plain for all to see. as far as i know a strike with the closed fist warrants a month suspension.  now that we are following the exact letter of the law in suspending cole im sure we will see equal treatment regarding the strike by harte. (couldnt see it though)

i cant believe none of the commentators even mentioned the punch by harte.

2. saffron sam is right about the sighting officer. it is used to good effect in the aussie rules. would cut out any off the ball stuff.

[amallon]

Maximus - Whats wrong with what I said?  It my opinion and judging by the comments on this thread a large percentage of the people here think it was accidental, more clumsy than anything.  I still think he should have walked for the "arm off" then the "hand off" into the face a few minutes later.

[Maximus Marillius]

amallon..there was nothing accidental in throwing his forearm back...infact it was deliberate. I have no doubt he did not mean to break the guys nose...but to suggest that his arm being thrown back was accidental is just simply ludicrous

[amallon]

Max - Read back through the thread I think you are in the minority on this one be it a fairly decent sized minority.

[Maximus Marillius]

amallon...if you read my posts, no where have I said he should be suspended....my posts have been in respect of many who are in denial of the fact that his use of his fore arm was deliberate. Personally I feel that the ref dealt with and that should be the end of it...but you can thank the Tyrone County board for their unwillingness to accept suspensions back in 2005 for the reason this new rule was introduced...

[amallon]

We will have to agree to disagree, I thought it was a shrug off.