O'BYRNE CUP REVIEW:THE LEINSTER Council's Competitions Control Committee (CCC) will deal solely with the referee's report when they meet in Portlaoise this evening to review the seven red cards handed out in Sunday's O'Byrne Cup quarter-final between Kildare and Laois.
While some lengthy suspensions will inevitably transpire, these will first be proposed to the players concerned, who can then request a personal hearing, similar to the GAA's disciplinary procedures at central level.
It means it could be several more days or even weeks before the matter is dealt with in its completion, particularly given the expectation that some of the players red-carded on Sunday intend on appealing any suspension on the basis they were not the main instigators, and were actually incorrectly identified by match referee Syl Doyle of Wexford.
As things stand, however, Billy Sheehan, Kevin Meaney and Peter O'Leary from Laois, and Morgan O'Flaherty and John Doyle from Kildare, look set to miss the opening round of the National Football League on the weekend after next, having been identified by Doyle for their role in the near all-out melee which exploded some 30 minutes into the game.
Laois defender Denis Booth is facing a similar ban for wrestling with Kildare's Dermot Earley later on in the game, although substitute Pádraig O'Neill is unlikely to face further sanction as he was dismissed on two yellow cards.
"We have a Leinster Council meeting tomorrow evening (Wednesday), and before that have called full CCC meeting," explained Séamus Howlin, chairman of the Leinster Council.
"We'll be looking at the referee's report in the normal way, and the way it works is the CCC meet, propose a penalty, the same way it works at Croke Park. The CCC don't actually suspend anybody. They propose the penalty, and that goes to the players concerned. They can accept that, or ask for a personal hearing. If they do ask for a hearing they can bring in whatever evidence they want to support their claim.
"But all we'll be dealing with is the referee's report, and acting on that as per the rulebook. Anything else we do as regard to what happened there is another issue."
One of the problems for the Leinster CCC is that television footage of the game is not available, which may have given them the option of pursuing further penalties, although Howlin made it clear they wouldn't be taking the matter lightly: "It's not on, and we have to send out a clear message. Especially considering we had such good year with discipline last year."
Meanwhile, Setanta Sports have announced expanded live coverage of the 2010 National Football and Hurling Leagues, which will see them cover two live games most weekend's between their Setanta Ireland and Setanta Sports 1 channels. The coverage begins on Saturday week with live coverage of the clash between Derry and Tyrone at Celtic Park on Setanta Ireland, while on Setanta Sports 1, there will be live action from Páirc Tailteann as Meath face Armagh.
Other highlights in the coming weeks include live action from Cork against Kerry on Saturday February 13th, as well as live coverage of the clash between Tipperary and Kilkenny in the Hurling National League on Saturday February 20th .
Elsewhere, Carroll Cuisine have renewed their sponsorship with Offaly football and hurling teams to continue one of the longest running county sponsorships in the GAA. The Offaly company, which produces deli and cooked ham, has sponsored the Offaly since 1991, the first year in which sponsors names were permitted to appear on GAA jerseys.
"Enduring sponsorships are extremely rare in the modern game," said Offaly County Board chairman Pat Teehan. "It is particularly heartening in the current economic climate when many companies are pulling back from their sponsorship programmes that Carroll's have committed to remain as the sponsor of the county teams."
Setanta's National Leagues coverage
Saturday, February 6th 7.30: Live FNL - Derry v Tyrone (Setanta Ireland) 7.30: Live FNL - Meath v Armagh (Setanta Sports 1)*
Saturday, February 13th 7.30: Live FNL - Cork v Kerry (Setanta Ireland) 7.30: Live FNL - Dublin v Derry (Setanta Sports 1)*
Saturday, February 20th 7.30: Live HNL - Tipperary v Kilkenny (Setanta Ireland)
Saturday, February 27th 7.30: Live HNL - Limerick v Cork (Setanta Ireland)
Saturday, March 6th 7.30: Live FNL - Cork v Galway (Setanta Ireland)
Saturday, March 13th 7.30: Live FNL - Tyrone v Cork (Setanta Ireland) 7.30: Live FNL - Dublin v Monaghan (Setanta Sports 1)*
Saturday, March 20th 7.30: Live FNL - Cork v Dublin (Setanta Ireland) 7.30: Live FNL - Down v Armagh (Setanta Sports 1)*
Saturday, March 27th 7.30: Live FNL - Tyrone v Kerry (Setanta Ireland) 7.30: Live FNL - Dublin v Galway (Setanta Sports 1)*
* All games broadcast live at 7.30pm on Setanta Sports 1 will also be broadcast on a deferred basis at 9pm on Setanta Ireland.
