Bally v Edenderry

[ballymanabroad]

If the Bally v Reds match is overturned/replayed will these points be null and void?

[Lone Shark]

Much and all as I'd love to, I'm afraid not.

But more to the point - why would it be? I never heard of anything untoward.

[ballymanabroad]

Finbar Cullen played in the game but he was sent off in Edenderry's last match in last years championship. Depending on the type of suspension he got, the game could be forfitted by Edenderry for playing an illegal player.

I'd hate to see that happen. If sanctions are to be imposed then surely a replay (with Finbar sitting it out) is the fairest option.

Why are championship games being played on successive weekends? It's not like Offaly are going to be involved in the championship until september.

[Mighty Pair O' Hands]

Games are being played on successive sundays because all senior teams need to play one game to allow the junior championships start - as Group 1 has 5 teams, Ferbane have yet to play so there must be another round of games in group 1 this weekend.

[far from croghan hill]

with ollie daly at the helm...bally as you affectionedly call them will get what they like.it would be a shambolic way to treat finbarr cullen, possibly one of the most committed players offaly ever had.edenderry to the best of my knowledge have beaten 'bally' three times now in championship football within a year..is it not sour grapes?

[Treasurer]

What's the problem with the suspension anyway?

[Lone Shark]

with ollie daly at the helm...bally as you affectionedly call them will get what they like.it would be a shambolic way to treat finbarr cullen, possibly one of the most committed players offaly ever had.edenderry to the best of my knowledge have beaten 'bally' three times now in championship football within a year..is it not sour grapes?

To be fair I think you're way off the mark there. As we've covered on this board before, by losing those games against Edenderry last year, Bally got to play Brigid's in a quarter final. By winning, Edenderry got to play Rhode. Local rivalries aside, Ballycumber knew this going into those games and were not motivated. They were not trying to lose, but they were playing like league games. This is not West Offaly solidarity or anything, this is just the way it is in modern sport. I've no doubt that Edenderry were deserving winners last Saturday, but if people can't see that last year's games had one side trying a lot harder than the other then something is amiss.

Anyone following the NBA will know how hard Memphis were trying to win last night.

The point is that someone here is bang out of order - there has been a full year for Edenderry club to get clarification as to whether or not Finbar was suspended, it should have been done. If they were informed he was suspended and they played him anyway, they deserve to forfeit the game for brass neck. If they weren't informed he was suspended, then Edenderry did nothing wrong and the result of the game should stand. Only someone from inside the club can answer that particular question though.

As for how committed Finbar himself is - no-one would question that, but that has bollix all to do with this matter. He should be treated the exact same as any other county star or junior B player - if he's suspended he should serve it. And unless you want an Offaly county board chairman from outside Offaly, there will always be some club affiliation for any official - but Ollie has done nothing so far that would lead me to believe that he has abused his position to help out his own club - and I don't think it's fair to malign the man by suggesting that he would without the slightest shred of evidence.

[Treasurer]

Was the game in question v Rhode last August?

[As Such Ger]

yes, it was the game where him and Pascal K from rhode got sent off as well. the last championship match cullen would have played.

Surely there is an official ruling about this. I know things have changed in the last while, didnt something similiar happen to Mark Vaughan last year...

[Treasurer]

Well in that case Finbar Cullen was suspended for 4 weeks, so I don't see what the problem is?

[gaaa head]

theres some rule where you must serve one game too, probably the next match, as well as the suspension.

[Treasurer]

Game suspensions are not automatic. In his case, he got four weeks, which is long up.

Seems clear cut to me - am I missing something??

[Lone Shark]

Depends on what he was cited for in the ref's report - you can get away with four weeks, but most come with a minimum one game ban as well. You just don't hear about it because it's automatic. Still, that doesn't tell us any more about this particular case.

[True Red]

To be fair I think you're way off the mark there. As we've covered on this board before, by losing those games against Edenderry last year, Bally got to play Brigid's in a quarter final. By winning, Edenderry got to play Rhode. Local rivalries aside, Ballycumber knew this going into those games and were not motivated. They were not trying to lose, but they were playing like league games.

This particular part of your diatribe really annoys me.In the 1st championship game between these two sides in 2005 Ballycumber were highly motivated and you would have observed how motivated they were if you were at the match.They played this match to win no matter what you say about this being " modern sport".I hardly imagine that the respective mentors that were in charge of Ballycumber last year were telling them in the dressing room beforehand to adopt a "softly softly" approach or "go on out there lads and play well and sure if ye win isnt it great...."

Please dont be so naive Lone Shark as to think that this was the case.In the play off match i concur with you that they did not play to win,evidenced by the fact that they fielded a good few Juniors.

As regards the match last Saturday Edenderry played well enough to beat them and were overall the better side but were put to the pin of their collar by a resolute Ballycumber side and and some wasteful shot taking.

In light of the current controversy I will reserve comment until the episode is finished.

[Treasurer]

If it's a category A, B or D offence, there's no game suspension. I was told it was Category B, but maybe that's incorrect. No doubt we'll be hearing more about it anyway.