On 13 November 1938, just months after his inauguration, President Douglas Hyde attended a soccer match between Ireland and Poland. In a passionate reaction, the G declared that by attending a 'foreign game', he had broken Rule 27 - the Ban - and they removed him as patron. One of the most controversial incidents in recent G history, it strained relations between the G and Eamon de Valera's Fianna Fail government. It also damaged the standing of the Ban and was used extensively by opponents to argue for its removal.