GAA suspensions, eh? What a laugh.
I remember being handed a four-week ban one time, brought down from 12 (and rightly so!), but missed absolutely no games.
The authorities have at least addressed the issue that dishing out suspensions according to the calendar is futile and players are handed punishments now that directly influence the amount of games they will miss. But not managers.
Oh no.
You see, Davy Fitzgerald can do this:
And miss just two championship games because of how the fixtures have fallen inside his eight-week ban.
The inconsistencies continue.
Kieran McGeeney is set to be hit with a 12-week ban for an alleged altercation with Joe McQuillan.
The renowned referee was doing linesman at the Athletic Grounds on March 25 when Armagh entertained Antrim, and the Orchard county boss was reportedly cited for a verbal exchange with the official.
Armagh won the penultimate game of their Division Three campaign by two points to keep their promotion hopes alive only to stumble on the final day – in the final minute – to eventual champions Tipperary.
Now, McGeeney is expected to be hit with a suspension that will keep him off the sidelines for the guts of three months.
Armagh are away to Down in the Ulster quarter-final on June 4 and the county legend would certainly be banned from the touchline for that clash. If the 12-week suspension was brought in from this week, McGeeney’s punishment wouldn’t me up until the middle of July.
- Both Ulster semi-finals would be played by then.
- He could be back just in time for a potential Ulster final.
Listen, verbal abuse of anyone – especially match officials – have no place in the game – especially from managers. But if McGeeney serves a ban which is 50 per cent bigger than another manager who ran onto the field, shouldered a player and jumped at him and grabbed his face guard, then GAA suspensions really have no logic or consistency at all.
The Armagh camp might just feel very aggrieved about this – given the precedent set only last week.
