Brawls and Disciplinary action

[timber]

Since it is a big topic in the GAA news the last couple of days I would be curious to hear what fellow gaels feel of the incident in Portlaoise at the weekend and in particular what ye feel is appropriate punishment.

There has been calls for Derrytresk to be thrown out of the competition. This I feel will not be a runner. But I personallay feel that there is enough video evidence to ensure that anybody outside of the legal 30 at that time that enchroached onto the field get hit with severe bans. That would mean that every sub, some of the management and a couple of supporters from Derrytresk be facing action.

The brawl itself was nothing worse than we've seen on other occasions but the outsiders who got involved made it look a terrible incident which was serious but could have resulted in alot worse injuries.

It is rare thankfully that we see supporters or subs getting involved. In Offaly the only two incidents I recall were the Kilcormac supporter in Tullamore a couple of seasons ago and a Coolderry supporter at the Junior final last year in Birr. On both occasions the aggressor came out the worst. That was probably seen as just medicine for them. Thankfully we have not seen anything like what happened last weekend where all the subs and some management got involved.

The next question is how to enforce the action against supporters in particuilar. If they receive a ban it will most likely need the club itself to help in enforcing it. From Derrytresk's statement they appear to have no remorse for the incident they orchestrated.

It would be interesting to hear the views of others on this.

[TheManFromFerbane]

The next question is how to enforce the action against supporters in particuilar. If they receive a ban it will most likely need the club itself to help in enforcing it. From Derrytresk's statement they appear to have no remorse for the incident they orchestrated.

I can't understand why that has been accepted as fact? From what I saw on the video, the ball goes over the sideline, the Derrytresk and Dromid Pearses' player are both grappling for the ball, the camera moves away and then pans back, there's a Derrytresk player flat out on the ground and a very irate Derrytresk official and that's when it all kicks off.

To me, and I'm not saying I'm right either! That looks like the Dromid Pearses player hit the dig, the row started and then all the Derrtresk players, mentors and supporters ploughed in.

Am I the only one that thinks that?

Also, that does not excuse the fact that the mentors, supporter and other players came piling in, and to be fair most of them, if not all were Derrytresk people, so ya, they should definitely receive some sort of punishment.

Also, from what I hear, the Derrytresk players were trying to intimidate the the Dromid Pearses players, if any of those alligations are true (and how do you prove that) those players should get suspended.

[durra1]

That’s exactly as I saw it MFF.

No more that the fight in the school yard, it’s important to pick your fight well on the field.
No 5 and No 9 for Pearses ran into the melee and ended up with a broken cheekbone and concussion respectively.

The two lads who really should get done are two of the Derrytresk subs, one of whom came in with a very nasty elbow and follow up punch.

Also there’s the usual harmless eegit who acts the hero – the Derrytresk supporter who looks like Tin Tin with a green hoodie who came on throwing shapes. You can even see the reaction of some of the Derrytresk players who notice him with a ‘what the f&%k are you doing on the field you eegit’ expressions.

Don’t like this whinging from the Pearses management that D’tresk should be thrown out. Shades of the-brains-of-the-operation himself, Jaaaawwwn Delaney post the Thierry Henry handball debacle.
You need to expect this kind of thing at All Ireland semi-final stage especially playing any northern side that are always over-psyched. If you are well beaten in a Junior match, with one of the best inter-county players county on your side , you can’t have much excuses, especially when as MFF says, you started the brawl.

D’Tresk won’t find as it as light touch in the final against the Connies of Clonbur – either on the field or in the stand!!

[Bord na Mona man]

Somebody outside of the 30 active players on the field has absolutely no right to lay a finger on any of the players, or come onto the playing field. This message needs to come out strongly from this case. Clearly there is already a problem where too many sideline heroes think they are part of the action.

Otherwise what precedent comes out from this incident? That star players are fair game to get deliberately clocked by sideline mentors or hangers on?
As bad as the players themselves brawling is, at least the officials can exert some measure of control over this.

Anyway, I think there needs to be a hard crackdown and this case would be a good place to start. GAA disciplinary procedures have been plagued by the sort of stroke pulling that would make our politicians blush. Unfortunately I'll still be expecting the usual dose of fudging and dodging in this case too.

[Lone Shark]

One of the issues here is that action is always reactive, retrospective. I feel a sense of injustice for Dromid here in the sense that the Dromid number 9 was concussed by a blow from the supporter, and after having a good first half scoring two points and dominating the game by all accounts, he was taken off injured. The two Dromisd guys in the middle of it all (numbers 4 and 5) were roughed up pretty badly too. Yet if Derrytresk were thrown out of the competition, as I personally feel would be fair, they would complain that they were being singled out because of the fuss on liveline and all across the national media.

Whereas if Christy Cooney decided to declare that non-players coming onto the field of play would be strictly punished, with disqualification a real option that they would use, Derry tresk could have no complaints. Instead we have nonsense like "witch hunt" being talked about, and talk of six month suspensions for supporters - as if that's a meaningful punishment. Seriously, has anyone ever stopped someone from attending a game because they are suspended from GAA activity?

I'm not a fan of bringing the law into what goes on on the field, but if I'm marking a guy and a fight develops between us, it's not exactly part of the game but I'm pretty sure I'd be happy to leave it at that. A player shouldn't have to be on guard for supporters blindsiding him. I don't believe that criminal punishment will be asked for, but that aspect disappoints me too.

[kinnittyman]

Did anything ever happen to that idiot from Kicormac sporting the "Remember my name" t-shirt from the county semi final in 2010?

That guy should have been barred from ever attending a GAA match again.