Controversy continues to reign over Sunday’s AIB All-Ireland SFC club final at Croke Park when Dublin's Kilmacud Crokes “retained” their title with a 1-11 to 1-9 win over Derry champions Watty Graham's Glen, but question marks remain over a potential re-fixture after the Dublin side ended the game with 16 players on the field.
"Watty Graham's GAC will lodge an objection to the CCCC [Central Competition Controls Committee] in relation to the outcome of last Sunday’s All-Ireland club final," a Glen club spokesperson said on Wednesday, the final day an appeal could be lodged.
A spokesperson for Kilmacud Crokes told the Irish Independent that they will not be making any comment “in the short term” until after the CCCC meet to consider the case.
The confusion stems from a double substitution by Crokes as Glen prepared to take a 45. Paul Mannion and Dara Mullin were called ashore but Mullin clearly stayed on the pitch as the Derry men went in search of a match-winning score.
Glen boss Malachy O’Rourke appealed to a linesman to have the 45 retaken but to no avail, and the story made all the headlines on Monday when the Ulstermen were told by the GAA they would have to lodge an appeal before any ruling could be made on the Crokes error amid talk of a replay or the result being reversed.
A statement from the Glen club on Monday criticized the GAA’s stance. “The GAA have reverted to us today to say that without an official objection they will not review this matter,” said the statement.
“This is extremely disappointing for our club to be placed in this position and we must now take a short period of time to ascertain our stance going forward.”
Statement from CLG Watty Graham, An Gleann. pic.twitter.com/4ts7MTki97
— CLG Watty Graham, An Gleann (@WattyGrahamsGAA) January 23, 2023
O’Rourke confirmed after the game that he was aware of the numerical discrepancy as his team attempted to salvage the game with that last-gasp 45.
“It obviously does make a difference,” he said. “The more men they have in there, the harder it is for us to get a score out of it. I think we did ask the fourth official to get the free retaken but it didn’t happen.”
*This column first appeared in the January 25 edition of the weekly Irish Voice newspaper, sister publication to IrishCentral.
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