Antrim Football Thread

[delgany]

In antrim football there aren't really that many clubs with these kind of boys though. There are only a handful of clubs with that kind of money.

It's generally not clubs that pay it though, usually a well off clubman

What if the players are contributing to the 'fees' themselves

[Milltown Row2]

In antrim football there aren't really that many clubs with these kind of boys though. There are only a handful of clubs with that kind of money.

It's generally not clubs that pay it though, usually a well off clubman

What if the players are contributing to the 'fees' themselves

If the players want to that's fine, as long as they pay their club fees also !

The club can't be out of pocket for anything other than petrol in my view

[bannside]

St Galls have been known to pay too. John Raff and James Mc Cartan come to mind....

[Belfast GAA man]

In antrim football there aren't really that many clubs with these kind of boys though. There are only a handful of clubs with that kind of money.

It's generally not clubs that pay it though, usually a well off clubman

What if the players are contributing to the 'fees' themselves

then the richest teams are then trying to buy success to Follow your Logic - more money, better coach = success - Nonsense...............Slaughtneil

[imtommygunn]

So have they never paid? I am not sure I follow your logic... That or you're wrong.

Slaughtneil or kilcoo are not good examples. Cross tend to stay local.

[Milltown Row2]

In antrim football there aren't really that many clubs with these kind of boys though. There are only a handful of clubs with that kind of money.

It's generally not clubs that pay it though, usually a well off clubman

What if the players are contributing to the 'fees' themselves

then the richest teams are then trying to buy success to Follow your Logic - more money, better coach = success - Nonsense...............Slaughtneil

S'neil? Are you being serious?

[delgany]

Sure go the whole hog and buy the players and all.

There's a few clubs who pick up a transfer or two , both inter county and  internally. Success is attractive.

[Milltown Row2]

Sure go the whole hog and buy the players and all.

There's a few clubs who pick up a transfer or two , both inter county and  internally. Success is attractive.

Back in the day 70's 80's there was a few jobs given to country players to secure such services

[Belfast GAA man]

In antrim football there aren't really that many clubs with these kind of boys though. There are only a handful of clubs with that kind of money.

It's generally not clubs that pay it though, usually a well off clubman

What if the players are contributing to the 'fees' themselves

then the richest teams are then trying to buy success to Follow your Logic - more money, better coach = success - Nonsense...............Slaughtneil

S'neil? Are you being serious?

bad example! Lockdown losing it

[Milltown Row2]

In antrim football there aren't really that many clubs with these kind of boys though. There are only a handful of clubs with that kind of money.

It's generally not clubs that pay it though, usually a well off clubman

What if the players are contributing to the 'fees' themselves

then the richest teams are then trying to buy success to Follow your Logic - more money, better coach = success - Nonsense...............Slaughtneil

S'neil? Are you being serious?

bad example! Lockdown losing it

Hurling manager local?

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

i think thats it in a nutshell HS. If your standing in the rain taking a team for free and on the same pitch see another person taking an adult team for a wage you start to question why your putting yourself through it at times.

Once that starts then your into problems for your club as no one will want to do anything for free when others are getting a ££ in their pocket.

I've been involved with our senior hurling, football and camogie set up in this last 8 years and i know how hard it all is, how much time it takes up and the commitment level involved but at the same time none of us got paid for it - other than say a physio brought in out of hrs or the gym work. Our senior football management last season, we all took turns at washing the shirts. Its just part an parcel of the fabric of our set ups that everyone does their bit.

As you say HS, if we were all standing with our hand out wanting money for washing them well then we are going down a route that will never be sustainable.

[marty34]

Bad example or not, it is being overlooked that his fundamental point is 100% correct. I don't see any justification for it at all. It is a scourge on our games. Not only is it a widespread flaunting of the rules, it completely flies in the face of what the association stands for and undermines the efforts of the countless volunteers in our clubs. The horse has bolted with the GAA though and we are heading for hell in a handcart as the selfishness of the here and now prevails. People will continue to make watery excuses for what they know is morally wrong and bit by bit we'll reach the day where no man will wash a kit, line a pitch, take the U12s or fill the water bottles without having his hand out. And sure, if you can't get anyone to do it, pay a man.

Very true.

The point is that the GAA has changed so much this past 20 years and it'll be changing rapidly as each year goes on.

Money
GPAand club version.
Sky and tv deals.
Spy
Sponsorship
Paid club managers etc.
Professionalism.

Add to the list.

The thing with these is they developed oranically as time moved on.

Where will it stop?

[Milltown Row2]

Bad example or not, it is being overlooked that his fundamental point is 100% correct. I don't see any justification for it at all. It is a scourge on our games. Not only is it a widespread flaunting of the rules, it completely flies in the face of what the association stands for and undermines the efforts of the countless volunteers in our clubs. The horse has bolted with the GAA though and we are heading for hell in a handcart as the selfishness of the here and now prevails. People will continue to make watery excuses for what they know is morally wrong and bit by bit we'll reach the day where no man will wash a kit, line a pitch, take the U12s or fill the water bottles without having his hand out. And sure, if you can't get anyone to do it, pay a man.

Well I've news for you, this has been going on for donkey's years, I can remember all sorts of dealings in clubs regarding money being used as a sweetener back in the 80's. the rights and wrongs of it have been discussed for years, nothing ever done about it. officially as long as the club isn't paying someone directly from their own coffers then its not breaking any rules, paying someone travel expenses should be ok.

I've been coaching from under 12 up through all ages and through to senior and still looking after our South Antrim hurlers, I personally have no problems with what goes on if there is someone being paid, not by the club though, if the club were just paying travel, then that's fine, if we'd a manager/coach coming from Tyrone then pay his fare.

If someone within the club wants to pay anything on top of that then that's between them

[Milltown Row2]

If it is not wrong, let's do it up front then. Let's call it what it is. If it doesn't break our rules and if it doesn't move us away from our amateur status, fine, let's go legit with it, sure it's not wrong. Or we continue to sneakily pay people undeclared sums of dough on the sly and turn a blind eye to it happening at all.

Like I said this is my personal view on it, the rules are in place and its up to Croke park to enforce them, and they can do that in Dublin first, see how well that goes down.

Some clubs like Dunloy have a huge wealth of experienced ex players, now fathers of players who are keen to put their shoulder behind the wheel and able to rotate them throughout the levels and long may it continue, other clubs do not, other clubs do better when someone from outside the club is given more respect than the ex players within it.

Its a huge responsibility looking after a senior team, some people have what it takes and others don't want to take that on, even a successful club like ours struggles to get managers.

I've seen both sides of it and was approached by a club to look after them a few seasons ago, I declined, as someone has mentioned you are then on a circuit.

[Milltown Row2]

Look, I'm aware that clubs can struggle to get managers from within the club to take their team but here's the fact, if they'd no money to pay an outside man, they'd still find someone to take them. Clubs aren't paying outside men out of necessity, they do it because they want to.

Yes and they behave in the past, committee looks after it or a collection of senior players muck in, not an ideal situation and never works well.

But if the club itself is not out of money and someone with a few pounds is looking to spend it I've no problem with that personally, does it go against the ethos? Yes is the simple answer