O’Connor: Galvin is innocent
On Monday, Galvin failed in his appeal against an eight-week ban incurred following the dismissal which rules him out of the Kingdom’s league campaign until their final Division One tie with Monaghan on April 11.
Cadogan was charged with a similar offence and hit with a four-week ban, but because it was Galvin’s second infraction in 48 weeks, his ban was doubled by the Central Competitions Control Committee.
Following this week’s failed appeal All-Ireland winning boss O’Connor launched a scathing attack on the disciplinary systems which has resulted in another lengthy spell on the sidelines for the Finuge star.
O’Connor slammed: “We feel that he is being very, very hard done by. I saw the incident live on the night in Páirc Uí Rinn and I have watched it several times since on video. Paul is 100% innocent in this case.”
O’Connor attended a Croke Park meeting last week along with Galvin and secretary Peter Twiss to challenge the ban and were satisfied with their case and how it was received.
“There was overwhelming video evidence that Paul did not strike anyone. It was a satisfactory hearing which went on for an hour and quarter. It was evident from the video that it was two players wrestling on the ground, ” O’Connor told Today FM’s Last Word last night.
“I wouldn’t have taken a day off work if I didn’t believe I had right on my side. We wouldn’t under any circumstances have appealed if we didn’t believe we were 100% right.”
O’Connor and Kerry’s expectations of a speedy resolution to the matter failed to materialise however.
The manager continued: “Then it dragged on over the weekend and the matter was sent back to the referee and lo and behold we get the finding that Paul was found guilty of striking. I am extremely frustrated. The player is being wronged.
“Paul Galvin is innocent and is suspended for eight weeks.”
O’Connor also categorically rejected claims that Galvin was the man responsible for a serious facial injury to Cork dual star Eoin Cadogan.
“It suited certain people to say that he (Cadogan) got injured in an altercation with Paul Galvin.
“But the video showed Eoin receiving treatment for a mouth injury earlier in the game.
“It certainly wasn’t anything to do with Paul Galvin.
“I’d invite anyone to look at the tape. It is not even doubtful, it is conclusive. I am very frustrated by all of this. We are not looking for sympathy, it is in the interest of fairness that this has to be highlighted.
“A player has to be wronged.”
O’Connor, who risks the wrath of Croke Park for his outburst, feels that referees are coming under increased pressure from disciplinary chiefs to operate a zero tolerance policy but this is causing them to make questionable decisions.
“You have an incident where a player has his back to an opponent, is wrestled to the ground and the referee comes and shows a red card.
“There is huge crackdown on discipline and there is pressure on referees for a zero tolerance approach.
“I don’t want to see dirt in the game, it doesn’t suit Kerry’s style.
“However respect works both ways otherwise the whole thing is undermined. I am really, really disappointed.”
O’Connor admitted that there is tension between Cork and Kerry given the number of times they have met in recent seasons in both league and championships.
However, he was keen to stress that he did not condone Tadhg Kennelly’s controversial premeditated shoulder charge into Nicholas Murphy in the opening seconds of last year’s All-Ireland SFC final.
O’Connor said he knew nothing of Kennelly’s plan “to charge in and hit someone at the start” of the decider until weeks later.
The Kerry boss claimed: “The first I saw of it was in a Sunday newspaper. I was at a function the next day in Croke Park and I condemned it out of hand. The next time I saw Nicholas Murphy I apologised to him.
“At no stage did Kerry condone that (kind of behaviour). It is not in Kerry’s interest go get involved in that sort of things.”
Though Galvin is no stranger to disciplinary run-ins, O’Connor admits that this latest controversy is a huge cause of anguish for the wing forward. However he dismissed reports that Galvin was considering his future in the game as being wide of the mark.
“Paul is very disillusioned, disappointed,” said O’Connor. “But Paul Galvin has come through tougher things that this. He is a tough footballer but more often than not he is an honest footballer.”
