TIPPERARY’S JASON FORDE will miss the opening round of the Munster hurling championship after he was handed a one-match ban for his scuffle with Davy Fitzgerald.
The Premier midfielder took his case to the GAA’s Central Hearings Committee on Wednesday night where the incident from the fiery league semi-final in Nowlan Park was reviewed.
Forde was the Tipp player at the heart of the row with Wexford boss Fitzgerald who stormed onto the pitch to dispute a decision by the referee.
Fitzgerald is banned for Wexford’s first two games in the Leinster championship but the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) had also charged Forde with an alleged “assault on an opposing team official”, which would have led to a two-match ban if upheld.
That charge was dismissed and instead he was punished with the lesser infraction of “contributing to a melee” at Wednesday night’s hearing.
He will miss the Munster quarter-final on 21 May when Tipp open the defence of their provincial crown against Cork in Semple Stadium, although he can still challenge the decision at the Central Appeals Committee.
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I’m a cork supporter but Wtf did he do wrong. Davey should be banned for the rest of the season for what he done.
@Joe Travers: He went out of his way to confront somebody who he should just have ignored and who wasn’t on the field to confront him in the first place. It was stupid of Forde to get involved, just as it was stupid of Fitzgerald to go onto the pitch in the first place. I still think it’s a pity Forde and Tipp can’t accept they’re wrong and didn’t accept their original punishment, the way Fitzgerald and Wexford were big enough to do.
@Jumperoo: Fitzgerald accepted it , because twas indefensible, and if he tried he would have possibly got longer. I wouldn’t be giving them any praise for their attitude, twas just the smart move.
@Gerry Campbell: Yes, and I still maintain that what Forde did was equally stupid and unnecessary. Anybody defending it on the grounds that Fitzgerald shouldn’t have been on the pitch in the first place is like a child saying ‘but he started it’ after they’re caught giving a smaller child a clatter.
Anyway, has it occurred to anybody else that this appeal was a waste of time? He originally got a two-match ban, which would have kept him out of the League final and the Cork match. We all know how the league final turned out, so whether he played or not would have made no difference. And now while his suspension has been reduced, he’s still banned for the Cork match anyway.
Matter of fact, continuing with the appeal could have made things even worse for him. If they’d decided to uphold a two-game ban, he would have missed the Cork match AND Tipp’s next championship match after that.
To me, it’s stupid all round. This appeal has made no net difference in the end. No matter what sort of pro-Tipp or anti-Davy blinkers anybody has on, they all surely have to see that.
@Jumperoo: he was charged with “contributing to a melee.” What utter b@ll@cks. “Melees” happen in nearly every hurling and football match but I never hear of anybody being done for contributing to a melee. He confronted a pitch invader. He gets a 1 match and fitzgerald get 2. That’s GAA logic for you.
@Joe Travers: yes, it’s illogical all right. They should have kept it to two matches each, since both men were equally stupid. Glad you agree. ;)
It’s gas , watched Dublin hit dirty blows all through league final including Philly McMahon tacking with a closed fist and off the ball punches throughout , no free, no ban and a player hits a harmless shoulder to a manager who shouldn’t be in the field and gets a one match ban come into championship, something wrong here with the GAA
@Liam Doran: Why quote completely different occurrences? Forde should – quite simply – never have been involved; nothing whatsoever to do with him.
@Fank Pulman: Davy came onto the field and Niall O’Meara of Tipp urshed him away. Davy the pushed O’Meara. That is when Forde got involved.
@Liam Doran: haha yet again people have to bring Dublin in to it. Sad!
Absolute joke
Forde should have hit him a decent clatter to earn that punishment.
@Kevin O’Gorman:
It would have been great if he split him, but he if he gets a 1 match ban for this what would be get for doing that.
‘Contributing to a melee’??? In every game up and down the country there are lads who ‘contribute’ to melees and it’s not even a foul in most cases never mind a yellow or red card offence. Extremely harsh punishment for Forde. There wouldn’t have been a melee in the first place if Davy had stayed where he’s supposed to be.
@Aidan Dundon: Davy was walking off the field and ford ran over and got involved with him when he didn’t need to, he deserves his ban simple as
@Paul Friday Shannon: can’t agree I’m afraid Paul. Niall o Meara was ushering Davy off the pitch when Davy pushed him. Forde stepped in at that point. Several Wexford lads stepped in then. If the book is thrown at Forde, it should be thrown at them also.
Absolutely no consistency for the GAA on anything. Diarmuid Connolly punched a lad in the face last year, was justifiably red carded and served no suspension. Forde ‘contributed to a melee’ (more of a melee takes everytime a substitution take place in the GAA) and misses the first round of championship. Leave aside the horrible decision but what are the chances of the GAA actually following though on the precedent that they have now set and punishing every player who ‘contributes to a melee’?
@Johnny 5: one rule for dubs
Forde was in a scuffle with Fitzgerald – about a matter which was the sole concern of the ref. It had absolutely nothing to do with him.
@Fank Pulman: Does that make it ok for Davy to come onto the field of play??
@Tomás Tiernan: No it doesn’t, and he’s been rightly banned for that. Nobody is arguing otherwise.
@Fank Pulman: Frank, I’m a corkman, you obviously have an issue with tipp. Either that or your being a complete moronic new age supporter who knows nothing about what the game involves. And don’t go giving me a lecture about the game has no place for this….I dont want to hear it. Your not living in the real world if you even attempt to defend the sanction put on Forde.
@Colin O’Sullivan: No issue with Tipp, pal. And not giving anyone a lecture, just making the obvious point that this was solely a matter for the ref. Hope that’s OK!
Shouldn’t the Wexford player that confronted Forde also be suspended for contributing to the melee, or had it turned into a shemozzle at that stage?
@@something: Good point. Let’s ban him for two matches as well. Also, the linesman in that picture is hardly helping things. He should be suspended too.
From a neutral standpoint, Forde should have minded his own business. Instead he chose to reignite what was up to then a minor incident by provoking Davy further. That left Davy with no choice because, if he had just ran away from Forde he might as well retire altogether. To do so would have been equal to Davy waving a flag at all his players saying “I have been telling you for years to get stuck in, (so I have), and now I am running away myself, (so I am)”
There’s red blood in all of us, the problem is keeping it inside some of us.
Be like Davy, be mad as a brush and add a bit of spice to someones life today
@Tom Fennelly: Reading your last sentence – it seems you take your own advice¡
@Fank Pulman: It was Diarmuid Connolly’s fault. ! ! ! It was the ref and the Tipp player that drew across the Wexford corner back coming out with the ball that should have been sent off. Wouldn’t happen in Laois or down around Clonaslee I tell you. They should all be brought up to Croke Park and shot for their crime. Banning a player from a sport he is playing voluntary and giving his free time of five or six nights a week for all our enjoyment is not enough. The boys with the comb-overs sitting in Croke Park need to introduce executions, or at least that is what is suggested. In any case if Tipp can’t bate Cork, with or without Ford, they can forget about it.
I’m a Tipp man and I think it was foolish of Forde to get involved. Davey was on the pitch for a while before any Tipp player went near him, looking around for one to get into a scuffle with. By going after him Forde played right into his barrow. The wee one should have been left looking and ranting and raving until he either had to retreat to the sideline with his tail between his legs or get sent to the stands by the ref. Tackling him the way Forde did only served Daveys purpose of firing up the Wexford players.
Absolute joke…. Does this mean anyone who shoulders someone during a scuffle will get a one match ban?
@Richard Cunningham: Have to say watching gaelic games is done for me, The ref’s are just simply not up to the standard & should take a leaf out of the rugby ref’s book & be shown what fairness means,
@Murf: The rugby refs that constantly tell the players what the rules are thoughout the game (as if professionals shouldn’t know). The same refs who each have a different interpretation of scrums, mauls, rucks etc.
Disgrace he should be banned for what he did to Davy
@Sean Minogue: He is.
@Sean Minogue: Awh. Poor little bully Davy. If he’d have stayed on the sideline where he’s supposed to be none of this would have happened.
From a cork supporter I think it’s ridiculous he’s getting anything the clown that ran on the field attacking players AGAIN is the only one who should get a ban
Forde should take his case further and into the Courts if necessary. CCCC only carrying on more bluff, huff and puff job. A shower of Pircks that’s what they are.
Didn’t John Power if Kilkenny redden the arse of a streaker that interrupted a club match he was playing in years ago. What ban did he get?
@Noel O’Gorman: Ach, sure ’twas great Craic and all reddening yer mans’ arse and all. Twas great, twasen’t it like.
@Fank Pulman: saying that the punishment on forde is justifiable is nothing short of a disgrace. You should take a long hard look at yourself if this is the tripe your spewing. Dont dare call yourself a hurling man. This is one of the saddest occurrences to ever happen in hurling. Another attempt to kill good hard honest physicality, passion, heart. No one hurt everyone got on with the game. And with leeches like you defending the punishment is noting short of shameful. SAD
Retribution to be exacted when Tipp meet the yellow bellies in the Championship……as the expression go Tipp will bore rat holes in Wexford net
Forde should take his case further and into the Courts if necessary. CCCC only carrying on more bluff, huff and puff job. A shower of Ass hol.s that’s what they are.
Pity he didn’t level the little shite
Davy will be secertly delighted he got a tipp player suspended, worth doing the 8 wks for lol..