CRICKET:THROWING a drinks can onto the field which hit an opposition player, a supporter encroaching on the field and kicking an opposition player and the use of foul and abusive language may be a million miles from people's preconceived idea of cricket, but incidents at this year's Bob Kerr Irish Senior Cup Final have led to Tyrone club Donemana being banned from playing home matches in the competition for the next three years.
The Cricket Committee of Cricket Ireland originally expelled the northern club from the All-Ireland competition over “three separate cases of unacceptable crowd behaviour” during the decider with Leinster at Milverton in Skerries on September 4th.
Leinster won the game by 27 runs, the Rathmines club’s first triumph in the competition.
The committee subsequently suspended the expulsion for three years, during which time the club would be required to play all their Irish Senior Cup fixtures away from home.
The committee took into account “the prompt action that Donemana CC had taken to address this regrettable issue internally in the days following the final”.
The north west club revoked the membership of one of their members, and fined another for their actions on the day, while senior Donemana officials moved quickly to calm down their supporters following the incidents late on in a tense final.
There is no provision to appeal for the club, although they may enter into correspondence with the committee in relation to mitigating factors in a bid to have the suspension reduced or lifted altogether.
Any further incidence of misbehaviour by Donemena supporters during the terms of the suspension will see the original expulsion enforced immediately on terms to be decided by the committee at its sole discretion.
Donemana have called a meeting for next Tuesday night to discuss the verdict, but a club official ruled out the possibility of them withdrawing from a competition they won back in 2000.
“It’s (the ruling) fair harsh, we’ve never had an incident at our home ground,” admitted club secretary Norma McBrine last night.
“It’s a competition the club loves to play in and many clubs love the unique atmosphere of The Holm for big matches.
“Pembroke played here in the semi-finals of the competition and it was a brilliant atmosphere, with chanting from both sets of supporters and a great game.
“We had over 300 supporters travel to the final and it’s hard to control every one of them.
“We reprimanded those involved, but there were others who weren’t even members of the club and there were also incidents with the Leinster supporters too.
“It’s so disappointing for the club,” McBrine added, “we’ll hold a meeting on Tuesday night and discuss it with our members.”
