THE COROFIN appeal against the €5,100 fine handed down by the Connacht Council, is set to take place on Monday evening.
The Galway champions were punished for incidents which occurred in the immediate aftermath of their provincial final defeat to Roscommon champions St Brigid’s in Kiltoom on November 20th. Mayo referee Liam Devenney and his umpires were surrounded by supporters, and several stewards were required to escort the officials from the field.
The four-week suspensions of two Corofin players are not expected to be appealed but the club is contesting the financial penalty.
Meanwhile, Tipperary football manager John Evans has admitted he could be tempted to become involved with his native Kerry after the 2012 season. If he is approached. “I’ll be committed to Tipperary until the end of 2012. If he (Kerry County Board chairman Jerome Conway) lifts that phone after 2012, no more than anybody else, I’ll give it consideration.”
Evans is a former Kerry under-21 manager and also guided Laune Rangers to an All-Ireland club title in 1996. He has been involved with all levels of Tipperary football since 2007. Evans was also heavily involved behind the scenes with the minor side that won this year’s All-Ireland title – beating Dublin in the final.
Tipperary County Board chairman Barry O’Brien has stated the county should be winning an All-Ireland senior football title by 2020.
Tyrone County Board treasurer Michael Harvey has warned of further belt tightening in his annual report to this weekend’s county convention.
“For a good many years funding from Ulster Council and Central Council, Sport NI, etc, was readily to hand but we can’t expect such ‘windfalls’ to continue in today’s economic climate,” he said. “That day is truly gone and may never return. We must also accept that there is much less disposable income available to our families, and this in turn has led to a quite considerable drop in our club championship gate receipts which are down from £200,758 (€236,000) in 2009 – to £168,110 (€197,000) this year.
“For the Gaels of Tyrone, who are in the middle of a huge development project at Garvaghey, this recession has immense, and far-reaching, implications. It is absolutely essential in such circumstances to ensure all of our finances are used in a carefully budgeted framework, with wastage eliminated and all subcommittees knowing precisely the financial parameters within which we operate.”
Harvey said there was a lack of respect by individuals, who are spending funds outside these financial parameters. “In my report to last year’s Convention I stated we must not repeat the errors of 2010, where individuals committed the board to quite considerable expenditure, without any consultation whatsoever with either the main officers or the finance committee.
“I stressed the need to give due respect to the office of treasurer, and to the membership of the finance committee, within whose authority and control all the finances of the county board are entrusted. The above point, however, appears to have had little significance to some, who continue to flout the rules and ignore procedures. We must regain control of all spending and restore that control to the finance committees.
“I appeal to those who have been more lax to try harder to assist the finance committee to achieve their objectives.”
