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Donegal manager Declan Bonner. Morgan Treacy/INPHO
Frustration

Declan Bonner says GAA's disciplinary system is 'in tatters'

Armagh successfully had three suspensions overturned while Odhrán McFadden-Ferry and Neil McGee missed the game.

DECLAN BONNER HAS voiced his frustration at the GAA’s disciplinary procedures that saw Armagh get three players cleared for yesterday’s game against Donegal. 

Donegal prevailed by seven points in the Ulster SFC quarter-final against an Orchard outfit that featured Rian O’Neill, Aidan Nugent and Stefan Campbell after their suspensions were overturned last week. 

The trio were punished for their role in a melee in their final league clash against Donegal, an incident that resulted in Odhrán McFadden-Ferry and Neil McGee being suspended for the championship clash after they opted not to contest their bans. 

O’Neill’s one-game ban was thrown-out on a technicality by the Central Hearings Committee while Campbell and Nugent had their suspensions quashed after successful appeals to the Central Appeals Committee.

“We weren’t going to waste two or three weeks to see would we or would we not have players available to be quite honest,” Bonner told the BBC.

“We made that decision and that was it. Normally the referee’s report is not going to be overturned.

“I was very surprised, to be honest, that it did happen. It leaves the CAC and CCCC with a lot of questions to answer in terms of how they’re going to go around with the disciplinary hearing again because it’s in tatters to be quite honest.

“But it’s nothing to do with us, we just got on with the job at hand.”

Asked if he has any confidence the Association’s disciplinary system will be addressed, Bonner replied: “At the minute, I’ve no confidence, no. Absolutely not. But at the end of the day, as I say, we’ll just get ready for the semi-final now.”

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