Bite in suspension for Oldcastle player

The Meath & District League (MDL) disciplinary committee handed out lengthy bans at last week's meeting in Navan where Oldcastle Utd player Jimmy Smith was suspended for three years. The report of Midland Branch referee Donal Sweeney regarding an incident midway through the second-half of a Reilly Cup game between Oldcastle Utd and visitors Electro Celtic was dealt with at the disciplinary meeting. Last week the Meath Chronicle reported that an investigation into the matter was likely, but the MDL appear to have taken swift action. According to the MDL, it was alleged that the Oldcastle player bit the Electro Celtic player on the nose. According to an official from the Nobber club last week, the Electro Celtic player received a yellow card for his reaction, but the referee brandished a red card to the Oldcastle player. Arising out of another referee's report, Navan Town player Keith Russell was suspended for one year following a Div 1 game against Tara in which two players from each team were red-carded in separate incidents. MDL secretary Gerry Gorman suggested that with up to 1,400 players involved in competitive action each weekend that these are isolated incidents and that, generally, discipline is strong within the league. "More than 1,400 players would participate on a weekly basis, and up to last week, there were no reports that warranted a one year suspension or more," he told the Meath Chronicle. "The recent incidents are a worrying trend that the committee is determined to curtail," he added. Regarding the incident in the game between Oldcastle Utd and Electro Celtic, Gorman pointed to the substantial suspension which was imposed. "We imposed a three-year suspension on the Oldcastle player who, allegedly, bit an opponent in the nose, and a one-year suspension on the Navan Town player who, allegedly, violently stamped on an opponent who was lying on the ground. "Two others players, from another club, received six-month bans and we will continue to deal severely with matters like this which come to our attention," added the long-serving official who has experience at the highest level with both the Football Association of Ireland and the Leinster Football Association in his role as secretary of the MDL. Oldcastle Utd have advised the MDL that they will appeal the three-year suspension to the Leinster Football Association. This week the MDL will consider a report from Meath Branch referee John Barry arising out of the abandonment of the Reilly Cup game between Kells / Blackwater and Drogheda Town. The Drogheda team were reduced to six players when they collected five red cards and under those circumstances, the referee had to abandon the game as a team cannot continue with less than seven players on the pitch.