Cavan break GAA’s winter training ban

[BennyHarp]

They should claim that they thought the ban applied to any two months of their choosing, since they last played in July, there's plenty of scope for a break.

Thats a fair point! How can you ban a team from training in November and December for fear of burn out, when they haven't kicked a ball since July!

[ONeill]

All the Cavan players complained of frostbite apart from Larry. He bit the frost.

[Banana Man]

reading the back of the irish news the cavan spokesman seemed to give a plausible answer, he was able to justify it, the 1 lad that was doubtful was there to use the gym

as paddy heaney said, it is totally unfavourable on new management teams, they have to use the mckenna cup then as glorified trial matches, whole rule needs looked at

[armaghniac]

Ah sure you know Cavan, money is no object there, they'll just pay the fines and say bring it on! Anything to keep the success going.

[tommysmith]

Ah sure you know Cavan, money is no object there, they'll just pay the fines and say bring it on! Anything to keep the success going.

Funny man 

It's not a set fine as such its the entire allocation of their gate receipts for the league.

I wouldn't think it will come to that though.

[RedandGreenSniper]

From www.examiner.ie

The Cavan controversy: an eyewitness account
December 13, 2010 19:24 by  Irish Examiner Sports
John Fogarty

WE don't want to protest too much here because not much has to be insisted upon, really.
This Sunday past, Cavan breached the GAA's winter collective training ban, using at least one player from last year's panel in a training game. Simple as that.
However, in light of the Cavan County Board's denial and the possibility that Croke Park will require some sort of a testimony, allow me to recount exactly what I witnessed two days ago.
On the instruction of a match-day steward just before lunch-time on Sunday, I parked my car beside the 3G all-weather pitch in Breffni Park, 200 yards or so from the stadium.
Several hours later and about 30 minutes before I returned to it, the common sound of a whistle and raised voices could be heard from a Breffni Park meeting room where journalists took refuge from the cold to file their match reports and reaction from an entertaining Ulster final.
A quick glance out the window indicated high-powered floodlights were turned on. A team was training.
Work done and laptop packed away, I made my way back to my car when closer inspection revealed that a full-blown game was taking place with a referee in a green shirt officiating proceedings. On one side of the pitch formed a congregation of spectators while on the other stood two figures, an area from where the unmistakeable voice of Cavan's Dublin-born co-manager Val Andrews – known to listeners of RTE Radio One on which he worked as a GAA analyst in recent years – could be heard cajoling players.
Taking a spot on the near end-line a comfortable distance from the posts, this curious onlooker watched as Cian Mackey played into James Reilly's goal just 20 yards in front of him – the same Cian Mackey who featured in the county's three championship games under Tommy Carr this past summer.
Noticing my presence, an individual acting as an umpire on Reilly's goal approached and asked who I was. Explaining that I was an Irish Examiner GAA journalist, I then pointed out that Mackey shouldn't have been playing as his presence alone on the pitch contravened the GAA's rule on November and December being a no inter-county collection training zone. The umpire shrugged his shoulders.
After some small chat about the merits of the winter ban, I mentioned I had heard the first name of another prominent Cavan forward from this past season being shouted moments earlier to which the umpire responded by pointing up the field and revealed that he was lining out in the attack of Reilly's team.
Moments later, I bid farewell, walked to my car and drove away surprised that Cavan were so unashamedly contravening the winter training ban.
The Cavan County Board are now fighting their corner. It is understood they were of the belief that Mackey was in attendance at Breffni Park to undergo rehab work. But had they not consulted with their co-managers before making such a statement? Wouldn't they have realised then that he was actually participating in the training game? Could they have been that naive? (That's not to mention the other 2010 panellist who was identified by a fellow journalist not only by his facial features but his training jacket with his name emblazoned across his back.)
Mackey is a gregarious character and a fine footballer who I had the pleasure of interviewing earlier this year just yards away from the 3G pitch where he played ball on Sunday evening, the occasion being Cavan's press evening before their Ulster quarter-final defeat to Fermanagh.
Back then, I learned the Castlerahan clubman had posed naked for a charity calendar in aid of Cavan General Hospital and in the face of economic strains had recently taken over the lease of a pub in Ballyjamesduff. All in all, a decent skin.
It's unfortunate that he should now be recognised as the individual who has proven beyond doubt that the inter-county training moratorium was flouted by Cavan. On the face of it, all he did was play for his county in a training game on the bitterest of December evenings.
It's nothing close to a crime never mind a misdemeanour but under the canons of the GAA he did wrong. In togging out and participating, he erred. Whether he asked the Cavan management to give him a game or was asked to line out (even to make up the numbers), he shouldn't have. In the vicinity of several GAA journalists, the Breffni County shouldn't have let him. To put him in that compromising position was seriously irresponsible.
There was no subterfuge here, no peeping tom malarkey, no figure in the shadows. What Cavan did was either incredibly blasé or remarkably stupid.
Ever since the inception of the winter ban two years ago, its rights and wrongs have been up for discussion. The authenticity of The Irish Examiner's report on Cavan's activities isn't. The Breffni County broke the rule. The only question that remains to be asked is will they pay for it.

[tommysmith]

So there was another player who he didnt name, and Mackey is a better story because he stripped for charity.

This John Fogarty should mind his own business but i guess the next thing will be a article naming this other player.

[winsamsoon]

Fair play to Cavan. The ban is a load of shite. If players have exited the championship at such an early stage they need to keep their fitness levels up. Whilst they don't have to be at full championship pace some game play is essential.

Which county forwarded this motion at congress? Was probably down as they sold us out on certain other rules

[Tyrones own]

They'll not like the fine...   

  V.Good

[drici]

3G all-weather pitch in Breffni Park,

Good idea to have these 3G pitches which will help anyone doing Latest Scores for the Board from a mobile phone.

[Banana Man]

Fair play to Cavan. The ban is a load of shite. If players have exited the championship at such an early stage they need to keep their fitness levels up. Whilst they don't have to be at full championship pace some game play is essential.

Which county forwarded this motion at congress? Was probably down as they sold us out on certain other rules

go away and scratch 

it is a bollix of a rule, fairplay to cavan, i hope they tell croker to go and fu*k, nonsensical rule

[nrico2006]

From www.examiner.ie

The Cavan controversy: an eyewitness account
December 13, 2010 19:24 by  Irish Examiner Sports
John Fogarty

WE don't want to protest too much here because not much has to be insisted upon, really.
This Sunday past, Cavan breached the GAA's winter collective training ban, using at least one player from last year's panel in a training game. Simple as that.
However, in light of the Cavan County Board's denial and the possibility that Croke Park will require some sort of a testimony, allow me to recount exactly what I witnessed two days ago.
On the instruction of a match-day steward just before lunch-time on Sunday, I parked my car beside the 3G all-weather pitch in Breffni Park, 200 yards or so from the stadium.
Several hours later and about 30 minutes before I returned to it, the common sound of a whistle and raised voices could be heard from a Breffni Park meeting room where journalists took refuge from the cold to file their match reports and reaction from an entertaining Ulster final.
A quick glance out the window indicated high-powered floodlights were turned on. A team was training.
Work done and laptop packed away, I made my way back to my car when closer inspection revealed that a full-blown game was taking place with a referee in a green shirt officiating proceedings. On one side of the pitch formed a congregation of spectators while on the other stood two figures, an area from where the unmistakeable voice of Cavan's Dublin-born co-manager Val Andrews – known to listeners of RTE Radio One on which he worked as a GAA analyst in recent years – could be heard cajoling players.
Taking a spot on the near end-line a comfortable distance from the posts, this curious onlooker watched as Cian Mackey played into James Reilly's goal just 20 yards in front of him – the same Cian Mackey who featured in the county's three championship games under Tommy Carr this past summer.
Noticing my presence, an individual acting as an umpire on Reilly's goal approached and asked who I was. Explaining that I was an Irish Examiner GAA journalist, I then pointed out that Mackey shouldn't have been playing as his presence alone on the pitch contravened the GAA's rule on November and December being a no inter-county collection training zone. The umpire shrugged his shoulders.
After some small chat about the merits of the winter ban, I mentioned I had heard the first name of another prominent Cavan forward from this past season being shouted moments earlier to which the umpire responded by pointing up the field and revealed that he was lining out in the attack of Reilly's team.
Moments later, I bid farewell, walked to my car and drove away surprised that Cavan were so unashamedly contravening the winter training ban.
The Cavan County Board are now fighting their corner. It is understood they were of the belief that Mackey was in attendance at Breffni Park to undergo rehab work. But had they not consulted with their co-managers before making such a statement? Wouldn't they have realised then that he was actually participating in the training game? Could they have been that naive? (That's not to mention the other 2010 panellist who was identified by a fellow journalist not only by his facial features but his training jacket with his name emblazoned across his back.)
Mackey is a gregarious character and a fine footballer who I had the pleasure of interviewing earlier this year just yards away from the 3G pitch where he played ball on Sunday evening, the occasion being Cavan's press evening before their Ulster quarter-final defeat to Fermanagh.
Back then, I learned the Castlerahan clubman had posed naked for a charity calendar in aid of Cavan General Hospital and in the face of economic strains had recently taken over the lease of a pub in Ballyjamesduff. All in all, a decent skin.
It's unfortunate that he should now be recognised as the individual who has proven beyond doubt that the inter-county training moratorium was flouted by Cavan. On the face of it, all he did was play for his county in a training game on the bitterest of December evenings.
It's nothing close to a crime never mind a misdemeanour but under the canons of the GAA he did wrong. In togging out and participating, he erred. Whether he asked the Cavan management to give him a game or was asked to line out (even to make up the numbers), he shouldn't have. In the vicinity of several GAA journalists, the Breffni County shouldn't have let him. To put him in that compromising position was seriously irresponsible.
There was no subterfuge here, no peeping tom malarkey, no figure in the shadows. What Cavan did was either incredibly blasé or remarkably stupid.
Ever since the inception of the winter ban two years ago, its rights and wrongs have been up for discussion. The authenticity of The Irish Examiner's report on Cavan's activities isn't. The Breffni County broke the rule. The only question that remains to be asked is will they pay for it.

I am really shocked at this Fogarty boy, I thought it was a piss take at first.  You would swear that someone was tricked into a crime by reading this, and Fogarty's attitude stinks - he represents everything that is wrong with the GAA these days, the report he has written really shows what a jobsworth he really is.  The normal GAA fan would not have a problem with seeing a player playing a game, or in this case only training.  The association has lost touch with the people who are most important to it, the players.  It seems that there are rules created for the sake of it, and the majority of these simply eliminate the fundamental reason why people got involved in playing the sports in the first place, to have fun. 

[mylestheslasher]

From www.examiner.ie

The Cavan controversy: an eyewitness account
December 13, 2010 19:24 by  Irish Examiner Sports
John Fogarty

WE don't want to protest too much here because not much has to be insisted upon, really.
This Sunday past, Cavan breached the GAA's winter collective training ban, using at least one player from last year's panel in a training game. Simple as that.
However, in light of the Cavan County Board's denial and the possibility that Croke Park will require some sort of a testimony, allow me to recount exactly what I witnessed two days ago.
On the instruction of a match-day steward just before lunch-time on Sunday, I parked my car beside the 3G all-weather pitch in Breffni Park, 200 yards or so from the stadium.
Several hours later and about 30 minutes before I returned to it, the common sound of a whistle and raised voices could be heard from a Breffni Park meeting room where journalists took refuge from the cold to file their match reports and reaction from an entertaining Ulster final.
A quick glance out the window indicated high-powered floodlights were turned on. A team was training.
Work done and laptop packed away, I made my way back to my car when closer inspection revealed that a full-blown game was taking place with a referee in a green shirt officiating proceedings. On one side of the pitch formed a congregation of spectators while on the other stood two figures, an area from where the unmistakeable voice of Cavan's Dublin-born co-manager Val Andrews – known to listeners of RTE Radio One on which he worked as a GAA analyst in recent years – could be heard cajoling players.
Taking a spot on the near end-line a comfortable distance from the posts, this curious onlooker watched as Cian Mackey played into James Reilly's goal just 20 yards in front of him – the same Cian Mackey who featured in the county's three championship games under Tommy Carr this past summer.
Noticing my presence, an individual acting as an umpire on Reilly's goal approached and asked who I was. Explaining that I was an Irish Examiner GAA journalist, I then pointed out that Mackey shouldn't have been playing as his presence alone on the pitch contravened the GAA's rule on November and December being a no inter-county collection training zone. The umpire shrugged his shoulders.
After some small chat about the merits of the winter ban, I mentioned I had heard the first name of another prominent Cavan forward from this past season being shouted moments earlier to which the umpire responded by pointing up the field and revealed that he was lining out in the attack of Reilly's team.
Moments later, I bid farewell, walked to my car and drove away surprised that Cavan were so unashamedly contravening the winter training ban.
The Cavan County Board are now fighting their corner. It is understood they were of the belief that Mackey was in attendance at Breffni Park to undergo rehab work. But had they not consulted with their co-managers before making such a statement? Wouldn't they have realised then that he was actually participating in the training game? Could they have been that naive? (That's not to mention the other 2010 panellist who was identified by a fellow journalist not only by his facial features but his training jacket with his name emblazoned across his back.)
Mackey is a gregarious character and a fine footballer who I had the pleasure of interviewing earlier this year just yards away from the 3G pitch where he played ball on Sunday evening, the occasion being Cavan's press evening before their Ulster quarter-final defeat to Fermanagh.
Back then, I learned the Castlerahan clubman had posed naked for a charity calendar in aid of Cavan General Hospital and in the face of economic strains had recently taken over the lease of a pub in Ballyjamesduff. All in all, a decent skin.
It's unfortunate that he should now be recognised as the individual who has proven beyond doubt that the inter-county training moratorium was flouted by Cavan. On the face of it, all he did was play for his county in a training game on the bitterest of December evenings.
It's nothing close to a crime never mind a misdemeanour but under the canons of the GAA he did wrong. In togging out and participating, he erred. Whether he asked the Cavan management to give him a game or was asked to line out (even to make up the numbers), he shouldn't have. In the vicinity of several GAA journalists, the Breffni County shouldn't have let him. To put him in that compromising position was seriously irresponsible.
There was no subterfuge here, no peeping tom malarkey, no figure in the shadows. What Cavan did was either incredibly blasé or remarkably stupid.
Ever since the inception of the winter ban two years ago, its rights and wrongs have been up for discussion. The authenticity of The Irish Examiner's report on Cavan's activities isn't. The Breffni County broke the rule. The only question that remains to be asked is will they pay for it.

I am really shocked at this Fogarty boy, I thought it was a piss take at first.  You would swear that someone was tricked into a crime by reading this, and Fogarty's attitude stinks - he represents everything that is wrong with the GAA these days, the report he has written really shows what a jobsworth he really is.  The normal GAA fan would not have a problem with seeing a player playing a game, or in this case only training.  The association has lost touch with the people who are most important to it, the players.  It seems that there are rules created for the sake of it, and the majority of these simply eliminate the fundamental reason why people got involved in playing the sports in the first place, to have fun.

I agree with that. Isn't the examiner Cork based? Did this flute go all the way to Breffni from Cork for a story. Sure once he went all the way up he wasn't going to leave without a story of some sort.

[RedandGreenSniper]

John Fogarty is a Dub. I don't think the messenger should be shot here. It is a stupid rule of no use to teams who have exited the championship last July. This furore has highlighted that.

[Celt_Man]

What a load of bollox... No matter what way they cut it if Cavan is penalised for this it is just plain stupid maybe not wrong to the letter of the GAA law but just stupid....

If you break it down and they are penalised, Cavan will have been punished for....
Playing Football...
-Even though they played their last competitive game 5 months ago in July...
-They start a competitive provincial competition in less than 4 weeks
-The Ulster Council are looking for their McKenna Panel this week even though they aren't meant to be training etc

Just doesn't make sense to me at all....