Ballyholland and RGU Downpatrick, the GAA clubs at the centre of a viral video that showed players leaving the field to engage in a mass brawl, have been told they are to be banned from the 2019 Down senior club championship.
The Down Division 1 Gaelic Football tie descended into anarchy as players from both teams hoped a fence to engage in the violence. Supporters were also involved. The incident was one of several similar videos that emerged online and now Down's county board have taken the ultimate sanction and thrown both clubs out of next year's Championship.
The suspensions, as reported by Gaelic Life, will also include heavy individual punishments from the Down CCC.
One of the clubs involved in the controversy, RGU Downpatrick, had last week released a statement confirming that the incident was wrong and shouldn't have occurred.
While an appeal can still be lodged, it is encouraging to see a county finally try to address the situation. Violence is not a new phenomenon but the lack of meaningful punishment meant it would continue to occur. The only solution to this sort of behaviour would seem to be severe sanctions.
