Clare manager Colm Collins has slammed the three-month suspension handed out to defender Gordon Kelly. The Clare defender was charged with minor physical interference with an umpire during his side's draw with Tipperary in the Allianz League.
The Miltown club man was given a 12-week suspension, but as reported by the Irish Sun, Collins is extremely unhappy that he will be without Kelly until the Championship.
There was a ridiculous decision at the end of the match when Gordon Kelly was cleaning water out of a bottle and one of the umpires alleged that he hit him with the water.
All he did was clean out the water bottle before he drank it, like every player does. The umpire says he hit him, which Gordon denies, and he got three months for it. By all means protect the officials, but let there be something to protect them from — if you are going to suspend a player for that long.
Collins is currently serving a one-month ban for comments he made to an official during the same game. Also, Jamie Malone was sent-off after an incident with Tipperary selector Shane Stapleton. Collins confirmed a collision on the sideline occurred after Malone was trying to recover the ball and that they had unsuccessfully appealed Malone's suspension.
Clare were set to face Roscommon tomorrow but that game has been postponed due to the weather. They currently sit in sixth place, with four points from four matches thus far.
