Carnbane League warn of a 'zero trolerance' approach to referee abuse at 56th AGM

Chairperson ​Sean McStay addressing the club representatives present, said it had been a long but a rewarding season for everyone involved with the league, including the great success for Cleary Celtic being the first ever Carnbane team to win three Mid Ulster Shields in a row and then coming ever so close to delivering another Junior Cup for the league for the first time in 20 years.

There was also a superb cup double for Newry Celtic annexing the Fr Davies and AOH, a first Bessbrook cup in their history for Villa Rovers, Ballybot won the First Division league title and runners-up Ballyholland lifted the Sean Havern Cup to seal their first trophy in Carnbane competition. Cleary Celtic wrapped up the season in mid-June to make it three Premier Division titles on the bounce after seeing off Newry Celtic.

The 2024-25 League Season will get underway on Saturday August 3, with both Premier and First Division reverting to home and away fixtures. Nineteen teams will compete across both League’s, with new entrants Rockview taking their place in Division 1.

The Carnbane League Committee are hoping the upgrade of Jennings Park will be completed sooner rather than later as they believe it promises to be a transformative project for the League in terms of flexibility for organising fixtures in the future for seasons.

Referee Convenor Eddie Madigan said he was broadly content with how the season progressed in terms of refereeing. The success of an IFA course in mid-season had helped recruit a number of new referees to the league who had performed extremely well. He did note a warning to all clubs in League that a zero-tolerance approach would be adopted by the League Committee in terms of referees being subject to abuse during the games, which they felt had been creeping back into matches at the end of last season.

The League Committee was elected for the 2024-25 season with 13 members from the previous mandate returning to take up posts. Declan Sloan Secretary called for volunteers from participating clubs to come onto the Committee to enable the League to flourish in the years ahead.