A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Monaghan secretary unhappy with treatment by the GAA
GAELIC GAMES:Monaghan secretary Seán McKenna has hit out at the GAA's treatment of the county earlier this year.
After disorderly scenes at half-time of the Monaghan-Kildare league match in Clones last February, the GAA levied a €5,000 fine on the counties.
McKenna states in his report to the annual county convention, this punishment “was totally unjustified. Their overreaction I believe stemmed from another club championship game and from other outside influences.”
This is presumably a reference to the controversy caused by the Derrytresk-Dromid junior All-Ireland semi-final in January.
Monaghan were subsequently ordered to play their next match away from home, a punishment McKenna says was “invented”, and after successfully overturning the punishment at the DRA, ordered to play the subsequent match, against Galway, at a neutral venue.
“A friend of mine pointed out that ‘Monaghan were treated in a vindictive and spiteful way’ (his words not mine),” according to McKenna’s report. “I’ve great respect for the GAA disciplinary process and have defended it on many occasions but I find it very difficult to argue with that view point. Coiste Chontae Mhuineacháin was punished for an infraction that they didn’t commit.
“Supporters especially those who bought season tickets allowing for three home and four away games were punished for ‘a scuffle’ . . .”
The Galway match showed a drop of 59 per cent on gate receipts for the same fixture (albeit in 2011 the counties were in Division One) in 12 months: “Maybe it wasn’t such a clever decision after all,” McKenna added.
SEAN MORAN
Fury senses a significant opportunity
BOXING:Tyson Fury looks likely to earn a world title shot against one of the Klitschko brothers if he beats Kevin "Kingpin" Johnson at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast tonight.
The collective waists of the Klitschkos brothers are adorned with the WBA/IBF/WBO/IBO and WBC heavyweight belts, with Wladimir, the youngest of the Ukrainian siblings, possessing four of the titles.
Fury's promoter Mick Hennessy said that they are in talks with the Team Klitschko and a fight could be on the cards next Spring.
However, if Fury wants a shot at one of the Ukrainians he'll have to dispatch USA- born Johnson, who dropped a unanimous decision to Vitali Klitschko for the WBC crown in 2009. Fury, 24, who boxed for Ireland and England in the amateur ranks, goes into tonight's eliminator with 19 straight wins to his name.
Ferrari accept FIA's final verdict
MOTOR SPORT:Ferrari have accepted the FIA's clarification on Sebastian Vettel's overtaking move at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The Italian team wrote to the FIA in midweek querying whether Red Bull driver Vettel had overtaken the Toro Rosso of Jean-Eric Vergne with yellow caution lights being displayed on lap four. But the FIA made it clear yesterday that Vettel had "no case to answer".
Vettel went on to clinch his third straight world title with a sixth-place finish at Interlagos, but if Ferrari's claim had been upheld the German could have been demoted to eighth and lost the title to Fernando Alonso by a point.
Australia dismiss South Africa for 225
CRICKET:Australia dismissed South Africa for 225 despite another dogged rearguard action from Faf du Plessis before moving nervously to 33-2 at the close of play on a thrilling first day of the third Test at the WACA yesterday.
The overhauled Australian pace bowling unit had reduced the tourists to 6-75 with five quick wickets around the lunch break but du Plessis once again proved unmovable until he ran out of tailend partners when unbeaten on 78.
Dale Steyn gave the tourists a quick boost when he had opener Ed Cowan caught for a golden duck with his third ball before Vernon Philander removed Shane Watson lbw for 10 after an appeal to the TV umpire. Opener David Warner (12), and nightwatchman Nathan Lyon (7), will resume on day two.
