Mulvihill warns many doctors will quit if barred from sideline

GAA doctors’ chief Danny Mulvihill has warned he and other inter-county medics will quit if the new sideline regulations aren’t relaxed.

Kildare football team doctor Mulvihill openly contravened the rule in Saturday’s Division 1 game against Donegal in Croke Park.

Only one medic is now permitted to be positioned on the sideline yet Mulvihill, chairman of the Gaelic Games Doctors’ Association, insisted on being pitch-side along with the Kildare physio.

The county board could yet receive a fine for breaching the regulation but Mulvihill said he had not yet heard of any repercussions for his stance.

The Kildare town-based doctor is still seeking a meeting with Croke Park about the issue.

However, he is not confident of a compromise being agreed and insists he and other doctors will leave their posts if something isn’t done.

“I’m not hopeful of the discussions I’ve had with Croke Park to date,” said Mulvihill. “The way some people see this, they can’t continue as team doctors if it remains in place. There are a number of us who will have to walk if there is no change.”

Mulvihill said he has received plenty of well-wishes from fellow GAA inter-county team doctors since revealing his plans and criticising the regulations in the Irish Examiner last week.

“I have received very strong support. The doctors know I am only speaking for them all to a person and they are totally happy with what I said.”

Meanwhile, Dublin hurling manager Anthony Daly believes it is only a matter of time before a player is seriously injured if the GAA does not reverse the new rule.

He appreciated the GAA’s desire to reduce the number of people on the sideline but believes it is a dangerous move and wants it reversed.

“God forbid if something did happen to somebody and we didn’t have somebody there on the line to deal with it. I am certainly not equipped to deal with a lad, say, swallowing his tongue or something like that.

“We need our doctor there for that kind of thing and we need him ready to get in there if there is something. It happens. Sport is sport and sometimes there are accidents and stuff happens. It is just crazy. I don’t know who came up with the idea.”

Daly pointed out the speed and contact aspect of hurling meant that players regularly picked up injuries, often with more than one player down at the same time.

“I know it can be difficult if there are too many people on the line. You do see it a bit at club level, letting people in. But I just think the big thing is the doctor needs to be there with the physio,. You have easily two injuries occurring at the same time in a game. It is just not fair of the doctor to have him coming down out of the stand every minute or two you need someone seeing.”