THE GALWAY SENIOR ladies football management team have criticised the appointment of a former Mayo minor manager as the referee for this weekend’s Connacht final.
Galway take on Mayo at MacHale Park on Sunday afternoon, however the county’s management have taken issue with the choice of Gerry Carmody to officiate the encounter.
Carmody changed his inter-county designation from Mayo to Roscommon two years ago, however a statement released on Thursday expressed “dismay and disappointment” at his appointment, with the issue dismissed by the Connacht LGFA.
“The Galway senior ladies football management expresses its dismay and disappointment and that the appointment by Connacht LGFA of former Mayo minor ladies football manager Gerry Carmody as referee for their Connacht senior final with Mayo at MacHale Park, Castlebar this Sunday stands as is,” the statement read.
“The decision by Connacht LGFA to dismiss Galway’s objection, we believe, calls not only the integrity of this year’s Connacht final into question but also that of an administration which has shown a blatant disregard for Galway ladies football with this appointment and, indeed, the spirit of the game of ladies’ football.
“We would consequently call on LGFA and Croke Park to investigate this matter thoroughly, determining as to how such an appointment could be made, and take swift and appropriate action.”
The statement continued by saying the appointment of Carmody was “a gross error of judgement by the Connacht LGFA”, outlining that he had mentored players on the current Mayo senior panel who will line out in Sunday’s final between 2012 and 2013.
“We recognise Mr. Carmody, who changed his inter-county designation from Mayo to Roscommon, is not to blame for this current predicament but, by the same token, it would be remiss of Galway senior ladies management, on behalf of our set-up, not to object to the appointment of someone who has represented Mayo as both a ladies’ football inter-county manager and as one of their designated referees over a number of years,” the statement said.
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