Former referee Bannon 'embarrassed' by GAA disciplinary issues

Two-time All-Ireland football final referee John Bannon has said that he is "embarrassed" to have to continually address the disciplinary issues that blight the GAA.

Speaking on RTÉ's Saturday Sport in the wake of an alleged assault on a match official earlier this week in Roscommon, the Longford man said that the association's disciplinary system also needs to become more bullet proof given the high volume of successful appeals that appear to occur.

"I’m embarrassed as a GAA member involved in refereeing to have to comment on violence against match officials yet again," Bannon said.

"It seems to get more highlighted when it happens in GAA but it is happening and it’s a regular occurrence and this isn't my first time to have to make comment on it.

"It’s really disappointing and the disciplinary system is not a deterrent enough. We’ve had major [examples] of inter-county and club players that get suspended and are able to appeal and, on technicalities, get off.

"It seems to be an even bigger issue - as in a society issue in that there’s a lack of respect for guards and teachers and even security people on the street.

"The GAA, in comparison to some other sports, have a bigger issue and it needs to be clamped down on this time."

Speaking to RTÉ back in June, top inter-county football referee David Gough also took aim at the looseness in the GAA's disciplinary system.

"You wouldn't see the same thing happening in rugby. If a player was suspended, he would take his suspension and it wouldn't be appealed, for fear that if he did appeal it and lost it, well then it would be doubled.

"That's the stage where we need to get to in the GAA – that appeals are taken seriously and that it's not just a case of 'sure we'll put in an appeal, we