O'Neill suggests 'rules test' for banned GAA members

Former GAA President Liam O'Neill has backed the Wexford GAA motion calling for the introduction of lifetime bans for spectators who abuse officials at games.

The calls follow on from reports of an alleged assault on a referee at a Junior B football match between St Joseph's and Our Lady's Island on Sunday morning.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio's News at One on Monday, Wexford GAA chairman Micheál Martin confirmed that the referee had not been seriously injured.

Speaking on the RTÉ GAA podcast, O'Neill, who served as Leinster council chairman prior to stepping up to the GAA President's role, supported the Wexford proposal and condemned what he portrayed as a tendency towards excuse-making for abuse of officials.

"I really admire the stance taken by the Wexford county board chairman Micheál Martin. Faced the thing honestly and openly, didn't try to shirk it. Didn't try to hide or say it's improving or anything like that.

"Our rulebook only allows for a 48 week suspension. That's the max you can give. That's across the board. But there is another option.

"In my time as Leinster chairman, I went further than that. Over a person who climbed over a fence and did damage on the playing surface. I expelled the man. In fairness, he took it well. He knew he had done wrong. He knew he had misbehaved. He knew it was outrageous. We did that and we expelled him.

"There is no acceptable level of violence. Absolutely not. Whether you push a referee or you trip him or whether you hit him, they're all very serious.

"A person doesn't leave his family and his home and go out to referee a match to do anything other than the best job he or she can do. We have to get that across as a society. The excuses are just that.

"Because the GAA is a grassroots