McEneaney furious with forfeiture decision

Eamonn McEneaney accused GAA chiefs of misapplying the rules after Monaghan were ordered to forfeit home advantage for the Allianz FL Division 2 clash with Louth on Sunday week, March 11.

Furious McEneaney broke his silence after the GAA’s Central Appeals Committee (CAC) upheld the Central Hearings Committee’s (CHC) decision to send Monaghan to Drogheda for the fixture with his former charges. Last night, McEneaney and team captain Darren Hughes met with county board officials to decide on the next course of action — with an appeal to the independent Disputes Resolution Authority understood to be a possibility.

In the GAA’s Official Guide, there is no specific rule stating a county can lose home advantage for disciplinary reasons but a Croke Park spokesman explained last night: “The CHC was perfectly entitled to hand down the sanction that it did. That’s the risk that the units run when they seek a hearing after the CHC makes a recommendation, be that a suspension or fine. Even though it [forfeiture of home advantage] is not referenced in rule, no figures for fines are mentioned either. It doesn’t work like that — it’s down to the discretion of the relevant committee.”