Cooney believes violence is less prevalent

DESPITE THE occurrence of three separate incidents on Gaelic games pitches last weekend, GAA president Christy Cooney believes violence is less prevalent in modern times.

“I can remember 30 years ago when there were a lot more incidents. It has improved enormously,” said Cooney, speaking yesterday at the 125-year celebrations of CIÉ Transport Gaels GAA Club.

Twenty two-year-old Fermanagh footballer Mark McGovern suffered a severe head injury during a club game in San Francisco last Saturday and has yet to regain consciousness.

McGovern’s condition has “improved slightly” but he remains in a “critical but stable” condition, according to Fermanagh PRO Deirdre Donnelly.

On Sunday an umpire was allegedly struck in the head by a sliotar during the mid-Tipperary senior hurling club championship match between Drom-Inch and JK Brackens in Templetuohy.

Last Friday evening both referee Simon Brady and Tyrone ladies football chairman Martin Conway were knocked unconscious after the women’s county final between St Macartan and Carrickmore in Beragh.

Brady (43) was subsequently treated at Erne Hospital in Enniskillen for facial injuries.

The Tyrone Ladies’ Gaelic Football Association, who have condemned the assaults, confirmed it is investigating video evidence.

“That’s a matter for ladies football,” Cooney stated. “It would be unfair for me to comment on another association but we abhor anything like that within our own association.

“I saw there was some little incident in Tipperary as well involving an umpire, I think, and there was an incident in San Francisco whereby a player got a serious injury in an off-the-ball incident.

“Our policy is very clear; we want our county boards and our divisional boards to deal with those type of situations . . . and due force of the association will be taken in dealing with that.

“It shouldn’t be tolerated under any circumstances. We are consistent – we don’t want any of this in our game at any level.”

Cooney believes the association’s endeavours to keep supporters off playing surfaces, as seen from their strict policy at Croke Park, remains crucial to avoiding future incidents.

“All our major club championship games should be played on closed pitches.

“People shouldn’t have the opportunity to get on to the pitch to do any harm to referees or officials or players on either side because none of us would like it to happen to ourselves or our family. Everybody has to be treated with due respect.

“I don’t believe it has increased,” Cooney reiterated. “In actual fact, I don’t think I’ve heard of a major incident like this for quite a while now.

“And that’s the way it should be. We shouldn’t have to hear about them at all in actual fact.

“It shouldn’t occur but some people lose the run or themselves and these things happen and they probably regret it enormously when they understand what they have done. It is not acceptable.”