Farrell angry after losing appeal

GAA:MEATH FORWARD Brian Farrell hit out at GAA disciplinary chiefs on social networking site Twitter last night after losing his appeal against the controversial red card he received in the Leinster football quarter-final against Kildare.

Farrell, introduced as a sub in the Kildare defeat, was sent off for an incident involving Lilywhites defender Emmet Bolton, but the general consensus afterwards was that the Royal County hitman was harshly dealt with.

However, the decision of referee Syl Doyle to send off Farrell has been upheld – which leaves the player ineligible for the All-Ireland qualifier against Louth tomorrow week.

Farrell’s automatic four-week ban for a straight red card now stands and on Twitter last evening, the Nobber clubman revealed: “Attended appeal on red card. It’s not been overturned, “as it is probable the offence occurred” . . absolutely ragin! Witchhunt?”

Farrell found sympathy from fellow Meath attacker Cian Ward, who replied: “What a waste of time lad . . very unfair!”

Meanwhile, Michael Duignan, Offaly All-Ireland medallist and RTÉ pundit, yesterday evening qualified his controversial criticism of the county footballers.

He was responding to football manager Tom Cribbin, who had taken issue with the comments, saying they unfairly dragged the footballers into a controversy originally caused by deteriorating relations between the Offaly hurlers and county board.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio's Sport at Seven, Duignan exempted certain players from his criticism but reiterated the substance of his original claims.

“The likes of Niall McNamee, the captain, the Darbys from Rhode, Anton Sullivan, Karol Slattery, Scott Brady and Ciarán McManus, who has played for Offaly for the last 16 years and has travelled from all over Europe to training sessions:

“These guys and their families are rightly annoyed with me but at the same time I’m prepared to stand over the general tone of what I said. To me there are a quite a number players on the football panel who are ill-disciplined and have the wrong attitude.

“You can’t tar every player with a broad, outlandish statement. It was in the heat of the moment. I’m apologising to the genuine people that are on that panel and who put in such a huge effort.”

Expanding that, “. . . all of Offaly are aware of the problems that are ongoing for the past couple of years with certain players and it hasn’t been tackled,” he said, adding he hadn’t “set out to be a spokesman to outline these problems.”

He also said he didn’t see the issue as being one that pitted hurling against football and hoped the footballers, who were annihilated by Wexford, would turn a corner against Monaghan in the All-Ireland qualifiers.

“I hope the football panel are raging with me and that they go out and prove me wrong.”