Money is Destroying the Game

[GaillimhIarthair]

I think there's two issues here that are be muddled in together.

Yes money is a huge issue, I'll leave that to one side

I'm going to assume Mayo and Galway spend the same amount on football, Roscommon realistically not much less (if you pro-rata out given we're there until September the last few years)
The reason mayo are more successful is largely down to James Horan putting in place a professional structure where Galway clearly haven't. We were beaten by Sligo and Longford before he came along.
Success breeds success, everyone in Mayo has a mayo Jersey, a training top, a jacket, it's all money coming in but it's all due to on the field success, we get huge crowds at our games for the same reason. Money follows that.

Unfortunately not on the money side, that I can assure you.  Football & Hurling is now under the same umbrella the past few years and there is a size-able debt there that has to be managed which limits spending obviously - no restructure from CP in our case unfortunately.

I would fully agree with you on the structures side BUT it is changing albeit slowly - we will get there eventually and an AI win this Sunday would undoubtedly help the coffers long terms also, for both codes.

[AZOffaly]

It would be nice to have a reasonable conversation about money in the GAA. It's not going to happen though when one party to the conversation always demonstrates naked hostility towards one county in particular.

True, and ironically it means the very topic they would like discussed, doesn't get a proper airing.

[Teo Lurley]

Underneath the hyperbole, Teo has a point. It's extremely hard to stomach lads on the Sunday Game saying smaller counties should 'get their houses in order'. That's an easy thing to say from an ivory tower, when those counties don't have money for coaches, or to run effective development academies. Spending on senior squads is crazy, and counties need to be held to account on money they are wasting on external managers or the like, but at the end of the day, if you don't have enough money to maximise the resources you do have, it's just not fair to be told to get your house in order.

It needs to be sorted at the top and we need to let them know that we want them to sort it. Once this happens we can talk about fair distribution of funds, sorting out every county with plans to ensure the money is spent wisely and so forth. I know Uibh Fhaili would back this campaign for sure seeing where they are now in both codes.

[Mayo4Sam]

Leo, you say Offaly would back it but from the outside looking in it seems all the Leinster delegates vote year in and out for Dublin to be kept in CP for the championship, I think assuming unity of opinion with these lads is a stretch.....unfortunately

[AZOffaly]

Offaly did vote against that this year, pure coincidence that they were drawn to possibly play the Dubs in the second round

[maccer]

This financial issue also drips down to club football. I'm sure most counties have clubs barely surviving trying to pay outside managers, s&c coaches, video analysts, physios etc. Club lottos meant to improve the club infrastructure are being handed over with interest. The big loser in all this is juvenile set-ups which are left under resourced. This eventually leads to poorer county teams down the line. It's a hugely issue croke park need to tackle

[T Toatler]

A few thoughts.  Yes Dublin have unfair advantage but are willing to travel and have said so. Leinster GAA have picked the venues and if Dublin start travelling it means less money for other counties as gate receipts are way down. Most of the other counties would rather play in Croker.  A level playing field does not exist when it comes to funding from sponsorship but central funds are allocated appropriately.  Corporate sponsors want teams performing, in finals, competitive annually,  to get a return. That's why we have Kerry Group, AIG and the likes of Elverys.  Although Elverys are but small compared to those they have huge presence countrywide.  If Mayo lost them tomorrow you can be sure a huge sponsor will be found. Then again Tayto, Skoda,  Renault and chill.ie for example are fair big brands too.

[Teo Lurley]

It would be nice to have a reasonable conversation about money in the GAA. It's not going to happen though when one party to the conversation always demonstrates naked hostility towards one county in particular.

True, and ironically it means the very topic they would like discussed, doesn't get a proper airing.

This thread is fair and balanced.

[AZOffaly]

A few thoughts.  Yes Dublin have unfair advantage but are willing to travel and have said so. Leinster GAA have picked the venues and if Dublin start travelling it means less money for other counties as gate receipts are way down. Most of the other counties would rather play in Croker.  A level playing field does not exist when it comes to funding from sponsorship but central funds are allocated appropriately.  Corporate sponsors want teams performing, in finals, competitive annually,  to get a return. That's why we have Kerry Group, AIG and the likes of Elverys.  Although Elverys are but small compared to those they have huge presence countrywide.  If Mayo lost them tomorrow you can be sure a huge sponsor will be found. Then again Tayto, Skoda,  Renault and chill.ie for example are fair big brands too.

Can you explain that comment T? Do you think central funds are currently being allocated appropriately, or do you think they *should*be?

[Teo Lurley]

Leo, you say Offaly would back it but from the outside looking in it seems all the Leinster delegates vote year in and out for Dublin to be kept in CP for the championship, I think assuming unity of opinion with these lads is a stretch.....unfortunately

Only one county consistently opposes Dublin having every championship match at home. The rank and file vote in delegates though, it's time they were sent a message.

[Teo Lurley]

This financial issue also drips down to club football. I'm sure most counties have clubs barely surviving trying to pay outside managers, s&c coaches, video analysts, physios etc. Club lottos meant to improve the club infrastructure are being handed over with interest. The big loser in all this is juvenile set-ups which are left under resourced. This eventually leads to poorer county teams down the line. It's a hugely issue croke park need to tackle

This is very true, if some counties are being provided with fully paid coaches to go into clubs and develop talent then it's hugely unfair. This leads to clubs in other counties trying to catch up as you've pointed out which can have disastrous results.

[Teo Lurley]

A few thoughts.  Yes Dublin have unfair advantage but are willing to travel and have said so. Leinster GAA have picked the venues and if Dublin start travelling it means less money for other counties as gate receipts are way down. Most of the other counties would rather play in Croker.  A level playing field does not exist when it comes to funding from sponsorship but central funds are allocated appropriately.  Corporate sponsors want teams performing, in finals, competitive annually,  to get a return. That's why we have Kerry Group, AIG and the likes of Elverys.  Although Elverys are but small compared to those they have huge presence countrywide.  If Mayo lost them tomorrow you can be sure a huge sponsor will be found. Then again Tayto, Skoda,  Renault and chill.ie for example are fair big brands too.

Dublin county board vote to have their games played in Croke Park every year, where are you getting this willing to travel nonsense from? Crowds wont be going to Leinster matches at all if the situation is let continue. Central funds are not allocated appropriately.

[AZOffaly]

I believe Dublin would not have a problem travelling to play Leinster Championship Matches.

[thewobbler]

For all the talk of money here - and some of it is quite valid - personally believe that anyone who thinks money is the primary difference between the top-4 counties and the rest, is deliberately looking at the wrong picture in the hope of finding something.

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The reason why Kerry are better at football, as they have been for 40 years, is because they've got better players (not just in terms of talent, but in terms of application too).

The reason why Dublin have been trouncing everyone in Leinster for decade is because they've had demonstratively better players (not just in terms of talent, but in terms of application too).

The reason why Mayo have been dominant for the past 5 years in Mayo is because they've had a golden generation of players, who are all 100% committed to the cause.

The reason why Donegal went from non-entity to genuine contenders is because they employed a manager who stopped looking for excuses, and decided to maximise the talent at his disposal (which was concentrated on improving their application).

- - -

These counties all appear to be better funded, better resourced than competing counties because at present they're successful, and people gravitate towards success. Sponsors are people.

For example, can you imagine how much easier was it for Donegal's county board to approach sponsors in 2011 and 2012 than it was in 2010? Actually I'd harbour a guess that by 2012 they didn't even have to approach sponsors: instead people were approaching them with blank cheques in hand. People want to be associated with success, and sponsors want to believe that its their cash that facilitates the success.

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This won't last forever. In the noughties Armagh and Kildare were two of the biggest cash cows in Irish sport. But the generous people who gave their players and management such a degree of flexibility then, are either gone, or are waiting in the wings until the level of players needed to be successful returns.

[Teo Lurley]

I believe Dublin would not have a problem travelling to play Leinster Championship Matches.

They don't want to though as their vote shows. Having every match at home is a huge advantage for them and getting as much practice as possible on the pitch where all the later stages are played has been significant in their success up to know and in future times.
We are getting side tracked though, this is not about where games are played or about Dublin GAA although they are the main culprits in the huge spending on preparation of players and teams.

This is about fair play for all 32 counties. Everyone should have an opportunity to compete equally against their opposition. Not only does the finance need to be distributed fairly but systems have to be put in place so all counties are given a chance to develop players to compete. This will improve the standard of Gaelic football countrywide, halt the loss of players to other sports/losing interest in the game, improve the club game in every county and many other advantages. There's plenty of ideas on how this can be done and in what way but first we need enough people to want to do this and make their voice heard. We have to do it before it's too late!