Down football manager Paddy Tally has been handed the minimum, eight-week suspension by the GAA's Central Hearings Committee, under Rule 7.2 (e), for discrediting the association after a gathering of his players in Abbey CBS, Newry took place in early January, outside of the stipulated return to training date in the middle of the month.
The CHC met on Tuesday night to consider Tally’s challenge to a 12-week ban, which had been proposed two weeks ago by the association’s management committee. The fact that the matter had been remitted to Croke Park’s highest-ranking body was indicative of how seriously the breach of the training ban had been viewed at a time when coronavirus cases were shooting upwards.
There will be surprise that the recommendation appears to have been reduced from what was originally recommended, as the CHC chose to impose the minimum suspension.
Cork footballer manager Ronan McCarthy, whose team is coincidentally in the same section of the national league as Down, is facing a similar charge.
Unlike the Ulster county, Cork have also chosen to challenge the recommended punishment of the forfeiture of one home match in the league, under Rule 6.45, which governs collective training outside of the window determined by the GAA.
It is expected the Cork hearing will take place next week.
Tally vigorously disputes that he or his players did anything unsafe and argues they had observed Covid protocols at all times. The issue remained however that any gatherings were clearly contrary to the GAA’s directive that there be no collective training until mid-January.
As defined by the rule, “Collective training is where one or more player(s) is/are required to be at a specific place at a specific time on a specific date. Intercounty panels may return to collective training and/or games for the following year on a timetable determined annually by the Central Council.”
In a brief statement released late on Wednesday morning, the GAA said:
“Paddy Tally requested a Hearing which took place on 09.02.2021. An Lár Choiste Éisteachta (Central Hearings Committee) found the infraction - “misconduct considered to have discredited the association” proven and imposed the following penalty: eight weeks suspension.
“Paddy Tally has the option of appealing against the decision of An Lár Choiste Éisteachta to the An Lár Choiste Achomhairc.”
There was no indication whether the Down manager intends to avail of that option to appeal the suspension to the Central Appeals Committee.
