FORDE’S CLUB FURIOUS WITH GAA BAN RAP
MEMBERS of the Silvermines club have been left “absolutely flabbergasted” by Jason Forde’s one-match suspension. The punishment, meted out after an on-pitch altercation with Wexford manager Davy Fitzgerald, means Forde will miss out on Sunday’s Munster SHC quarterfinal against Cork. Silvermines chairman Maurice Leamy believes Forde is collateral damage in the GAA’S bid to suspend Fitzgerald for eight weeks. The pair clashed when Tipperary beat Wexford in the Allianz Hurling League semi-final at Nowlan Park last month. Forde had a proposed two-match suspension reduced to one game at Central Hearings Committee level, before his appeal to the Central Appeals Committee failed at Croke Park on Tuesday evening. Tipperary have decided not to take a final step and seek a hearing with the independent Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA), and Forde will play no part against the Rebels, having started the Premier County’s last three League fixtures of the campaign at midfield. Leamy said: “We’re absolutely flabbergasted with what’s happened Jason. “I’ll tell you why – the dogs on the street know he’s a gentleman on and off the field. “He’s an absolute pleasure to have in our club, he’s so interested in the development of children and showing young kids how to hurl. “Personally, I feel he was goaded into a reaction by Davy and I don’t know how he got his one-match suspension.” Leamy added: “We steered away from talking to him (Forde) about it, he was very upset. “I met his father in Dolla last night and Jason was on his way up to the appeal. “His father told me he was nervous about it all day and all weekend, about this appeal coming up. “I would have expected him to start [against Cork]. The gas thing I find about this is that someone can pull a very bad stroke on the field and nothing happens to them. “I’m not singling out anybody but a Wexford lad [Aidan Nolan] came in and had a right go at Jason, after he had a go at Davy, but his name has never been mentioned. “There’s such a thing as fair play and what’s sauce for the goose should be sauce for the gander. “We feel Jason has been singled out and we genuinely steered clear of talking to him about it, because he was so disappointed and nervous about it.”
I feel he was goaded into a reaction by Fitzgerald