Will Sunday soccer affect the GAA?

[tyroneman]

From BBCNI website..............

Sunday ban expected to be lifted 

Howard Wells is in favour of ending the Sunday football ban
The ban on Sunday football in Northern Ireland is likely to be lifted at an extraordinary general meeting of the Irish FA on Wednesday night.
IFA members voted 69 to 28 in favour of ending the ban last year, short of the 75% required to bring in a change.

Chief executive Howard Wells supports the abolition of the Sabbath ruling.

Reducing the Executive Committee of the IFA from 18 members to 10 and changes to other committees will also be on the agenda at the meeting.

The IFA is the only national association within Uefa to have a Sunday ban in place.

The sport's governing body in Northern Ireland wants to add the wording: "The association is neutral in matters of politics and religion and prohibits any kind of unlawful discrimination" to its articles.

Will be interesting to see where a lot of loyalties lie if fellas are asked to play soccer on a Sunday afternoon.

[stpauls]

i would say the only people who will actually have to play on a Sunday will be the Irish League teams!! everyone else will still play on the Saturday!

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

In a word, No.
The few people that actually attend IL matches would have little interest in the Godly Gaelic sports! 
Of those that would follow both IL and GAA, I would think that the pull of a game of proper football or Hurling would be greater then that of soccer!

[Fear Boirche]

The only people I can see it affecting is those who play both.

[AZOffaly]

Doesn't affect us down here in Mexico.

[Bogball XV]

Is this a serious thread?
I don't know anyone who plays gaa at any sort of a reasonable level who would be playing soccer the day before - during the off season, yeah, no problem, but if there's a game the next day, no chance.

[robertemmet]

Biggest threat to the GAA is at grassroots level.  In GAA the club players has no regular fixtures programme.

In soccer and rugby there is a game every single Saturday during a clearly defined season and there is a close season

[Bogball XV]

I don't know anyone who plays gaa at any sort of a reasonable level who would be playing soccer the day before - during the off season, yeah, no problem, but if there's a game the next day, no chance.

I know plenty - I would safely say that the soccer will be the loser on this front.

I'm surprised, I didn't think any player would be allowed to play both once leagues started.
Robertemmet has a good point - but what's the solution, play without county players - but nobody wants that either.

[Mack the finger]

Surely the only loser will be whatever miniscule coverage is given to Gaelic games on the BBC or UTV on a Sunday?

Can already imagine Mr Watson wetting himself with excitement as he describes the action from Ballymena showgrounds, where
14 people and a dog called kevin watched a pulsating one all draw. When it comes to describe the action at a capacity Clones or Croker, the same boy will have the facial expression of someone who's just found a turd in their pocket.