Clubs appeal relegation

Mitchels and Kiltane appeal relegation

Edwin McGreal

BOTH Castlebar Mitchels and Kiltane have submitted appeals to the Connacht Council against their relegation to Division 2 of the County Leagues.
Both clubs submitted their appeals late last week against the decision of the Mayo GAA Board to relegate them to Division 2 after Kiltane finished bottom of Division 1A and Castlebar were left propping up Division 1B.
The two clubs were initially informed earlier this year that they would have a safety net of a play-off game with the second bottom team in the corresponding division to try to avoid relegation.
These were the rules as published in the Mayo GAA handbook but a successful appeal into the relegation procedures by Louisburgh and Shrule/Glencorrib (who finished second bottom in Division 1A and 1B respectively and Ballyhaunis, who finished second bottom in Division 2B) resulted in the play-off procedures being scrapped.
This resulted in the County Board informing both Castlebar Mitchels and Kiltane that they would be relegated but both clubs have lodged similar appeals challenging this.
Castlebar Mitchels chairman James Rocke was reluctant to be drawn on the details of his club’s appeal but he told The Mayo News that he was confident that Castlebar would be successful.
”We’re unhappy with the decision to relegate us, we feel it is in breach of the rules for the league for this year that we played under,” said Rocke. “We wouldn’t be appealing if we thought we had absolutely no chance of winning. We feel we have a case and we would like for that to be heard,” said Rocke, who also confirmed that his club had communicated with Kiltane about the appeal both clubs were submitting.
The Mayo News understands that both clubs are appealing on two grounds.
Firstly, they are believed to be appealing with regard to the fact that one game relevant to the relegation battle in the last round of the league was played at a later time on the day in question than all others (that being Claremorris v Ballina). The clubs argue that this gave Claremorris an unfair advantage as they knew what they had to do before the game while other teams didn’t have that privilege.
This appeal is, naturally, of greater significance to Castlebar as they were in this same division.
The Mayo News understands that the other aspect of both Kiltane and Castlebar’s appeal is based on the fact that when the County Board met to review the decision of the Connacht Council to uphold the appeal to the play-off procedures, a member of one of the clubs who had appealed to the provincial hearings committee sat in on the meeting.
Kiltane and Castlebar are arguing that the person in question should have stood out of the meeting.
The club’s appeal could be heard later this week but is more likely to be held early next week.