Tuam Stars accuse St Michael's of trying to hold up Galway SFC

CONTROVERSY: Tuam Stars have accused St Michael’s of deliberately trying to hold up the county championship. File pic: INPHO/Tommy Dickson

In the latest entry to the Galway SFC score difference controversy, Tuam Stars have accused St Michael’s of deliberately trying to hold up the county championship.

St Michael’s will bring their case before the Dispute Resolution Authority on Thursday evening, the Galway city club continuing to argue that the GAA’s new score difference rule should have been applied in the Galway SFC, as it was in the hurling.

The new rule restricts score difference to the games between the three or more teams finishing on the same number of points, whereas the old rule applies to all games in the group.

Was the new score difference criteria in operation, St Michael’s would have finished third in their group and progressed on to a preliminary quarter-final, instead of fifth which drags them into a relegation battle.

Tuam wound up third in the same group, but were St Michael’s to win their appeal and the old rule applied, it is they who would drop into the relegation play-offs.

In a letter to the Galway county board, Tuam Stars argue that Michaels’ fielding for the first round of action on July 28 was acceptance of the competition rules and regulations issued to all clubs on April 4 of this year.

“It is also contended that the appellants had ample opportunity to clarify all issues at an earlier stage, and all matters now being appealed on are seen as a deliberate attempt to frustrate the continuance of the Galway Senior Football Championship,” said the Tuam letter co-signed by club chairman Alan Mongey and secretary Gillian Burke.

“It is further argued that the attempt to frustrate the competition is causing undue hardship to our club, as an interested party, and we were well aware of the rules and the calculating of scores prior to the final group stage game, as were all other clubs involved.

“The only adequate outcome would be to allow the Senior Championship to continue on without delay, on the basis that the appellant has not performed or abided to its obligations which they accepted on the release of the championship regulations on April 4 2023, and given the circumstances is the most just and equitable outcome for all other parties.” 

The Tuam letter also refers to alleged utterances by St Michael’s clubman Eddie Hoare on a local podcast last month which they claim shows full understanding of what score difference rule was being applied.

“It is further alleged that in a podcast released on the 20th of September 2023 ‘The Maroon and White Podcast’, one of the named interested parties in St Michael’s GAA appeal to Coiste Éisteachta Connacht, Eddie Hoare of St Michael’s GAA, admits that if Tuam Stars were to beat Mountbellew-Moylough they will proceed to the preliminary quarter-final.

“This is contrary to all claims made in their appeal, in which they claim that the county board erred by applying the wrong rule.

“This disclosure is Tuam Stars’ opinion constitutes a full understanding of the applicable rules, and acknowledgement of the fact that the rules would be in fact applied in the manner in which they were.”