Portlaoise must identify ‘rogue’ fan

PORTLAOISE will be asked to identify the supporter who engaged referee Michael Duffy after Sunday’s All-Ireland club semi-final defeat.

GAA President Christy Cooney yesterday refused to delve into the specifics of the incident as it’s under investigation by the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC).

But asked in general if clubs had a duty to identify rogue supporters who encroach onto the field of play, he said they do.

“People need to be identified if it’s requested of them,” said Cooney. “They have a responsibility of leadership to stand up and be counted and to condemn what happens and identify people if they’re requested to identify people.

“Of course, and if spectators behave exceptionally badly and there’s a justification for a course of action being taken against them the club should support that.

“That’s only being responsible because people go to games to enjoy them, not to cause problems for officials or players or referees.

“When players are finished the game, or officials, they’re generally exhausted and the one thing they like to do is get to their dressing-room and tog off rather than be faced with a group of supporters trying to intimidate them. That’s not acceptable to anyone in any sport or in any walk of life.”

Meanwhile, Cooney admitted that referee Sean Carroll was guilty of ‘human error’ when he mistakenly blew for full-time during Limerick’s Allianz league Division 4 win over Longford on Saturday.

Carroll sounded his whistle in the course of a move that led to a Longford goal which would have won them the game.

Under the GAA’s experimental rules the ref should have waited until the ball had gone out of play to end the match.

“It was human error, nothing else,” said Cooney. “These things happen with a change of rules. We naturally regret that it happened. We’d prefer that it didn’t but, look, life isn’t perfect.”

That explanation may not wash with Longford who have called on the GAA to order a replay.

Again, Cooney refused to discuss that but did agree that there’s no provision in the rule book for a replay to be awarded.