Risk of player bans if doping officials not kept informed

INTER-COUNTY teams could face suspensions if they fail to inform anti-doping officials of changes to their training schedules.

The threat comes after the Irish Sports Council Anti-Doping unit revealed that on four occasions last year their testers went to planned county training sessions but no players were present.

The matter was raised at a Central Council meeting ;last month and subsequently county boards around the country have been notified of the need to improve the lines of communication between their sides and the ISC. It has also been insisted that county boards must inform Croke Park officials by Monday of every week where their county sides are training and that failure to do so may result in suspensions being incurred.

Paul McDermott of the Irish Sports Council Anti-Doping unit admits the trend is a concern which needs to be rectified.

He said: “In our recent annual report, we showed that there were four cases last year when our testers went to pre-agreed locations and there was no GAA county team present.

“There’s an agreement with the GAA and other team sports, that the teams notify testers where they are training, so they can be tested at training. They should be where they say they are going to be.

“Now we are being practical about it and we do understand that venues change for lots of different reasons. What we’re looking for is that if a tester is meant to go to a training ground on a Monday night and there’s been a change, that they are informed as soon as possible. They can then go to the alternative location that night or else arrange to come back another night.

“We don’t think there’s anything sinister or that teams are hiding behind bushes or anything. There could always be a really good reason for training venues changed.”

McDermott rubbished suggestions that the funding the GAA receives from the Sports Council would be jeopardised if there is an increase in missed tests.

The Central Council has informed county boards of such a prospect materialising but McDermott insists that will be the nuclear option.

“We’re a long way off from something like that.

“Certainly if an individual athlete, or rower, or boxer misses a series of tests due to training locations being changed, that can end up affecting the annual funding they receive from us.

“We can understand why Central Council would sent out a message about funding but that’s not our thinking at the moment.

“But there have been just a few incidents of this kind in the GAA and we’re looking to sort it out before it gets any worse.

“If there was consistent obstruction of testers or something deliberate going on, it would be different. We’re not criticising anyone as we understand that matters can change, and in the real world you have to be flexible about these things.

“The issue is gone back to the GAA and they’re treating it seriously which is important. “It’s an administrative issue for them to sort out and they need to adhere to the system that is in place. We don’t want this system to become more complicated, and there’s no conflict between the two parties.

“Everything is going smoothy between us at the moment.”

Meanwhile the GAA sub-committee chaired by former Tipperary chairman Con Hogan, established the examine the contentious issue of pitch invasions in Croke Park, have drawn up a list of proposals designed to curb the practice.

These include extensive media campaigns featuring prominent GAA figures, a series of pitch security proposals and greater circulation of the Croke Park stadium safety DVD.

It has also been decided to discontinue the traditional speech given by GAA patron Archbishop Dermot Clifford during the cup presentations after the All-Ireland minor finals.

It also emerged at a recent Central Council meeting that the Gaelic Gear company have had their licence to produce official apparel revoked as they did not meet the GAA’s requirements, while the Azzuri company have been given a licence to produce footballs.