Cross player claims racial abuse

[orangeman]

Joey Cunningham upset by reports of Kilcoo race ban reductions
The father of the GAA player allegedly racially abused in last month's Ulster Club Final has made clear his anger amid reports that bans imposed arising from the game have been reduced.

Kilcoo player Aidan Branagan's six-month ban is believed to have been cut to four months.

His brother Daryl's four-month ban is understood to have been overturned.

"I'm definitely not happy with this verdict," Joey Cunningham told BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme.

"I would like to ask the question why the six months (ban) was rounded down to four months.

"For them to round it down to four months makes a mockery of this issue that they are trying to sort out."

Mr Cunningham played GAA for Crossmaglen and Armagh and Irish League football for Portadown during the 1980s and early 1990s, and said that he received racial abuse every week in his soccer career.

"This verdict is really, really disappointing from my point of view. The Ulster Council made all the right noises and said all the right things after this happened so what I'm hearing at the moment is very disappointing."

The Crossmaglen player said that the "n-word" had been used during the game.

Following Cunningham's allegations, Ulster GAA president Aogan O Fearghaill said that anyone found guilty of racism would be dealt with "as severely as possible".

The Ulster Council is understood to have asked the Kilcoo club to provide information on one of their supporters thought to have been involved in the racial abuse incident.

There are reports that the Down champions may be about to forward this information to the provincial body although the Ulster Council said on Tuesday that the investigation was "still ongoing".

"We can make no comment on this issue at this time," said an Ulster Council spokesperson.

"We can't confirm that the ban has been reduced or rescinded because the process is ongoing."

[JUst retired]

The player suspended for this will not miss any game in the championship,as he was not sent off with a red card. The Ulster council have let themselves down badly with this decision to overturn one and reduce the other. If there was enough evidence to suspend,then it should not be changed for any reason.

[Wildweasel74]

hear joey on the news the day, not happy at all with the ban been reduced, and wants to know why this happened?

[NaomhBridAbú]

This will be the second time in the space of a month that the Ulster council show they havent got the balls they were born with.
The mcKenna/students row and the racism issue.

Other codes - including the EPL soccer and the Euro leagues - are all trying harder to deal with the issue of racism, and just because its relatively isolated in the context of GAA it doesnt mean that they can treat it so lightly.

I have always seen GAA as a metaphor for life - hardly the view shared by the Ulster Council it seems

[PAULD123]

The player suspended for this will not miss any game in the championship,as he was not sent off with a red card. The Ulster council have let themselves down badly with this decision to overturn one and reduce the other. If there was enough evidence to suspend,then it should not be changed for any reason.

Firstly, ALL personal offensive abuse is wrong. I see slagging someone's skin colour to have the same severity as slagging someone who's family member committed suicide or dies in an accident. Offence is by it's nature personal. It is low, nasty and immoral. But why is one person allowed to be more offended than another? I find personal abuse on a sports field appalling and the people who do it pathetic. There are rules for it's punishment and where it can be proven they should be enforced.

As for the Ulster Council have let themselves down in overturning a suspension that should not have been given? Surely they should be praised for not engaging in a witch hunt like yourself? If there was no proof that Daryl Brannigan did the offence then the Ulster Council are correct to absolve him of any punishment. Maybe you don't agree that you should actually produce some proof of guilt before punishment. Might I remind you that that was exactly the theory employed during internment!

[Hardy]

Witchcraft hasn't gone away; it's just been replaced.

[bennydorano]

Oh dear. He has been a tithead since the day & hour he appeared on here

[Wildweasel74]

Why would the lad have ever of mentioned it, if it didnt happen which seems unlikely.This day and age people seem to think whats goes on, on a football field stays on the field. This shouldn't be the case, referees should have come down hard on sledging years ago. one or two players made they name at it more than their football ability,. Managers have a responsibility to for their players to act in a proper manner and not the win at all cost attitude which is so prevalent in professional sports.

[nrico2006]

Why would the lad have ever of mentioned it, if it didnt happen which seems unlikely.This day and age people seem to think whats goes on, on a football field stays on the field. This shouldn't be the case, referees should have come down hard on sledging years ago. one or two players made they name at it more than their football ability,. Managers have a responsibility to for their players to act in a proper manner and not the win at all cost attitude which is so prevalent in professional sports.

It seems likely by his reaction that it did happen, but more evidence would be required unfortunately.  Nobody here knows if Aaron Cunningham is a story teller or a straight up fella, therefore he could just as well be making this up or have misheard something.  I would be inclined to believe what he says though, but if we were to go on one persons word then god knows what each one of us could be accused and convicted off on the pitch or off it.

[Applesisapples]

Why would the lad have ever of mentioned it, if it didnt happen which seems unlikely.This day and age people seem to think whats goes on, on a football field stays on the field. This shouldn't be the case, referees should have come down hard on sledging years ago. one or two players made they name at it more than their football ability,. Managers have a responsibility to for their players to act in a proper manner and not the win at all cost attitude which is so prevalent in professional sports.

It seems likely by his reaction that it did happen, but more evidence would be required unfortunately.  Nobody here knows if Aaron Cunningham is a story teller or a straight up fella, therefore he could just as well be making this up or have misheard something.  I would be inclined to believe what he says though, but if we were to go on one persons word then god knows what each one of us could be accused and convicted off on the pitch or off it.

Joey wouldn't allow him to tell stories.

[bennydorano]

More than likely Gaa Omerta, Kilcoo players are hardly going to sink one of their own, linesmen if close enough to actually hear might naturally enough take the easy route & neither hear, see or speak no evil. Until the 'culture' changes 'proof' will be hard to come by unless they are stonecold nailed on TV - and sure some brightspark will then produce a lipreading expert at that stage.

[brokencrossbar1]

More than likely Gaa Omerta, Kilcoo players are hardly going to sink one of their own, linesmen if close enough to actually hear might naturally enough take the easy route & neither hear, see or speak no evil. Until the 'culture' changes 'proof' will be hard to come by unless the are stonecold nailed on TV - and sure some brightspark will then produce a lipreading expert at that stage.

There is also the spectre of a potential criminal case if someone is accused of racism and there is strong evidence, a factor which may have influenced how people  'co-operated'

[orangeman]

More than likely Gaa Omerta, Kilcoo players are hardly going to sink one of their own, linesmen if close enough to actually hear might naturally enough take the easy route & neither hear, see or speak no evil. Until the 'culture' changes 'proof' will be hard to come by unless the are stonecold nailed on TV - and sure some brightspark will then produce a lipreading expert at that stage.

There is also the spectre of a potential criminal case if someone is accused of racism and there is strong evidence, a factor which may have influenced how people  'co-operated'

Won't happen.

[Armamike]

Why would the lad have ever of mentioned it, if it didnt happen which seems unlikely.This day and age people seem to think whats goes on, on a football field stays on the field. This shouldn't be the case, referees should have come down hard on sledging years ago. one or two players made they name at it more than their football ability,. Managers have a responsibility to for their players to act in a proper manner and not the win at all cost attitude which is so prevalent in professional sports.

In this given the circumstances, it would be 'reasonable' to conclude that racist abuse has been given. 
If the Ulster council feel that there is sufficient evidence to ban the player, then why reduce this to 4 months - is there a cap on the length of time?  Ban or no ban, the Kilcoo players/supporters have brought shame to their club, whether they can see that or not. All abuse is not equal - in our culture racist abuse is the most vile.

[bennydorano]

Why would the lad have ever of mentioned it, if it didnt happen which seems unlikely.This day and age people seem to think whats goes on, on a football field stays on the field. This shouldn't be the case, referees should have come down hard on sledging years ago. one or two players made they name at it more than their football ability,. Managers have a responsibility to for their players to act in a proper manner and not the win at all cost attitude which is so prevalent in professional sports.

In this given the circumstances, it would be 'reasonable' to conclude that racist abuse has been given. 
If the Ulster council feel that there is sufficient evidence to ban the player, then why reduce this to 4 months - is there a cap on the length of time?  Ban or no ban, the Kilcoo players/supporters have brought shame to their club, whether they can see that or not. All abuse is not equal - in our culture racist abuse is the most vile.

Correct, I was going to make the same point to Pauld123, the 'lines in the sand' are drawn by society as a whole - no matter what individual's opinions are.