Moving my kids to another GAA club

AineM2013

I've 5 kids and 4 of them play for a local club. We registered last year but not this year due to a number of issues i can't go into here. We did not register this year to see what we might do. One of my kids is 15 currently but was under 14 last year, the other child is 12 now and was under 12 last year, the other two are a good bit younger. My query is that we want to move the kids to another club. They are putting obstacles in our way. They will only release the kids to the club of my wife hometown or my club in my hometown where I grew up. One is within the county and one outside the county. I'm not sure if the club have a parish rule. They won't allow us to move the kids to a club about 15 miles away. The club we want to move hasn't as good a record or as high as numbers.

So if anyone out there can assist or help with advice that would be amazing. I have not been in touch with the County board only the club. TIA

keeponhurling

I feel that to be able to assist, a little more context is needed. Like, what is the reason for the request to move ?

AineM2013

I can't go into the specifics or the particulars but the kids moved to a different school and two of the kids were experiencing issues with some kids on the team. We have had a number of meetings and the outcome was we were not allowed to move to the new club where the kids attend school only to the club the parents are affliated to.

howiya

I'd contact your county board. It is strange that the current club is telling you who your kids can move to. It could be related to the bye laws within the county governing club transfers.

Just from my own experience (Dublin), transfers are adjudicated on by the county board. Our club wouldn't be able to say you can leave but only if you go here. That's not how it works but different counties have different bye laws.

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119248142#Comment_119248142

Why on earth should a parent have to explain why they want to move their kids to another club?

munsterfan2

Make it a Child Welfare issue, nothing like waving that stick to put sense into people. Involve the club / county child welfare officer. Some people in some clubs seem to forget that underage football is just a game and it should all be about enjoyment, and personal development for the kids.

homewardbound11

This is the sickening part of the GAA. It happened to me and I stopped playing it .

was playing with one club but went to school on another . Transferred to the other club as it was closer and I had a better connection . I was in a neutral parish so I had no affiliation to either back in the day.

the old club objected to 2 titles I won with the new club and their so called representatives turned up a soccer matches to abuse me verbally . “ your no f€€€king good “ etc “ your only out of bed “whilst his own son was playing on the same team as me .

That individual played “briefly” for the county back in the 70s and what a little man he turned out to be . I watch him now stand by his grandchildren as they line out for the county and wonder would have have said that to them what he said to me .

By the way I’m a soccer coach .

Ginger83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119251542#Comment_119251542

Yeah I gave it up years ago also. The whole organisation is full of politics and corruption.

I remember one team having 2 managers with 7/8 kids between them. There were players who never saw a game. I got sick of it so did relatives. We don't get our kids involved now. They pursue other interests

BnB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058251640/moving-my-kids-to-another-gaa-club

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119248854#Comment_119248854

You mention that "they won't release the players" and "we were not allowed to move to the new club". You also say, that you have not been in touch with the county board so I presume that it is the current club that is standing in your way.

It is not the current club who gets to decide where your kids can and can't go. It is 100% the County Board that decides. Your current club can object to the transfer based on whatever grounds they want, but ultimately it is the county board that decide.

So, you need to get onto the County Board and look for a transfer request form. In the form, I would keep in simple and just say they are transferring to the club where they go to school. Then your current club will have a chance to object if they wish and the county board will make a call on it..... From there, if you are not happy with the decision, you can appeal etc

But, nothing is going to happen until you formally apply.

Also, I don't know if you have done it already, but it would also be worthwhile talking to someone in the club you wish to move to as they may be able to give you a hand with the paperwork/process etc

fatherted1969

Are transfers processed in January in most counties ?

TheAnalyst_

Simple solution is take them to the nearest rugby club that suits.

CornerForward10286

I’m some parish ruled areas you cannot just play with who u like. You live in a town, you have an address in the town, you play with club in the town. You live in country area, you play with club in the boundaries of the parish. In certain circumstances this may be changed.

Uncle Pierre

OP - it would be helpful to know at least which county you're based in, even if you don't want to give away too many details. Transfer bye-laws vary from one county to the next.

However, all have to comply with the general rules of the Association, with the main one still being the First Club rule (colloquially known as "the parish rule"). People can't just up sticks and move from any one club to any other at any given time, whenever they feel like it.

I'm involved in GAA admin at a fairly high level myself and would like to give you the most accurate advice possible, but in order to do so, I'd need the sort of details that I'm guessing you're reluctant to share publicly. PM me if you like.

Uncle Pierre

In the meantime, there's some correct and good advice above that it's not up to your current club to refuse a transfer, and application should instead be made to your County Board. And in particular, there's a rule of the Association that says no County Board shall stand in the way of a transfer of an underage player where there's a genuine and serious child welfare issue at stake.

Note that doesn't necesssarily mean though that you can choose any club to move to, as your County Board could still have bye-laws on which clubs are actually available to you.

Certain other advice given above is not so accurate or helpful, and that's all I'll say about any of those contributions.

Anyway, the offer to PM me for further advice still stands, so up to you.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119273499#Comment_119273499

That's mad - these are not inter county 'stars' - they're just kids 12-15 yr olds. You wouldn't like to see them lose out, but if I was the parent involved, I wouldn't go along with this bullying. Lots of other sports that can be pursued that don't have this nonsense. Saw a bit of this carry on with the Community Games of all things, neighbouring areas bitching about children and I mean children who wanted to go along with their friends. Shameful stuff.

fatherted1969

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119251422#Comment_119251422

Think this is awful advice, this is a club officer issue, no need to be putting a slight on the coaches

cj maxx

Munsterfan is basically saying what I think. My children are younger 9-11 but my ex wife took them to the club her football mad father was involved with, and away from the club ( but for the pandemic) i wanted to bring them where their school friends played at and they knew no-one and promptly quit. Underage sport is playtime, exercise

celt262

You will probably have to wait till next January anyway I think same County transfers are only allowed early in the year.

Peintre Celebre

God, absolute state of the club and GAA here. You'd swear it was the premier league. They're kids ffs you think they'd let them move

Clareman

My suggestion would be to make contact with the club you want to transfer to and explain the situation. More than likely they will take over the whole transfer sage but more importantly they'll make accommodations to allow your children play, they won't be able to be county board games but they'll be able to train or blitzes, common sense will kick in fairly quickly. Most clubs will have a policy to block players leaving and the executive will just go by the rules and not give any support, especially if communication is done over email or text.

celt262

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119278068#Comment_119278068

They wouldn't be insured unless they are registered with the club so not allowed play or train with another club.

StupidLikeAFox

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119276412#Comment_119276412

Well it's one of the cornerstones of the organisation, its deliberately designed to prevent a transfer market and players moving at will to more attractive clubs, and it's v successful at doing that. Its bad when it comes to cases like the OPs situation (although we don't know the issue and they haven't actually been denied a transfer yet), but on the whole it protects the integrity of the club structures

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119278671#Comment_119278671

It's a very parochial structure - for a country that's not so fond of some borders, we've far too many borders at local level. Might have suited a carless rurally based agricultural society in the early 20th century where people grew up, married locally and lived/ worked locally. Not so much in the current modern Ireland.

Live near parish & county borders ourselves and it's striking how many facets of society from community games to GAA to bin collections to health services and school transport etc it impacts on.

BaywatchHQ

Spare a thought for Ballinderry Shamrocks, they are a Derry club as their pitch and church is in Derry but most of their members come from South of river in Tyrone. They have a long history of having good players on the Derry team but much of the area supports Tyrone. I am even aware of some of the Derry players being Tyrone fans.

Ahshurlookit

Have a word with someone in the club outside the county and explain the situation. Transfer in to them and immediately transfer out to the club you want the kids to play for. If the new club don't object there should be no issues.

StupidLikeAFox

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119282050#Comment_119282050

You cant do that - you can transfer out of a county no bother but if you transfer back in o the original county within 96 weeks you have to go back to the same club.

Uncle Pierre

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119278068#Comment_119278068

As @celt262 says in the very next post, absolutely do NOT do this. I know the suggestion was made with the best of intentions, but there's no getting away from the fact that it's not a good suggestion. If your children are not properly registered with that other club, they are absolutely not covered if they suffer any injury or other mishap even in training or practice matches. It would be wholly irresponsible of the other club to allow this, and they'd be badly exposed if anything did happen to any of your children.

You could even sue that club for recovery of medical expenses or other damages, on the grounds that they shouldn't have let your children play, even though they'd ostensibly have been doing you a favour in the first place. Might sound far-fetched, but similar things have happened in clubs in the past.

OP seems to have gone from this thread at this stage anyway, so unlikely to be back myself either. Offer to PM me still stands.

CornerForward10286

The parish rule is there in a lot of places as a Gaa rule and it protects the smaller clubs in general. Otherwise u have a transfer market type scenario where big clubs will swoop on top players of smaller clubs. That’s one of the biggest reasons for it.

Uncle Pierre

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119278671#Comment_119278671

And just before I go - this is absolutely spot on, as regards the very ethos of the Association. From the Official Guide:

the Gaelic Athletic Association is community centred, based on the allegiance of its members to their local Clubs and Counties

Other sporting organisations are purely club-based. The GAA is community-based. Those of us immersed in the GAA consider it one of its greatest strengths. Others consider it a major fault. There are people here on both sides of that divide!

Clareman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119282444#Comment_119282444

Hold on a second, how is that not a good suggestion? The players want to move to a different club, how is talking to the other club a bad idea? They'll know what'll have to be done and will no far more than people on an internet forum, no club is going to let a player play without proper registration and insurance and I was never suggesting that. Talk to the new club to see what they can do, they will point you in the proper direction.

Uncle Pierre

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119282551#Comment_119282551

From your first post:

"they won't be able to be county board games but they'll be able to train or blitzes" (I presume you meant to say "play in blitzes")

This is where it's not a good suggestion. They won't be covered for training, blitzes, or any other activity with that club if they are not properly registered members of that club. Club and parents alike would be irresponsible to allow children take part in such activity without being registered and therefore properly covered.

Not a bad suggestion to at least talk to the other club, but definitely not a good suggesion to say they could take part in training/blitzes with that other club in the meantime.