Cowards in the GAA

Imposter

Just read this very interesting article from the indo site.
Here's the link.

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Time for GAA to rip up cowards' charter
Monday February 23rd 2004

'MY jawbone is broken in two places at the top right and bottom left sides. I had an operation last Friday in which a steel plate was inserted over one of the breaks but it was considered too risky to put a plate over the other break. All my teeth have been dislodged and I have steel wire across both my top and bottom teeth."

On reading the above you might think that this was a medical report of somebody who had been involved in a serious motor accident and survived. It is not.

The horrific injuries were actually incurred in a game of Gaelic football played last Tuesday night under lights in Athlone.

Westmeath played Cavan in a game where many fringe players on both panels were given a run.

Finian Newman was one such player who lined out in the Westmeath half-back line and he was the victim of an off-the-ball assault by a Cavan player.

Finian first came to my notice, and thousands of others, when he gave a brilliant individual performance at corner-back for the Westmeath minor footballers when they defeated a hotly-fancied Dublin team in the 2000 Leinster final in Croke Park.

He is currently captain of the Westmeath Under-21 team and a member of Páidí Ó Sé's senior panel as well.

What made him somewhat unusual was that he is from Bunbrosna which, while well-known to thousands of people who travel the main road to Dublin via Mullingar, was never known as a home of inter-county footballers and in fact does not have a senior club.

But the young player's progress through the football ranks has been temporarily halted now as a result of what is rather ornately described as an 'off-the-ball' attack.

This expression 'off-the-ball' is a GAA euphemism for a cowards' charter which the GAA has, to its shame, never adequately addressed.

"My opponent had received a sideline kick and I tackled him from behind trying to prevent him getting the ball away. He did release the ball and I turned to walk away towards our goals as the play had moved away from our area.

"Suddenly I was hit in the face from behind, I was caught totally unaware and all I remember is the goal posts disappearing in a blur as I almost passed out with the searing pain."

These are the gory details of what happened as described yesterday by Finian Newman through his wire-bound teeth.

Hundreds of other GAA players around Ireland will empathise with his words because they too have been victims of the same sort of assault from behind while in an unguarded state.

It is this latter fact that makes this particular assault so serious because the victim suffers much more serious damage by virtue of being caught in a relaxed state.

Finian has been confined to six cups of soup over the past two days.

For the next few weeks any food he takes will have to be sucked through a straw.

Even walking up the stairs can cause a jarring sensation in his mouth with excruciating pain if he does not remember to take great care. Running is totally out. The Cavan assailant was given a straight red card by the Westmeath referee who was officiating.

Presumably, unlike the now notorious incident in which another young Westmeath player, Kenny Larkin, had his jaw broken in a challenge game against Down last May, this referee's report will be dealt with quickly by the GAC.

But will the punishment fit the crime? Can any GAA suspension adequately fit this sort of cowardly behaviour? How long can sports organisations in general maintain the myth that justice can be served for this sort of thuggery by the sports body merely banning the culprit from playing football?

'What happens on the field should stay on the field' is one of the most disgusting clichés relating to incidents like this. It is machoism carried to blind extremes and has no place in modern sport. Yet on the very rare occasions when a victim of this behaviour takes the case to court the majority of GAA officials are scornful of the decision and on occasion the GAA has been very slow to co-operate with the legal requirements for such court cases.

Well, maybe these reluctant GAA people should visit Finian Newman this week and see the consequences of one such cowardly attack which defile the good name of the GAA and the sportsmanship on which it made its name.

Finian should of course be down in University of Limerick continuing his second year studies for a degree in Physical Education but last week's vicious assault means that he will now miss several weeks' study and lectures.

Even more serious is the fact that he is due to undertake his practical teaching work in a few weeks' time and should his injuries prevent that he could actually lose an entire year of his university career. All because he was assaulted from behind in a challenge game of Gaelic football in which he hoped to advance his football career.

Finian Newman was due to captain the Westmeath Under-21 team against either Laois or Kildare in five weeks' time, something which he regarded as a great honour.

"It will kill me to have to miss that game because of the way I was assaulted. "Being hit from behind I regard as the worst thing that can happen on the football field," said Finian. But does the GAA feel the same way?

Incidentally, the Cavan player involved was back training 24 hours after the Finian Newman incident.

E-mail: eugenemcg@hotmail.com
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I would hope the referees report isn't the usual cop-out and that it does result in criminal proceedings. This sort of carry on has to be stopped. It is happening way too often.

I wasn't aware of what's said about the GAA being less than cooperative with court cases and that is definitely disturbing and very wrong.

cournioni

Does anyone know which Cavan player was involved in the incident?

Yavvy

Please dont name the Player in the Forum, unless you have absoute proof or he has been named by the GAA.

Thanks


AS for the incident, I have felt for a long time that people to attack players in such a way should be given a life time ban from GAA and open to prosecution.

The Gaa does not need savages like that anymore.

Mighty_Mouse

Serious offence. Its sickening really.

I can tolerate two fellas belting the heads of each other, or hard hits which connect wrong = broken coller bones etc,or a player ducking a shoulder on imapct and ending up with a broken jaws etc

But for one player to walk up blindside and braek a lads jaw from behind is crazy. If someone did it to you outside a nightclub you'd be well within your rights to call the guards or sue him for damages but on GAA field its not been like this so far.

But theres a problem here. Is every fella that gets a thump on the lip to be done for damages?
IS everyfella who gets tripped off the ball and injurs himself right to sue. ?

Wheres the line? Can it be defined and if not do we stick with the old system of tunring a bling eye on the few extreme cases?

Imposter

Originally posted by Mighty_Mouse
But theres a problem here. Is every fella that gets a thump on the lip to be done for damages?
IS everyfella who gets tripped off the ball and injurs himself right to sue. ?

If it's in the course of the game no. If it's an off-the-ball incident then I don't see why not. There should be no excuse for, or ignoring of, thuggery and/or off-the-ball incidents. Referees should put whatever they know of these incidents in their reports and court cases shouldn't be hindered but should be welcomed.

Wheres the line? Can it be defined and if not do we stick with the old system of tunring a bling eye on the few extreme cases?

Most definitely not, we're supposed to be a civilised society and that should also stretch into competitive sports. Rules are there for a reason. People needlessly disobeying them and seriously injuring someone in the name of sport (amateur sport at that) can not and should not be tolerated.

cournioni

Originally posted by Mighty_Mouse
But for one player to walk up blindside and braek a lads jaw from behind is crazy. If someone did it to you outside a nightclub you'd be well within your rights to call the guards or sue him for damages but on GAA field its not been like this so far.

But theres a problem here. Is every fella that gets a thump on the lip to be done for damages?
IS everyfella who gets tripped off the ball and injurs himself right to sue. ?

There is a difference between it being outside a nightclub and playing on the pitch... The difference being insurance... Some of these players are insured to the bone by their clubs and county boards. But it should be dealt with by the Gardai.

Still and all I think this Cavan player, whoever it is should be kicked off the panel and should never play for us again. Hitting someone from behind is absolute scum.


Sorry Alany, I wasn't thinking when I asked that question... Does anyone know if it is a big name Cavan player? One that would be in the starting line up for competitive games?

kaimera

Originally posted by PORNAPSTER
There is a difference between it being outside a nightclub and playing on the pitch... The difference being insurance... Some of these players are insured to the bone by their clubs and county boards. But it should be dealt with by the Gardai.

some but not all have insurance Porn

My dad got nothing for a broken collar bone and broke nose from his playing days :mad:
shoulder will never be right.

Mighty_Mouse

Fair enough lads its not acceptable and especially so in an amateur sport. But do ye think the a "sue culture" creeping into the game is a good thing or not?


From a personal point of view..............if i had to drink soup or miss 6 months work because of a lunatic from the areshole of Cavan in a GAA shirt I would be angry.

Players who so this sort of activity should get life -time ban.

But I still think its dodgy dodgy territory. What happens to the next guy who takes a punch in the kidneys off the ball. Or gets slap in the head in the first 5 mins of the game ("just let him know your there" etc)

Gaa is a rough physical sport and therfore legal proceedings are dodgy.

If a guy breaks my nose by letting back an elbow

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do i sue him, mental angony from havin a funny nose, couldnt work , etc etc

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€20,000 please

Yavvy

Mouse there is a blanace to be found there.

There is a massive differance to a " How ya doin " kidney punch and drinking your dinner through a straw.

There is also a big differance between squaring up to a player and attacking him from behind.

Irelands comop culture is crazy its true, but there should be serious fees to be paid to people who have years of their life taken off them. That young man may have been set back by at least a year in educational/professional terms and the same in sporting. but what about the fact her cant caption the U21's now..he will never get to do that again. and in my opinion its the county boards that should be sued.

Imposter

I agree it could be dangerous going down the compo road but off-the-ball attacks have to be stopped. An accident during a game resulting in serious injury can happen and the player is usually insured if something like this happens but off-the-ball attacks are not accidents. They also have no part in the games. So I think your dig in the ribs should be liable to the same punishment (although a court would hardly entertain it) and also the GAA must be seen to act on such incidents. Life bans should be the norm not relatively meaningless ones.

My brother very nearly got badly broken up playing against his old club but seen the elbow to the head coming just in time (Didn't manage to avoid the knee to the ribs, later on though). The referee actually reported it (was sort of on-the- ball though, and was a yellow card during the match) but the county board completely ignored it. That is what is wrong with the GAA. They will not take severe action when it is warranted. Most times the referees are to blame too as they won't even report it.

Do you think it's right that people's livlihoods and futures are put at risk by these thugs and the most that can happen is a lifetime ban from the GAA for the thug? If not then surely the courts have to be involved.

Waylander

Don't get me wrong, I feel for Finian Newman and would never condone a blind side attack under any circumstance. But i do think it is the remit of the GAA to settle this, and external parties should not be involved. I do not think the law is capable of distinquishing between an off the ball incident and an incident during a passage of play, so if it is involved in one area it is setting a precedent. I think the GAA should have the capability of fining players in exceptional circumstances like this, and life time bans would be acceptable. Generally I would strongly oppose the GAA having an ability to fine its members as they are amateur but I think in cases of severe damage being done to a player it should be enforceable.

On another note I am just wondering if anyone saw the incident in question. The article was very careful not to name the player involved even though he got sent off for the offence which pretty much meant they could name or implicate him if they wanted without legal reprecussions. Also they were very quick to gloss over any tussle that may have taken place for the ball when the sideline kick was awarded. Finally, the reporter did not mention anything that went on in the earlier part of the game. The Cavan player could well have been provoked constantly from the first whistle, and if this was the case, and depending on the provocation I may feel alot less sorry for Finian. However maybe it happened just like the article says, and if this is the case the Cavan player shouild be banned form all organised sport for life, both as a participator and as a spectator .

Mighty_Mouse

How comes james MaCartan could be named but not this player. His name will come out eventually. When the GAA investigate the Incident.

cournioni

I know who it was and I'm not going to name him (unless the mods say its ok to do so). He has been thrown off the panel... And he is a complete headcase. Everyone involved with Cavan football knows that. I hope he gets what is coming to him.

The good news is that Kenny Burns from my club has been called up to the panel to replace him. Lets just hope he accepts it.

Imposter

Follow up article here

Article:

It's hardman v Newman
Monday March 1st 2004


Westmeath defender Finian Newman is considering legal action over an incident in a recent challenge game against Cavan which left him with a smashed jaw




THERE was a time not so long ago when journalists writing about GAA affairs operated in a sort of vacuum.

They wrote their material and went off about their business, rarely receiving much feedback from the public at large, good, bad or indifferent. Certainly within their own (small) circle of friends they might get some comment and occasionally a usually disgruntled reader would go to the trouble of writing a letter to the newspaper or the journalist disagreeing about something that was written.

The arrival of the internet and the use of e-mails changed all that. Those of us who place our e-mail address at the end of our copy get reaction alright and it varies from the ridiculous to the sublime. I welcome it all.

A writer in any field who is not is direct touch with his readership is deficient. One of the biggest number of e-mails after any article I have written came during the past week following on the item about the young Westmeath footballer Finian Newman who suffered a broken jaw recently when he was struck from behind in an off-the-ball incident in a challenge game between Westmeath and Kerry.

Many people sent e-mails to recount similar events in their playing careers and if they were all published it would read like a horror story. But I am publishing a few extracts this week if only to debunk the often-quoted GAA response to such incidents: that they are extremely rare and when they happen the GAA takes drastic action.

My point in writing the original article was to give concrete evidence of this despicable practice - not to comment in any way on the Cavan player involved because that is a matter for GAA authorities and/or others. It was the principle of this behaviour which concerned me.

These e-mails came from three different provinces, by the way.


CASE No 1
'I WAS an inter-county U21 player in football and hurling about eight years ago. During a senior club hurling game, I was struck by a deliberate blow to the head and ended up with 60 stitches across my face. I am a strong-willed and sporting player who never pulled a dirty stroke in my life.

'My pain was not so much from the surgery or the lacerations across my face but the treatment, or should I say lack of it, that was afforded me afterwards. I too spent weeks taking food through a straw and lost two stone in weight.

'I couldn't sit my university exams and ended up having to go to Cardiff to study. I lost my former part-time wages and there was no sign of the County Board doing anything. I was never given an apology by the guilty club and, would you believe, I was pulled aside by County Board officials and asked not to get the police involved, which I never intended doing anyway.

'That finished me and my county career from that moment because I couldn't be involved in such a set-up from that day forth. Perhaps it isn't just these players who are the cowards?'


CASE No 2
'YOUR article reminded me of an incident in a club game nearly four years ago when I was struck off the ball just after graduating from college. At the time, all I wanted was an apology but when the offending player and his club denied everything (or remained silent) I went to the gardaí.

'Over the months we pressed charges but the GAA, and people in my own club, didn't like the idea. After a while we dropped the charges but in the civil courts we settled. But that only happened within the last few months. It is right that this GAA behaviour should be pointed out as disgraceful and ignorant.'


CASE No 3
'I CAN sympathise wholeheartedly with Finian Newman as the same thing happened to me about 14 years ago. In a club senior game, I was hit from behind by a boxer who took half my lower jaw with him. I had to spend 10 days in hospital and three days in intensive care after six hours surgery to wire my jaw back together.

'For whole month I 'ate' with a straw through my wired-up teeth and had my wires taken out two weeks early so I could start my first term as a third-level student. I was out of football for two years which was the term of the suspension my assailant got for attacking me.

'The difference was that he had the luxury of playing soccer, continuing his boxing career and carrying on life as normal whereas I had to be very wary of any contact with my jaw. I was never happy playing football again.

'I took up rowing with my college where I won a national title before emigrating to Chicago where the thuggery on the GAA fields is much worse than it is in Ireland. It is time to put a stop to these mindless assaults in the name of sport and if taking the player to court is the way to make an example then so be it. I know what it's like and 14 years on the cold Chicago winter still aches these new joints in my jaw given to me on a GAA field in my native county.'

BELIEVE me, there were many more e-mails recounting similar tales of woe and several with proposals as to how the GAA could stop off-the-ball incidents, in particular.

However, I have a feeling the GAA knows well how to stop them, but the will to actually do it is lacking in quite a few GAA officers around Ireland, despite constant pressure from GAA presidents and Liam Mulvihill over many years.

The cult of the 'hard man' is still deeply embedded in the GAA, particularly at club level, regardless of how sophisticated the GAA may have become in modern times.

One e-mailer reminded me that back in the late seventies an Offaly player broke the jaw of a Cavan player, also in a challenge game. That is true and partly explains why I have such revulsion for this type of behaviour ever since.

After that game I always insisted that a neutral referee be appointed for any challenge game that Offaly played, something that could usefully be applied for all such matches now.

eugenemcg@hotmail.com

Imposter

Looks like it's not just certain players that are cowards!
On reading the article on unison it seems that he's going to go to the courts with it. Can't really blame him if you ask me. A one month sentence is an absolute disgrace.

cournioni

"He apologised profusely for what happened. He said it was never his intention to cause any damage to an opponent and that for him to do that was totally out of character"

My arse.