Finances (and other 'unfair advantages') in the GAA!

[Mayo4Sam14]

Here you go Teo

[AZOffaly]

The fact Kerry are all natural footballers is obviously an unfair advantage, purely determined by location of birth and/or rearing.

And in contrast, the fact that there are no natural footballers in Kildare is an obvious disadvantage. That is offset by the secret lab producing robots (aka Intel) but the current version is still flummoxed by natural footballers.

[Dinny Breen]

So what are the advantages a county can have and what order?

For me

1. Tradition and culture (very much a mind-set thing)
2. Financial resourcing (from training camps, to back-room, to been able to ensure you don't lose your best players to AFL, to getting the right college course, to consultant fees/surgeries etc etc)
3. Population
4. Strong Club scene
5. One code only

Looking at Kilkenny the one code thing might be higher but they also have 1,2 and 4.

The GAA has a body can only really affect 2 and 5 and 2 as everyone is aware is the one where the disparity is the greatest and only getting bigger.

[Jinxy]

6. Manliness (you either have it or you don't).

[Aristo 60]

I think Tyrone would say that media (the State variety of course!) is an unfair disadvantage to them and therefore an advantage to everyone else.

[Sandy Hill]

I think Tyrone would say that media (the State variety of course!) is an unfair disadvantage to them and therefore an advantage to everyone else.

Yes, but the totally biased and voluminous coverage given to them by the Irish News more than compensates for this!

[ballinaman]

Proficiency in Photoshop

[blanketattack]

When the Mayo county board did their financial planning on an etch a sketch and ended up needing the GAA ti bail them out for €1 million. Think of the no. of forwards coaches that gets you.

[INDIANA]

So what are the advantages a county can have and what order?

For me

1. Tradition and culture (very much a mind-set thing)
2. Financial resourcing (from training camps, to back-room, to been able to ensure you don't lose your best players to AFL, to getting the right college course, to consultant fees/surgeries etc etc)
3. Population
4. Strong Club scene
5. One code only

Looking at Kilkenny the one code thing might be higher but they also have 1,2 and 4.

The GAA has a body can only really affect 2 and 5 and 2 as everyone is aware is the one where the disparity is the greatest and only getting bigger.

Being one code only proves that the most successful counties (Kerry and kilkenny)- is the single determining factor of being the best. Money plays it's part but one code having the full pick of the best athletes of the county makes a mockery of the population argument



- A simple method would be to set-up the counties as franchises of the Association with each county getting an equal share of the spoils.

- However there should be another Special Development Fund which counties can apply to for Special Funding for carefully researched Development Plans.

- I also believe Capital projects should be taken out of county board's hands and be devolved to GAA HQ who would decide whether a county needs them or not. We've far too many white elephant projects around the country at present. Some counties have these in preference to development teams. What's the point in having great grounds if you've no great players to play in them?

- I'm not a fan of capping how much money a county can individually raise. There has to be some element of commercialism unless the    GAA want to go down the NFL route and sell the GAA as a brand rather then the counties themselves. But it needs to do one or the other - a halfway house on that aspect won't work.

[Beffs]

How do a counties finances impact the college courses a lad does? If a lad wants to study Engineering, but he doesn't get enough CAO points for it, there isn't much that they can do about it.

[Over the Bar]

Finances, population, professional in all but name, players not having to get up for work, players getting the month off before the AI final, players generally being FT footballers...

[ONeill]

Proficiency in Photoshop

Haha, ye bollix.

[heffo]

Finances, population, professional in all but name, players not having to get up for work, players getting the month off before the AI final, players generally being FT footballers...

Big Jim's ears are twitching

[ONeill]

Proficiency in Photoshop

You'll never accept it, will you?

[Mayo4Sam14]

6. Manliness (you either have it or you don't).

Big Aido!