Matty Forde

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That Keith Duggan article is pretty good. I think he’s far and away the best GAA writer around. Generally makes valid points and has a decent writing style too.

[whyohwhy]

eamo said:

If Forde had admitted his dirty, deliberate stamp then I would have more time for him.

If he had said something along the lines of 'Take that you cnut', like Keane said to the Norwegian

The worse thing was his attempt to sneak out of it and not to face up to it like a man, neither on the pitch when he looked away nor subsequently when he would not appear in front of the GAC.

I agree with you here too eamo, (lots of people agreeing with you these days)

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I find this a bit ridiculous to be honest. You’re giving Keane the plaudits because he openly and deliberately tried to break a lad’s leg whereas Forde is adamant he didn’t intentionally step on the guy. Based on your logic you’d have given kudos to Forde if he’d trod on the guy as he stared down at him and given him some verbals too.

[whyohwhy]

bandage said:

I find this a bit ridiculous to be honest. You’re giving Keane the plaudits because he openly and deliberately tried to break a lad’s leg whereas Forde is adamant he didn’t intentionally step on the guy. Based on your logic you’d have given kudos to Forde if he’d trod on the guy as he stared down at him and given him some verbals too.

You talkng to me or Eamo?

I give Keane plaudits, cos I like him as a footballer and person too (his charity work and fortrightness (word?) in interviews etc etc)

If Mattie Forde had to balls to say 'yes i stamped/stood on his head' and took his punishment like a man then i'd probably give him some kudos.

I think you should step back from this for a second and just admit that he stood on the guys head deliberately. Ignore the farce that is the DRA and CDC for a few seconds and look at the incident simply. He stood on yer mans head and meant it. Just because he didnt look at him as he did it means nothing, he looked at him and his positioning a split second before he stood/stamped on him.

I think he's quite lucky to get away with 3 months really.

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whyohwhy said:

I think you should step back from this for a second and just admit that he stood on the guys head deliberately. Ignore the farce that is the DRA and CDC for a few seconds and look at the incident simply. He stood on yer mans head and meant it. Just because he didnt look at him as he did it means nothing, he looked at him and his positioning a split second before he stood/stamped on him.

I'm now retiring from the Forde debate until something new happens (appeal hearing etc) but I'm not going to admit something I don't believe. He stepped on the guy's head and didn't mean it (as sweeping a statement as your opposite viewpoint above).

[therock67]

I'm with bandage on this one - at least as far as the Keane comparisons go. Keane isn't more of a man for admitting he injured Haaland on purpose. He was very quiet about the whole thing until he had a book to write - that doesn't make him a hero.

I like both as footballers but I don't think you can compare them on the basis of charity work etc. Keane was an international superstar who would be expected to do a small bit of work with guidedogs - do you like Quinn for all his works?

Also I don't think you can separate the punishment from the procedures of the CDC/DRA. A punishment of 12 weeks, allowing for appeals before the Fermanagh game would be acceptable - if that's what the DRA concluded on the basis of all evidence before it. Suspending him in absentia with no chance to appeal before the game was not fair. Not in a knockout system like the Championship where every game might be the last one.

[whyohwhy]

admin said:

I'm with bandage on this one - at least as far as the Keane comparisons go. Keane isn't more of a man for admitting he injured Haaland on purpose. He was very quiet about the whole thing until he had a book to write - that doesn't make him a hero.

I like both as footballers but I don't think you can compare them on the basis of charity work etc. Keane was an international superstar who would be expected to do a small bit of work with guidedogs - do you like Quinn for all his works?

Also I don't think you can separate the punishment from the procedures of the CDC/DRA. A punishment of 12 weeks, allowing for appeals before the Fermanagh game would be acceptable - if that's what the DRA concluded on the basis of all evidence before it. Suspending him in absentia with no chance to appeal before the game was not fair. Not in a knockout system like the Championship where every game might be the last one.

Dont really have an opinion on Quinn (dont dislike him for his stance on Keane like most nutter Keane fans), was just making a point on Keane (fair enough on Forde being an amateur).

I dont think Keane was very quiet about it all, at the time didnt he say Haaland deserved it? Keane took his punishment as he knew he meant it as i believe Mattie did (cos he looked at him before stamping/standing on him)

I may be wrong here, but wasn't Forde given the chance to turn up, but refused to? If so they had to convict him in absentia.

Bandage, you are obviously entitled to your belief that Forde didnt mean to stamp on yer mans head, eventhough you are in the minority. I just asked you to step back from it for a second and look at it in the cold light of day.

I'll look forward to you returning when Mattie's conviction is hopefully upheld. You cant stamp/stand intentionally on a players head and get away it. I believe the 8-3 vote in the poll says it all.

[therock67]

Forde accepts DRA decision
03/08/2006 - 15:17:00



Wexford footballer Mattie Forde has opted to accept the decision of a DRA tribunal and will see out the three-month suspension imposed on him by the GAA's Central Disciplinary Committee.

Forde, who was banned for stamping on Offaly full-back Shane Sullivan during last month's Leinster SFC semi-final, took his case before the Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA) last night.

Due to the incident being missed by referee Jim White, the CDC were able to suspend Forde using video evidence. His appeal last week was rejected by the Central Appeals Committee.

At a hearing in Dunboyne last night, it was confirmed that the DRA tribunal "directed that the CDC clarify with the match referee whether or not he saw the alleged 'stamping' incident involving Mattie Forde in the Leinster SFC semi-final on July 2".


The statement added that: "Following the tribunal's decision, Mattie Forde indicated that he did not wish to proceed further with the matter and opted to accept the penalty which had been imposed by the CDC."

Wexford officials had brought barrister Fergal Logan, a former Tyrone footballer, on board to assist their former All-Star forward.

Fermanagh ended Wexford's summer run by beating them in the All-Ireland qualifiers on July 15. While Forde's inter-county season is over, the ban will also see him miss a number of club championship games for Kilanerin.

The 27-year-old has already met with Kilkenny City boss Adrian Fitzpatrick to discuss a short term switch to soccer and the eircom League First Division.

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From The Sunday Tribune. Still pissed off at the disgraceful treatment he received including from some of his own county people:

Forde accepts ban, but pleads innocence

PJ Cunningham

MATTY FORDE today breaks his five-week long silence on the Croke Park stamping controversy by publicly apologising for the incident and declaring: "I did not do it intentionally."

The Wexford attacker, who failed to get his 12-week suspension overturned this week despite a seven-hour Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA) hearing on Wednesday, last night admitted that the tackle shown twice on Croke Park's big screen during the Offaly v Wexford Leinster semi-final, "looked atrocious."

"I did walk on Shane [Sullivan, Offaly defender], but I didn't mean to. I could swear that on a stack of bibles and the most hurtful thing from my point of view is that the Central Disciplinary Committee [who handed down the suspension] told me they were unanimous in thinking I did it on purpose. I wouldn't lie about a thing like that. As I told them, I'm 14 stone and was wearing blades on the day and if I'd stamped on Shane, I would have ripped his head off.

"He got up and finished the match and I've great respect for him because he came over to me, said he knew it was an accident and we swapped jerseys. I said to him 'I hope ye win the final', I meant it. I have great respect for the player for coming over to me and saying he knew I didn't try to hurt him."

Although the 26-year-old former All-Star could be forgiven for being bitter in light of the number of players who got off from televised kicking and punching incidents in even more high-profile matches since the 2 July game, Forde has a different view on the matter.

He doesn't go with the notion that with Wexford being out of the championship, he was an easy target for the GAA to flex its muscle on, given that they felt on the back foot over the Anthony Lynch case and what they allowed go on without censure in the Ulster football final.

"No, I don't want to come across as a victim in this. I stood on the chap's head and if they gave me 12 weeks for that, I can take it. But the GAA has questioned my motives and my integrity in this and that's what I find really hard to accept.

"I also feel very sorry for the players and management of Monaghan because I played against them in the qualifier the following Saturday and scored six of our eight points to put them out.

"In the same way I feel sorry for the Wexford managements and lads because although I travelled to Enniskillen to play Fermanagh in the next round, the CDC had met that morning and at the last minute I had to pull out of playing.

'So this decision is unfair on both Monaghan and Wexford in the way it was implemented. It's also unfair on my club because at best, I might be back for the county final if we get there on 2 October. I missed the league final in Wexford where we were going for 12-in-a-row and lost to neighbours Castletown by a point.

"Now we have two big matches to win to get to the county final, and I feel sorry for my teammates who have put it on all year that I am not available to help them."

Forde's life revolves around the GAA and to that extent he was happy to turn down soccer after an approach was made to join Kilkenny City. "I was asked, but when I thought about it, it's not for me. I want to play for the club and the county, the province and Ireland when the chance comes around.

He doesn't say it but this current suspension puts his place in the squad to play the Australians in October in jeopardy.

New manager Sean Boylan will begin picking trial teams soon and as this hybrid game comes under the auspices of the GAA, Forde will not be able to partake in those games but will no doubt be hoping that the former Meath manager keeps him in his thoughts.

Speaking this week, it is apparent that what is uppermost in his mind though is the responsibility he feels he carries to promote the image of the GAA.

"Yeah, I'd be aware of my responsibilities to kids and fans as a role model and I want to take this opportunity to apologise to them and assure them it was a total accident.

"I know the vast majority of people who have seen me play or know me will say 'it looked bad, Matty, but if you say it was an accident, we believe you'.

"The problem is that when I went to make the tackle, he fell and his right leg came up in the air and I felt I was losing my balance behind him. So I planted my left foot a good yard away from him and there are picture to show that my arms are out trying to keep my balance and my right foot landed on his neck- head area.

I am looking straight ahead going into the tackle and during the fall but by the time I make contact with him, I am actually looking to the side because the ball has spilt loose.

But watching it afterwards, I do admit it looks absolutely terrible on television.

"However, if you look at the video there was no protests by the Offaly players on the day after what they had seen in real time, but once it was shown up on the big screen, not once but twice, my goose was cooked.

"At the time I was talking to Paul Bealin [Wexford Manager] and didn't notice what was on the screen and I just went ahead and sent the free over the bar [the referee had given a free to Wexford after the incident].

"After that every time I went for a ball, I was booed and I think that reaction from the crowd meant the GAA wanted action against me and it just snowballed from there."

"There was no rancour on the day, no bad feeling. The Offaly lads and ourselves have a lot of respect for one another. Both sides wanted to win, but there was no bad blood, nothing simmering under waiting to explode. I spent most of the day out at centreforward so I wasn't marking Shane for that long.

And despite the fact that the DRA concluded that his hearing was unfair in that he couldn't get clarification of the referee's report, Forde is prepared to take his medicine. "They offered to send it back to the body which suspended me or to the referee to see if he saw what happened.

They CDC weren't going to overturn their decision and if the ref said he didn't see it in his report, he's hardly going to turn around this time and say he did.

"I didn't make any comment at all during this whole affair until now. I want people to know first hand my account.

I've given that here and I can't wait for the suspension to be up so that I can start playing again. I'm disappointed that it took so long and I didn't get the right decision out of it although it was accepted that I was dealt with unfairly. But there's nothing now for me to do but grin and bear it."

MATTY FORDE TIMELINE

July 2 - Incident in Croke Park with Offaly's Shane Sullivan.

July 8 - Forde plays against Monaghan in the quali"ers and kicks six of Wexford's eight points as they knock the northerners out.

July 10 - Central Disciplinary Committee, (CDC), bring forward meeting from 12 July to consider case.

July 15 - CDC impose 12-week ban on player and is relayed to him and county board who are in Enniskillen to play Fermanagh.

July 25 - Forde appeals decision but it is turned down by the Central Appeals Committee.

August 2 - Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA) hearing concludes player's original hearing to the CDC was unfair because he didn't get clari"cation on referee's report.

Offer him two options by going back to CDC and referee, but he turns them down and decides to serve suspension.

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From The Sunday Independent. It's accepted by the DRA that he was treated unfairly but it seems to have got to the stage where he just can't be bothered dealing with the GAA's ineptitude any longer. I think the Wexford county board should postpone Kilanerin's next chmpionship match until his ban is completed:

Forde reveals he almost quit in wake of 'stamping' ban
Sunday August 6th 2006

DAMIAN LAWLOR

MATTY FORDE has apologised for walking on Offaly defender Shane Sullivan in last month's Leinster Championship football semi-final - but categorically denies it was premeditated and says that he came close to quitting in the wake of severe criticism.

Speaking publicly for the first time since the July 2 controversy and his subsequent 12-week ban, the All Star and former Footballer of the Year insists there was absolutely no intent or malice on his part.

"The first thing I want to do is apologise," he said. "I walked on him, it looked terrible on TV, but under no circumstances was it intentional.

"I tackled Shane after 56 minutes and he fell to the ground. His right foot came up and caught my left foot. My left foot missed him by a good yard, but I had nowhere else to put my right foot so I landed on him. I did walk on the back of his neck, but I was completely off balance. People maintain I looked down before walking on him, but photographs show my arms outstretched. I was unstable."

Offaly supporters became seriously irate when the giant Croke Park screen showed the contact in gruesome detail on three occasions. Their players approached Donegal referee Jimmy White, who hadn't seen the incident.

Forde has no problem with the in-house replays and accepts the Croke Park controller wasn't aware of the hot nature of the footage.

"There was an ex-referee in control who didn't realise there was anything contentious, so I have no problem there.

"I never actually saw the replay, but you can't miss 30,000 people booing you.

"After the game, I wished Shane the best, he asked for my jersey and then came out to say the clash wasn't intentional, which I was grateful for."

The consequences of the stamping were enormous. By Tuesday, Forde was living a nightmare as coverage of the clash reached saturation point. He received signed letters from Wexford supporters saying they would never watch the team again while he was involved.

"It blew up bigger than I could ever have imagined," Forde says. "For two weeks, the newspapers carried so many stories about it. But it all went over my head to be honest. The letters were hard to take and there weren't too many arriving when I got my awards. But my family were brilliant, as was Sean Quirke, the Wexford chairman. Liam Spratt from South East Radio backed me, as did a boyhood hero of mine, Liam Dunne."

As the referee hadn't seen the incident, Forde's fate was put in the hands of the Central Disciplinary Committee (CDC) who were not meeting until the following week. This meant he could play in the qualifier against Monaghan on July 9.

"The very second we hit the pitch, the crowd started booing. And there was only one way to silence them," Forde recalls. "And we got through to play Fermanagh." Forde scored 0-6, all bar two points of Wexford's total.

Then, with Tyrone barrister Fergal Logan, he turned his thoughts to the CDC hearing on July 10. "A courier arrived with news of my three-month suspension," he said. "I didn't have time to present a proper case to play against Fermanagh, but I wanted an oral hearing," he continued.

"That was pencilled in for Saturday July 15, in Dublin, the morning of that game. I travelled with the team to Cavan on the Friday night so it was ludicrous that I would make a 250 mile-round trip from Cavan to Dublin and up to Enniskillen hours before a match. The ban stood. A few hours later, we were knocked out of the championship."

Meanwhile, the suspension circus continued.

He appealed his ban to the Central Appeals Committee (CAC). "That took place at 7.30 on the Friday night after the Fermanagh game, July 21. But at 8.0, I was told that members of the CDC hadn't been informed and the meeting was cancelled. Now, it had been in every newspaper that week and yet the CDC didn't know about it! I drove home totally disillusioned."

The CAC finally met on July 24 and dismissed his appeal. Forde then opted to take his case to the Disputes Resolution Authority in Dunboyne Castle last Wednesday night, August 2, where he spent an incredible eight hours. The suspension still stood.

His only solace was the DRA ruling that he had been unfairly treated because there wasn't proper clarification of a number of issues in the referee's report from the outset. "Fergal and I went into the meeting at 7.30pm and we got out at 3.40am. We were exhausted, it was a complete waste of time, but I had done everything I could and was glad it was over.

While he sits it out, Forde has ruled out any link with Kilkenny City FC, although he considered quitting the GAA. "I'm not making out I'm a victim, but I was left out to dry. I never went out onto a field to walk on anyone, never mind stamp, and I'm not going to start now."

Forde has been hit hard by this storm. "I still have more friends than enemies in Wexford," he says.

"Paul Bealin and the panel were superb too. But the GAA need to quickly sort out their disciplinary procedures. I was left in limbo for weeks, whereas other sports sort their issues out in two days, which means you can get on with your life again."

That's exactly what he intends to do now.