Money, Dublin and the GAA

[Rossfan]

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-40222085.html

[6th sam]

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-40222085.html

Brilliantly simple article , from a honest GAA man with a business head.
My problem is not with Dublin , it's with the GAA continuing to allow Dublin to have grossly unfair advantages.
Conway has focussed on population advantage but several other advantages , here's a top 10 fir starters :
1. The weighted provincial system minor u20 senior
2. Success breeds success, PR wise and belief wise
3. Access to best, most glamorous stadium
4. Accessibility to expertise( sporting and business)in the capital
5. Accessible best resources: abbotstown, universities.
6. Power base at top of GAA: Croke, Leinster , GPA
7. Attraction to team sponsors: market share, location in capital, winners
8. Player sponsorship deals
9. Player career development/business  opportunities
10. Player retention easier due to all above

[Rossfan]

Solutions?
1 Break up the monster
2 Create a number of Monsters
3 Whisper it....County players go quasi pro during the 6 or 7 month County season....work 3 days, GAA makes up their loss of earnings the other 2 as they train/prepare.

1 The most obvious. Dublin becomes a GAA Province with 4 County Boards.
2 Would anyone support a "North Leinster" or "West Ulster"? Kerry's Regional teams and Cork's Divisional teams seem to work well and attract support.
3 No! But probably inevitable if 1 or 2 doesn't happen.

[TheGreatest]

 

Amalgamations . . . . . . . . .. . . . That is the only solution, if you think it is a problem...

[Angelo]

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-40222085.html

Brilliantly simple article , from a honest GAA man with a business head.
My problem is not with Dublin , it's with the GAA continuing to allow Dublin to have grossly unfair advantages.
Conway has focussed on population advantage but several other advantages , here's a top 10 fir starters :
1. The weighted provincial system minor u20 senior
2. Success breeds success, PR wise and belief wise
3. Access to best, most glamorous stadium
4. Accessibility to expertise( sporting and business)in the capital
5. Accessible best resources: abbotstown, universities.
6. Power base at top of GAA: Croke, Leinster , GPA
7. Attraction to team sponsors: market share, location in capital, winners
8. Player sponsorship deals
9. Player career development/business  opportunities
10. Player retention easier due to all above

Shh the Dubs don't want to talk about that.

[TheGreatest]

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-40222085.html

Brilliantly simple article , from a honest GAA man with a business head.
My problem is not with Dublin , it's with the GAA continuing to allow Dublin to have grossly unfair advantages.
Conway has focussed on population advantage but several other advantages , here's a top 10 fir starters :
1. The weighted provincial system minor u20 senior
2. Success breeds success, PR wise and belief wise
3. Access to best, most glamorous stadium
4. Accessibility to expertise( sporting and business)in the capital
5. Accessible best resources: abbotstown, universities.
6. Power base at top of GAA: Croke, Leinster , GPA
7. Attraction to team sponsors: market share, location in capital, winners
8. Player sponsorship deals
9. Player career development/business  opportunities
10. Player retention easier due to all above

Just kick Dublin out of the All ireland football championship, But not the hurling, or underage..... we just dont like to seem them winning. We want the days back in the noughties when we can laugh at them on the InTeRnEt


1. The weighted provincial system minor u20 senior - GAA issue, which other county boards support
2. Success breeds success, PR wise and belief wise - Agree
3. Access to best, most glamorous stadium - If you believe that, was never a problem pre 2011, but now it is. Agree most games should be neutral grounds.
4. Accessibility to expertise( sporting and business)in the capital - True, Not used though.
5. Accessible best resources: abbotstown, universities. Dont use Abbotstown, move GYM to Parnell park, Training pitch is innis fails in Kinsealy on the slanty pitch and cold showers.
6. Power base at top of GAA: Croke, Leinster , GPA - Recentley, Horan on way out, Flynn gone.
7. Attraction to team sponsors: market share, location in capital, winners - Agree
8. Player sponsorship deals - A handful, no more or less than Kerry, Mayo....
9. Player career development/business  opportunities - Agree, always been the case, but is it not the case in Kerry or Tyrone? would they see a player out of work. . . . . . Wake up
10. Player retention easier due to all above - Would need to see analysis and figures over the last 30 years, is this senior intercounty football only or across the board?.

Happy to discuss. A lot of the above is nothing new.

Offer real solutions, splitting Dublin is not a solution, its a cop out and would destroy Dublin GAA and perhaps the larger GAA as is for many reasons.
Finance, take away all the sponsorship deals you want, don't go after funding for underage though and children and Schools, another cop out.

I like the idea myself of amalgamations, lets explore this option. It works in Kerry. 

[Louther]

I often think the perfect solution for Intercounty season is one that's sitting right under its nose - the clubs structure of Senior/Intermediate/Junior.

Earn your right to play at the top level. Play the provincials as a stand-alone competition.

Not ideal maybe but current structure isn't working. Attendances falling  all the time and been masked by Super 8s which haven't worked. Competitiveness isn't getting any better in Leinster.

From Dublins point of view, they just need to be challenged more often by teams who want to have a go at them, at home or on the road. If they had to play Division 1 teams more often as main competition in the All Ireland, they'd be tested and weaknesses would appear. At present they aim to peak when others are really competing.

At present the structure is a Hydrid of everything - a knockout with a back door to qualify for a league competition that returns to a knockout. I don't team any other team sport would have such a structure as it's main competition.

Lot of tweaking to be done to S/I/J structure but really need to decide a structure, commit to it for 10 years and play it. Every year a massive debate on change and it's not healthy as gives false hope that a change will come to allow teams make strides rather than them knowing with certainty what is ahead and strategically set about it.

[Rossfan]

There are many changes could be made to competition structures BUT Dublin will still have 1.4m people and 39,000 players.
It's like having Manchester City in the Irish Soccer league.

[five points]

I often think the perfect solution for Intercounty season is one that's sitting right under its nose - the clubs structure of Senior/Intermediate/Junior.

Earn your right to play at the top level. Play the provincials as a stand-alone competition.

Not ideal maybe but current structure isn't working. Attendances falling  all the time and been masked by Super 8s which haven't worked. Competitiveness isn't getting any better in Leinster.

Offer real solutions, splitting Dublin is not a solution, its a cop out and would destroy Dublin GAA and perhaps the larger GAA as is for many reasons.
Finance, take away all the sponsorship deals you want, don't go after funding for underage though and children and Schools, another cop out.

I like the idea myself of amalgamations, lets explore this option. It works in Kerry.

Common denominator here. Leave Dublin alone but twist, bend and break the weaker counties.

Am I missing something?

[Angelo]

I often think the perfect solution for Intercounty season is one that's sitting right under its nose - the clubs structure of Senior/Intermediate/Junior.

Earn your right to play at the top level. Play the provincials as a stand-alone competition.

Not ideal maybe but current structure isn't working. Attendances falling  all the time and been masked by Super 8s which haven't worked. Competitiveness isn't getting any better in Leinster.

Offer real solutions, splitting Dublin is not a solution, its a cop out and would destroy Dublin GAA and perhaps the larger GAA as is for many reasons.
Finance, take away all the sponsorship deals you want, don't go after funding for underage though and children and Schools, another cop out.

I like the idea myself of amalgamations, lets explore this option. It works in Kerry.

Common denominator here. Leave Dublin alone but twist, bend and break the weaker counties.

Am I missing something?

Louther is an alias of dublin7 so no surprise there.

[Louther]

Amalgamations would be nuclear option at county level. The game be gone beyond repair at that stage plus I don't think a combination of counties would yield a challenge to Dublin.

Breaking Dublin an option to say a clear North and South of the Liffey but I think that if counties can find their level and build success up from there, they will get a platform to perform at higher level.

Many counties have not won All Ireland nor won their provincials in a long time ( Joe Sheridan ), so there always been weaker and stronger counties, at present the issue is the outlook where it's clear Dublin have structures in place that will see them at top table for long time. I don't think the immediate change should be that Carlow or Louth earn chance to compete with them next year, make it the case that Kerry/Tyrone/Mayo/ Galway etc challenge them. Let Louth build up to them.

And we see the penny dropping in many counties that resources need to go round the county and not into current senior panels solely. Counties making attends to bring the development squad structures from minor to u20 panels and continuing the work to get players senior ready. Meath one county that seem clear to go down this path, Down another. Others already this place.

The major advantages Dublin have is their club structures and this where numbers and resources come into plan. They have serious structures in place whereby clubs are effectively doing the work of what county development squads are doing. They have numbers coming in at primary school level helped via the GPOs, coaching these, taking them through into the club set up, having range of teams to focus on the best players, develop these players at high level with full time coaching structure such as S&C and then taking the very best through. All the time allowing players play in teams and leagues at their own level. They can offer highly competitive competition at one end and regular games for those below this level. All under the club umbrella and generally at single age group per player. The development squads then can focus on playing and the high level performance. 

Most counties end up pulling quality players between development squads and various age groups to play games and field teams.

[Louther]

Also the new age structures will only play into hands of Dublin. Their club leagues will be able to allow for u19 or u20 club teams in a competitive league. I struggle to see any other counties managing to put u19 or u20 competitions in a meaningful and structured competition on annual basis. Dublins playing numbers will allow this.
Clubs are going to struggle to keep lads out of u17s playing football even those with some potential, the jump too great.

[TheGreatest]

I often think the perfect solution for Intercounty season is one that's sitting right under its nose - the clubs structure of Senior/Intermediate/Junior.

Earn your right to play at the top level. Play the provincials as a stand-alone competition.

Not ideal maybe but current structure isn't working. Attendances falling  all the time and been masked by Super 8s which haven't worked. Competitiveness isn't getting any better in Leinster.

Offer real solutions, splitting Dublin is not a solution, its a cop out and would destroy Dublin GAA and perhaps the larger GAA as is for many reasons.
Finance, take away all the sponsorship deals you want, don't go after funding for underage though and children and Schools, another cop out.

I like the idea myself of amalgamations, lets explore this option. It works in Kerry.

Common denominator here. Leave Dublin alone but twist, bend and break the weaker counties.

Am I missing something?

Why split Dublin or in other words punish Dublin? Oh the population argument, 1.4 million males between the ages of 18-35 who play Gaelic footfall and senior club football.

When the inevitable happens with certain counties exiting the provisional and all Ireland championship, why not give them another bite of the cherry as a regional team? Gives some players a chance to enter the fray late into the championship and complete at the Q/F S/F and final stage. Similar to the Kerry model.

And no I'm not Pat Gilroy.

[TheGreatest]

There are many changes could be made to competition structures BUT Dublin will still have 1.4m people and 39,000 players.
It's like having Manchester City in the Irish Soccer league.

[five points]

Common denominator here. Leave Dublin alone but twist, bend and break the weaker counties.

Am I missing something?

Why split Dublin or in other words punish Dublin? Oh the population argument, 1.4 million males between the ages of 18-35 who play Gaelic footfall and senior club football.

When the inevitable happens with certain counties exiting the provisional and all Ireland championship, why not give them another bite of the cherry as a regional team? Gives some players a chance to enter the fray late into the championship and complete at the Q/F S/F and final stage. Similar to the Kerry model.

And no I'm not Pat Gilroy.

Because when you find yourself anywhere with a structural problem caused by the dominance of one entity in a group of 32, it makes more sense to address the problem by making changes to that entity than to the other 31.