BY CHRIS MCNULTY
THE Donegal Competitions Controls Committee (CCC) is awaiting the submission of two referees’ reports from unplayed fixtures over the weekend before deciding its next course of action.
It comes as Kilcar failed to field against Termon on Friday night in a Division One League game in Towney, while Na Rossa didn’t travel to their Junior A Championship game against Naomh Ultan in Dunkineely.
The Na Rossa club is incensed after the CCC brushed off their insistence that they were unable to field in the game.
Last Wednesday night the CCC took the decision at its meeting to rejig the Junior fixtures because of a clash with the Ulster Minor final on the weekend of July 20th.
The new fixtures meant that Na Rossa had their away game at Naomh Ultan moved from the original July 19th date forward to this Saturday, July 5th, when they had been free in the first draft of the fixtures.
“We only got official word of the game against Naomh Ultan last Monday night around half-past nine,” Na Rossa Chairman Declan Bonner said.
Bonner is also the manager of his club’s senior team and is the Donegal minor manager.
He said: “Once we got that email, Pat Boyle, our secretary, emailed the CCC to say that we were unable to field because we have four players away on holiday. These guys aren’t back until Monday.
“Clubs are supposed to get five days notice, but what seems to be missing here is common sense.
“It’s all very well having Championship games put back, but to bring them forward to a weekend that we should have been free for is not on.
“The CCC were made aware of our situation at lunchtime on Tuesday.
“We are a small junior club and find it difficult to keep ourselves going anyway. We don’t have numbers at underage level and it’s very difficult to keep the show on the road.”
Naomh Ultan and the referee, Eugene McHale, were at the venue. Bonner insists that the Dooey club aren’t taking the matter lightly.
He said: “This isn’t just a case where we have forfeited a match. We didn’t get the correct notice, for starters, and, from day one, we have made the CCC aware of our difficulties.
“We will fight this every possible way.
“Fixtures are a complete shambles in Donegal at the minute. I have never seen it as bad.
“I don’t know what the rush is. We have four matches left in Division 4 and we are only in the first week of July.
“They say that fixtures are ‘set in stone’ – why, then, did they change from the original list that was set down?”
Bonner’s Donegal minors will take on Armagh in the Ulster final on July 20th.
There will be another round of games this Saturday in the Junior A Championship, which Bonner says presents him with another problem
He said: “I am trying to prepare a team for an Ulster Minor final. The lads will train with us on Friday and Saturday and then be expected to play for their clubs on Saturday.
“It was ok in the past to say that minors shouldn’t be playing for senior clubs, but each and every one of my panel – from clubs in Divisions 1, 2, 3 and 4 – is playing senior football. There has been a huge amount of emigration in Donegal and clubs are now relying heavily on minors.”
Termon made the long journey to Towney and referee Ian Molloy was present, but Kilcar didn’t take to the field and an investigation will now probe the matters surrounding the non-playing of this fixture.
There is a county committee meeting tonight in Ballybofey and the matter is sure to raise its head.CCC Chairman Denis Ellis confirmed last night that his committee would examine both cases upon receipt of the respective referees’ reports.
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