GPA's latest scam

[Zulu]

Ah yes but we're not talking about club players issues with employment or lack of footballs at training, we're talking about the club season. This is the very essence of every club, if their players don't have games then the clubs themselves have little reason to exist so why aren't clubs lobbying their CB's to ensure they have a season?

[Lone Shark]

Because clubs are diverse. A club with no county players will have a very different agenda to the one with five guys on the senior panel and seven more on the minor and u21. Dual clubs will have different agendas again. Clubs also want to see the county team do well, and they are mentally trapped by the current status quo.

Above all, there is no easy solution to this, and there is no solution that won't have a knock on effect somewhere else. It's easy to have big ideas when (1) you have a head guy who's full time job is just to look after and advocate for your interests, and (b) you don't have to worry about other points of view. The GPA looks for stuff and they let the GAA worry about the guy on the other side who's going to have to take the hit or write the cheque. Your average club player might also be a seller of lotto tickets, a trainer of under-12s and a brother to a county man - he's by definition going to look at matters through a wider lens.

Dessie Farrell can spend a week researching a plan, studying possible ways to implement and canvassing opinions. A club player doesn't have a figurehead that can spend that kind of time on his behalf, much less one that's paid by the GAA itself, the organisation that's supposed to cater for him.

[armaghniac]

Because clubs are diverse. A club with no county players will have a very different agenda to the one with five guys on the senior panel and seven more on the minor and u21.

Only one fifth of clubs will have anyone on the county senior panel. For junior and intermediate clubs, whose leagues are generally not too badly interrupted,  county success can raise the profile of the GAA and bring more members (for tickets) and help promote the sport among kids.

[Eamonnca1]

What are the GPA actually providing to players, that wasnt provided to most teams beforehand ?       Serious question

Glossy press releases. "Star studded" gala events in New York. The ability to name-drop big-shot millionaires.

[Zulu]

Because clubs are diverse. A club with no county players will have a very different agenda to the one with five guys on the senior panel and seven more on the minor and u21. Dual clubs will have different agendas again. Clubs also want to see the county team do well, and they are mentally trapped by the current status quo.

Above all, there is no easy solution to this, and there is no solution that won't have a knock on effect somewhere else. It's easy to have big ideas when (1) you have a head guy who's full time job is just to look after and advocate for your interests, and (b) you don't have to worry about other points of view. The GPA looks for stuff and they let the GAA worry about the guy on the other side who's going to have to take the hit or write the cheque. Your average club player might also be a seller of lotto tickets, a trainer of under-12s and a brother to a county man - he's by definition going to look at matters through a wider lens.

Dessie Farrell can spend a week researching a plan, studying possible ways to implement and canvassing opinions. A club player doesn't have a figurehead that can spend that kind of time on his behalf, much less one that's paid by the GAA itself, the organisation that's supposed to cater for him.

But that's my point, because there is such diversity within the club scene there is little or no chance a GPA for clubs would be effective as it couldn't solve the myriad of issues different clubs in different counties have. The problems of an intermediate football club in Limerick could be vastly different than those of a similar club in Tyrone. Even within counties, sorting out the problem with your senior hurling championship when some clubs are serious dual clubs and others are not or hurling only is difficult so how a club GPA with perhaps 3 or 4 individuals full-time could hope to address them is beyond me.

I doubt they'd even have any clout, club players in Mayo aren't going to strike for Carlow club players and even Carlow football clubs may not strike for issues within junior hurling.

I don't agree the GPA looks for stuff while leaving the GAA to deal with the consequences, what examples of this do you have? The GAA has made it's own bed by not looking after IC players and it's making it's own bed now re club players.

Your average club player might also be a seller of lotto tickets, a trainer of under-12s and a brother to a county man - he's by definition going to look at matters through a wider lens.

What wider lens? The only thing the GAA should, absolutely should, provide players is a structured season. All players, supporters, club administrators and coaches want this but it's the one thing many club players aren't getting.

[Zulu]

What are the GPA actually providing to players, that wasnt provided to most teams beforehand ?       Serious question

Glossy press releases. "Star studded" gala events in New York. The ability to name-drop big-shot millionaires.

You read the informed previous responses before posting your ill-informed, sarcastic one I presume?

[Lone Shark]

Because clubs are diverse. A club with no county players will have a very different agenda to the one with five guys on the senior panel and seven more on the minor and u21.

Only one fifth of clubs will have anyone on the county senior panel.

It's a bit of an aside, but WHAAAA?

We've 43 adult clubs in Offaly, providing 60-odd county panellists - I'd say the majority of clubs would have at least one senior panellist, particularly when you factor in that a club football panel might include a member of the county hurling panel. I accept we're a small county and so a little bit extreme, but even so, that seems ridiculous on a national level. Maybe at a stretch it's true in Dublin and Cork, but nowhere outside of that. 

[Lone Shark]

Because clubs are diverse. A club with no county players will have a very different agenda to the one with five guys on the senior panel and seven more on the minor and u21. Dual clubs will have different agendas again. Clubs also want to see the county team do well, and they are mentally trapped by the current status quo.

Above all, there is no easy solution to this, and there is no solution that won't have a knock on effect somewhere else. It's easy to have big ideas when (1) you have a head guy who's full time job is just to look after and advocate for your interests, and (b) you don't have to worry about other points of view. The GPA looks for stuff and they let the GAA worry about the guy on the other side who's going to have to take the hit or write the cheque. Your average club player might also be a seller of lotto tickets, a trainer of under-12s and a brother to a county man - he's by definition going to look at matters through a wider lens.

Dessie Farrell can spend a week researching a plan, studying possible ways to implement and canvassing opinions. A club player doesn't have a figurehead that can spend that kind of time on his behalf, much less one that's paid by the GAA itself, the organisation that's supposed to cater for him.

But that's my point, because there is such diversity within the club scene there is little or no chance a GPA for clubs would be effective as it couldn't solve the myriad of issues different clubs in different counties have. The problems of an intermediate football club in Limerick could be vastly different than those of a similar club in Tyrone. Even within counties, sorting out the problem with your senior hurling championship when some clubs are serious dual clubs and others are not or hurling only is difficult so how a club GPA with perhaps 3 or 4 individuals full-time could hope to address them is beyond me.

I doubt they'd even have any clout, club players in Mayo aren't going to strike for Carlow club players and even Carlow football clubs may not strike for issues within junior hurling.

I don't agree the GPA looks for stuff while leaving the GAA to deal with the consequences, what examples of this do you have? The GAA has made it's own bed by not looking after IC players and it's making it's own bed now re club players.

I agree that club needs are diverse, and that a GPA for club players would not make sense. I don't agree however with the special status afforded the GPA, for this reason. They are the only group within the GAA that have a specific lobby group, and either they are completely useless, or else that will lead to some skewing in their favour when it comes to administrative decisions.

Your average club player might also be a seller of lotto tickets, a trainer of under-12s and a brother to a county man - he's by definition going to look at matters through a wider lens.

What wider lens? The only thing the GAA should, absolutely should, provide players is a structured season. All players, supporters, club administrators and coaches want this but it's the one thing many club players aren't getting.

A structured season means very different things to different people, and is completely separate to the GPA issue. Compacting the intercounty season would be a big step in the right direction as far as I can see, but those looking to market the GAA wouldn't agree with that - essentially the only games played in August would be the All Ireland finals, which would mean an extra month of soccer and rugby taking over the headlines. Either that or you stop even half heartedly trying to accommodate dual players, you tell football clubs that they may have to play championship games without intercounty hurlers, or you restrict the number of teams that certain players can play for, thus minimising crossover issues. All of these would be very bitter pills for some people to swallow. There is no panacea to all ills here.

[Zulu]

There is no panacea to all ills here.

Absolutely agree with you here and we shouldn't be looking for a solution that pleases everyone.

A structured season means very different things to different people, and is completely separate to the GPA issue.

Not if you are looking for a club GPA as some are advocating here.

Compacting the intercounty season would be a big step in the right direction as far as I can see, but those looking to market the GAA wouldn't agree with that - essentially the only games played in August would be the All Ireland finals, which would mean an extra month of soccer and rugby taking over the headlines. Either that or you stop even half heartedly trying to accommodate dual players, you tell football clubs that they may have to play championship games without intercounty hurlers, or you restrict the number of teams that certain players can play for, thus minimising crossover issues. All of these would be very bitter pills for some people to swallow.

I'd wholeheartedly support getting rid of the IC dual player at every level from minor up and restricting players to one grade. It is the only sensible thing to do IMO if we want club players to have any kind of season.

I don't agree however with the special status afforded the GPA, for this reason. They are the only group within the GAA that have a specific lobby group, and either they are completely useless, or else that will lead to some skewing in their favour when it comes to administrative decisions.

I'm really not bothered if they have one or not as long as IC players are treated properly but the GAA has failed to do this and so the GPA was born. I do believe the IC players puts in a huge amount into the GAA and like it or not they are our shop window so looking after them in a unique way is fine by me.

[Stevie g 8]

Dessie and the boys are lining their pockets,in truth doing damn all since they sold out to the GAA.
Jobs for the boys

[Saffrongael]

So GPA spent €742k on salaries in 2021

10 staff

[OrchardOrange]

So GPA spent €742k on salaries in 2021 10 staff

Can you name the 10, their salaries and what they do?

[Franko]

So GPA spent €742k on salaries in 2021 10 staff

Can you name the 10, their salaries and what they do?

https://www.gaelicplayers.com/about-us/#staff

[Saffrongael]

Revealed: how GAA star in Garda probe received €30,000 from GPA

John Fogarty - Irish Examiner 9 April 2024


The Gaelic Players Association (GPA) gave €30,000 in 2022 to a former inter-county player who has since come under investigation by An Garda Síochána.

The individual received the monies from the official inter-county players body in two tranches amounting to the five-figure sum, the Irish Examiner understands. The GPA chose not to comment when contacted.

Donations between the association and players are kept confidential between the two parties.

In conjunction with the GAA, the organisation has a past player medical and surgical intervention fund. However, the donations did not come from that source, which is under the auspices of the GAA and was established "to assist former senior inter-county players who may require medical or surgical intervention arising from their involvement with their relevant county team".

The GPA have their own benevolent fund, the aim of which is described in their annual accounts ending December 2022 as offering "support to members of the company who experience setbacks, both personal and professional. The service exists to offer support in a way that helps people find their feet by providing more than financial assistance."

Benevolent fund donations in 2022, which are deducted as a portion of annual membership fees, amounted to €20,550. That year, the GPA spent €2.843 million on player development programmes, €71,493 on player engagement services and €23,832 on welfare support expenditure, while they had two "staff and pension costs" entries, one for €506,183 under player programmes and another for €284,719 under operating costs.

Other units either associated with the GAA or part of it may also have given money to the ex-player. Some provincial councils use gate receipts from pre-season competitions to provide hardship funds for GAA players, both club and county. Supporters groups are also known to ring-fence monies raised for welfare and hardship funds for current and former inter-county players.