John Henderson On Hurling - Open up borders so we can stop losing diamonds in the rou

Agus

'The Sunday Tribune'

John Henderson On Hurling - Open up borders so we can stop losing diamonds in the rough

Gardening leave: we may never have heard of DJ Carey if he was born and raised in Wicklow, for example

THE GAA loves to talk about itself being the most democratic sporting organisation there is. In a sense it is true because everyone has a chance of representation from grassroots to the top level.

That is, on the administrative or official side of the association. On the playing front, democracy is very much an accident of birth. What's more, there is little chance of giving every player the chance to play for an All Ireland medal because of the traditional way counties are divided up.

Myself and my brothers, Pat and Ger, were lucky enough to be born in Kilkenny and between us we won 13 All Ireland senior hurling medals. If by accident of birth we were located a stone's throw away we would have been wearing the blue and white of Laois, my mother's county. Imagine how many All Irelands we would have in the family if that were the case. So already we see there is no democratic right to even aspiring to win the top honours in the world of the GAA. Sure a young player can dream, but under the present system the reality is that unless you are born in – at best – eight counties, you will never win a hurling All Ireland.

We make great play about hurling being the greatest field game in the world and yet there is probably three-quarters of the country which either does not play the game at all or if they do, play it at a very low level.

A number of years ago I sat on a sub-committee in Croke Park which had the grandiose aim of bringing an international dimension for our games. Part of the masterplan under discussion was to set up units in the large cities in America and Europe. I quickly poured cold water on the idea. I felt that if the GAA was unable to make the game of hurling take root within a mile of Croke Park where we were sitting and talking that evening, how would we achieve that goal on another continent.

I stress that this was nearly 20 years ago and since then things have improved out of all recognition.

Indeed, Dublin are making great inroads into the hurling world at all levels and a large number of people are now employed trying to sustain the effort.

I had a go myself at doing something similar in Bray where I live. Here is a large urban area with a population the size of at least a couple of counties in Ireland. With the help of a few volunteers who were waiting to be led we made inroads into an area which was a virtual desert as far as hurling was concerned.

We formulated the 'Bray Emmets juvenile plan' and called it after the legendary warrior Setanta. Our aim was simple: to win a Wicklow minor hurling championship within five years. Not only did we achieve that but we won five out of the next six minor titles as well. And we also won titles at every other under age competition and representing the county at Féile.

But can this really be considered a success? There has now been over 10 years of effort in this Wicklow border town. As a Kilkenny man, I have derived immense joy in watching my three sons and many dozens more learn and master the craft that is the game of hurling.

So far so good. But I would be a much more contented soul if, having won their county underage titles, there was a genuine dream for those youngsters to pursue at senior level.

It brings me back to democracy, or the lack of it, within the association. Many people argue that the strength of the GAA is the club and county structure and when you look at All Ireland final day with 82,000 fans packed into Croke Park, it is easy to see that some things are working very well.

I disagree. The present system keeps the strong at the top and keeps the rest of us in an orderly queue in the race to the bottom. The imaginary border line that many point to as the beacon of success holds back the promotion of the game in all but a few counties.

Had DJ Carey or Henry Shefflin been born in Bray and come through our system would anybody have heard tell of them beyond reading of their exploits in the Wicklow People? The answer most definitely would be no as there would be no outlet for them to go all the way. They would have made it so far and ended up with nowhere to go.

Compare the GAA with other sporting organisations. Soccer has Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool with names of players I can't even pronounce. None of them own a blade of grass in this country, but they plant the dream in parents' and youngsters' heads that some day their child could play for them.

That is a much stronger dream in Bray than playing senior hurling for Wicklow (and as someone who lined out for the county, I say that with the greatest of respect).

Rugby also has no club rules on its boundaries and has the aid of both Leinster and Munster to enhance the dreams of the young who opt for the oval ball.

Against those two sports, I have a tough job in trying to win the hearts and minds of the young children today. And the GAA is not making it any easier for me or the other John Hendersons of this world who would dearly love to see our national game become what it says on the tin.

I'd love if the association realised that the present system is only working well in the top counties. I'm sure there are plenty of people in Kilkenny, Tipperary or Cork who are wondering what I am going on about because they are insulated with a system where success breeds its own success.

How can we change the current situation? For a start, I would like players from non-traditional counties to be given a chance to play for the nearest top county team to them if they are good enough. This would be in addition to remaining eligible for their own club and county.

If only one such player – be he from Wicklow, Carlow, Roscommon, Westmeath or Derry – went on to win an All Ireland senior hurling medal, just think how easy it would it be for me and my like to sell the dream. Just think how much easier it would be for the GAA to sell hurling by using such a good news story. 'First Wicklow player to win a hurling All Ireland…' It writes itself.

I would also like to see combined underage teams from non-traditional counties playing in the mainstream competitions at the top level (the best of Kildare, Wicklow, Carlow or the rest of Leinster) and not impacting on their own county standing. I would like this to be tried at all ages from under-14 to under-21 with a minimum of five years to see what might happen. This, in my view, couldn't fail as the system that is currently in operation fails them annually and any change would be an improvement in itself.

Stronger counties have an important role to play in promoting the game. They need to open their borders to nearby adjoining clubs and allow them to compete in their games programme. Dublin could be a key player in this and would benefit from this approach as they might be the first to unearth a DJ or a Henry on their back doorstep. I believe that if what I am proposing was in operation since I began this plan in Bray, there are at least four or five players who would have substantially improved a neighbouring county team. Sadly they have all stopped playing or only do so intermittently because the dream has long since died in them.

A standardisation of the underage games programme would have to be undertaken so as to fall in with the host county structure. More meaningful cross-border competition should be played on artificial pitches at a time of the year that does not impact or compete with other sports. This would give talented players who are good at all sports an opportunity to continue to play the game and if they don't make it with United or Leinster, they may well return to the GAA club that gave them this chance.

In finishing, I want to see a change – preferably in my lifetime – which allows equal opportunity for all people who play and promote our games and who give so much and ask so little. I want to be remembered not as a dreamer but as a doer who had a dream.

LeoB

Good article. But I cant see it changing. I would not be in favour of club boundaries changing and changing county boundries or doing away with them could cause border clubs to lose players. You could have a lad from Bray Emmets playing for Dublin and then he wnts to join Ballybode, Cuala or Kilmacud and where would this leave Bray Emmets?

I can see his point though. I have seen really good lads play with Mattock rangers of Collon, Donaghmore/Ashbourne and St. Fechins in Feile and how would we best intergrate them into a stronger league/ level of competition? Carlow sides were playing in Kilkenny a few years ago dont know if they still do but maybe this would help improve standards in some counties if you had a club championship for the top 4 teams in Carlow, Wicklow and Kildare similar to club championship as it is but with Intermediate champions/finalists from Offaly, Kilkenny, Wexford and Dublin would this be a good way.

Now if Wicklow did have a real quality hurler do you think a county like Kilkenny, Cork, Tipp or Waterford would draft them in? Not a hope, unless they were playing within the county. Food for thought though