Eight sanctioned by Irish FA with fines and bans after mass brawl in Larne's draw with Glentoran
Eight players and staff in total across both Larne and Glentoran have been hit by Irish Football Association sanctions following last month’s mass brawl in the Sports Direct Premiership game.
The 0-0 draw at Inver Park on April 26 featured a number of incidents following the final whistle – with Glentoran’s Dylan Connolly set to serve a 12-match suspension under Article 20.1 (participation in a brawl) of the Irish FA Disciplinary Code.
Six-match player bans – under Article 20.1 – have been handed out to Glentoran’s Fuad Sule and Christie Pattisson plus Larne’s Aaron Donnelly, Conor McKendry and Paul O’Neill. Glentoran club physio Declan O’Donnell has also been sanctioned under Article 20.1, also for six games.
It is understood that Donnelly, McKendry, Sule and Pattison must also serve an additional three games each – nine in total – following red cards issued by referee Jamie Robinson on the day.
Glentoran director Paul Millar is facing a five-match suspension under Article 14.15 (unsporting conduct towards a match official).
Each charge under Article 20.1 and Article 14.15 also includes a club fine of £100.
The Irish FA Notice of Complaint also lists fines of £1000 (Article 22.1 – team misconduct) to both Glentoran and Larne.
All suspensions will start on Monday, May 5 – impacting, as a result, on Glentoran’s UEFA Conference League play-off semi-final next Wednesday against either Crusaders or Cliftonville and, potentially, Sunday’s final.
The outcome of Saturday’s Clearer Water Irish Cup final between Cliftonville and Dungannon Swifts will determine the Glens’ midweek opposition at the Oval for the European play-off semi-final.
Any remaining games under the suspensions will carry over into next season from August.
As reported by BBC Sport NI, “Glentoran declined to comment on the sanctions, while Larne said the club will review the decision before deciding whether to appeal”.