Freeman’s appeal against eight-week ban fails

MONAGHAN’S Tommy Freeman has failed in his appeal against an eight-week ban imposed by the Central Competitions Control Committee after the controversial Ulster SFC game with Derry last month.

Freeman, who was reported by the referee for ‘attempting to strike with the head,’ took his case to the Central Hearings Committee but they concurred with the CCCC recommendation.

Freeman is considering making a further appeal to the Central Appeals Committee but will discuss the issue with Monaghan manager Seamus McEnaney.

“I’m meeting Tommy tomorrow (Thursday) to talk about the situation,” revealed McEnaney. “We will study our options – whether to go to the Central Appeals or the DRA.

“We were hoping Tommy would be cleared. Or failing that, that the eight week ban would be reduced. We feel the length of the ban for the alleged offence is unbelievably severe.”

The suspension could rule Freeman out of three rounds of the All-Ireland qualifiers.

A decision on Monaghan’s appeal against the €10,000 fine arising from the fixture will be made later this week.

Derry’s Fergal Doherty and Brian Mullan met with the CHC last night in an effort to overturn their eight-week bans.

Even if the bans are cut to four weeks, the duo will miss Derry’s Ulster semi-final against Tyrone on June 21. However, if the suspensions stick, the players could miss two further All-Ireland qualifiers scheduled for July 11 and July 18 – although they would be available for an Ulster final – should the side progress – on July 19 as the suspension ends at midnight on Saturday.

Doherty was sent off for two yellow cards in the Celtic Park game but one of the cautions was later upgraded to a straight red following the use of video evidence. Derry are also appealing against a €10,000 fine proposed by the GAA’s CCCC.

However, Derry boss Damien Cassidy has criticised RTE Sunday Game presenter Pat Spillane over his comments in the wake of the Oak Leafers hotly contested encounter against Monaghan at Celtic Park.

Cassidy slammed: “A lot of it was bar-stool talk. You would expect someone with the level of knowledge he has of the game, apparently, and the level that he has played at, to have a bit more in-depth analysis to what’s occurring.

“Very seldom do you see him actually describing what a team is trying to do, how they are playing offensively, or how they are setting themselves up defensively. I just wonder at times what he is actually watching. You can’t take away his playing record, but he certainly has a limited view on the tactical aspect of the game.”

And Cassidy is also giving his firm backing to Doherty, whom he believes has been unfairly treated.

He said: “I have watched the video tape of the match a number of times. The amount of provocation that was put his way by the player who was playing against him was insidious and it was constant throughout the match.

“I don’t know how the officials that were there missed some of the things that were going on off the ball that I have witnessed on the video. He took sustained abuse throughout that game. And if people sit down to watch it and have the benefit of the different angles that I have of it now, they would understand what I am saying.”

Meanwhile, Armagh hurler Barry McCormack failed in his bid to have a four-week suspension overturned by the CHC. McCormack was dismissed and reported for striking an opponent with the hand in the Ulster SHC tie against Down on May 30.