St Kevin’s point finger at ‘vindictive’ GAA body

The Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) have beenaccused of “discrediting the GAA” and being “vindictive” in its handling of the Seanie Johnston transfer application.

St Kevin’s vice-chairman John Noone has launched a blistering attack on GAA chiefs as the saga surrounding Johnston’s application to join the Staplestown club from Cavan Gaels continues to run and run.

Noone labelled the process “a joke” and says he was told at the first CCCC hearing that Johnston would be treated the same as every other player. This, he contends, has not been the case.

Noone said: “There’s been 50 inter-county transfers this year into Kildare. It’s not as if transfers were a new thing. It’s as if somebody in a high position has decided this isn’t going to go through. It’s said they’re afraid of creating a precedent. But 20 years ago when Larry Tompkins moved to Cork, it didn’t open the floodgates. Or when Tommy Walsh moved to Wicklow and then went back to Carlow. The same when Billy Joe Padden went from Mayo to Armagh. He’s working in Kildare County Council and travels from Naas to Newry. Yet one of the things Seanie Johnston was questioned about was him travelling. He’s up and down in an hour and 10 minutes every day.”

Noone is also angered at reports stating the last application was rejected because it was “contrary to the association’s ethos”.

No such reason has ever been given to Johnston, according to the St Kevin’s official.

“All he has been ever told was that it was turned down on the basis of permanent residency. I was at both meetings with him, at the CCCC and the CAC (Central Appeals Committee). Ethos was never mentioned. They said that utility bills weren’t acceptable [as proof of residency]. The dogs in the street know the first thing a bank will look for is a utility bill or any type of government documentation. Seanie has all that. What he has is legally binding.

“They’re going to cost the GAA money because we are 100% certain at this stage that the DRA [Disputes Resolution Authority] would look at this for about five seconds and pass it. The information is there. This to me looks like being vindictive and trying to drag it out. At the original appeal we pointed out that he had documentation to prove he was living in Straffan and there was no documentation to the contrary. We were told that no documentation to the contrary was required. That means you could chain him to the bed in Straffan for a month, and prove he’s there, but there is no evidence needed for somebody else to say he wasn’t there.

“To me, these boys are bending, twisting and shaping the rules to suit themselves.

“What baffles me is that there’s a rule there about discrediting the association and to me, that’s what these guys are doing. Who polices the police? To me, these guys are a law unto themselves.”