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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Brendan Furlong

Wexford GAA hand out maximum suspension following assault on referee

Wexford GAA have come down heavily on the club mentor involved in an assault on Referee Michael Lannigan and an umpire following a Junior A' club football championship game - handing him the maximum suspension along with a ban from attending games on his home pitch.

The game involved St. Joseph's and Our Lady's Island at the St. Joseph's home ground on Whiterock Rock, which they lost by a single point. In a later relegation play-off they were subsequently relegated from Junior 'A' football.

Following the game the referee was assaulted along with an umpire which subsequently led to an investigation being carried out by the Wexford Central Competitions Control committee.

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The committee following a full hearing have imposed a 96 week ban on the St. Joseph's mentor, while they have also imposed a ban on the mentor attending home games on the St. Joseph's pitch.

The club which had earlier imposed an indefinite ban on the mentor awaiting the outcome of the hearing has also been hit with a €1000 fine.

A category IVa infraction governing any type of assault on a referee, umpire, linesman or sideline officials, carries a minimum 48 week ban.

A spokesman for Wexford GAA said the investigation has been concluded.

'We have handed down the maximum suspension of 96 weeks, banned the club mentor from attending home games at Whiterock Hill, while the club has also had a €1000 fine imposed.'

Referee Michae l Lannigan attended Wexford General Hospital following the game where he received medical attention but was not detained overnight.

The St.Joseph's mentor involved in the incident, Glen McManus, in an interview in The Wexford People days following the game apologised for his actions stating 'my emotions got the better of me.'

In the interview, McManus said: 'I didn't throw a punch or elbow him.'

Following the incident Wexford GAA officers met with the referees in the county to discuss the referees report, the second such incident involving assault on a referee within the matter of weeks, at which they decided that at the next Central Council meeting they would call for a Special Congress to be held to move for lifetime bans to be imposed for such incidents.

For the earlier incident involving an assault on Referee Jimmy Heaney a Naomh Eanna mentor received the maximum 96 week ban. The incident occurred at the end of their Junior 'B' hurling championship game with Na Fianna Clonard.

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