Burns loses final appeal against 12-week suspension 12-week suspension
HUNTERSTOWN Rovers’ league and championship prospects were dealt a serious blow last week when Ryan Burns (pictured) lost his last-ditch appeal against a 12week ban.
After failing to have the suspension overturned by Croke Park’s Central Hearings or Central Appeals committees, Burns made a last-gasp appeal to the DRA (Disputes Resolution Authority), but the independent body also ruled against the Louth attacker.
Burns was sent off at the end of Louth’ss All-Ireland Qualifier defeat to Longford after striking an umpire with a ball following a late Louth wide.
He was between 10 and 20 metress away from the matchtch official, but after consulting onsultwith the umpire, referee Noel Mooney deemed the act to be deliberate and brandished a straight red card. ThThe DRA have yet to rrelease a ‘full reasoned soreasoned decision’, but a statement on their wwebsite reads: ‘An application to the DRA by Louth SSenior Footballer, RyRyan Burns, challenging lengchallenging the decision of the Central Hearings CommitteCommittee to impose a 12 week suspension for the offence of Minor physical interference with an Umpire (Riail 7.2 (b) Cat V (i)) arising out of an incident which
occurred during the All-Ireland Football Qualifier Round 1A game Louth v. Longford, which said decision had been upheld by the Central Appeals Committee, was dismissed by a DRA Tribunal hearing at the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel, Dublin on 26 Jan 2017.
‘The DRA Tribunal (Rory Mulcahy SC, Eamonn Denieffe, solicitor & Con Hogan) held that the Claimant had failed to establish the decisions of the CHC and CAC were irrational in finding the infraction to have occurred and in imposing the minimum suspension.’
With the suspension due to run until September 8th Burns will now definitely have to sit out Hunterstown’s Intermediate Championship quarter-final clash with Clan Na Gael, but he may return in time for a semi-final if they progress in his absence. He may also miss Rovers’ crucial penultimate Division 2 date with St Bride’s.
The 21 year-old has already missed both of Hunterstown’s group games, but the mid-Louth men beat St Fechin’s and St Mochta’s in his absence to top the section.