GAA PRESIDENT JARLATH Burns has given the Association’s verdict on the decision to not charge Donegal manager Jim McGuinness after he laid hands on an opposition player, an offence that carries a 12-week minimum ban.
After the scenes involving Donegal and Kerry, it was widely believed that McGuinness could not answer such a charge, especially given the context of Dublin manager Ger Brennan, who continues to serve a 12-week ban after he was punished for his role in a fracas with a Galway backroom member.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland programme for the Round 2A and 2B draw of the All-Ireland championship, Burns defended the process.
“What we stress is very important in our association is that once you give the referee a whistle and send him out to referee a match, we are not going to re-referee the game,” he said.
“It’s just giving the position to the referee that…whatever is in his report is sacrosanct.
“In the second game, the Donegal-Kerry game, the circumstances were different. When we read the referee’s report, he had referred to it and that was enough. He had decided not to suspend anybody, not to send anybody [else] off.
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Donegal manager Jim McGuinness. James Lawlor / INPHO
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“So there is a difference there and we have to respect that difference. The referee is the sole arbiter of what happens during the 70 minutes.
“Both of those things happened in isolation.”
Burns continued, “So if the Kerry-Donegal thing hadn’t happened, I don’t think there would have been any more debate.
“Or if the Ger Brennan thing hadn’t happened, I don’t think there would have been any debate about the Kerry-Donegal thing.
“It’s just trying to explain to people that the sole arbiter of what happens on the pitch is the referee and it is not the remit of the Central Competitions Control Committee to re-referee a game.
“Otherwise, you would be forced to go back over every incident that happens and say the referee saw that or he didn’t see that.
“And remember there’s a fourth official there as well who also has citing ability and in the schmozzle, if you want to call it that, at half-time in the Kerry-Donegal match, all of the officials were there.
“They saw it and whenever the CCCC impose a sanction, they have to make sure [it is] going to be robust enough that it will pass at hearings, appeal and DRA [Disputes Resolution Authority].
“And there was a feeling there that at a hearing or at an appeal that it wouldn’t go any further. And I think it’s more embarrassing to lose something like that [on appeal].”
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'We are not going to re-referee the game' - Burns speaks on Jim McGuinness escape
GAA PRESIDENT JARLATH Burns has given the Association’s verdict on the decision to not charge Donegal manager Jim McGuinness after he laid hands on an opposition player, an offence that carries a 12-week minimum ban.
After the scenes involving Donegal and Kerry, it was widely believed that McGuinness could not answer such a charge, especially given the context of Dublin manager Ger Brennan, who continues to serve a 12-week ban after he was punished for his role in a fracas with a Galway backroom member.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland programme for the Round 2A and 2B draw of the All-Ireland championship, Burns defended the process.
“What we stress is very important in our association is that once you give the referee a whistle and send him out to referee a match, we are not going to re-referee the game,” he said.
“It’s just giving the position to the referee that…whatever is in his report is sacrosanct.
“In the second game, the Donegal-Kerry game, the circumstances were different. When we read the referee’s report, he had referred to it and that was enough. He had decided not to suspend anybody, not to send anybody [else] off.
“So there is a difference there and we have to respect that difference. The referee is the sole arbiter of what happens during the 70 minutes.
“Both of those things happened in isolation.”
Burns continued, “So if the Kerry-Donegal thing hadn’t happened, I don’t think there would have been any more debate.
“Or if the Ger Brennan thing hadn’t happened, I don’t think there would have been any debate about the Kerry-Donegal thing.
“It’s just trying to explain to people that the sole arbiter of what happens on the pitch is the referee and it is not the remit of the Central Competitions Control Committee to re-referee a game.
“Otherwise, you would be forced to go back over every incident that happens and say the referee saw that or he didn’t see that.
“And remember there’s a fourth official there as well who also has citing ability and in the schmozzle, if you want to call it that, at half-time in the Kerry-Donegal match, all of the officials were there.
“They saw it and whenever the CCCC impose a sanction, they have to make sure [it is] going to be robust enough that it will pass at hearings, appeal and DRA [Disputes Resolution Authority].
“And there was a feeling there that at a hearing or at an appeal that it wouldn’t go any further. And I think it’s more embarrassing to lose something like that [on appeal].”
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CCCC Defence GAA JUSTICE FOR GER