A DONEGAL League footballer has been banned for two years following an assault on a match referee last month.
Drumoghill FC goalkeeper Michael Toner has been suspended from all football activity under the jurisdiction of the FAI for a period of 24 months.
The sanction follows an incident during a Donegal League Division One game against Kerrykeel 71 FC at The Moss on November 17.
Toner was punished under Part D, Section 2, Rule 5.1 (c) of the FAI rulebook, which deals with misconduct by players and officials against match officials. The relevant part of the rule deals specifically with assault of a match official.
There was less than half-an-hour played when match referee Andrew Mullin abandoned the game.
Having awarded a penalty to Kerrykeel – who were leading 2-1 at the time – an altercation ensued. During the incident, the player was said to have grabbed hold of the official and held him in a headlock.
The matter was passed onto the Football Association of Ireland, whose Disciplinary Control United (DCU) investigated.
A three-man DCU committee held a hearing yesterday at FAI headquarters in Abbotstown where they arrived at the decision.
The relevant parties have been notified of the decision.
The suspension runs from the date of the hearing, December 11, 2019.
It is expected that the Donegal League’s own disciplinary body will instruct that the scoreline of the game at the time of the abandonment will become a result.
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