TWO DOWN CLUBS have reportedly been handed heavy sanctions following a brawl which broke out during a recent league fixture.
Violent scenes marred a Division 1 clash between Ballyholland and RGU Downpatrick earlier this month with footage showing fans and players getting involved in the altercations away from the pitch.
It was a rearranged fixture which took place in Kilcoo on Sunday 7 October after the original tie was abandoned due to one of the players getting injured after an altercation.
Both clubs are now understood to have been informed that they will be excluded from the 2019 Down SFC. GaelicLife.com reports that “all adult teams have been thrown out, impacting on the reserve championship also.”
Should this sanction be handed down however, it is likely that both clubs will seek to challenge it on the grounds that the incident took place in a different competition.
It’s also understood that one player has been given a proposed two-year suspension, according to BBC Sport, while “several others” have been hit with 12-month bans.
The42 has contacted the Down County Board for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.
This incident of violence is the latest in a series of flash-points which have marred GAA matches in recent weeks.
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