Referees to strike over recinded red card

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Referees in Yeats' County are threatening to strike this weekend in response to the county board's decision to overturn Mark Brehony's red card from the St. Mary's-Tourlestrane game, and thus allowing him to play in the quarter-finals last weekend (which St. Mary's thankfully lost - justice prevails!).

Good to see the referees taking a stand on this, but not too keen on seeing it disrupting the Intermediate Championship, whilst leaving the Senior unaffected, especially considering it was during the Senior Championship that the issue arose.

Mark was sent off for an alleged elbow in the Tour game. Referee's report (from one of the top referees in Sligo - i.e. not a Duffy) stated that he had intentionally struck an opponent with the elbow. There was no video of the incident.
Reasons for the overturning of the suspension were given as: 1) it was his first straight red in years; 2) witness testimony presented at the hearing (from St. Marys members, no evidence heard from anyone else).

Referees are supposed to be up in arms because the ref's report was given less weight than the evidence from clearly non-neutral witnesses.

Consensus aroudn the county last weekend (including Mary's players I was talking to on Saturday afternoon) is that he got off because he's a county player.

Hopefully this will lead to a bit more transparency in how the disciplinary process is applied in Sligo. Far too many cases of influential lubs getting favourable decisions, and county players getting away with anything and everything.
The committee responsible for the decision was headed by a Tourlestrane member, who recused himself because of his club's participation in the game in question. He was replaced by a man from St. John's. St. John's spun off from Mary's 20ish years ago, and some of the Mary's catchment area became this new club. This man spent his entire playing career with Mary's and only transferred to John's when his sons became of a playing age. But of course there was no conflict of interest. The vote was tied and he had the casting vote........