Apologies over Newman injury fail to dispel anger

GAA:  When Westmeath secretary Paddy Collins called out the name of Finian Newman at a medals ceremony last Friday night, he was surprised to see the player actually step forward and come onto the stage to receive his award.

Having sustained a badly broken jaw in a highly-publicised incident during a challenge game against Cavan last week, the county's under-21 captain was put out of the game for several months.

"It was great to see him back on his feet after such a terrible injury but needless to say it will take some considerable time before he is ready to play football again," said Collins.

"He can speak, although with considerable difficulty, and it really is a setback for a young player like Finian. It leaves him with a lot of hard work ahead of him."

The challenge game was arranged at Cavan's request and it's understood the player dismissed after Newman was injured has not featured regularly for the Cavan senior team. The incident is likely to be high on the agenda when the Games Administration Committee sits next week.

The Cavan board released a statement on Tuesday expressing regret over the injuries to Newman. It was observed, however, most critically by RTÉ's Des Cahill, that the message stopped short of the outright condemnation many Westmeath fans feel would be appropriate.

Newman will not now feature in the opening round of the Leinster under-21 championship and the precise length of his absence is difficult to predict. His absence also impinges on his chances to further impress new senior manager Páidí Ó Sé.

"It has certainly left a sour taste here in Westmeath," says Collins. "I mean, Finian was an unusually popular footballer here in the county and something like this jeopardises not only his medium-term sports life but it could also have a tangible effect on his career as he is training in physical education at present.

"However, I would say that the communication we have had with the members of the Cavan board has been wholehearted and they are deeply concerned and appalled by what happened to Finian.

"They have been in constant touch and their worry is palpable. I know they were subject to criticism over the general statement but their response towards us has been gratifying."

Newman's jaw was damaged in three places in an incident that led to an automatic red card. His jaw was immediately wired and he is ingesting food through a straw. He said in an interview yesterday he was considering taking legal action pending the outcome of the GAC hearing.

"I think that is understandable," says Collins. "I would certainly encourage all players to take such recourse in the event of personal injuries received because of certain actions on the football field. Certainly, if an offender was detained at the State's pleasure in the same way as he might be if a similar incident occurred on the street, then it might prevent other such injuries taking place."

As a former referee, Collins understands that such randomly violent incidents are impossible to police. Players are ultimately responsible for their own actions.

"Even if you had three referees on the field, you could not stop it happening. A referee is powerless, really, in a situation like that. All a referee can do is react and punish the transgression according to the rules and then file his report, which will go through the usual procedural channels."

This is the second such incident involving a Westmeath player. Just last week, the GAC confirmed it was going to reopen its investigation into a match between Down and Westmeath last May that left Kenny Larkin with a broken jaw.

"Certainly, we would have hoped that the matter would have been dealt with expeditiously and the latest developments seem to indicate that it is bound to drag on for some time to come," says Collins.

"What Kenny has experience and now what has happened to Finian has left a lot of Westmeath supporters very angry and disillusioned. And really, this is the kind of thing that can turn both players and the general public off the game."