Galvin may yet face disciplinary action

MUNSTER SFC:KERRY'S PAUL Galvin faces an anxious wait before it becomes clear whether he is to face disciplinary action over the incident with Eoin Cadogan in Sunday's Munster football semi-final in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

It will shortly become clear whether referee Pat McEnaney is to be asked by the GAA’s Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) to review the incident during which Galvin is seen to stick his fingers into Cadogan’s mouth and “fish-hook” him.

The incident, which took place in the 70th minute, is more than likely to attract the attention of the authorities, and it will be up to McEnaney to clarify whether he saw what happened and took no action or, if not, whether he feels that further action is warranted.

In that case, Galvin would face a probable recommended suspension from the CCCC, and, should he decline to accept that, an appearance before the Central Hearing Committee. He would also be in line for a doubling of whatever suspension he might pick up, as already this year he has served an eight-week ban (itself increased from four), and same-category offences repeated within a 48-week period are punishable by doubling any suspension.

However, Kerry manager Jack O’Connor said on RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland he didn’t believe the matter would be taken any farther.

“Im pretty sure he’ll be okay, you have the best referee in the county looking at it from two yards away, and there was a bit going on, on both sides.”

The controversy arises after the current Footballer of the Year has recovered from injury and made a huge contribution to Kerry’s dethroning of the Munster champions of the past two years. His ability to win ball and drive the team forward was the turning point in the drawn match in Killarney the weekend before last, and on Sunday he was a candidate for man of the match.

It is the latest disciplinary crisis for the player and his county. Two years ago Galvin, then captain of Kerry, missed virtually the entire season after slapping the notebook out of referee Paddy Russell’s hands after being red carded in Killarney against Clare.

His return last year wasn’t unblemished, and in the provincial semi-final replay he was sent off together with Cork wing back Noel O’Leary before going on to be a major influence on Kerry’s All-Ireland win.

Then, in last February’s NFL meeting in Páirc Uí Rinn, Galvin and Cadogan were again centre-stage when both received red cards after being seen on television wrestling on the ground during a first-half incident in which Galvin also appears to stick his fingers into Cadogan’s mouth.

Kerry protested Galvin’s innocence on the basis he had been provoked, but he received a four-week suspension that was doubled to take into account his ban from the previous summer.

The matter is the latest to be highlighted by RTÉ’s The Sunday Game programme, which discussed the incident the night before last.

Panellists were divided on the desired outcome, although all three – former Meath All-Ireland winner Colm O’Rourke, current Ireland International Rules manager Anthony Tohill and former Westmeath manager Tomás Ó Flatharta – agreed that what had happened was unacceptable.

Tohill said it ruled Galvin out of consideration for the man of the match award, adding: “I have total respect for Paul Galvin the footballer, but why he keeps finding the need to get involved in this sort of thing is beyond me and what he does here is totally unacceptable and has no place on a football pitch. Certain things are taboos and you do not do them to another player on a football pitch.”

O’Rourke said that whereas he believed the player would have been red-carded had referee McEnaney spotted what happened, the matter should rest and that he disagreed with the authorities automatically taking their lead from whatever is raised on the Sunday night programme.

“I wouldn’t like to see Galvin suspended. As far as I’m concerned the referee deals with these things on the day and that’s it. You get on with it.”

A seminar on performance analysis will be held in Dublin this Saturday. The two-hour seminar, titled “Number crunching – how to make valuable use of stats for Gaelic Games”, will look at valuable methods of gathering and analysing match data.

It is on in the Clarion Hotel, Liffey Valley, and begins at 10am.

Denise Martin, the keynote speaker, has worked with the Irish Under-20 rugby team, a wide variety of GAA teams, and is currently involved with Dublin senior hurlers. Admission is €10.

Book on www.statzpack.com or phone 01 485 3211.