GAA club fined €2,000 for allowing Jamie Carragher soccer school on premises

Dromard GAA club in Longford has been fined €2,000 for allowing a soccer school to take place on its premises last summer. The penalty was handed down by the GAA's Central Hearings Committee (CHC) earlier this week.

The Jamie Carragher Soccer School, which has been running since the former Liverpool player's retirement three years ago, was held in Dromard last August.

The event was held by the GAA’s Central Hearings Committee to have contravened Rule 5.1 (a) of the Official Guide, governing the uses of association property.

Rules states

The rule states that such property “shall be used only for the purpose of or in connection with the playing of the Games controlled by the Association, and for such other purposes not in conflict with the Aims and Objects of the Association, that may be sanctioned from time to time by the Central Council.”

Action against the club was initiated by the GAA’s Management Committee, as is the case for any disciplinary proceedings not related to “competitions or games”.

Dromard argued that the 3G pitch on which the summer school took place is a community resource but as club property it is vested in the GAA. The club is also said to be unhappy because the rule in question is suspected of being widely disregarded around the country.

According to the CHC however Dromard admitted the infraction and were fined €2,000, believed to be a reduction on what the Management Committee had initially proposed.

This move by Croke Park may signal that the rule in question is about to be more rigorously enforced.