Rebels deny O’Connor cleared on technicality

CORK GAA chiefs yesterday issued a statement in response to claims that footballer Donncha O’Connor was freed to play in Sunday’s All-Ireland SFC replay due to technicality in the referee’s report.

O’Connor was suspended following an incident with Kerry’s Aidan O’Mahony in the drawn game however Rebel GAA chiefs were successful in appealing the ban.

However, Cork bosses are angry at how their successful case is now being portrayed and claimed that much of the comment is ‘incorrect’. Yesterday’s statement referenced the decision of the Hearings Committee which was issued by Croke Park on 28.

“It was found that the facts proved disclose an infraction, but one less serious than that alleged in the Notice of Disciplinary Action. The Notice of Disciplinary Action alleged a Category 11 Infraction, and accordingly the player is not suspended.”

PRO Bob Ryan explained: “This simply means that the Hearings Committee, based on the evidence (including video evidence) presented, found that Donncha O’Connor’s action did not warrant a red card but rather a yellow card. While there was a technicality also with the referee’s report, the case was principally made on the fundamental issue of the infraction being less serious than that alleged and the player was cleared on this fundamental issue and not on a technicality.”