“The Chickens Came Home to Roost”

[bigpaul]

Fear,the term 'gross revenue' means all the money the the GAA takes in every year,it is different to 'commercial revenue'.A football club's sponsorship is 'commercial revenue', their gate receipts and lotto sales etc. are not, the difference is massive and the term 'gross revenue' in the press release is inaccurate and misleading and possibly even mischievous!
You seem to take it as fact that the GPA are 'hostile to the interests of the GAA',I don't think they are.As you said I don't think it is up to the grouping to prove their innocence.

Sigh:

The main stumbling block is the association's refusal to accept the GPA's demand for five per cent of the GAA's commercial income from gate receipts, TV revenue and sponsorship.

http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/sport/gaelic-football/gpas-tv-boycott-set-to-continue-1803336.html

(Irish Independent, 2nd July)

In addition to this monthly payment, the GPA would expect such an agreement to include a commitment by the association to provide the GPA with 5pc of its gross income from all gate receipts, sponsorship and broadcast/media revenue.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/gaa-how-we-got-to-this-point--on-formal-recognition-1813403.html

(GAA statement quoted in Irish Independent, 9th July)

However, yesterday's public demand for five per cent of the GAA's commercial income – which Farrell said "revolves around gate receipts, TV rights, and the sponsorship monies" – will cause plenty of talk.

http://www.irishnews.com/articles/597/5776/2009/7/3/621677_3864822913308216We.html

(Irish News, 3rd July)

Come back when you've got a clue as to what you're talking about.

Hands up,I'm just in the process of throwing the spade away!(Time is never wasted when you learn something)

[bigpaul]

You seem to take it as fact that the GPA are 'hostile to the interests of the GAA',I don't think they are.As you said I don't think it is up to the grouping to prove their innocence.

Any demand for money per se, particularly by a grouping that is not actually of the GAA, is hostile to the ethos of the GAA. Simple as.

You paint the GAA as an organisation not concerned with money! If they are not of the GAA how do they play the games?

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

You paint the GAA as an organisation not concerned with money! If they are not of the GAA how do they play the games?

No, I don't, money is very necessary, but it's very necessary only in order to further the amateur ethos of the organisation, and widespread participation at all levels in our games.  All of which takes... money, but not at an elite level.

Have you a master-plan where we can keep the thousands of teams at every level in every parish alive without money? At the minute we have thousands upon thousands of volunteers, but quite shockingly all that takes... money! But, guess what, the only money involved are the costs to keep such operations alive, not to line any pockets, rather to pay for the pitch lining, or grass cutting, or new juvenile footballs or hurls, etc.

What's your panacea?

[bigpaul]

The whole point is whether the GPA continue as they are as an organisation ,representing player's interests and raising their own finances as they do at present, or whether they are recognised officially.If they are recognised officially they will no longer have the option of raising their own finances.Any income generated from the player's body's activities would automatically have to become part of the GAA'S income after official recognition.   

[ardmhachaabu]

The whole point is whether the GPA continue as they are as an organisation ,representing player's interests and raising their own finances as they do at present, or whether they are recognised officially.If they are recognised officially they will no longer have the option of raising their own finances.Any income generated from the player's body's activities would automatically have to become part of the GAA'S income after official recognition.   

If this was really the case I am not sure that many people would have an issue with it.  The actual fact of the matter is; the GPA is controlled by a company called the Gaelic Players Management Company.  That company is owned and controlled by 2 blokes whose identities are easily accessible as their names are tied with the company's accounts.

[Rois]

.Has Club Tyrone ever sent the Tyrone hurlers on a holiday to Dubai or The Carribean,and if they did,did they give each player £3,000 spending money?
Organisations like Club Tyrone promote elitism!

Club Tyrone don't send anyone anywhere, any money raised is given directly to the County Board. Therefore the Club Tyrone money may very well be spent on the hurlers/clubs/referees as the Co Board sees fit.

[Aghdavoyle]

.Has Club Tyrone ever sent the Tyrone hurlers on a holiday to Dubai or The Carribean,and if they did,did they give each player £3,000 spending money?
Organisations like Club Tyrone promote elitism!

Club Tyrone don't send anyone anywhere, any money raised is given directly to the County Board. Therefore the Club Tyrone money may very well be spent on the hurlers/clubs/referees as the Co Board sees fit.

hmmm - are you sure?

[Rois]

Yes

[ONeill]

Yes

Cross your heart? Rumour has it you've been wearing a new frock every month.

[Hardy]

Mark Conway's piece is excellent and sums up exactly my own thoughts when I read the GAA's press release of earlier in the week. In summary I was (a) glad that the Cooney regime defined some baseline principles that the previous presidency never had the cojones to state, but (b) dismayed that the GAA seems determined to come to some sort of arrangement with this self-appointed  gang of chancers, who have no status of any kind and should just be ignored. Ignoring them would be entirely the appropriate approach, especially as the evidence grows that ignoring them goads them into more and more ludicrous public displays of the self-destructive greed and incompetence that will do for them  in short order without any intervention from the GAA. I can't understand why we're throwing them a lifeline.

I have a simple question for those who support the self-styled Gaelic Players' Association's demand  that the GAA should hive off any percentage of its income for their exclusive use: why?

[ONeill]

Suddenly the 'Grab All Association' legend disappears from popular use.

Hardy, as a premise I take it you feel inter-county players deserve nothing at all in terms of personal welfare, or trust the GAA to look after any such issues themselves, or you feel that they're well looked after anyway?

 

[Hardy]

O'Neill, it's about as reasonable for you to take any of the above from what I posted as it would be for me to conclude from what you posted that you view the GAA as the 'Grab All Association'. The point of my post is that whatever the shortcomings in current provisions, I see no basis for inviting the self-styled "Gaelic Players' Association" to be the group to handle what they themselves term "player welfare" (but, as yet, have neglected to define, though they feel able to demand millions to fund it).

A small point: I wouldn't refer to the GAA as "themselves" but ourselves.

How about my question?

[antoinse]

What about the comments on RTE this morning that both sides have been in negotiations for the past number of days? Can I take from that that the GPA accept what the GAA said in their statement as we have had no denial from them despite the rumblings that everything was not correct in the statement.

[orangeman]

What about the comments on RTE this morning that both sides have been in negotiations for the past number of days? Can I take from that that the GPA accept what the GAA said in their statement as we have had no denial from them despite the rumblings that everything was not correct in the statement.

Nothing should cause surprise anymore.

The GPA will be hard to convince that their future lies anywhere else other than their own offices in Drumcondra, with their own staff etc.


Equally hard to convince will be the greater GAA membership who see the GPA as having no future at all other than within the GAA HQ.