Football

Legal influence on GAA discipline a concern: Scullion

Cases such as Diarmuid Connolly's, where he was freed to play in Dublin's All-Ireland semi-final replay win over Mayo having been sent off in the drawn game, "erodes the spirit of our games" according to Derry county secretary Danny Scullion. Picture: Philip Walsh
Cases such as Diarmuid Connolly's, where he was freed to play in Dublin's All-Ireland semi-final replay win over Mayo having been sent off in the drawn game, "erodes the spirit of our games" according to Derry county secretary Danny Scul Cases such as Diarmuid Connolly's, where he was freed to play in Dublin's All-Ireland semi-final replay win over Mayo having been sent off in the drawn game, "erodes the spirit of our games" according to Derry county secretary Danny Scullion. Picture: Philip Walsh

DERRY county secretary Danny Scullion has warned the GAA of the perils of “the clash of professional lawyer with amateur committee member”.

The past inter-county season saw a number of high-profile appeals prove successful against the odds.

Among others, Diarmuid Connolly's red card from the drawn semi-final with Mayo was overturned in time for him to play in the replay, while Mayo had Kevin Keane available for the first game after he had been exonerated following an apparent strike on Donegal's Michael Murphy in the quarter-final.

A growing trend of appeals being launched against disciplinary action at club level has been backed by the influence of legal professionals.

Scullion, at the end of his first year of his second term as the Oak Leaf county secretary, told clubs at last night’s convention that the culture of appeals “erodes the spirit of our games.”

“Whilst discipline has been relatively good throughout our club championships and leagues in 2015, it is disappointing to note the general trend throughout the association to the use of lawyers and loopholes.

“Again, this is not new but it erodes the spirit of our games. We see this increasingly at national level and it sets a worrying trend for others to follow at local level.

“Our disciplinary committees act at all times with fairness and without favour, often in difficult circumstances and I would urge clubs and members to only follow alternative avenues where they feel there has been a real sense of injustice.

“We must be honest and be seen to be honest in accepting punishments rather than fostering a culture of litigation and loophole.

“The clash of professional lawyer with amateur committee member is something which should be a real cause for concern across the Association,” said the Ballinascreen man.

Scullion also says in his annual report that a “real difference” in fixture scheduling problems will only be seen if the Ulster championship is shortened.

“We welcome measures such as an increase in the number of ‘two-code’ weekends into the National League and the discontinuation of the league semi-finals. Both measures will help create some extra dates in the calendar for club league activity.

“The proposal to introduce extra-time for all inter-county championship games also shows a willingness by the Association to forego possible extra revenue for the good of the club game.

“However, real difference will only come about when the measures proposed are seen in light of any restructuring of the football championship.

“Our provincial championships are too protracted and should be condensed.

“The issue of qualifiers also comes in under the overall restructuring of the national competition and there are many current proposals on the table, some of which have the ability to provide real and meaningful change for local fixture makers and our clubs in the area of club championships.”

A Derry Games Review Committee was launched in October and has been meeting with clubs individually in a bid to alleviate some of the fixture issues.

The three-person committee, comprising former county chairman Sean Bradley and CCC members Breige O’Neill and Stephen Barker – the latter of whom plays club football for Henry Joy McCracken’s, Moneymore – is due to produce a report in the coming weeks.

Scullion believes that change is needed at national level in order to lift the burden on the shoulders of inter-county players.

“Despite best efforts, 2015 has, at times, seen conflict between the club and county fixtures programmes.

“Whilst there are always pressures, particularly in a dual county like ours, there are also steps which can be taken to reduce the factors giving rise to unwanted scenarios where players are forced into difficult situations where there are no winners.

“On a micro level this conflict can cause huge strain, both physically and mentally, on players seeking to represent both club and county, whilst on a macro level, club championships can become rushed with all involved placed under undue pressure.”