Football tournament banned from GAA ground
I assume Frank Murphy wasn't available for comment as he was en route to Dublin to get a good seat for the Cup Final. :D
http://www.irishexaminer.com/pport/w...QQ5wn3uAIg.asp
02/12/05
GAA club under fire as soccer tribute refused
By Sean O’Riordan
THE GAA has been criticised for refusing to allow a soccer club use its all-weather pitches for a tournament to commemorate a young man who died in a holiday accident.
The GAA said Rule 42 precluded both soccer and rugby being played in its grounds, even though the local soccer club has paid to use the hurling club’s all weather pitches for a number of years.
Ironically, on the night soccer club officials were told that the tournament was off, some of their youth teams were using the pitches at Sarsfield Hurling Club in Glanmire, Co Cork.
Jerry Sharma, chairman of Riverstown FC, said last night he was “bitterly disappointed” by the GAA’s refusal to allow its pitches be used for the tournament, which was planned for December 27.
The soccer club is planning to honour 21-year-old player Kieran McGlinn who died in a motorcycle accident while on holiday in Cyprus last July. He also played GAA.
“Sport must go on and the tournament will be run on December 27 as planned, at a venue to be decided,” Mr Sharma said.
He said the club will issue a full statement after its officers hold an emergency meeting to discuss the issue.
A total of 16 teams from all over Cork had been invited to take part in the tournament. The club, which has 300 players, became famous three years ago when one of its youth sides beat teams from AC Milan and Dynamo Kiev to win a European tournament in Italy.
Sarsfield Hurling Club chairman Jim D’Arcy said the decision came from the club itself and followed some correspondence from the county board.
Mr D’Arcy said an organised soccer tournament was not allowed under GAA rules. “We can’t do anything about it as an individual club,” he said.
Jim Forbes, chairman of the Cork County GAA Board, said he wasn’t aware of any instruction being sent by his board to Sarsfield Hurling Club. He said Rule 42 was quite specific about not allowing rugby or soccer matches on GAA grounds.
When asked if he saw a conflict in allowing soccer training at the GAA club, Mr Forbes said he “wasn’t privy” to what Sarsfield Hurling Club was doing.
A locally based county councillor and avid GAA fan last night called on the organisation to think again.
Cllr Gerry Kelly, who was crowned Guinness All-Ireland fan for 2002, said it was an inappropriate time to use strict interpretation of GAA rules.
“It was not a good day to wheel out Rule 42 and I hope common sense will prevail,” he said.
