Refusal of McCartan’s appeal is ‘an injustice’, says Down management
His sending-off last Sunday will not only keep him out of the replay, but at least one more game and possibly two. It also deprives the team of their principal free-taker.
McCartan and the team management had been hopeful of having his red-card offence, booked late in the first half of last weekend's draw, overturned on the basis that the referee acted incorrectly.
However, at their mid-week meeting in Dublin, the GAC upheld the decision of Kerry referee Aidan Mangan.
"We feel this is a bit of an injustice,'' manager Paddy O'Rourke said yesterday in response to the GAC announcement, remarking that they believed the sending-off to have been wrong in the first place. It happened after McCartan threw the ball in anger at Tyrone forward Brian McGuigan, in retaliation for being tripped by him.
Paddy O'Rourke, who had defended him after last Sunday's game, said he had hoped for a successful appeal once officials had watched a video of the incident and seen it was 'wrong'.
"Based on that, we thought the referee's decision would have been overturned," he said.
"It's very tough on Gregory. He has done a lot of work to get himself playing at this level. For this to happen to him is awful.''
McCartan will be an absentee for Down's next game, which will be against Donegal in a week's time if they lose on Sunday, or in the All-Ireland quarter-final on August 3 if they win.
Cavan County Board won't be rushed into appointing a new manager to the senior team, following the resignation of Mattie Kerrigan.
According to County PRO Barney Cully, the matter is likely to be discussed for the first time at a management meeting of the county board on Monday night next week.
"There is no great urgency to fill the vacancy, as the county won't be in action again until the 2004 National Football League, which begins next February," said Cully.
"Naturally enough there are names being bandied about the county as to who should get the job, but we'll take our time filling the position.
"The fact that Antrim and Fermanagh beat us that is a huge comedown for Cavan football, and every step must be taken to redress those defeats."
Among the names being mentioned as a possible successor to Kerrigan are Val Andrews, who was in charge before the Meathman, Peter Forde, who recently resigned as the Sligo manager, and Eamon Coleman, who lives in Gowna, Co Cavan.
Meanwhile, the Limerick County Board are offering prime seats at the revamped Gaelic Grounds for €400 for a five-year period.
Purchasers, whose seats will be guaranteed, will be entitled to attend all matches at the venue, including Munster championships in all grades.
The five-year ticket scheme was launched by former Offaly and Limerick hurler Joe McKenna, winner of an All-Ireland senior title with the Shannonsiders in 1973.
Limerick, who expect to take over from the builder at the end of the month, are left with a debt of 5m on their 12m investment.
County board chairman Pat Fitzgerald has moved to allay fears that the 5m debt might mean a cutback on county team expenses.
That will not happen, he assured delegates.
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