Clubs fail in DRA appeal against Convention procedures

BURT AND KILLYBEGS last night lost their appeal to the Disputes Resolutions Authority against procedure at the 2015 Donegal GAA Convention.

At a hearing in the Silverbirch Hotel in Omagh, the DRA ruled that motions passed at the Convention in December in relahtion to a player’s ‘first club’ are allowed to stand.

The clubs claimed that the correct procedure was not followed at the Convention, arguing that the motions had not been proposed and seconded properly and that the motions should be binned as a result.

But last night’s DRA Hearing came after both the Donegal County Board and the Ulster Hearings Committee rejected appeals by the clubs, finding that no breach of procedure had been made.

The DRA is the final arbitrator in such matters, however and the case is now closed, meaning the motions remain in place.

The Ulster Council and Donegal Board both submitted responses to the DRA before the full hearing.

The contentious motions centre on a player’s ‘first club’ allegiance.

The upshot now is that, as passed at the Convention in the Mount Errigal Hotel in December, when a player is registering for his first club he must be living within the catchment area of that club.