Fitzgerald set to mount stiff appeal defence
The Waterford manager will strenuously contest the proposed sanction handed down to him by the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) for comments he allegedly made to referee James Owens in Thurles earlier this month.
It is understood the evidence of Owens’ sideline official in the game against Tipperary is cited in the referee’s report on which the CCCC based their judgement.
However, the authority of the sideline official is a grey matter in the GAA.
According to the GAA’s Official Code, the official’s duties are restricted to recording permanent and temporary substitutes, displaying substitutes on a digital board as well as the additional amount of time allocated by the referee at the end of each half.
Waterford board officials are also livid that Fitzgerald has been charged with making comments to the referee they insist he did not make.
The proposed 12-week suspension is associated with a category four offence, which comes under rule 7.2 (infractions) of the GAA’s Official Code, which deals with threatening language or abusive conduct to a referee, umpire, linesman or sideline official.
Were Fitzgerald to lose his appeal, he would still be available to man the sideline for Waterford’s Munster semi-final against Limerick in Thurles on June 12 as the 12 weeks would have elapsed by then.
However, Fitzgerald is intent on fighting the charge and is threatening to pursue the matter legally should he lose his case this evening.
Meanwhile, 2007 All-Star Stephen Molumphy has been confirmed as Waterford captain for the forthcoming season.
It is the second successive season the Ballyduff Upper man has been handed the role.
In 2009, the 27-year-old shared the skipper’s armband with Ken McGrath, who announced his retirement from inter-county hurling earlier this week.
Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh and John Mullane have been named as Molumphy’s vice-captains.
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