This article is from page 88 of the 2009-09-29 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 88 JPG
TURNPIKE Rovers soccer club are expected to appeal a 12-month sus- pension given to a player following a game in Ennis earlier this month.
Rovers player Danny Russell was sent off after receiving two yellow cards, the second of which was for dissent, during a tie against Avenue United B on September 11.
The club were informed last week that the player was being suspended under rule 79 of the FAI rulebook, which governs misconduct against match officials.
The Ennis club were also fined €200 for what league officials say was a failure to control their player.
However, Rovers Chairman Frank Gormley said the club are stunned by the severity of the sentence.
“We have no problem with the sending off. Danny was going to ac- cept it and we were. You can’t abuse the referee and that’s something we support absolutely but 12 months is very serious’, said Mr Gormley yes- Ker he
He added that the club intend to appeal the suspension and the €200 fine to the Munster Football Asso- ciation.
“From our understanding rule 79 only deals physically assaulting the referee. That’s not what happened. If the FAI brought in a rule for sus- pending players for 12 months we would support that. But at the mo- ment what he’s being suspended for doesn’t match up with what actually happened”.
Speaking last night, Chairman of the Clare District Soccer League, Jim Madden said the punishment had been handed down for “serious verbal abuse of the referee”’.
“Verbal abuse is as it serious as it gets’, he said.