Tipperary call for suspension review

GAELIC GAMES: As the GAA's county convention season continues, Tipperary board secretary Michael O'Brien has called for a complete review of the suspension rule in his annual report to be delivered in Thurles on Sunday.

O'Brien calls for the separation of club and county suspensions, and also for match bans to replace time suspensions.

"A month's suspension in July could result in a player missing several semi-finals and finals, especially if he is a dual player," he says.

"But a six-month suspension for a serious offence towards the end of the year may result in the offending player missing no game at all. Game suspensions or match bans are more realistic than the current time suspensions."

O'Brien has also expressed his concern with Croke Park's reaction and the direction on the matter of Tipperary minor hurler John Boland.

Boland, red carded in a club game, subsequently had the automatic suspension overturned by the North Tipperary board. The GAC insisted on Boland serving the ban and his family decided to take legal action.

They managed to secure a High Court injunction which enabled him to line out in the All-Ireland minor hurling final against Kilkenny.

Meanwhile, Donegal were last night expected to name Michael Oliver McIntyre as their new senior football manager.

The football panel had their first official training session of the new season in Ballybofey, and the county board was confident it had concluded the long search to find a replacement for Mickey Moran.

There had been some speculation that newly-elected county board chairman Brian McEniff might convince former star player Martin McHugh to take the position, even though he had previously stated his intentions not to put his name forward for nomination.

McIntyre has long been associated with Donegal football, most recently as a member of Moran's backroom team, while also acting as trainer with Moran's predecessor Declan Bonner. He has also the experience of managing the county under-21 side in the early 1990s.