Culprits in Down have been brought to justice... for now

THE news this week that the two clubs involved in the disgraceful brawl in Down earlier this month have been expelled from next year’s county championship is to be welcomed.

It is the kind of punitive, collective action which demanded to be taken to, at least, let the nation know that the GAA has stomach for law and order.

In the process, it should ensure that the two clubs involved, Ballyholland Harps and RGU Downpatrick, will not just look hard in the mirror, but at those members who have brought disgrace to their doorstep.

And they will hardly have to look too far; the Down CCC establishing who the principle culprits – one player has apparently been hit with a two-year ban (the maximum allowed under rule) while several others are understood to be faced with 12-month suspensions.

Rather than examine why they have found themselves in this mess, the likelihood is that they will take a close look at the rulebook as they will fight the severity of the punishment.

History tells us that invariably they will win – albeit some individual suspensions will stick – and the chances of the club bans remaining in place are likely to be somewhere between slim and none.

If that is how this rolls, the decision taken by the Down CCC will smack more of an exercise in PR than in discipline.