JUDGING by previous experience, replays seem to have a habit of ending in controversy. The last three championship replays and one National League replay in Croke Park have caused problems for the Games Administration Committee (GAC). The Dublin-Galway All-Ireland final of 1983 also had a controversial aftermath.

Meath v Cork: 1988 All-Ireland Final replay In 1988, when Meath beat Cork in a replay by a single point, Gerry McEntee of Meath was sent off after only six minutes of the match. After the match, which Meath won, McEntee and Cork's Larry Tompkins were involved in a verbal altercation on the pitch at the end of which Tompkins was said to have been assaulted by a spectator.

At the official lunch the day after, when Cork manager Billy Morgan and other Cork players including Tompkins did not attend, the then president of the GAA, John Dowling, promised an investigation into the match and its aftermath by the GAC. At a subsequent official function in Meath, some of the players refused to accept their medals from the president.

After the 1988 match, McEntee was suspended and Tompkins and Colm Coyle were warned as to their future conduct.

Laois v Louth: 1991 Leinster Championship semi-final replay In the provincial semi-final replay in 1991, several players from both sides were joined by substitutes from the sideline in a series of running battles. The Leinster Council fined both county boards £5,000 and one of the substitutes Kevin O'Hanlon of Louth, was suspended for three months. The Laois manner, Richie Connor, and a selector. Michael Bolton, were banned from sitting on the bench for a period. All the players were given a severed warning and both counties were barred from playing championship matches at home for three years.

Dublin v Donegal: 1993 National League final replay Dublin's Tommy Carr was sent off and subsequently banned for six months. At that time, the GAC had a policy that any suspension would be doubled for off-the-ball fouls and they put this policy into effect on that occasion. The decision put Carr out of that year's championship. It could also be said to have played a part in ending his inter-county career.

Dublin v Galway: 1983 All-Ireland final The game generated considerable controversy. Three players from Dublin and one from Galway were sent off in the course of the match - Brian Mullins, Ray Hazeley and Ciaran Duff of Dublin and Tomas Tierney of Galway were subsequently suspended.

Galway also alleged that Brian Talty had been assaulted in the tunnel leading to the dressing-rooms at half-time, resulting in him being unable to resume in the second half.

Duff was suspended for a year, the Dublin manager, Kevin Heffernan was suspended for three months. Brian Mullins was suspended for two months for the incident which led to his sending-off and a further three months for a subsequent "unauthorised incursion" onto the pitch. One month suspensions were imposed on Ray Hazeley and Tomas Tierney.