Gaelic Games Referee assault allegation: The North Kerry Hurling Board met on Thursday night to consider referee Patrick White's report on an alleged assault by a Ballyduff player during a recent league game between Causeway and Ballyduff. The board referred the matter to the GPC, who will convene in the next fortnight to deliberate on the matter.

It is believed the referee alleges he was assaulted by a Ballyduff player during the second half of the game and that the same player called to his home in Tralee later that evening and acted in an intimidating way.

Not alone is this serious for the player but it could prove costly for Ballyduff, who could lose a 5,000 bond lodged with the county board last year after the assault on referee Gearóid O'Regan at the end of the county semi-final between Ballyduff and Kilmoyley in early September.

A special committee was set up to deal with that incident, with the result that four players, Declan Bowler, Kenneth Boyle, Mark Houlihan and Anthony O'Grady, received 96-week suspensions, while a Ladies Walk player and Ballyduff fan, David Enright, was expelled from the association and two fans, Cormac Enright and Pa Kennelly, were barred from participating in GAA affairs.

The Ballyduff club was also banned from under-21 and senior football and hurling games for the rest of the season (a ban partly rescinded on appeal), fined 2,000 and made enter a 5,000 bond not to get into serious trouble for the next three years.

The club at the time issued a statement condemning the incidents: "Ballyduff Hurling and Football Club strongly condemn the violent scenes which occurred at the Austin Stack Park, Tralee, following the semi-final match between Kilmoyley and Ballyduff . . . The club do not and have never condoned violent behaviour by any person on or off the field of play."

Referee White would not comment further on the present case, while Ballyduff are believed to be denying the assault.