An honest view from a GAA Secretary

The GAA Grassroots are dying

Small GAA Clubs have always been affectionately known as the grassroots. They are scattered throughout the small towns and villages of Ireland and once upon a time to be Chairman or Secretary of a club was an esteemed position to hold, a position that held the same respect as the local Garda or teacher. In the run up to an AGM there were all sorts of strokes pulled or canvassing done to oust a non performing chairman or secretary and it could be described as similar to the goings on in the run up to a council election - but how times have changed.

The reason that I say this is that I hold the role of Secretary within a small GAA Club in the Midlands and after three years I find myself having a less than rosy view of some of the happenings within the GAA.

In my view the higher ranks have forgotten to water the grass and now the roots are dying. By roots I mean the Chairman and Secretary who for years have worked themselves to the bone to ensure that their club was able to function. They were never the one to lift the winners club but only for them it would probably never have happened. They were always there in the background putting in an voluntary thirty or forty hours a week to ensure the smooth running of the club. Although the Chairman had an important role, it was always the secretary who was the oil who ensured the clubs engine ran smoothly.

You hear all sorts at this time of year about player welfare etc but not a word is ever mentioned about secretaries office clubs all over the country who now have to morph into mini Roman Ambramoviches trying to ensure players are happy and that a new manager is got at all costs before the transfer window shuts at the end of January. This is the same manager that is theoretically not getting paid to do the role he is doing but yet he is. Nod, nod, wink, wink. It's also up to the secretary to ensure the bills are paid to county and Croke park for insurances, registration fee, affiliation fees etc etc, all of which add up to thousands every year.

I would estimate in my county alone over €1 million goes to paying managers ( this will be denied at all costs) - but it's €1 million that clubs could put to good use in developing football rather than developing egos. It sickened me to know that nowadays when we do a fundraiser it is to raise funds so that we can pay the manager, strength and conditioning coach, Physio and who ever else comes along, whilst at the same time the secretary busts his chops for little or no reward.

The workload with these roles are now nearly another full time job on top of our own busy lives and people just don't need the hassle anymore and this is where the GAA have taken their eye off the ball. Throughout 2015 AGMs in small GAA clubs throughout Ireland the penny has finally dropped. No longer is there competition for the top jobs of Chairman or Secretary - in fact it's quiet the opposite.

At the AGMs I have attended in recent years there is a deathly silence when these positions become vacant with the outgoing officer sweating that he won't be released as there is no one to take up the role. Some of the stronger voices on the committee say "We will stay here all night until the role is filled as they wouldn't want the neighbouring parish to hear the club couldn't get a chairman or secretary. Eventually a person that may or may not be suitable for the role is cajoled into taking it and the sighs of relief from the floor is audible.

The reason this is happening is that the GAA from what I can see places no value on these jobs. The fact that we are answering emails seven days a week is no cause for concern to the powers that be.

But what they fail to realise is that these Chairmen and Secretaries are sitting back watching money flowing around the organisation for player welfare, GPA golf tournaments in the K Club, rock concerts, senior club and county managers wages, physios, strength and conditioning coaches, weekends away at conventions for county board officials, bonding trips for players ( ie pissups), fancy holidays for county teams and the list goes on and on. But who asks about club officials welfare - no one. For we are the invisible ones and in the end they will eventually realise that without the roots there will be no grass and I genuinely hope that they take action before it's too late !!