Lagan banned as IFA rule on Cup brawl

Published Friday, 12 February 2010
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The IFA's Disciplinary Committee has punished both Larne and Newry City after meeting on Thursday night to rule on the violent scenes which marred their Irish Cup tie last month.

Larne midfielder Anthony Lagan has been hit with the harshest sanctions and was suspended for the rest of the season.

Larne's Robbie White and Brian Neeson and Newry's Cullen Feeney were each banned for two matches.

The Inver Park club's manager Paul Millar has been handed a four game ban, with Larne also fined £1,200 and warned regarding their future conduct.

Newry City have also been warned and fined £800.

The suspensions all come into effect from Monday.

Referee Robert Crangle was forced to halt the game, ten minutes from time after a riot broke out involving players, managers and backroom staff from both clubs.

In their statement the IFA said: "These incidents have been considered both extremely serious and totally unacceptable."

But both clubs have told UTV they are disappointed with the ruling.

"We feel that the evidence would have put a better case than it seems to have to the IFA - there is a lot of disappointment at the club", Newry City's Public Relations Officer Derek McHale said.

"It suggests that we had a much heavier involvement in this and that is something that we dispute and will continue to do so."

Larne Chairman Archie Smyth was also unhappy at the ruling.

"We think that fining a Championship club £1200 is ridiculous.

"We don't have a big income and how we're expected to pay that, I don't know.

"Everyone saw the photos of that match, none of which showed us in a good light and we wanted to get the full story out over what happened that day but we weren't allowed to do so at the hearing."

The IFA are yet to decide whether either side can carry on in the Irish Cup which continues this weekend with fifth round action.

© UTV News
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2 Comments
Matthew Marshall in Ballycarry wrote (832 days ago):
What an absolute farce! This should have been dealt with much sooner than this. Both Larne and Newry should be thrown out of the Irish Cup. The IFA went out of their way to punish Crusaders after the Boxing day derby. But this incident is much worse and should have resulted in much severe fines and penalties against both clubs. As always the IFA fail to deal properly with incidents like this.
Dean Caskey in Dungannon wrote (833 days ago):
The rest of the season? Is the really the "harshest" the IFA could have come up with? Animal shouldnt be kicking a ball in any league again
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