Players on Strike [Merged]

cruiserweight

The members of the GPA have voted to go on strike. There is still time before January to resolve some of the issues.

http://gaelicplayers.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=124&Itemid=60

The Executive officers of the Gaelic Players Association have received the result of our ballot of members following an audited counting process by Dundalk firm, Kearney McArdle McEnearney & Co Chartered Certified Accountants & Registered Auditors.

The result is as follows:
Total membership balloted:
Total ballots returned:
1881
1348

(71.6%)
TOTAL IN FAVOUR OF PROPOSAL:
TOTAL AGAINST PROPOSAL:
TOTAL BALLOTS SPOILED:
1281
58
9 (95.3%)
(4.3%)
(0.67%)

The GPA Executive has now been officially mandated by a majority of its members to carry out a withdrawal of county players from all inter-county fixtures from the commencement of the 2008 season until a resolution can be found to the grants issue.

This action will impact upon ALL competitive inter-county games including the pre-season provincial competitions. Squads will be instructed to continue training and will be updated weekly by a GPA strike committee. Players will be entitled to play with their clubs in all club competitions.

The GPA officers are currently engaged in on-going talks with both the Government and the GAA to resolve the impasse over the grants. We will NOT be answering any questions in regard to the detail of this process.

The GPA believes that a resolution can be found in the interim and accepts the genuine commitment being made by the other two parties to this process. However, while there is optimism, we remain resolute that we will carry out our strike action should the impasse continue indefinitely. Our campaign for the implementation of the grants scheme has been on-going for five years and we have a duty to our members to expedite this important matter which we intend to do.

hawkwing

They couldn't care less about the club junior player, the divide grows between club and the county posers who are only in it for what they can get out of it,the public will turn their backs and go back to the club games which are more honest

premierstone

hawkwing wrote: »

They couldn't care less about the club junior player, the divide grows between club and the county posers who are only in it for what they can get out of it,the public will turn their backs and go back to the club games which are more honest

So if you play for your county ur only in it for what u can get out of it Seriously ur talkin thru your h*le here, go and watch ur own county tean training in December and January 3 nights a week in the rain and muck and tell me that these guys are only in it for what they can get out of it :mad:
The GAA are making a fortune out of these guys so of course they deserve a slice of the profits

Jeapy

[QUOTE=The GAA are making a fortune out of these guys so of course they deserve a slice of the profits[/QUOTE]

I personally dont think so. Inter county players are treated well with gear, food, milage etc and its a priviledge (sp) to be representing your county. I never thought I'd see the day...! :rolleyes:

Edit...why isnt the quote in a box?!

OhNoYouDidn't

premierstone wrote: »

The GAA are making a fortune out of these guys so of course they deserve a slice of the profits

But they are striking to get a slice of the taxpayers money.....

jank

More power to them tbh.

And this talk about oh its taxpayers money is dumb, typical irish attitutde

jank

I personally dont think so. Inter county players are treated well with gear, food, milage etc and its a priviledge (sp) to be representing your county

Really??

Read any autobiography by an ex intercounty player and you will see how "well" they are treated by the county boards and the GAA...:rolleyes:

For **** sake like, Brian Corceren ordered a sandwich the night before the all ireland final 2 years ago. When they were checking out the monday morning he was given a bill by the county board to pay for it himself. He wasnt the only one. I think the physio had to pay for a bottle of coke!

Its only a small thing but that exactly the mentallity of the GAA and the county boards. Remember the paddy power thing on the hurleys, or the corona thing on the boots?

Cork are regarded as one of the most if not the most professional teams/setups around. I can imagine what its like for guys in carlow football or roscommon hurling etc etc

This might be off topic but i'm only highlighting facts

off the back

There are two argument here -
1) Should players be paid and 2) Who should pay them
What is happening is that there is no consensus within the GAA on issue #1 and we are about to introduce an "Irish Solution" to our "Irish Problem" overcome this. The GAA don't want to pay players, the players want to be paid so get the government to give "Grants" rather than money. All sorted ... afraid not!!

Right now the only sports people that get grants are the elite athletes under the Irish Sports Council High Performance Grants. In total they get €4m across 15sports to full time international athletes that must be world class (e.g the min criteria for a grant incld - top 16 in world in boxing, top 3 in europeans in running). The GAA is looking for €5m for what are amateur athletes. This could see GAA part time amateur athletes receiving more money from the state than full time Olympic athletes! Given the money the GAA gets in sponsorship, TV and championship deals plus county board sponsorship how can they justify taking the lions share for amateur athletes versus full time athletes.

Now the players are hugely committed, dedicated and unless in education have full time jobs, but they are not full time athletes and far from world class. There are numerous athletes equally committed in other sports at national level that train as hard or harder than GAA players -will they now get payment ..? They are equally deserving!

I think the GAA needs to come to an agreed approach on the first question. Right now they are turning a blind eye to addressing the issues within the organization and expecting the government to sort it out. This will be grossly unfair on our Olympic athletes who despite being world class for years have and continue to struggle with grants that fall way short of meeting even basic needs. So lets have a proper debate not within the GPA but within the GAA!!! Then lets call a spade a spade and if players should be paid Croke Park should pay.

In my opinion given the amount of money they generate and the commitment they give for the sport they should be better looked after! The stories above are shocking examples of how poorly they have been treated on occassion. But the GAA should pay based on what they generate - the government should not have to step in. A lot is made of soccer/rugby players being paid thousands but remember they are paid in line with what money they generate.

kevmy

I'm going to step in here and inject some facts

1) This €5 million was initially promised by John O' Donoghue, then Minister of Sport, 5 years ago. It was not after a big push from the GPA, yes the GPA asked for something from the government. They expect something in the way of tax breaks but the Government came up with the idea of grants.

2) The GAA has consistently stood for the amateur status remaining and has always said no pay for play. The GPA has stood by this. GPA have never asked for pay for play from the GAA. They asked for tax breaks from the Government and were offered these grants.

3) The Government rowed back on the commitments (no surprise there really:rolleyes:) and said they way they wanted to administer the grants was by offering the GAA €5 million in infrastructural aid and have the GAA pay the players the €5 million from there own coffers. The GAA have quite rightly imo said no to this as this would be moving very close to pay for play.

4) The issue has been dragging on for a long time and negotiations have staled and restarted numerous times. Over that time the players and the GAA have come to agreement on a number of matters concerning the payments. The main one is that €1.3 million be put into the players fund (for holidays, injuries etc.) and the rest of the €5 million be given as grants. Ranging from ~€1,400 to ~€2,400 depending on how many games the individual plays for.

5) The only real issue is who is directly going to pay the money and how it's being administrated. Initially the player wanted tax breaks. The reason was is was simple to operate and it was obvious that the Government was paying the money not the GAA. Now the favoured way for the players is the Irish Sports Council or a new system setup in conjunction with the GAA administered by a GPA and a GAA man. The GAA want to have nothing to do with it and think it should be ISC that administer it.

My thoughts on the matter are that the players are right to bring this issue to a head. The only question in my mind is whether there was an intermediate step between where they were and all out strike to show the government they were serious.

It's mainly the governments fault they're dragging their heels on the issue. If they wanted it solved it would have been solved ages ago. They were quick enough administering their own wage hikes.

The taxpayers money talk is rubbish. Sure the players probably have probably paid all that money themselves in tax over the years. Anyway the GAA gets a lot of taxpayer money and very few people complain (and they shouldn't complain).

As for taking the money from international athletes well thats a though one. On one hand the athletes get treated badly but they do get a tax free grant once they hit certain levels. I don't see why they can't get more money as well as the GPA getting this. Both are really small change in overall government terms.

hawkwing

If anyone should get money then it should be the likes of an 18 yr old who could be playing minor,u21 and club senior in both codes and also colleges--whereas for example the likes of Eoin Kelly now only plays county senior hurling,club hurling--non-existent during county time and now and again plays intermediate football with his club when it suits--does he deserve money more than the others--no, every weekend opening a shop or 2 for between 500--1000 euro and presenting medals,hurling is worth about 15000-20000 to him,know this from the horses mouth..as for training in january,do club players ever get to play in the summer--no,every final is played in muck and the training is virtually the same in junior level,lads go from dublin to tipp 2 nights a week and don't drink for 6 months either but who cares!they do it if they want and don't complain, the same as the 9000 who done the marathon--do it if you want and if you don't shut up--greed is killing sport at all levels

ecoli

i think that this grant scheme is an insult to the rest of the sporting bodies as 15 international professional sports have to fight over the division of 4.5m allocated and people have the cheek to criticise the popularity and success of other sports in relation how can they when the Gaa is bein spoon fed money while they refuse to pay out the hordes the recieve yearly using the amateur status card
it is a crock and they are doin exactly what the AAU(or ATU) were criticised for doin in the seventies in american athletics

jimmynn

I think the GAA should call their bluff and let them press ahead with their strike. I'd imagine that there are plenty of fringe players who'd love to be given their shot at playing for their county in the place of the striking players. In the event that there is some sort of concerted picket that other players won't pass, then simply abandon intercounty competition for the year. It eould be a pity and a controversial move but these competitions, although the glamour events in the GAA calendar are not the most important part of their work. Granted tehy may entice more new players to try the games but then again , most players who stick with the games do so because of their local club structure and not because their county team plays on television in Croke Park once or twice a year. Let the GAA concentrate on the club and underage scene and let the "pampered" players choose between A) playing for their county and having all the benefits that comes with having a high profile or not playing for their county and just play for their local club -> like the vast majority of GAA members do, often with equal amounts of committment and sacrafice as their intercounty colleagues.

The underlying issue really isn't that important in my opinion. It's the thin end of the wedge and once the GPA get one success under their belts it's anyones guess as to where the organisation will be in ten years.

Nobody forces anybody to play for their local team. There are also no obligations for people who are good enough to play for their county team if they don't want to.

I'm not saying that the players shouldn't be looked after and looked after fairly and properly but I don't like this idea of putting a gun to the head of the organisation that has built them up and put them where they are today.

OhNoYouDidn't

jank wrote: »

And this talk about oh its taxpayers money is dumb, typical irish attitutde

how so? as a non-GAA fan i streniously object to scarce tax monies being given to a group of players simply because their cash rich association doesn't want to pay the bill.

where will this end? all decent club players of all sports? everyone with a hobby? why arent the women entitled to grants? why are GAA players in the 6 counties in and will her maesties treasury be contributing? this is at best i;; concieved.

if the GAA abandons its amatur principals, thats an internal debate for the GAA. the taxpayer should not be footing this bill. yet again one rule for the GAA, one for all other team sports.

cournioni

jimmynn wrote: »

I think the GAA should call their bluff and let them press ahead with their strike. I'd imagine that there are plenty of fringe players who'd love to be given their shot at playing for their county in the place of the striking players. In the event that there is some sort of concerted picket that other players won't pass, then simply abandon intercounty competition for the year. It eould be a pity and a controversial move but these competitions, although the glamour events in the GAA calendar are not the most important part of their work. Granted tehy may entice more new players to try the games but then again , most players who stick with the games do so because of their local club structure and not because their county team plays on television in Croke Park once or twice a year. Let the GAA concentrate on the club and underage scene and let the "pampered" players choose between A) playing for their county and having all the benefits that comes with having a high profile or not playing for their county and just play for their local club -> like the vast majority of GAA members do, often with equal amounts of committment and sacrafice as their intercounty colleagues.

The underlying issue really isn't that important in my opinion. It's the thin end of the wedge and once the GPA get one success under their belts it's anyones guess as to where the organisation will be in ten years.

Nobody forces anybody to play for their local team. There are also no obligations for people who are good enough to play for their county team if they don't want to.

I'm not saying that the players shouldn't be looked after and looked after fairly and properly but I don't like this idea of putting a gun to the head of the organisation that has built them up and put them where they are today.

Absolutely spot on. As a club player the GPA make me sick. They have no interest in anything other than filling their own pockets with hard cash. They don't represent the players who play gaelic games. They only represent a select few. The GAA should stick up the two fingers at the GPA and if they haven't already done so put this €5m into grass roots and local club football. These lads aren't irreplacable.

Also, OhNoYouDidn't... Would you ever stop whinging?? How much has the government put into Lansdowne roads redevelopment?! A third of the cost! One rule for the IRFU and FAI eh?!

OhNoYouDidn't

PORNAPSTER wrote: »

Also, OhNoYouDidn't... Would you ever stop whinging?? How much has the government put into Lansdowne roads redevelopment?! A third of the cost! One rule for the IRFU and FAI eh?!

Whats the point of that cheap shot? Still less of a proportion than what the state put into Pearse Stadium in Galway.

there is an established capital grants system for sport infrastructure which the FAI and IRFU (as do the GAA more than anyone) applied for. all transparent and above board.

thats fundamentally different to the GAA expecting me to pay their players because they dont want to to try and retain amateur status on semantics.

you lot would be up in arms if another sport got this largesse and you know it.

An Citeog

jimmynn wrote: »

I think the GAA should call their bluff and let them press ahead with their strike. I'd imagine that there are plenty of fringe players who'd love to be given their shot at playing for their county in the place of the striking players. In the event that there is some sort of concerted picket that other players won't pass, then simply abandon intercounty competition for the year. It eould be a pity and a controversial move but these competitions, although the glamour events in the GAA calendar are not the most important part of their work. Granted tehy may entice more new players to try the games but then again , most players who stick with the games do so because of their local club structure and not because their county team plays on television in Croke Park once or twice a year. Let the GAA concentrate on the club and underage scene and let the "pampered" players choose between A) playing for their county and having all the benefits that comes with having a high profile or not playing for their county and just play for their local club -> like the vast majority of GAA members do, often with equal amounts of committment and sacrafice as their intercounty colleagues.

The underlying issue really isn't that important in my opinion. It's the thin end of the wedge and once the GPA get one success under their belts it's anyones guess as to where the organisation will be in ten years.

Nobody forces anybody to play for their local team. There are also no obligations for people who are good enough to play for their county team if they don't want to.

I'm not saying that the players shouldn't be looked after and looked after fairly and properly but I don't like this idea of putting a gun to the head of the organisation that has built them up and put them where they are today.

Agree 100% jimmynn. The GPA only represent the interests of a very select few.

PORNAPSTER wrote: »

Absolutely spot on. As a club player the GPA make me sick. They have no interest in anything other than filling their own pockets with hard cash. They don't represent the players who play gaelic games. They only represent a select few. The GAA should stick up the two fingers at the GPA and if they haven't already done so put this €5m into grass roots and local club football. These lads aren't irreplacable.

Also, OhNoYouDidn't... Would you ever stop whinging?? How much has the government put into Lansdowne roads redevelopment?! A third of the cost! One rule for the IRFU and FAI eh?!

I know you're from Cavan and all and I'm not having a go at you, but that attitude really pisses me off within a lot of GAA circles and needs to be addressed. Hurling is without a shadow of a doubt our greatest national game but a lot of people couldn't give a shít about it and completely dismiss it when it comes to funding. This is an issue particularly close to my heart as it's very prominent in Dublin and in my university. [/end rant]

kevmy

I can see how club players can seem a bit pissed off but at the same time there is more pressure and more training done by the 'pampered' players. I know some county players from my club who ended up doing much more training and harder training than the club players.
3 times a week with the county, once a week with the club and a club game at the weekend. Thats 4 training sessions and a match in one week. At the same time the club players were doing 3 sessions and according to a lad who recently dropped from the county panel back to just playing club the county sessions are harder and 30 mins longer.
Not that the club players don't put a lot of effort in but still the county players do put in more effort and play more games over the year. Also the pressure of the playing county can be very high in some counties and they receive a lot of abuse.
Unfortunately this is the way it always goes the better players will get more rewards financial or otherwise in whatever sport they play.

holymolyHS

Lets get the ball rolling on this.

How does everyone feel on the GPA strike?

JayoCluxton

I'd prefer if Bus Eireann got theirs sorted but however.

Firstly, it could only happen in Ireland that €5 million is made available to an organisation and between 3 or 4 entities no-one can work out how to allocate it!

But I can understand the various stances taken by the different camps here. The players who have watched the coffers swell as has their own commitment, eating up more of their time and impacting hugely on their own lives. I can understand the clubman who puts in hours and hours and expects nothing and is seething at all this.

I don't think the players actually want to get paid as such and I feel the whole thing has got out of hand. I think something along an 'appearance fee' per match might be the way forward???????

Donegal Exile

I reckon all of the bus drivers should get a run in the league next year. And vice versa of course. A single to town there please Gooch.

holymolyHS

Yeah I'd probably subscribe to that idea too. The money being made in the GAA right now is amazing. In a lot of ways I think they deserve a pat on the back for doing so well out of an amateur game. You hear all the time about players getting holidays, expenses etc so you have to wonder why they'd want to strike.
But if 95% of the 71% of the GPA members voted to strike then something must be significantly bad that they would want to go further.
But like Liam says, I'd still be very surprised if the strike actually happens

Donegal Exile

Its a great situation for the GPA. They can threaten a strike, talk tough and flex their power but it's easy to do that when everyone knows that the issue will be resolved long before the start of business next year.
Not a big GPA fan to be honest. Still they have a mandate but I wonder how many players would actually strike. Everyone is important in the GAA, not only the players.

kaimera

I'm not 100% sure of specifics but I have gathered that the players do have a case but regardless I don't think they should go on strike.

However, this is Ireland and gettings things done isn't a strong point of our Government

holymolyHS

A couple of commentators/pundits have pointed out that one of the reasons why the GAA want to avoid distributing the money is that the players grants cold affect whatever money/income they get off the government every year. I wouldn't be surprised at all if in 12/18 months time it was time for the grants to be handed out again and the government went back on their promises

hawkwing

premierstone wrote: »

So if you play for your county ur only in it for what u can get out of it Seriously ur talkin thru your h*le here, go and watch ur own county tean training in December and January 3 nights a week in the rain and muck and tell me that these guys are only in it for what they can get out of it :mad:
The GAA are making a fortune out of these guys so of course they deserve a slice of the profits

If you are from Tipp do you not remeber Cummins turning his back on Ardfinnan to go and play with the bank instead, more important than a county final (more money!), maybe the odd crap junior b team doesn't train 3 nights a week or have a game and 2 training sessions a week but very few from my knowledge,i don't hear the camogie or ladies footballers complaining either,the poor souls who have to go on lucozade ads are the only ones who put in an effort???

Kerry On Tour

Dara Ó Cinnéide said all that needs to be said on this issue. Everybody playing GAA makes sacrifices right down to the poor owl sod in Div 3 or 4 of his own county league who decides to sacrifice a Saturday night out (like Patrick's Night this year) for the good of his team only for his team to get thrashed anyway. Did the great Kerry, Dublin, Galway, Cork teams of the past take part in any of these pitiful actions? No. So why now? That's just my take on it!

Donegal Exile

premierstone wrote: »

The GAA are making a fortune out of these guys so of course they deserve a slice of the profits

Who are the people that are making all the "profits"? I love the way people say that the GAA is getting rich. It's not some multinational company with shareholders who are sitting back raking in the money. Who exactly do you think is getting rich? There are no profits in the GAA. There is only money for reinvestment. Of course maybe you have some facts to prove me wrong ...

cruiserweight

Strike fever continues, but for a different reason this time

http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2007/1113/cork.html

Cork's senior football and hurling players could be on the verge of a strike as a protest against the Cork County Board.

Both squads issued a statement to the Irish Examiner in which they outline their objections to the Boards new procedures for appointing the county management teams.

Managers of the hurling and football teams have had the power to appoint their own selectors and backroom team but the County Board recently changed this, reverting to the old system where the board chose the selectors.

The decision to remove the ability of managers to chose their own selectors is the main reason that Billy Morgan did not seek another term with the senior football team.

The players' statement read: 'We are unanimously agreed that this is a backward step for Cork and that we are not prepared to go along with it.

'We have reluctantly resolved to take all action necessary to oppose this system and we feel that it is vital that we register our opposition to the system and take any action necessary before anyone is appointed under it.'

'We have no desire to be taking this stance, but we feel we have no option. We believe that this proposal was not properly debated by the clubs and we were, almost to a man, unaware of the proposals before they were passed.'

kevmy

cruiserweight wrote: »

Strike fever continues, but for a different reason this time

http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2007/1113/cork.html

When I heard that stirring up I though to myself that having the Bainisteoir picking his own selectors was one of the reasons why the hurlers went on strike 5 years ago.

On the overall topic I've been thinking. Whatever agreement should be put in place should be a proper agreement. By that I mean milestones and review periods and time deadlines. For example their should be an agreement signed by the GPA and the GAA that this is not pay for play and that the GPA will not advocate pay for play for at least 15 years (or ever but that could be hard to sell).
Another part of the agreement should be that the government pay the grants for whatever duration they decide on, say 5 years. If the government doesn't meet this release the agreement to the media too shame them into it.
The government should also sign saying that the money is going to the GPA through the ISC and that the funds are not funds otherwise earmarked for the GAA.

As for the club player well he's going to have a tough time of it but let us remember that €1.3 million of this €5 million is earmarked for the GPA player fund which does help club players as well as county players.

premierstone

Donegal Exile wrote: »

Who are the people that are making all the "profits"? I love the way people say that the GAA is getting rich. It's not some multinational company with shareholders who are sitting back raking in the money. Who exactly do you think is getting rich? There are no profits in the GAA. There is only money for reinvestment. Of course maybe you have some facts to prove me wrong ...

Ok, fair point i didnt word my arguement very well the point i was tryin to make is that he GAA as an organisation are receiving a very substantial amount of money directly from gate receipts and these monies are generated completely from the efforts of the players, i accept that the Gaa re-invest this money back in to the grassroots of the organisation and that a large number of people and communities benefit as a result but i personally feel the efforts of the players, whom without the GAA would have nothing to market, should be recognised and that these grants are the best way of doing this.

premierstone

hawkwing wrote: »

If you are from Tipp do you not remeber Cummins turning his back on Ardfinnan to go and play with the bank instead, more important than a county final (more money!), maybe the odd crap junior b team doesn't train 3 nights a week or have a game and 2 training sessions a week but very few from my knowledge,i don't hear the camogie or ladies footballers complaining either,the poor souls who have to go on lucozade ads are the only ones who put in an effort???

I remember hearing about this alright he choose to play hurling with the bank rather than football with he's club, it seemed a rather strange one but as far as i remember he's excuse at the time was he was concentrating on hurling, id imagine that there was more to it maybe he had a fallin out with the football in Ardfinnan or hadn been training and wasnt goin to be played - im actually not from that area of tipp and not really a football man but i think they actually won the county final without him

blackbelt

Ireland is quickly falling apart and the Government are doing nothing about it or are responsible for it.

Here are the reasons,

1.The age old argument of the Health Service and the revelations in PortLaoise re breast cancer screening.

2.Aer Lingus....sick and tired of hearing about it.

3.Not that it affects me but I feel for those conccerned re the provisional license scandal.

4.This government shoving more bucks up their @sses and then for an article in the newspaper defending Bertie and how poor he is compared to the rest of the World Leaders.Insert emoticon for wretching.My heart bleeds for you Teflan.

5.Dublin Bus ffs.Harristown depot dispute affects me when I want to get 27 bus into town.

6.The GAA and GPA grant issue.If the government makes a pledge,they should not go back on their commitments or word.The GAA are not at fault here,they did not make the original proposal,it was the government.How can the government then turn around to the GAA and ask them to give the grants that were supposed to be handed down by the government.This pay rise for the government can be used to fund grants for the players/organisation who let these fat cat politicians into Croke Park for free.

Yes folks,Ireland is falling apart under our noses.Industrial revolution/rebellion is here.Not even our beloved sport is safe.The Celtic Tiger is being replaced by the Celtic Pussycat.

God forbid if the League and Championship is adversely affected because of the inefficiencies of the government to honour their own word but then again we've all been let down before.

jackbhoy

premierstone wrote: »

The GAA are making a fortune out of these guys so of course they deserve a slice of the profits

I hate when people use this non-argument. It sounds like the "GAA" are a bunch of yahoos sitting back getting rich off the sacrifices of the players. In reality every penny of profit (minus obvious admin stuff) goes back into GAA in some shape or form, whether its summer camps for Under-10s to (part)funding a world-class stadium. The GAA should be commended for this yet they are always perceived as a bunch "money grabbers", I'm happy if they were as it is good for the game as a whole.

cournioni

premierstone wrote: »

i personally feel the efforts of the players, whom without the GAA would have nothing to market, should be recognised and that these grants are the best way of doing this.

What about club players like myself and many others? I train 3 nights a week for most of the year and I go to the gym the other two nights of the week to try and get myself in top shape for the league and championship... Where is my money??

I like many others outside of the GPA am in it for the love of the game, not for the money. The GPA, personally, make me sick.

holymolyHS

I think Eugen McGee got it spot on in yesterdays indo:
It appears we are heading for a major confrontation between different sections of the GAA over the place of inter-county footballers and hurlers in the whole scheme of GAA activities.

What appeared for several months past to be little more than a skirmish between the official GAA and the GPA over the distribution of €5 million, which the GAA made no contribution to, has developed into a more serious issue altogether where some of the fundamentals of the GAA's existence, notably amateurism, are being questioned.

As always in such major confrontation in the GAA, the rank-and-file members of the organisation have quickly aligned themselves into one of two factions in a manner that is reminiscent of the great debate on Rule 27, which banned 'foreign games' over 30 years ago and in more recent times the controversies over the Ban on RUC and British soldiers joining the GAA and the Rule 42 debate about the opening of Croke Park.

If past experience is anything to go by, we can expect to see the two factions, pro and anti-GPA, become more virulent in their statements and actions over the next year or two and the language to become more and more intemperate as hardline views take precedence over common sense.

It has always been thus in GAA controversies, as I can personally vouch for having lived through the three major 'debates' mentioned above.

As time goes by logic and common sense go out the window and the venom that was apparent against changing all of the restrictive rules of old will resurface in opposition to the GPA.

That opposition to date has been muted enough with very few elected officers prepared to speak out against the players' body even though privately they detest everything the GPA stands for.

But, as far as those people are concerned, preventing the GPA achieving credibility is a battle worth fighting to the death for. For the great majority of GAA people who simply want to promote, play and watch football and hurling, this is a fairly dismal prospect.

I expect the current dispute to be resolved quickly since there is no basic principle at stake and why the Sports Council has not already been used to distribute the €5m is a mystery.

By voting to take strike action, however, the members of the GPA have marked out the battlefield for the future and that is more important than the current dispute. Prior to that action, the contacts between the GAA and the GPA were on a relatively cordial basis, at least for public consumption.

Past president Sean Kelly went out on a limb to bring the GPA into the GAA fold, but little progress was made in achieving what would be the first major step at preventing disaster in the years ahead.

If the GPA was officially recognised by the GAA in the same way as the bodies which run secondary schools or third level competitions are, then there would be a strong possibility that a more harmonious relationship would develop between the two bodies.

Nickey Brennan and Pauric Duffy have maintained a good relationship with the GPA also but the vote for strike action may well polarise GAA members into two opposing camps despite that.

The strange thing is that even though GPA CEO Dessie Farrell was elected onto the Central Council to represent players, the GPA was not officially recognised as a legitimate GAA subcommittee.

By calling strike action, the GPA has in effect adopted a war footing. Threatening to disrupt the big hurling and football games next spring will not be seen in any other light by anti-GPA people from fans to top officials.

It is odds-on that the strike will never take place but the mere fact that GPA members voted so decisively for such action is a like a red rag to a bull to many GAA officers and, it must be said, to a lot of ordinary followers of the games also. There is a great deal of ignorance among ordinary GAA people about the role of the GPA, what they are for and who exactly their membership is.

For instance, we have never seen a list of GPA members from individual counties which would be of great interest to the fans. The fact that such information is not available leads to suspicion about the real strength of the organisation around the country and is damaging to the GPA as far as the battle for public opinion is concerned.

On the other side, most GAA followers have the distinct impression that the GAA at official level is out to kill the GPA either by kindness, by ignoring them or simply by sheer brute force.

The usual suspects in official quarters who are against everything new will start emerging from the woodwork shortly to make snide and disparaging remarks about the GPA and individual members and at upcoming county conventions we can expect to see this trend emerge.

County Board officers will boast about how well THEIR players are looked after with the clear implication that official GAA does not need the GPA to tell it how to treat players. The reality, of course, is that but for the emergence of the GPA players would still be treated like dirt in many counties. Some counties who less than ten years ago were paying motor expenses at 13p per mile would still be paying that paltry amount instead of the minimum 50 cent a mile that is now in place.

Teams who MIGHT have got one set of playing gear, and late in the season at that, now receive two complete sets at the correct time.

Players who might have come straight to training from a hard day's work would still be getting a pint of milk and few biscuits instead of the hot meal they are guaranteed now.

Many counties would still be ignoring the medical and financial plight of seriously injured players, as they been doing for donkey's years. All these improvements came about because the GPA lifted the lid on the outrageous carry-on in some counties up to a few years ago.

A major source of attack on the GPA will be the charge of elitism. 'These fellows are only interested in the big-time stuff and feathering their own nests but what about the lads who sweep the dressing rooms and mark the pitches? Aren't they as important as the big county stars?'

This is a spurious argument, but one that will be flogged remorselessly by anti-GPA people.

They forget that having a star county player is the best thing that can happen any GAA club and there was no better example of that in recent years than the captain of Kerry in the past two years Declan O'Sullivan from the tiny south Kerry club, Dromid Pearses.

I had the opportunity recently of hearing Declan speak about this club-county connection with tremendous pride and his words completely refuted the argument of elitism. Every sport NEEDS elite players to set standards and motivate young people to follow in their footsteps.

Comparisons between players like Declan O'Sullivan and people who line pitches are just ridiculous because both have their own important role to play in the GAA.

Pay for Play will be the cornerstone of the relationship, if any, between the GAA and the GPA. It will be used constantly as the main stick to beat the players' body with and the biggest challenge the GPA faces is convincing GAA people from the top to the bottom of the organisation that they are not planning to contrive Pay for Play in the short-, medium- or long-term.

Unless they can do that, there will never be harmony between the two bodies, just regular confrontations such as the present one over the distribution of the €5m.

The GAA could help things by being more proactive in relation to investing more of the money, largely generated by county players, back into the players. There are numerous ways that could be done and it would signal to the players that they are appreciated and recognised as key people in the GAA.

Greater expenses could be paid. More scholarships could be awarded to all levels of third-level and second-level education. There is a strong argument for backing Fine Gael TD Jimmy Deenihan's proposal that a small percentage of all Championship games be pooled and divided among inter-county panels for welfare, holidays, etc.
There are numerous ways the GAA could direct more money to inter-county players without infringing their amateur status and it could all be done in a very controlled manner to ensure fair play for ALL inter-county players.

Sadly, the GAA shows little initiative in that regard, preferring to follow events rather than positively influence them in advance.

It is not too late yet of course but certainly closer co-operation between GAA and GPA is what the vast majority of GAA people want -- along with the abandonment of all talk about Pay for Play.

kevmy

I think the above article is very good and echoes a lot of my thoughts on the issue. Just 2 points

1) To all the club players out there, yes you train hard and play numerous games each year giving plenty of enjoyment to all GAA followers but does this really change that much for you? You've played for years for just the love of the game and most will continue to do so and if you don't want to continue playing for just the love of the game then stop playing.

2) I hope Sean Kelly gets Liam Mulvihill's job. He was one of the best GAA presidents ever and has a very cool head. Since Mulvihill and Quinn have probably been the most important people in the GAA over the last 30 years I would like someone with a GAA background, vision and plenty of cop-on to get the job. I think Kelly fits the bill.

Kerry On Tour

kevmy wrote: »

I think the above article is very good and echoes a lot of my thoughts on the issue. Just 2 points


2) I hope Sean Kelly gets Liam Mulvihill's job. He was one of the best GAA presidents ever and has a very cool head. Since Mulvihill and Quinn have probably been the most important people in the GAA over the last 30 years I would like someone with a GAA background, vision and plenty of cop-on to get the job. I think Kelly fits the bill.

Yes he was a very good president but after the book, owl Sammy as we called him in the Sem will not be many of the top brass choice to take the post!

kevmy

Kerry On Tour wrote: »

Yes he was a very good president but after the book, owl Sammy as we called him in the Sem will not be many of the top brass choice to take the post!

Yeah but then a lot of the top brass would only love to see a Frank Murphy type character take over. Just because he's a little controversial shouldn't stop him from getting offered the job, in fact it should be a plus

Kerry On Tour

Just from talking to a few of the guys involved this year with the Kerry team recently I was talking to them about the strike and they are kind of the view that it's a bit of a distraction. Those who are members of the GPA said of course they would have to go along with what the organisation decides but that being honest they would rather concentrate on preparing for the season in 2008.
I was aware also before this that there was always a very strong communication lines between the KCB and the players and there was never any ludicrious demand made by a player and the Board never flippantly dismissed any request from their players and always did their best to do well by the players. Just wondering if there are people here from counties where also the county players generally have a good relationship with the County Board.
We all know the likes of Tyrone, Cork et al have serious problems between county board and players. . . . I just think an overall strike throughout the country is a bit of overkill if there is only a problem with certain counties having problems.
Just to put in perspective it's like if Dublin Bus had a problem with their authority and Bus Eireann, Iarnróid Eireann, Aircoach, Taxi's and Aer Lingus were then all asked to join a nationwide strike?? Any thoughts?

cruiserweight

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/guiney-gpa-have-misplaced-priorities-1229516.html

A FORMER All-Ireland winner has taken out an extraordinary newspaper advertisement offering his services in the event of an inter-county players strike, says the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) have veered too far from their founding principles and mis-placed their priorities.

"I just sent in a tongue-in-cheek notice to my local paper to make the point," explained former Wexford hurler Dave Guiney of his ad which read: 'Ex-county hurler available to play, 15 years experience, old model, high mileage but good service record.

Willing to train seven nights a-week for the honour of representing Wexford -- No Grant Required.'

"I don't know if I'd pass the fitness test," he joked.

"But if I was asked to play for my county again in the morning I would do so and would never look for a grant to do it.''

Guiney, a twin brother of former All Star Rod, was part of Wexford's All-Ireland winning panel in '96 and was a member of the GPA while on the county panel.

"When they started they were working on welfare issues for players, who wouldn't have been well-looked after at the time.

It is widely accepted by players that the GPA did a great job in that respect.

"But this notion of looking for a grant to play for your county, I just can't accept that," Guiney insisted.

"It seems to me that players are forgetting what a privileged position they are in," he added.

"There's a huge amount of people who give their time to the GAA in lots of different ways for no apparent reward.

"Even as a player there's only a tiny number, probably only one per cent, who ever get to line out for their counties and have the opportunity to play in front of 82,000 people in Croke Park.

Privilege

"To me that's a massive honour and privilege.

"I know training has become a very heavy burden but GAA players are not the only people training hard for their sport.

"I know a triathlete, Sean Collier, who trains three and four hours every day and he doesn't get a grant of any kind.

"To me you play and train because you love the game and you love your county.

"If you don't enjoy what that involves then don't do it, it's still a hobby," Guiney added. "I know the argument about how much training goes into it now, but maybe it's time players started looking at the huge benefits that also come from playing for your county, things that you can't put monetary value on.

"The experiences I had and friends I made through hurling are things I could never replace," said Guiney who lined out for Rathnure in the county intermediate final this year.

"And I couldn't ever see people like George O'Connor and Billy Byrne hanging up their county jerseys and saying they wouldn't play for Wexford over a grant issue.

"The GPA have made their case obviously, but I think there would be others like me who would have a different attitude and I wanted to open up the debate," he added.

An Citeog

Have to say I agree with the above article. Nice way to make a point aswell!

cruiserweight

Looks like the grants issue has been sported in principle

http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2007/1129/grants.html

Following extensive negotiations between the GAA, the Gaelic Players Association and the Government, the dispute over grants for inter-county player has been resolved.

A sum of €3.5 million will now be provided to fund an Annual Team Performance Scheme and an Annual Support Scheme for inter-county GAA players, meaning the prospect of inter-county players going on strike has almost certainly now been averted.

GAA president Nickey Brennan said: 'I am pleased that the issue of recognition for GAA players has been addressed.'

Brennan said that from a GAA perspective: 'the Association's core concerns had been addressed - the protection of the Amateur Status, the payment of funds from the exchequer clearly defined as sports awards and the commitment that GAA funding generally would not be negatively impacted on in any way.'

He also said that 'the proposal will however require the ratification and approval of Central Council and it will be placed on the agenda for its December meeting.'

DublinDes

Great and historic day as far as I am concerned. I will be remember this as one of the best step fowards for Gaelic games. The sly GAA were foot dragging endlessly hoping they could wear the palyers down, but the threatened strike action brought them to their senses. Though the GPA would have to be very careful that the GAA has inserted all sorts of ambiguities into the agreement.

Pride Fighter

Knowing the GAA blazers they wont approve it at central council. The current shower arent great, Nicky Brennan is especially dopey.

An Citeog

DublinDes wrote: »

Great and historic day as far as I am concerned. I will be remember this as one of the best step fowards for Gaelic games. The sly GAA were foot dragging endlessly hoping they could wear the palyers down, but the threatened strike action brought them to their senses. Though the GPA would have to be very careful that the GAA has inserted all sorts of ambiguities into the agreement.

Oh, here comes the big white knight that is the GPA looking after the players. This is nowhere near a historic day for me. The temporary lifting of Rule 42 was historic, this is just the GPA trying to flex their muscles. This is just another step on the way to pay for play and that's just something that should never happen.

holymolyHS

Is it the end of the world? No.
Was this move inevitable? More than likely.
Will we still have a championship next year? Yes

I honestly don't know why people are moaning so much about this. The GAA agreed that its inter county players were allowed to have grants quite a few months ago, it was only the mechanism by which the money to be dispensed in issue.

For all the people who are against the grants, I understand the argument and believe me I never thought the strike was a good idea. But, let me ask you what do you think is the worst case scenario now that the grants will be given to inter county players?

OhNoYouDidn't

cruiserweight wrote: »

Looks like the grants issue has been sported in principle

http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2007/1129/grants.html

so what does this mean? the Gah is now semi-pro at the top? seems like a distinct lack of a debate on amatuerism being ended, something that I was led to believe was important to your association.

seeing as the further you go in the inter counties cup the more money a player gets, will there not now be pressure for players to move to better counties?

Nalced_irl

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

so what does this mean? the Gah is now semi-pro at the top? seems like a distinct lack of a debate on amatuerism being ended, something that I was led to believe was important to your association.

seeing as the further you go in the inter counties cup the more money a player gets, will there not now be pressure for players to move to better counties?

Doesnt bother me hugely to be honest. Its spelt GAA btw.

OhNoYouDidn't

Nalced_irl wrote: »

Doesnt bother me hugely to be honest. Its spelt GAA btw.

Really? I thought your amateur ethos was fundamental to what made you better than everyone else.

Doesnt bother me either, your lack of internal democracy is your business, but I fundamentally object to the state paying your players as opposed to the cash rich GAA.

holymolyHS

"seeing as the further you go in the inter counties cup the more money a player gets, will there not now be pressure for players to move to better counties?"

Yep, I can see it now with that extra few hundred quid a player gets for making it to an AI final he'll be driving a Ferrari, hanging out with Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton and buy a mansion on Aylesbury Road. Sure he's a millionaire now. While those lads that crash out in the earlier rounds will just have to settle for that few hundred less. Definitely looking at big money transfers before you know it

Realistically, can you see players from weaker counties making longer journeys to more successful teams for the sake of a few extra hundred quid? They'd spend it on petrol over the first month alone.

OhNoYouDidn't

holymolyHS wrote: »

Realistically, can you see players from weaker counties making longer journeys to more successful teams for the sake of a few extra hundred quid? They'd spend it on petrol over the first month alone.

How long will this stay at a few extra hundred quid? Grants can be topped up by county boards, sponsors etc.

I'm surprised how flippant people are to a fundamental change in your associations ethos. Still, one less thing for you lot to be smug about.