Money, Dublin and the GAA

[6th sam]

Maybe other counties need to get better at sweeping out the dressing rooms and washing the water bottles after training and games.
Or collecting the training cones more efficiently.

😂
Don't knock it though ,
Dublin have had a number of their advantages for years but it is to their credit that they have created a culture that has enabled them to make the most of those advantages.
Just to really throw the cat amongst the pigeons Dublin are not the only county that has benefitted from provincial and financial advantage. As it stands , there is no restriction on any county that gets their finances optimised. Donegal Mayo and Kerry for example seem to have good sponsorship support, which theoretically could be abused if expenditure isn't regulated. Kilkenny , for example , invest very little in football , this frees up cash to finance hurling and no doubt enhance their county hurling budget. If Down ( and it would never be allowed to happen presumably) dropped county hurling and put their county hurling budget into football prep, it would be an enormous boost.
Hurling is interesting , Kilkenny get an easier ride in Leinster than Cork do in Munster, but the current structure lessens this provincial bias by allowing other routes to the final stages. Kerry have always benefitted by the provincial structure , they are guaranteed a Munster final and entrance into latter AI stages every year. They're even guaranteed a home Munster final every second year. Compare that to Donegal's path for example .
Splitting Dublin debate should be kept separate from the financial, home venue and provincial bias debate. Financial fairness can be rectified by a budget and personnel cap for counties, Sponsorship  caps for players, more even distribution of county sponsorship funds and Croke park funding. The split season gives the opportunity to rectify the provincial unfairness , as well as NFL glamour , by incentivising NFL position as detailed in a previous post.

[Rossfan]

Sam with well thought out respectful posts as usual.
However it's not up to Dublin posters here or their Co Board to change the present system which sees them rack up their routine monotonous boring Leinster and AI titles (15/16 and 8/10).
You might say it's up to the other 31 Co Boards but between hurling Counties and the oul friendly phone call from HQ there wont be much coming from that quarter.

In practice it will have to wait till HQ decides the situation can't continue.
The apologists for the present system are in full media flow these days opposing any split of Dublin (pop 1.4m) and saying others (pops from 33k to 145k and Meath 200k, Kikdare 220k) need to step up to Dublin's level.
There were various useful eejits in October telling us Dublin had slipped back towards the pack while Galway, Donegal and Kerry were rapidly catching up. McStay was even plugging poor oul Armagh in his many media jobs. Remember "Armagh have a small of Sam about them"

[From the Bunker]

What I do see is that Mayo people know more about football than anyone else.

They don't care about improving the football championship. They're only interested in trying to weaken Dublin so they have a better chance to win the All Ireland. What every other county does is irrelevant

Sounds familiar, you might take a look mirror!

I've no interest in weakening any county. I hope the 2nd tier competition is given a chance so counties like Carlow, Louth, Leitrim have a chance to win a major trophy. Kerry, Mayo, Tyrone etc don't need help.

Sure Mayo had bring in Ger Cafferkey to their back room team as the player's values and behaviour coach. I'd focus On why Mayo need to spend money on that

They have to learn the values of playing for their county as an amateur. Stuff like sweeping out the Dressing room after a game. Being humble and recording this event and putting it up online. Maybe getting a TV presenter to tweet said video.

Good stuff. At least they think it's about improving themselves to compete with Dublin rather than weakening Dublin to make it easier for them

I can't understand how any genuine Dub would want the status quo to continue. A team with probably the best culture and best spread of talent in the history of the game, isn't getting the chance to prove themselves in a fair competition.
Put aside the success breeds success phenomenon which they have benefitted from by winning an unfair competition , their population bias , location bias, and media bias.
Here's an initial simple list of advantages.
Gaa providing them with unlimited access to one of the best stadiums in Europe .
All games at home.
Preferential funding from GAA
Preferential sponsorship opportunities collective
Preferential sponsorship /perks for players eg cars, equipment/kit, nutrition, career opportunities.
Provincial system bias

I could go on.

Before even considering splitting Dublin, there are a number of the above advantages that need to be rectified to improve fairness, and thereby improve credibility for Dublin's success .

Nobody with any intelligence, can possibly argue against this

They are in the driving seat of being the kings of Gaelic Football. 8 out of the next 10 All Irelands will do it! Providing Kerry win Zero! I can understand this. There is also the History - Heffo's Army, the Jacks, the Blue Army, The Hill.

Dublin got the good will of over funding to promote the game more in the Capital. It was about bringing more into the GAA family, improving revenue and growing the organisation. Who knows how successful this was in adding participants, but it made royalty of those who were already members. Access to better coaches and access to better facilities. 

So here we are. First we were told this was a once in a generation. Now we are being told you have to work harder to catch up. And that's the problem. All other counties have to work harder. to get in revenue, to train teams. Nobody in Dublin is saying you have to work the same as us?

[dublin7]

Has any county approached Dublin and looked at at what they've done and implementing it in their own county?

John Costello has said on multiple occasions dubs are happy to show any county how they do things. I'd imagine the number of county boards who have taken up this offer is the same as the county boards who accepted Dublin's offer of assistance with their commercial activities - 0.

Wicklow are an exception in Leinster. They have started really good underage projects in Leinster, but they are starting off from a low base, but at least they have a plan/vision for the future.

If counties won't help themselves and people obsess over splitting/weakening Dublin then they need to look re-examine their priorities

[RedHand88]

Has any county approached Dublin and looked at at what they've done and implementing it in their own county?

John Costello has said on multiple occasions dubs are happy to show any county how they do things. I'd imagine the number of county boards who have taken up this offer is the same as the county boards who accepted Dublin's offer of assistance with their commercial activities - 0.

Wicklow are an exception in Leinster. They have started really good underage projects in Leinster, but they are starting off from a low base, but at least they have a plan/vision for the future.

If counties won't help themselves and people obsess over splitting/weakening Dublin then they need to look re-examine their priorities

All we need up in Tyrone is for Stormont to attract dozens of multinationals and have then set up tens of thousands of jobs in Omagh, maybe investing in even a single train station or other infrastructure, leading to a dramatic increase in the population.

[From the Bunker]

Has any county approached Dublin and looked at at what they've done and implementing it in their own county?

John Costello has said on multiple occasions dubs are happy to show any county how they do things. I'd imagine the number of county boards who have taken up this offer is the same as the county boards who accepted Dublin's offer of assistance with their commercial activities - 0.

Wicklow are an exception in Leinster. They have started really good underage projects in Leinster, but they are starting off from a low base, but at least they have a plan/vision for the future.

If counties won't help themselves and people obsess over splitting/weakening Dublin then they need to look re-examine their priorities

We could start of by cutting down on fundraising, too much time and energy wasted there. Let the GAA funding and Sponsorship take over . Then maybe look for multinational corporations to sponsor our Clubs. Have a launch in Croke Park with the President of the GAA in attendance. Put the debt of our Elverys McHale Park on the GAA, let them take on the Bills. Why should the clubs of Mayo be paying for such a facility? Clubs could be spending the money on better things.

Do you know how much what you've got costs? Who is going to pay for it? Where is this money going to magically come out of?

You are just in a different world.

[Lar Naparka]

Has any county approached Dublin and looked at at what they've done and implementing it in their own county?

John Costello has said on multiple occasions dubs are happy to show any county how they do things. I'd imagine the number of county boards who have taken up this offer is the same as the county boards who accepted Dublin's offer of assistance with their commercial activities - 0.

Wicklow are an exception in Leinster. They have started really good underage projects in Leinster, but they are starting off from a low base, but at least they have a plan/vision for the future.

If counties won't help themselves and people obsess over splitting/weakening Dublin then they need to look re-examine their priorities

John Costello seems a sensible man to me and I'd say his offer is genuine. But is it of any practical use?
Dublin has roughly one third of the Republic's population shoehorned into a very compact land area so travelling to train from work or study is not an issue.
Access to advanced training facilities is not an issue either.
Compare that with most  other counties that have a sizeable contingent of their players living in Dublin and logistics enters the picture in a big way.
Much has been made of Mayo's budget size but detractors fail to acknowledge that travel and accommodation costs Mayo close on a million a year.
Even if John Costello could help streamline another counties' income and training regime etc. he can't overcome the problems caused by a county panel's Dublin based members getting over and back from training to home base maybe 3 times a week.
Economies of scale come into it too.
Connacht clubs have one centre of excellence near Ballyhaunis in South Mayo. It may as well be on the moon as far as clubs in, say, Belmullet or Manorhamilton are concerned.
There's not a lot John Costello can do to improve rural roads west of the Shannon or create a few clones of the one near Ballyhaunis.
Basically, I am saying that there is little or nothing that anyone can do to bring other counties to Dublin's standard of dominance.
The GAA'a investment in every other county could be trebled and Dublin's position wouldn't be threatened in the slightest.
Really, when you think about it, it's not believable that every other county would have stood idly by while Dublin steamrolled all opposition aside for almost a decade now if any of them felt they stood a chance of squaring up to the horde on the Hill.

[trileacman]

Has any county approached Dublin and looked at at what they've done and implementing it in their own county?

John Costello has said on multiple occasions dubs are happy to show any county how they do things. I'd imagine the number of county boards who have taken up this offer is the same as the county boards who accepted Dublin's offer of assistance with their commercial activities - 0.

Wicklow are an exception in Leinster. They have started really good underage projects in Leinster, but they are starting off from a low base, but at least they have a plan/vision for the future.

If counties won't help themselves and people obsess over splitting/weakening Dublin then they need to look re-examine their priorities

Could you or John Costello tell us what it is that Dublins doing so differently to the rest of the counties?

[Milltown Row2]

Has any county approached Dublin and looked at at what they've done and implementing it in their own county?

John Costello has said on multiple occasions dubs are happy to show any county how they do things. I'd imagine the number of county boards who have taken up this offer is the same as the county boards who accepted Dublin's offer of assistance with their commercial activities - 0.

Wicklow are an exception in Leinster. They have started really good underage projects in Leinster, but they are starting off from a low base, but at least they have a plan/vision for the future.

If counties won't help themselves and people obsess over splitting/weakening Dublin then they need to look re-examine their priorities

Could you or John Costello tell us what it is that Dublins doing so differently to the rest of the counties?

Wining titles, playing great football tbf

[dublin7]

Has any county approached Dublin and looked at at what they've done and implementing it in their own county?

John Costello has said on multiple occasions dubs are happy to show any county how they do things. I'd imagine the number of county boards who have taken up this offer is the same as the county boards who accepted Dublin's offer of assistance with their commercial activities - 0.

Wicklow are an exception in Leinster. They have started really good underage projects in Leinster, but they are starting off from a low base, but at least they have a plan/vision for the future.

If counties won't help themselves and people obsess over splitting/weakening Dublin then they need to look re-examine their priorities

Could you or John Costello tell us what it is that Dublins doing so differently to the rest of the counties?

Wining titles, playing great football tbf

I thought the problem was the dubs were too good at what they do. Now you're saying they're not that good. Some people are born to moan

[dublin7]

Has any county approached Dublin and looked at at what they've done and implementing it in their own county?

John Costello has said on multiple occasions dubs are happy to show any county how they do things. I'd imagine the number of county boards who have taken up this offer is the same as the county boards who accepted Dublin's offer of assistance with their commercial activities - 0.

Wicklow are an exception in Leinster. They have started really good underage projects in Leinster, but they are starting off from a low base, but at least they have a plan/vision for the future.

If counties won't help themselves and people obsess over splitting/weakening Dublin then they need to look re-examine their priorities

All we need up in Tyrone is for Stormont to attract dozens of multinationals and have then set up tens of thousands of jobs in Omagh, maybe investing in even a single train station or other infrastructure, leading to a dramatic increase in the population.

Tyrone have their centre of excellence. That's a great starting base. How many other counties can compete with that?

[From the Bunker]

Do Dublin have a Centre of excellence?

[armaghniac]

If counties won't help themselves and people obsess over splitting/weakening Dublin then they need to look re-examine their priorities

Stop trying to divert, counties like Cavan, Monaghan, Mayo have helped themselves.

[MayoBuck]

Has any county approached Dublin and looked at at what they've done and implementing it in their own county?

John Costello has said on multiple occasions dubs are happy to show any county how they do things. I'd imagine the number of county boards who have taken up this offer is the same as the county boards who accepted Dublin's offer of assistance with their commercial activities - 0.

Wicklow are an exception in Leinster. They have started really good underage projects in Leinster, but they are starting off from a low base, but at least they have a plan/vision for the future.

If counties won't help themselves and people obsess over splitting/weakening Dublin then they need to look re-examine their priorities

Could you or John Costello tell us what it is that Dublins doing so differently to the rest of the counties?

Wining titles, playing great football tbf

I thought the problem was the dubs were too good at what they do. Now you're saying they're not that good. Some people are born to moan

Who's saying they're not that good?

[6th sam]

Has any county approached Dublin and looked at at what they've done and implementing it in their own county?

John Costello has said on multiple occasions dubs are happy to show any county how they do things. I'd imagine the number of county boards who have taken up this offer is the same as the county boards who accepted Dublin's offer of assistance with their commercial activities - 0.

Wicklow are an exception in Leinster. They have started really good underage projects in Leinster, but they are starting off from a low base, but at least they have a plan/vision for the future.

If counties won't help themselves and people obsess over splitting/weakening Dublin then they need to look re-examine their priorities

All we need up in Tyrone is for Stormont to attract dozens of multinationals and have then set up tens of thousands of jobs in Omagh, maybe investing in even a single train station or other infrastructure, leading to a dramatic increase in the population.

Tyrone have their centre of excellence. That's a great starting base. How many other counties can compete with that?

With respect dublin7 , can u suggest addressing the areas of bias / advantage towards Dublin in my previous email. Ironically this debate has got sidetracked because of the suggestion of splitting Dublin ( which I feel could bring the GAA in Dublin and overall to unparalleled success). I can understand why Dubliners don't want a split and I would say that it is at least 5 years off. Unfortunately for Dublin Their dominance has created a "them and us". Kerry had the same issue in the 80s. The population is viewed as the single biggest factor and it's an ever increasing advantage due to population growth in the capital. The only way of redressing that Imbalance is splitting Dublin. However , There would be so much anger , disruption and logistical challenges with this, that it is unlikely to happen soon. In the meantime however , Dublin could reverse the current  "them and us", by magnanimously working with the GaA in giving up all other unfair advantages. The following ultimately will develop the GAA as a whole and bring teams up to Dublin's level, thus quietening the clamour for splitting  Dublin:

Dublin will need to fund and maintain their own stadium and pay pro-rata for Croke Park in the meantime. To redress years of imbalance they should agree Away games for all championship fixtures until Ai semi-finals. Agreed portion of sponsorship funding sent to Croke park for distribution to other counties . Cap on county team budget ( allowing for travel ). Cap on player perks . Agree to dual provincial/NFL route to AI qualification. Help other counties learn from Dublin examples of best practice .
The big incentive for Dublin is that 1. All the above are equitable and takes away most of them accusations of unfairness . 2. If all the above occur it may be enough to raise standards and tighten the competition to an extent that we get back to pre-2011 when nobody was talking about splitting Dublin,

No genuine Dublin GAels would disagree with the above , because they know their current success is devalued , and genuine superstars aren't getting the credit they deserve.
If Dublin don't drive these changes quickly , they are signing their own death warrant , as non-Dub gaels will insist on splitting Dublin, if Dublin's other unfair advantages aren't addressed. If Dublin can do this and in addition , prove that Croke Park investment has improved GAA in Dublin and nationally , I feel that the goodwill created could save Dublin as a single county team.