In the week leading up to the All Ireland semi-final between Kilkenny and Waterford, much of the discussion was about the involvement of one key man. It wasn't Maurice Shanahan or TJ Reid, instead it was referee Brian Gavin whose involvement in the game was in question.
A one month ban had been handed down to Gavin after he was alleged to have verbally abused a referee during the Offaly junior football championship quarter-final between Clara and Kilclonfert. Gavin appealed the suspension and the ban was quickly overturned, allowing him to take charge of the clash between Kilkenny and Waterford.
It looked like that would be the end of things but, after reports in the Daily Star today, it has now been confirmed that the referee at the centre of the row has resigned as a direct result of the past month's events.
Following the clash, which Kilclonfert won, Pauric Pierce submitted his match report and included the alleged abusive comments directed at him by Gavin. Upon the suspension, he was then asked to provide additional detail about the incident. That was the last Pierce heard about it until he read in the media that the ban had been overturned.
Pierce then requested information as to why his match report was effectively overturned but an explanation has not been forthcoming over the past number of weeks and Pierce has taken the regrettable decision to resign out of frustration.
