Should the gaa allow the Liam Miller testimonial in Pairc hi Caoimh - poll

[From the Bunker]

It won't make any difference to the outcome but I think we could have done without Damien Duff's comments yesterday.

I think it needed to be said!

This is not 1916! Time for the GAA to grow up!


What are they protecting anymore?

[seafoid]

I don't think Melbourne or Sydney are relevant to the GAA. Sport in Ireland has been politicised for over 100 years and relations between the GAA and soccer/rugby have always had a bit of needle even after Croke Park was open to soccer and rugby. You can see it now on twitter.

Irish soccer has always had a parasitical side. Feeding off England. Never developing its infrastructure.  Also very short sighted. Selling Glenmalure park.
And extremely complacent.
It's always soccer asking.

The 3 organisations are like siblings.The GAA is the oldest and has always paid his way. The IRFU married a foreigner and has concussion . The FAI is the youngest, was always spoilt, and never paid for anything. She thinks the GAA should provide for her.

It's a lot easier to "pay your way" when you've never had to pay your players.

Association football in 26 county Ireland has never developed a strong domestic game because i) it had and has English football on its doorstep and ii) the whole official culture of the Irish Free State was against it, including the GAA's ban. Before 1922, the game was controlled from Belfast.

The League of Ireland is like a corner shop trying to survive with a Tesco superstore 50 yards down the road from it.

If anything, English football has acted as a parasite on Irish football, taking all its best players and the vast majority of Irish public interest in the game.

A lot of your points relate to structural issues within soccer. Most small countries say population less than 15m struggle with their domestic leagues because the best players are hoovered up to play with Bayern, Juve, Real or whoever. Soccer is a money game and money controls what happens. Even the Dutch League has problems. Reginal teams do not have the money to buy the players that might make make their games interesting. The top 10 European clubs spent an average of Euro 250m on transfers last season. the top Swiss team spent EUR 7m .  The 5th wealthiest Swiss team spent EUR 1m. And Swiss soccer is relatively well managed.

A lot of soccer players are overpaid as well.
Maybe it would be better to put the money into infrastructure.
The corner shop could be expanded and start offering organic products that Tesco don't sell.
Management in the FAI has been substandard for a number of decades.

[AQMP]

It won't make any difference to the outcome but I think we could have done without Damien Duff's comments yesterday.

Especially since he hasn't a clue what he's talking about.

[Baile Brigín 2]

Tell me about the GAA games in Tallaght Stadium.
Tell me Shamrocks haven't got a sweetheart deal.

Cuman na mbun Scoil regularly played there.

Google is your friend.

https://www.dublingaa.ie/news/finals-day-success-in-dublin-feile-na-ngael

Of course rovers got a good deal, undeservedly, but its unquestionably worked for the area and makes a profit. But the facility is in constant use from corporate gigs to car boot sales and loads of sports.  I think the Gaels need to back off that one, history hasnt been kind to Thomas Davis on that one.

I think we all know what would happen if a local gaa club approached the council to use the place for a fundraiser.

Is this the municipal facility that is too small for a 15 a side football or hurling game to be played on? Is that inclusive or exclusive I wonder.

Thats smaller things can fit in bigger things and not vice versa.

The pount remains, the GAA have zero problem using other codes grounds while retaining rule 42.  That in itself is an issue

[High Fielder]

The organisers feel that they can get a good attendance. Politics aside, there's a stadium nearby that can cater for what they hope to achieve. It's actually embarrassing beyond the initial question being asked that we have to have a discussion

[trailer]

Sorry one thing I am not sure on. Is this to raise money for Liam Miller's family? Or is this game for charity? Can someone clear that up?
I am not being awkward, I genuinely want to know and can't find any information. Some papers are calling it a testimonial, is that right or wrong?

Both. The hospice and the family

Why does his family need money. Was he not on £25k a week at Utd?
No issue with raising money for charity.

[Kidder81]

Sorry one thing I am not sure on. Is this to raise money for Liam Miller's family? Or is this game for charity? Can someone clear that up?
I am not being awkward, I genuinely want to know and can't find any information. Some papers are calling it a testimonial, is that right or wrong?

Both. The hospice and the family

Why does his family need money. Was he not on £25k a week at Utd?
No issue with raising money for charity.

Nobody seems willing to address this question

[sid waddell]

It won't make any difference to the outcome but I think we could have done without Damien Duff's comments yesterday.

Especially since he hasn't a clue what he's talking about.

It's funny how criticising the GAA seems to be the favourite hobby of GAA people at the moment. That certainly seems to be the attitude of a lot of people here. Some of that criticism is absolutely valid, some of it is nothing more a self-pitying excuse for a whinge.

But as soon as an outsider makes a valid criticism, there's a closing of ranks.

The problem some people have with Duff is that he's not a GAA man, and non-GAA people apparently shouldn't be allowed state the bleedin' obvious.

They know the message is correct, but it has touched a raw nerve because of who said it, and for a lot of people, "blood" is thicker than water.

It's a default defensive reaction when somebody knows they're in the wrong.

[High Fielder]

Probably because it's offensive and irrelevant. What purpose would it serve to know what his personal worth was? Should we also ask how much his treatment cost too so we know exactly how much there was left? Cop on. Don't go if you have a moral objection. Simple as

[Baile Brigín 2]

Sorry one thing I am not sure on. Is this to raise money for Liam Miller's family? Or is this game for charity? Can someone clear that up?
I am not being awkward, I genuinely want to know and can't find any information. Some papers are calling it a testimonial, is that right or wrong?

Both. The hospice and the family

Why does his family need money. Was he not on £25k a week at Utd?
No issue with raising money for charity.

But you do have an issue with raising funds for the family... Who knows the families situation,  but is that really a valid question? They may have spent millions on treatment.

[spuds]

Sorry one thing I am not sure on. Is this to raise money for Liam Miller's family? Or is this game for charity? Can someone clear that up?
I am not being awkward, I genuinely want to know and can't find any information. Some papers are calling it a testimonial, is that right or wrong?

Both. The hospice and the family

Why does his family need money. Was he not on £25k a week at Utd?
No issue with raising money for charity.

Nobody seems willing to address this question

Word in Cork is that the family spent top dollar in every effort to find a cure for Liam. This does not come cheaply, medical expenses can escalate rapidly. Of course I cannot verify this but has to be mentioned.

[trailer]

What the money is being raised for is a valid question.
Everything the GAA is doing is being publicly scrutinised but when the reverse happens we should just say nothing.

[From the Bunker]

I live in rural Ireland. There is an underlying disdain for Soccer (among a large contingent). It is seen as a British game. I hear it all the time in idle comments and actions. I know lads who would never think of exposing their Sons and Daughters to playing Competitive Soccer even though they play the game week in week out in the school yard. Soccer is blamed for the bad things that happen in a game of Gaelic football.

We get asked ''Why doesn't Irealnd have a proper soccer structure like say Norway, Croatia or Sweeden? ''

Could be to do with the RC Church in the early days of our Nations foundation.The RC Churches ruled the Parishes and Schools. (John Giles talks of being made feel not Irish for playing Soccer in a Christian Brothers School). (Norway, Croatia or Sweeden don't have this problem)

Could be to do with the game being seen as British and our trying to move away from all things British (Norway, Croatia or Sweeden don't have this problem).

Could it have to do with the Ban up to the early 70's. 95% of Soccer Clubs in Mayo were founded in the 70's and 80's. In regards GAA Clubs. I'd say 5% were founded in 70's and 80's. (Norway, Croatia or Sweeden don't have this problem)

95% of Soccer in Ireland is AMATEUR! Bar a few clubs (20) in the Cities and big towns. All the Clubs in Mayo are AMATEUR. It bugs me when a multi-million organisation like the GAA play the Amateur Beal Biocht card, as if money is not an object needed to run their organisation. Some of the best volunteers in sporting organisations are involved in Soccer.


The Mayo FA has to be one of the best ran districts in the country. It has it's faults. But it more often than not punches above its weight for the structures and product it tries to promote. Much of it's work goes unnoticed as there are not many ways to gain the exposure that the Intercounty team gets for it counter part.

[sid waddell]

I don't think Melbourne or Sydney are relevant to the GAA. Sport in Ireland has been politicised for over 100 years and relations between the GAA and soccer/rugby have always had a bit of needle even after Croke Park was open to soccer and rugby. You can see it now on twitter.

Irish soccer has always had a parasitical side. Feeding off England. Never developing its infrastructure.  Also very short sighted. Selling Glenmalure park.
And extremely complacent.
It's always soccer asking.

The 3 organisations are like siblings.The GAA is the oldest and has always paid his way. The IRFU married a foreigner and has concussion . The FAI is the youngest, was always spoilt, and never paid for anything. She thinks the GAA should provide for her.

It's a lot easier to "pay your way" when you've never had to pay your players.

Association football in 26 county Ireland has never developed a strong domestic game because i) it had and has English football on its doorstep and ii) the whole official culture of the Irish Free State was against it, including the GAA's ban. Before 1922, the game was controlled from Belfast.

The League of Ireland is like a corner shop trying to survive with a Tesco superstore 50 yards down the road from it.

If anything, English football has acted as a parasite on Irish football, taking all its best players and the vast majority of Irish public interest in the game.

A lot of your points relate to structural issues within soccer. Most small countries say population less than 15m struggle with their domestic leagues because the best players are hoovered up to play with Bayern, Juve, Real or whoever. Soccer is a money game and money controls what happens. Even the Dutch League has problems. Reginal teams do not have the money to buy the players that might make make their games interesting. The top 10 European clubs spent an average of Euro 250m on transfers last season. the top Swiss team spent EUR 7m .  The 5th wealthiest Swiss team spent EUR 1m. And Swiss soccer is relatively well managed.

A lot of soccer players are overpaid as well.
Maybe it would be better to put the money into infrastructure.
The corner shop could be expanded and start offering organic products that Tesco don't sell.
Management in the FAI has been substandard for a number of decades.

There aren't many association football players in Ireland who are overpaid. Some aren't even paid at all. Look at Bray Wanderers.

As I said, when you don't have to pay players, and have a lot bigger attendances, as is the case in the GAA, it's a lot easier to invest in infrastructure.

Even the modest improvements which have taken place in Irish association football in recent times in that regard, such as the new Lansdowne Road, Turner's Cross, Tallaght and Terryland Park, have been fraught with difficulty.

[trailer]

I live in rural Ireland. There is an underlying disdain for Soccer (among a large contingent). It is seen as a British game. I hear it all the time in idle comments and actions. I know lads who would never think of exposing their Sons and Daughters to playing Competitive Soccer even though they play the game week in week out in the school yard. Soccer is blamed for the bad things that happen in a game of Gaelic football.

We get asked ''Why doesn't Irealnd have a proper soccer structure like say Norway, Croatia or Sweeden? ''

Could be to do with the RC Church in the early days of our Nations foundation.The RC Churches ruled the Parishes and Schools. (John Giles talks of being made feel not Irish for playing Soccer in a Christian Brothers School). (Norway, Croatia or Sweeden don't have this problem)

Could be to do with the game being seen as British and our trying to move away from all things British (Norway, Croatia or Sweeden don't have this problem).

Could it have to do with the Ban up to the early 70's. 95% of Soccer Clubs in Mayo were founded in the 70's and 80's. In regards GAA Clubs. I'd say 5% were founded in 70's and 80's. (Norway, Croatia or Sweeden don't have this problem)

95% of Soccer in Ireland is AMATEUR! Bar a few clubs (20) in the Cities and big towns. All the Clubs in Mayo are AMATEUR. It bugs me when a multi-million organisation like the GAA play the Amateur Beal Biocht card, as if money is not an object needed to run their organisation. Some of the best volunteers in sporting organisations are involved in Soccer.


The Mayo FA has to be one of the best ran districts in the country. It has it's faults. But it more often than not punches above its weight for the structures and product it tries to promote. Much of it's work goes unnoticed as there are not many ways to gain the exposure that the Intercounty team gets for it counter part.

Yes it's all the GAA and the Catholic church's fault. It's not Soccer's fault that's for sure.