The Longford SFC has been thrown into disarray after champions Killoe Emmet Og had a 48-week suspension upheld by the Leinster Hearings Committee.
The club was given the ban as a result of a dispute over a €750 fine imposed by the Longford county board after they failed to fulfil an under-16 final against St Colmcille/St Francis in January as a challenge to a red card in a previous game was still ongoing.
When the July 31 deadline passed without the fine being paid, a 48-week ban was imposed on the club covering all grades from under-16 up to senior level.
Killoe argued that the decision was over the top given the delay to the disciplinary process owing to Covid-19 though efforts to broker a solution during a lengthy meeting in Cavan last Friday night, with former GAA director general Paraic Duffy acting as a mediator, didn’t bear fruit.
The case was finally heard by the Leinster Hearings Committee in Portlaoise on Wednesday night though Killoe were reportedly not successful and will likely now turn to the Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA) in a bid to be reinstated at the various grades.
Their senior team’s tie against Mostrim last Sunday had to be postponed due to the impasse, which has caused the quarter-final draw to be put on hold.
Longford had hoped to stage their county final on September 27 but will struggle to meet that date the longer the fallout drags on.
