KILCAR GAA club have branded the recent Donegal CCC decision to fine their 2020 county final opponents Naomh Conaill €5,000, but allow them to keep their county title as “awarding a Donegal Senior Championship title to a club that has been found to be in breach of the CLG rules”.
In a strongly-worded statement on the club’s website last night-they said that while they will not be appealing the decision, they held it in “utter contempt” - and that it had created a “dangerous precedent”.
The club statement added: “We were shocked and appalled that the decision arising from this finding has imposed what we consider to be the most lenient of penalties, a paltry monetary fine.”
The club said that they were pleased that, for the second time, their objection against the “illegal use of subs in extra time has been upheld and that the offending club have been found to have been in breach of CLG playing rules”.
The club said the penalty which was one of three available to the CCC was not “proportionate” as it did not take into account all of the circumstances”.
“We believe this decision will be considered an affront, not only to C.L.G Chill Chartha, but to all the clubs who entered the 2020 Senior Championship in good faith, with the reasonable expectation that the playing rules would be adhered to by all parties, and any breaches thereof would be dealt with in an appropriate, fair and just manner”.
The club added: “It is difficult to imagine any possible scenario that could better illustrate an example of when the most serious penalty of forfeiture/award would be more appropriate”.
“We are of the opinion that this decision risks setting a dangerous precedent that has potential to cause irreparable damage to the integrity of the Donegal Senior Championship - a competition that has been to date, held in the highest esteem by all clubs within the county – and to our games generally.
“C.L.G Chill Chartha holds this decision, therefore, in utter contempt.
"However, distasteful as it is, we have decided that to appeal the decision further would not be in our Club’s, our players’, our members’ and our supporters’, or the Association’s best interests."
Naomh Conaill were fined €5,000 by the Donegal Competitions’ Controls Committee for using too many substitutes in their 2020 SFC final win over Kilcar - but will keep their name on the roll of honour.
The Glenties-based club overcame Kilcar 4-2 on penalties last August, in the final that had been deferred from the year before because of the pandemic. The match finished 0-13 to Naomh Conaill and 2-7 to Kilcar after extra-time.
However, Kilcar lodged an objection in relation to the result, having requested the referee’s report and team sheets with claims that Naomh Conaill used more than the permitted number of substitutes allowed in extra-time.
At the time of the objection, it was stated that if there was a breach of the rules found, the CCC would either award the game to Kilcar, fine Naomh Conaill or schedule a replay.
The Donegal CCC ordered a replay, which Naomh Conaill appealed to Ulster.
The provincial body ruled that the process must start all over again because the Donegal CCC had infringed a rule relating to video of the game presented at the initial appeal by the Kilcar.
The new Donegal CCC reformed around the Christmas period and informed both clubs of their decision last week.
