Jim McGuinness said that Donegal players backed themselves to win at 10/1 against Dublin in the 2014 All-Ireland semi-final.
In his new book Unitl Victory Always - A Memoir, McGuinness writes:
'Our boys had us backed to beat Dublin. We were available at 10/1. They had a few hundred euro on themselves.'
The All-Ireland winning coach made the comment with the purpose of illustrating the depth of confidence within the Donegal squad ahead of the game, but in doing so he also provoked commentators to revert to the rulebook.
And while the practice is frowned upon by the GAA and GPA, there is no ruling to suggest that is an outlawed activity.
Both organisations released a joint recommendation on its members placing bets on games they are involved in. One section related to gambling reads:
'As a player, mentor, or official with a unique insight into team selection, tactics, form, or insider information, the best recommendation is to never bet on a competition your team is involved in. Legislation in Ireland (Republic) and Northern Ireland outlines severe consequences relating to any potential match-fixing or abuse of insider knowledge, with penalties including a fine and/or imprisonment.
'Within the GAA, match-fixing or improperly influencing the outcome of a game for your financial gain or another's could fall under 'Misconduct considered to have discredited the Association' dealt with under Rule 7.2(e) in the Official Guide 2013.'
There has been a notable rise in the number of GAA players backing themselves to win games, but the wording of this part of the document implies that no further action will be taken on the Donegal players.
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