EAMONN Burns has been banned from the touchline for Down’s clash with Tipperary on Sunday.
The Mourne County manager will watch the match from the stand at Pairc Esler after being sanctioned for his part in a brief altercation with Cavan’s Oisin Kiernan at Kingspan Breffni last Sunday.
Burns was attempting to break up an exchange between Caolan Mooney and Dara McVeety when he pushed Kernan who had also become involved. Kerry referee Padraig O'Sullivan, who was in close proximity, sent Burns off.
“Eamonn won’t be on the line on Sunday,” Down County Board chairman Sean Rooney confirmed.
“He’ll be there as manager of the team but he won’t be on the touchline. I don’t know whether Eamonn will seek a hearing or not, but the GAA seems to be dealing with severely with pitch encroachments from anybody on the sideline.”
Rooney added: “The offer hasn’t come from Croke Park yet.
“Whatever it is, it’ll be dealt with. I haven’t seen the referee’s report yet.”
The maximum penalty the Down manager can receive for his infraction is eight-weeks.
His offence occurred on March 11 meaning that the Down manager’s penalty would end on April 29. Down face Antrim in the Ulster Senior Football Championship on May 26 meaning that Burns will miss two games – Tipperary on Sunday and the final Division Two fixture against Meath the following weekend.
After the match in Cavan, Burns admitted: “Managers shouldn’t be in those situations”, adding: “It was heat of the moment. There was nobody hurt.”
Down chairman Rooney said Burns’ actions on the touchline were “understandable”.
“The incident (between Mooney and McVeety) happened two yards in front of Eamonn and he tried to take a player out of a situation,” he added.
“Unfortunately things escalated. Now we have to deal with whatever we have to deal with.”
