GPA's latest scam

[Rossfan]

We'll all be ruined says Hanrahan.....

[Zulu]

The whole thing is going to fragment with the intercounty game (GPA) going one way and the rest (GAA) going another. The top players will be snapped up for the formerly county teams (there will be 10-15 franchises in each code, less in hurling I'd say) and officially paid (as opposed to the makey uppy "extra expenses" sham that is in place at present) and the club scene will probably benefit from having more weekend to play games. I'm reconciled to it. It will be sad to lose the best players from your club but there will be some benefits for clubs.

Fantasy, pure fantasy but that's common for doomsday prophets of all ilks, ignore realities while grimly sticking to your barn pot predictions of future Armageddon.

Zulu's response is typical of the GPA outlook. Force people to only play one grade. Abandon tradition. This is (supposedly) an amateur organisation run by volunteers. As for developing internationally interesting that anyone over 12 is deemed a lost case. I suspect this interest in developing overseas is again all about developing elite talent only to help the pro game that has always been the GPA's end game.

Jesus wept give me patience!!! I've argued players to stick to one grade at IC level to create more games for club players while decreasing the demands on overburdened young IC standard players. How you've managed to twist that into a pro GPA agenda I'll never know.

My point about focusing on young kids internationally is simply about improving retention rates and the quality of player being produced internationally, you know a bit like in Ireland. I'm heavily involved in developing the GAA in Britain so I know a thing or two about what's needed and for you to spout such uneducated codollogy as some version of the facts is quite pathetic.

Your post could be summed up in two words- utter shite.

[magpie seanie]

Very mature Zulu, as per usual.

I am confident that my prediction will not be very far off the mark. While there are aspects I don't like about it overall it would be better than what exists at the moment where clubs and GAA people are being bled dry in counties like my own to put in place intercounty setups and backroom teams that you "must" have in order to compete. Spending 3-400k+ on a group of 30 lads is ridiculous and scandalous for a county like mine. It's completely and utterly unsustainable and thats the main reason that things will change. Clubs can't keep financing the professionals elite and doing thier own job of spreading the gospel and developing their facilities as well and I see plently of signs around that they won't.

[Zulu]

Very mature Zulu, as per usual.

What's that supposed to mean?? You think you can come on here and tell me what I'm thinking and twist my words into your paranoid version of the world where everything is a GPA plan for domination. Back up your previous post or stop talking rubbish.

I am confident that my prediction will not be very far off the mark. While there are aspects I don't like about it overall it would be better than what exists at the moment where clubs and GAA people are being bled dry in counties like my own to put in place intercounty setups and backroom teams that you "must" have in order to compete. Spending 3-400k+ on a group of 30 lads is ridiculous and scandalous for a county like mine. It's completely and utterly unsustainable and thats the main reason that things will change. Clubs can't keep financing the professionals elite and doing thier own job of spreading the gospel and developing their facilities as well and I see plently of signs around that they won't.

That's all good a well but it doesn't address how a professional game would actually survive. It can't so it won't happen and those of us living in the real world know that.

[DuffleKing]

This thread is a laugh.
4 legs good, 2 legs bad.4 legs good, 2 legs bad...

[AZOffaly]

Very mature Zulu, as per usual.

What's that supposed to mean?? You think you can come on here and tell me what I'm thinking and twist my words into your paranoid version of the world where everything is a GPA plan for domination. Back up your previous post or stop talking rubbish.

I am confident that my prediction will not be very far off the mark. While there are aspects I don't like about it overall it would be better than what exists at the moment where clubs and GAA people are being bled dry in counties like my own to put in place intercounty setups and backroom teams that you "must" have in order to compete. Spending 3-400k+ on a group of 30 lads is ridiculous and scandalous for a county like mine. It's completely and utterly unsustainable and thats the main reason that things will change. Clubs can't keep financing the professionals elite and doing thier own job of spreading the gospel and developing their facilities as well and I see plently of signs around that they won't.

That's all good a well but it doesn't address how a professional game would actually survive. It can't so it won't happen and those of us living in the real world know that.

Maybe the difference here is there are those who would like to see professionalism at inter county level, but realise that as of now that is a pipedream. I do believe the GPA, by and large, fall into that camp.

Others, including myself, would never like to see a professional GAA, regardless of the financial viability. It goes against a lot of what I believe the GAA to be about.

In short, one camp seem to have an idealistic opposition to any moves in that direction, while the other recognise it's not practical at the moment.

One thing I will say is that the GPA are clearly adept at positioning and marketing themselves (and I use that word deliberately) and will be in a strong position should any monies need to find a home. They are far better at promoting themselves and their initiatives and ideas than the GAA are at promoting the core ideals of the association and at protecting the vast, vast majority of their playing members.

[AZOffaly]

PS, I should say that I don't think any less of GPA members because of what I believe their preference to be, I just disagree with it. And if I were currently in their shoes, my opinion might be different entirely, and I might well be pointing at huge per annum attendences and asking where's my compensation for all the hard work. I see their point.

I just wish we had a club players GPA as well. The Ying to their Yang.

[Bingo]

PS, I should say that I don't think any less of GPA members because of what I believe their preference to be, I just disagree with it. And if I were currently in their shoes, my opinion might be different entirely, and I might well be pointing at huge per annum attendences and asking where's my compensation for all the hard work. I see their point.

I just wish we had a club players GPA as well. The Ying to their Yang.

The GPA can talk about welfare all day long but it has been exposed as a sham from their silence over the recent club championship fixture mess. Its not even as if this isn't affecting their members but it seems when they have to put on a club jersey they wash their hands of them.

In fairness they did make some noise about players missing the chance to market themselves pull on the Irish jersey rather than play club fixtures.

[AZOffaly]

As has been mentioned, the player welfare they are concerned with is inter county player welfare. And if that is their mandate then fair enough but, as I said earlier, who is looking after the club player welfare?

[Bingo]

As has been mentioned, the player welfare they are concerned with is inter county player welfare. And if that is their mandate then fair enough but, as I said earlier, who is looking after the club player welfare?

But isn't a county player also a club player? 8 of the Clare All-ireland Winning hurling squad have had to play two football championship matches within 24 hours of each other.

Surely they have a duty to these players when they go back to their clubs? Are they purposedly allowing this to happen so that the Intercounty game has a stronger case for players abandoning club games eg players are ok and well looked after at Intercounty level but they can't then go and play club games as its bad for them?

[AZOffaly]

I can't speak for them, obviously, so I don't know their motivations for sure.

[Bingo]

I can't speak for them, obviously, so I don't know their motivations for sure.

Dam it, just make it up then 

[Rossfan]

I can't speak for them, obviously, so I don't know their motivations for sure.

Dam it, just make it up then 

There are enough at that already 

[Zulu]

Maybe the difference here is there are those who would like to see professionalism at inter county level, but realise that as of now that is a pipedream. I do believe the GPA, by and large, fall into that camp.

Others, including myself, would never like to see a professional GAA, regardless of the financial viability. It goes against a lot of what I believe the GAA to be about.

In short, one camp seem to have an idealistic opposition to any moves in that direction, while the other recognise it's not practical at the moment.

I fall into neither category and I'm sure I'm not alone but what gets my goat up is the anti-GPA crowd trying to find something negative about the GPA in everything, look at MS's post for a classic example of this. Anti-GPA folk could be right about the GPA and its agenda but it's boring and annoying when some of them fall over themselves to see what they want to see in any GPA statement or initiative.

One thing I will say is that the GPA are clearly adept at positioning and marketing themselves (and I use that word deliberately) and will be in a strong position should any monies need to find a home. They are far better at promoting themselves and their initiatives and ideas than the GAA are at promoting the core ideals of the association and at protecting the vast, vast majority of their playing members.

The GAA have been failing in this for years (both club and IC level), in fact that's part of the reason the GPA exists.

[Zulu]

PS, I should say that I don't think any less of GPA members because of what I believe their preference to be, I just disagree with it. And if I were currently in their shoes, my opinion might be different entirely, and I might well be pointing at huge per annum attendences and asking where's my compensation for all the hard work. I see their point.

I just wish we had a club players GPA as well. The Ying to their Yang.

The GPA can talk about welfare all day long but it has been exposed as a sham from their silence over the recent club championship fixture mess. Its not even as if this isn't affecting their members but it seems when they have to put on a club jersey they wash their hands of them.

In fairness they did make some noise about players missing the chance to market themselves pull on the Irish jersey rather than play club fixtures.

Nonsense, the GPA don't represent the clubs but I'll tell you who do, the CB's and the GAA. If you want a bad guy it's them. The clubs of Donegal voted to abandon their own season, CB's voted to reintroduce replays for the early rounds of the IC championship (against the wishes of Croke Park) and there's a thousand other examples.