San Francisco police are investigating claims that critically injured GAA star Mark McGovern was told: “You won’t get up after that,” after the off-the-ball incident that left him in a coma.
The 22-year-old from Belcoo in Fermanagh continues to make slight progress but is still unconscious after suffering a brain injury on his debut for the Ulster GAA club last Saturday night.
Rising Fermanagh county player McGovern had travelled to the US on a J1 visa to spend the summer playing gaelic football with the Ulster outfit in San Francisco.
Team-mates with the Ulster club have reportedly claimed to police that the opponent from the Celts team involved in the incident allegedly told McGovern: “You won’t get up from that.”
Ulster team coach Joe Duffy has told reporters that he didn’t see the incident but he heard one of his players tell the police that he witnessed a Celts player standing over a prone McGovern and saying ‘you won’t get up from that’.
Police have now spoken to players from both the Ulster and Celts club and have also interviewed the match referee and his assistants,
Coach Duffy has revealed that he ran onto the field 10 minutes into the second-half when he was alerted that one of his players was down injured.
He recalled: “I didn’t even know who it was. Mark was unconscious. And he went from being in the fetal position to on his back and then he had seizures.
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“At that time, we didn’t know what happened. We were obviously more concerned with getting Mark some medical attention.”
Duffy has also stated that there was no noticeable fracas in the game between his Ulster team and a Celts side made up largely of American born gaelic footballers.
“The game was not played in a bad-tempered way,” added Duffy who has filed a police report.
McGovern’s team-mate Terence Tracey said: “I was playing in the game and did not see the incident, it was off the ball. To my knowledge you will not get an eyewitness.”
The San Francisco Police Department is aware of the name of the player allegedly involved in the incident with McGovern, recovering at the city’s General Hospital.
Police spokesman Officer Albie Esparza said: “There was some kind of on-field incident. There’s an investigation but there’s no arrest and nothing further.”
6 Comments
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.gobdawpaddy | Jun 30, 2011, 09:11 PM EDT
Backward Irish anmils yet agin shoe dere trur clors. Dey need at least 6 months of training before they are let into the civilized world, or as dey mite say, de rale world. Backward mucksavages, evidence supplied here.
neilmckay2 | Jun 30, 2011, 03:53 PM EDT
A s a native of Ireland and an avid supporter of Gaelic games I am saddened but not surprised. For years this type of blatant thuggery has been tolerated by GAA officialdom. More than 20 years ago I supported Gaelic football in San Diego by employing talented young athletes form ireland and by providing financial sponsorship to GAA tournaments. I withdrew my support after witnessing a display of hostility and tribalism that have no place in any field of sport and certainly not among Irishmen who have any sense of decency or dignity.This type of behavior brings shame to a game that, when played in the spirit of true sportsmanship, is a joy to watch. The worst offenders are the officils who ofter fail to punish blatant transgressions of the rules. Gaelic football has much to learn from Irish Rugby, especially the method of officiating. Who would argue that our rugby players are any less tough because they respect discipline. Striking another player on or off the ball is indefensible cowardice and the GAA should have the moral courage to deal with this incident by fully investigating the incident. If the incident was an assault then it needs to be dealt with. A message needs to be broadcast to all the young men and women who play our national game that there is no place in the GAA for cowards or thugs. If it is determined that the incident was the result of an inadvertent accident then that too needs to be fully explained. There should be full transparency and decisive action I am moved to write about this incident because my son who studies at a University in Ireland was sitting next to Mark mc Govern on the plane when he was travelling from Ireland. I have followed the news with great interest. I am informed that the Mc Govern family are being well supported by the San Francisco community. If they need anything I would like to offer my support. May Mark make a full and speedy recovery. The Mc Govern family is in our prayers.
mamaginnty | Jun 30, 2011, 01:45 PM EDT
The GAA, should not send the lads over now, safer at home. Best wishes to Mark and his family on a speedy recovery.
PhlutiePhan | Jun 30, 2011, 01:18 PM EDT
Here in America, this type of activity happens in many professional sports. In actuality, they are premeditated assaults. Law enforcement and prosecutors are very reluctant to get involved. They expect the league administration to handle this type of behavior. I would say that this violence begetted by "tv glorification and violent videos" needs to be stopped.
colkelley | Jun 30, 2011, 11:06 AM EDT
My son played soccer at the Olympic Development-level and there were teams against which he played over the years whose coaches instruct and require their players to try to injure the best players. Over a period of four years he suffered a disclocation of the right knee, being knocked out by a running elbow to head, and then had to have surgery for an evulsion fracture of the left tibia. Generally, referees do not take into account this "coaching" style and rarely eject players or sanction the coaches or teams who engage in this sort of criminal thuggery.
TiocfaidhArmani | Jun 30, 2011, 10:57 AM EDT
Absolute thuggery.