THERE IS a strong possibility that Mayo manager John Maughan will be suspended when the Connacht Council meets in Knock on Friday to continue their investigations into the ugly scenes that occurred during the Mayo- Leitrim semi-final on June 29th.
Officials from both county boards, the two team managers and three players have been requested to attend the meeting. The players summoned are Leitrim's Gerry Flanagan and Mayo's Colm McManamon, who were sent off in the game, and Leitrim's Joe Honeyman.
Maughan faces suspension for persistent pitch encroachments during the first-round match against Galway and again during the Leitrim semi-final.
Kevin Heffernan was the last manager to be suspended for such an offence. He was banned for a month in the 1980s and if Maughan receives a similar suspension, starting from the date of the meeting, he would be barred from the enclosure and thereby denied having direct contact with his players during the Connacht final against Sligo on August 3rd.
Video evidence indicates that Flanagan faces an automatic suspension of up to 12 months under rule 137 (B) (3), which deals with offences against team officials.
This rule states: "A player or official interfering with a referee, umpire, linesman or opposing team official shall incur minimum suspension as follows: (1) for abusive or threatening language or conduct; two months; (2) for any type of physical interference: six months; (3) for any type of assault: 12 months and his team shall be liable for disqualification."
McManamon, too, is likely to be dealt with in a way that would rule him out of the Connacht final.
Another manager in the spotlight recently has been Dublin's Mickey Whelan. Last night he was re-appointed by the county board along with his selectors Lorcan Redmond and Christy Kane.
The board's decision was not a formality and followed a protracted discussion during which there was a counter proposal for the reappointment to be deferred to allow the clubs time to discuss the situation.
The management committee's proposal that Whelan and his selectors be reappointed was eventually carried by 28 votes to eight after the proposal to have the decision deterred was defeated by 23-11. This will be the third year of Whelan and his selectors' three-year tenure. The hurling management team were also reappointed. They are manager Michael O'Grady and selectors Tommy Naughton and Johnny Thompson.
Meanwhile, Jack Wall, the Kildare County Board chairman, says there were signs of "the new Kildare" in the Leinster semi-final against Meath on Sunday.
Slowly but surely a fresh approach, a new attitude, has been built into this side by a management that have more than an aggregate of 100 years' experience behind them as players and selectors," said Wall.
Wall suggests that the new approach started to show in the National League. In this context, the most significant stage of Sunday's game for Wall was just after Meath "took the two points lead away from us in the third quarter.
"Questions were being asked at this stage. Previously the Kildare supporters would have been accustomed to seeing heads drop in such a situation. That would not be the spirit of this side," said Wall.
Johnny McDonald, who went off injured last Sunday is thought to be a certain starter in the replay. He sustained ligament damage
Full hack Ronan Quinn, though, will be out of action for some time with a broken wrist which he sustained after 22 minutes. Martin Ryan replaced him but John Finn from Clane, the original full back, has returned to full fitness and is certain to be recalled for the replay.
The Leinster Council have decided to make the stands all-ticket for the replay which may draw a larger crowd that last Sunday despite the counter attractions of the Munster and Ulster football finals.
Three counties will again be involved at Croke Park on Sunday week with Louth taking on Meath in the provincial junior football decider at 2.0. The senior replay is scheduled to start at 3.45.
