Lifetime bans for football incidents

Just read this on RTÉ:

Two men have been handed life bans over incidents which saw a referee knocked unconscious and the Tyrone Ladies Gaelic Football Association chairman assaulted at a match. A fine was also imposed on Carrickmore, the club at the centre of the controversy. The bans and fine have been imposed because of a melee which broke out after the final whistle at the Tyrone Ladies senior football final between Carrickmore and St Macartan's on 24 June.

The incident was sparked when referee Simon Brady awarded a late free to St McCartan's. As supporters invaded the pitch after full-time, Brady was struck and knocked unconscious. Tyrone Ladies GFA chairman Martin Conway was also knocked to the ground as he tried to intervene. Both men had to be stretchered off the field. A statement said that a 'robust enquiry and full investigation' concluded with a full County Board meeting last night at which the sanctions to be imposed on two people were announced.

The first person handed a life ban is understood to be a Carrickmore supporter. He was identified as the person who allegedly assaulted match referee Simon Brady. This individual has been given a lifetime ban from any involvement in or with Ladies gaelic football, including attendance at Ladies fixtures in the future. He was not a member of the Ladies GFA. A second person, who was a member of the Carrickmore management team and a member of the Ladies GFA, was identified as the person who allegedly assaulted the Tyrone ladies GFA chairman Martin Conway.

This person also received a life ban. Carrickmore condemned the incidents and wished the two injured parties a speedy recovery and return to their duties. A Board statement added: 'It has been a difficult time for the Ladies game in Tyrone but the focus now is on pulling together ahead of Sundays Ulster senior ladies football final with Tyrone up against Monaghan at Clones.'

I just wondered why they were only banned from ladies football? Or would a blanket ban from all GAA be too harsh?

Both ladies football and camogie are governed by different associations under the auspices of the GAA. Football under the Ladies Gaelic Football Association and camogie by the Camogie Association. They can make their own own rules and regulations without reference to the GAA HQ. Though governed separately both organizations are very much part of the GAA ie, having access to all gaelic grounds, and to be fair to the GAA they have always been supportive of the womens' games.

Because ladies football is governed by a different association, I don't think the investigators of this incident would have had the authority to ban these men from attending all GAA matches. Though there is nothing to stop the GAA itself from having a look at the verdict and taking independent action against the men involved.

This was a strange incident as I've never ever heard of violence at ladies matches in either code.

I don't think they can have any complaint's and although the women's football is sort of seperate from the g.a.a, I would imagine there would be a blanket ban from all g.a.a for doing something like this. The g.a.a will prob ban them aswell.

Thanks for clarifying that Blue. I guess they can't stop them from being involved in other GAA matches then. It certainly was an odd incident. I still would have found it shocking if it was a men's match, but the fact it was a ladies one makes it odd too. I hope the individuals involved will have the sense not to behave like that again at any game though.

Cari
I dont think the fact it was a ladies game has any bearing I have been to some u-12 games at which you wouldnt believe the antics of some "parents"

Cari, violence at local GAA matches is very common place and sometimes it's quiet shocking and sometimes as Ar aghaidh said, the behaviour of parents is equally shocking. I doubt if any season has ever passed without some local bust-up making the national news. But that's the way the GAA is. The bust-ups you see between inter-county players is only handbags compared to what happens at local level.

I suppose (and this is particular to rural areas, where most GAA clubs are based) one of the reasons why things boil over is that clubs were founded one the paris rule, ie, you play for the parish you were born in and, as a lot of these clubs are only a few miles apart, things do boil over. In many cases, players would have gone to the same schools and played together at school but yet play for different clubs. And of course, if one club is more successful than other local clubs, all hell can break lose at a local derbys and it's usually the ref's fault for a percieved wrong decision. I always wondered, who in their right mind would referee a local GAA match.

I supose without the passion, even the ugly side of it, the GAA would never have lasted as long as it has.

Blue - I suppose it's the same in a lot of sports. In rugby for example, I've heard of some terrible incidents at local level. Although I agree that it's the passion of the fans that keeps a lot of sport growing, that doesn't mean to say that this sort of incident can be excused or should be tolerated. Referees, players and officials should be able to do their job without fear of trouble. Thankfully in this case it seems it isn't being tolerated:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-14075323

As most ladies teams come from the same clubs as the men, my guess is that this was some sort of spill-over from something that may have hapened between the clubs previously. These incidents are execptionally violent not to have had some previous history.

In fairness, most of these incidents are dealt with swiftly but I must admit I've never heard of a life-time ban. Maybe it's because the injured parties were officials of the game.

Remember the Meath/Louth final last year, wasn't the Louth fan who struck the ref after the game recently up in court. What was the outcome of that? Did he get a life time ban? I