The GAA's Games Administration Committee last night heard the appeal of two players eager to maintain their interest in this year's football championship. Paddy Reynolds of Meath and Ray Connelly of Mayo both made personal appearances at Croke Park in an effort to minimise their suspensions.
The outcome of their appeals will not be known until later today. Reynolds received a straight red cad card in the Leinster semi-final win over Kildare for an incident in which Kildare's Ken Doyle got a second yellow card. Part of Reynolds' appeal is that he was harshly treated because as he was bleeding from the nose at the time.
Although he is almost certain to receive a one-month ban that which would rule him out of Sunday's final with Dublin, Reynolds may see that doubled to eight months if the GAC decide it is the same offence that saw him sent off in an league game against Mayo back in early April. Such a suspension would rule him out of Meath's next stage of the championship, either as quarter-finalists or fourth-round qualifiers.
Connelly was also appealing a straight red card picked up in the late stages of in the Connacht final defeat to Roscommon. He was sent to the line for an apparent facial strike on Frankie Dolan. although the television pictures suggested otherwise. The mandatory four-week ban for such an offence would rule Connelly out of Mayo's fourth-round qualifier on July 21st-22nd.
Meanwhile, Croke Park announced yesterday that a limited number of tickets will be available from certain outlets over the next couple of days for Sunday's Leinster football-final. The Dublin County Board office at Parnell Park will sell tickets this morning from 9.30 a.m. for the Upper Cusack Stand and Upper Canal End. The Leinster Council office in Portlaoise will open Saturday from 10 a.m. to -4 p.m. and will to also sell stand tickets.
Croke Park's ticket office in the new stand will also open on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Any remaining tickets will be sold on Sunday from the ticket offices around Croke Park - at Fitzgibbon Street, the Drumcondra Road and the Ballybough end of the Clonliffe Road. All Hill 16 and family tickets have been sold out.
