Laois hurling star James Young is to quit the game after the suspension he received for verbally abusing a referee was upheld. The former All-Star nominee was hit with a four-week ban for verbally abusing Shanahoe referee John Lalor during a recent Laois SHC relegation playoff between Tinnahinch and Kilcotton. Young walked off the field at half-time and didn't return for the second half. The O'Moore County's all-time top scorer in the championship subsequently appealed the suspension to the Laois Hearings Committee. The Committee heard that Young was charged under Rule 146 (c), which charges club officials with abusing a referee, and should have been charged under Rule 146 (b), which pertains to players abusing referees. The four-week suspension stood, and when the case was appealed to the Leinster Council, it was sent back for reconsideration. But as the Hearings Committee doesn't have the power to alter suspensions if they are issued under the wrong rule, Young's ban was upheld, meaning he missed Clonaslee's IHC quarter-final loss to Camross. An angry and disillusioned Young, whose suspension has now lapsed, told the Leinster Express: "I have a couple of games left with the footballers and that's it, we're out in the semi-final this weekend and all going well we'll make a final, and that will be it then. "It's a final decision (to retire), I'm fairly angry over the whole thing. I was charged under the wrong rule, but when we went to the hearing it was brushed under the carpet. When we went to the Leinster Council, they agreed I was charged under the wrong rule but it was sent back to the Hearings Committee. It's a farce of a situation, but it doesn't matter now anyway, we're out of the championship." Tweet

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