Disciplinary sanctions for clubs and players

Two top Munster ladies’ clubs have been hit with one-point deductions, while two men’s Division One players will serve long suspensions following a disappointing few weeks for Munster hockey on the discipline side of things. Both the first teams of Munster’s women’s university clubs, UCC and UL, have been docked a point and fined €250, albeit for differing reasons. UL’s sanction from the MBIHA fixtures committee comes as a result of failing to fulfil their league fixture away to UCC on October 16, for which UCC were awarded the three points but with no difference to either side’s goal difference. There was further internal punishment for the side, who were forbidden from contesting the intervarsities tournament in UCD last month by college chiefs, due to the indiscretion. UCC, meanwhile, may be somewhat relieved to have escaped with a €250 fine and one-point deduction for fielding ineligible players in two games earlier this season. The MBIHA fixtures committee noted that release letters has not been secured for two UCC players who partook in their 1-1 draw with Bandon on September 18, while such letters had been secured but not submitted in time for the side’s 8-1 win over Belvedere seven days later. The initial sanction handed down by the fixtures committee saw UCC docked the five points earned from the matches and fined €100. However, the MBIHA appeals committee subsequently reduced the sanction to a one-point deduction and a €250 fine upon appeal, and the results in question will stand. The point deductions have had no immediate effect on either side’s league placing; UCC remain in second, but are now five points behind Catholic Institute, while UL are two points clear of Belvedere at the foot of the table. Meanwhile, both Cork Church of Ireland’s Nick Burns and Ivan Moore of Catholic Institute have been suspended until December 31, 2010 following an ugly incident during their sides’ Peard Cup first round clash at Rosbrien on October 30, which was won 8-0 by C of I. Both players were red-carded after striking each other with their sticks following a foul, an offence which tends to be viewed with seriousness by disciplinary committees. The last time such an incident occured in Munster, in January 2008, John Aherne of Cork Harlequins was banned for eight games. Burns and Moore have been banned from all Munster competitions until December 31, meaning they will both miss three Division One league encounters. Moore will also not be available for four of Catholic Institute’s Division Two games, while Burns will miss C of I’s Peard Cup semi-final clash with Bandon on November 28. However, Burns is free to play schools and representative hockey, meaning his place in Munster’s U18 squad is not under threat, while both players can partake in Irish competitions. It is understood both players have since to each other and apologised for their respective parts in the incident, but C of I are nonetheless set to appeal the sanction against Burns. Meanwhile, Catholic Institute’s Edel Higgins will serve a mandatory one-match ban this weekend, after she was red-carded for verbally abusing an umpire in her club’s 2-1 Division Two defeat to Bandon last Sunday. The incident will come before the MBIHA disciplinary committee when it meets next week.