Tyrone stripped of McKenna Cup success

[saffron sam2]

Can't be arsed finding the original thread. 



From today's Irish News.

Mickey Harte has branded the Ulster Council's decision to strip Tyrone of this year's McKenna Cup title as "below pathetic''.

The provincial body made the ruling at a meeting on Tuesday night. The Red Hands had fallen foul of the Council when they fielded two college players in the McKenna Cup final against Donegal.

Both Cathal McCarron (St Mary's) and Damien McCaul (UUJ) had been registered with their respective universities, but they were in Tyrone's starting line-up on February 17. Playing the students was a breach of the Ulster Council's rules for the McKenna Cup.

However, in a surprise move, the Competitions Control Committee of the Ulster Council used a different ruling to punish Tyrone.

It's understood the disciplinary body found that Tyrone's team sheet didn't comply with Rule 2.5 (in Part Two of the Official Guide) which stipulates: "The first 15 names appearing on a list shall be taken as constituting the actual team...''

Having been satisfied that the first 15 names on Tyrone's teamsheet didn't correspond with the side that lined out against Donegal, the CCC imposed the penalty from Rule 114 (in Part One of the Official Guide).

Under Rule 114, the penalty for the "Failure to provide a list of players as specified in Rule'' is either "Forfeiture of game, without award to the opposing team, or a fine, depending on circumstances''.

In the end, the Ulster Council opted to strip Tyrone of their victory, thereby denying them this year's McKenna Cup title, which would have been their fourth on the trot.

Tyrone boss Mickey Harte has reacted angrily to the decision.

"I think it's a bit sad that this has happened following the contribution we have made to the McKenna Cup over the past five years.

"The breath of life which we breathed into the competition since 2003, and the energy and effort which we always attributed to it, if that's the thanks we get for it, then that's a bit sad," said Harte.

Harte was further annoyed at the method which the Ulster Council used to punish the O'Neill County for fielding players that had been registered with their universities.

"It's below pathetic. If that's the length you have to go to in order to score a point of some kind then this isn't the organisation that I thought I belonged to,'' he said.

Tyrone can now launch an appeal to the GAA's Central Appeals Committee and Harte is confident that his county board will mount an immediate challenge.

He said: "I would expect them to appeal this as far as it can be appealed. I believe they will be determined to do that as well.''

[Black and white]

I didnt realise it was Tyrone on their own who re-junvinated the Mc Kenna Cup i though it was novel format, stronger masrketing from the ulster council and all the fans from all the counties who bought back into the compitition.

M Harte is an egotisical tosser

[Smokin Joe]

That's an interesting outcome, especially as ONeill (amongst others) kept saying on this DB to show where Tyrone broke a written rule, as opposed to just not being within the spirt of the McKenna Cup re the students.

I didn't think the Ulster Council had the balls to do it, but good to see that they are standing up to "the man who brought the McKenna Cup back to life".

[armaghniac]

"It's below pathetic. If that's the length you have to go to in order to score a point of some kind then this isn't the organisation that I thought I belonged to,'' he said.

Not that Mr Harte is beyond scoring points. If he doesn't like the rules of the GAA he can always leave, he had the yellow card after the first use of university players and he did it again in the full knowledge that the Ulster council would take action.

[phpearse]

I think most posters said that Tyrone had broken no McKenna Cuo ruling. Does this rule:

Tyrone's team sheet didn't comply with Rule 2.5 (in Part Two of the Official Guide) which stipulates: "The first 15 names appearing on a list shall be taken as constituting the actual team...''

mean that if a team makes a late change to a team, say if someone gets hurt during the warm up and they are replaced at the start of the game that the team loose the game?

Bit rich of Harte making issue with all Tyrone have done to reinvigorate the McKenna Cup. I think the McKenna Cup being popular now is more to do with interest in Gaelic Games being at an all time high with a number of strong teams in Ulster, Tyrone having a big following, and the fact that people haven't seen a ball kicked in anger for 4-5 months. Although it has nothing to do with the Ulster council efforts or college teams in the competition. Ulster Council are sitting pretty, riding on a natural wave.

Ulster Council should now donate the final money to charity, as they have declared the final null and void.

[Orior]

This is a good outcome. No man nor team is bigger than the competition.

[full back]

Tyrone boss Mickey Harte has reacted angrily to the decision.

"I think it's a bit sad that this has happened following the contribution we have made to the McKenna Cup over the past five years.

"The breath of life which we breathed into the competition since 2003, and the energy and effort which we always attributed to it, if that's the thanks we get for it, then that's a bit sad," said Harte.

Harte was further annoyed at the method which the Ulster Council used to punish the O'Neill County for

FFS, Is he having a laugh
Tyrone-the saviours of Gaelic football
He knew there would be consequences, yet he ignored this.
Where is the issue?

[magpie seanie]

Teams produce dodgy team sheets all the time. The key here is that as O'Neill said Tyrone were technically right. They broke no McKenna Cup rule. However the Ulster Council obviously felt that they acted outside the spirit of the competition and wanted to nail them so they found something to hang them on. That's the way it works folks.

Saying Harte knew there would be consequences shows a poor knowledge of the facts.

[full back]

Seanie, are you saying Harte didnt know there would be consequences?

[Over the Bar]

Ulster Council had better be prepared to accept the consequences of their actions.  There's be mass protest all across the county.  Riots will ensue etc.   

[magpie seanie]

Seanie, are you saying Harte didnt know there would be consequences?

I'd say Harte was confident they weren't breaching any rule. He would have anticipated a bit of controversy perhaps but no consequences from an official GAA side I'd guess.

[full back]

Harte was acting the smart fella
Delighted for him & his cohorts

[bennydorano]

Harte acted the w**ker in the first instance, the favour is just being returned; petty as fcuk, but hell slap it up him.

[never kickt a ball]

It's understood the disciplinary body found that Tyrone's team sheet didn't comply with Rule 2.5 (in Part Two of the Official Guide) which stipulates: "The first 15 names appearing on a list shall be taken as constituting the actual team...''

Who is advising the Ulster Council? What a tremendous Domnic Corrigan type decision? I think this is setting a dangerous precedent. For example i would like to scan the Donegal team sheet for similar errors and indeed all the teamsheets for every game in the McKenna Cup. There by the way is your appeal basis. Find one other team sheet in a similar position which has been ign0red and case dismissed. Does this rule apply in to the Ulster Championship? I assume it does.

[Deal_Me_In]

Did the teams not name panels for the Mc Kenna cup and every player given a squad number? If this is the case then surely no matter what team is selected they would not be numbered 1-15 anyway.