A referee who claims he was undermined by decisions made by the Sligo county board has taken the radical step of transferring to another county.

St Molaise Gaels referee Eugene MacHale, who played football with Mayo, has switched to Donegal after the Sligo Hearings Committee reduced bans recommended by the county's Competitions Control Committee. He is also furious as the board's failure to appoint him to major championship matches.

MacHale claims the Hearings Committee got it "completely wrong" when they rescinded the red card awarded to St. Mary's and Sligo star Mark Breheny last year.

"What kind of a signal is that sending out to our youth?" he asked in the Irish Independent.

"We are kept in the dark and fed plenty of crap. I am not turning my back on the GAA. I know I have many faults as a referee but I always did my best after playing for a lifetime.

"I took up refereeing to put something back but you can only take so much - the Hearings Committee over the past few years have been a complete joke."

In 2009, the Sligo CCC recommended a 48-week ban after Coolaney/Mullinabreena player Raymond Gallagher was involved in an altercation with MacHale. That suspension was later reduced to 12 weeks on appeal to the Hearings Committee.

The final straw for MacHale, however, came when Curry referee Malachy Maher had a six-month ban reduced to two months after he was initially found guilty of verbally abusing the St Molaise Gaels whistler.

"From the start of the match until the end I was abused by a fellow referee. That was very hurtful," he added.

"The time for being silent is over. Well I am taking a stand as I am sick of all this denial and I am doing this because I care about the GAA, and I am sick of being treated like dirt." Tweet

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