Red Hand seek to have cases heard by CHC

Suspended Tyrone pair Conor Gormley and Martin Penrose have requested a hearing with the GAA’s Central Hearings Committee.

Gormley was hit with a retrospective ban by the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) over an altercation with Monaghan’s Dessie Mone as the teams left the field at half-time in the All-Ireland quarter-final on August 3.

Penrose was sent off at the beginning of the second half for his involvement in the same incident, his straight red card also ruling him out of the clash with the westerners on August 25.

As it stands, both will miss the All-Ireland semi-final against Mayo on Sunday week. Tyrone had been expected to appeal Gormley’s belated sanction, but the decision to revisit Penrose’s case came as a surprise.

“We have requested a hearing, which the players are entitled to do, and we’re glad that opportunity exists, and they will go along and make the case from their perspective of exactly what went on there,” said manager Mickey Harte.

“And when that is done, then the people who are sitting in judgement will be in a better position to make their call on that. And that’s what every player should be entitled to.”

Harte said he was not surprised that the CCCC decided to review theincident, which occurred moments after the half-time whistle in the Ulster derby, and suggested that media focus played a big part in the decision.

“I’m not surprised at anything any more, because that’s the way of the world. People who present these things seem to have the ability to influence others to consider or think about it, because it brings it into the public domain.

“And if you bring it into the public domain and nothing is done, then the people who are legislating for this will be brought to task by somebody too.

“And that’s the way of the world in the modern world, and that’s the way things are.”

The Red Hand boss also insisted his players are not instructed to commit cynical fouls.

“I suggested for people to forensically examine our game one day not too long ago, I probably should have said examine the whole weekend’s sport, and then tell us if this is the most dastardly act that happened in the whole weekend.

“And then if you can tell me that it is, then I would probably say to you, ’Well fair play to you, that’s where we’re at’.

“Indiscipline usually doesn’t happen on one side. There’s a few parties involved in discipline and it’s good always to examine who exactly created this indiscipline, who were the worst perpetrators of it.

“I would be disappointed if players’ indiscipline cost our team, and our players again will always tell you that — that I said, whatever you do when you’re playing this game, think about putting the team first. If you put the team first, you probably won’t do an awful lot wrong.”