Colm O'Rourke vs. the GPA

[JoG2]

its just another golden circle in the land of golden circles

[Michael Schmeichal]

It's well known that Brolly won't accept cash for club events even though he does them nearly every single week.

Maybe so but I seriously doubt the suggestions made here that Brolly donates his RTE money to charity. I think he would have mentioned it in the article if he did. While he seems to be a charitable soul he also likes to advertise the fact as the article proves. 

[Rossfan]

I think a lot of the criticism of the GPA is down to pure begrudgery. They're getting something that I don't get, didn't get, missed out on, etc, etc.

Summed up in one of Joe's conclusions towards the end of his column:

This drift towards capitalism and the creation of an elite game has resulted in the club members and club players which make up 99.9% of the GAA being screwed

Which is absolute nonsense!

Club games have been messed about in every county for at least 40 years. Sometimes because the intercounty team have done very well and/or the county board bend over backwards at every request by the intercounty manager, and more often because of incompetence in fixture scheduling. But whether the GPA existed or didnt, would have absolutely no impact on the club player or member or fixtures, etc.

The GPA is irrelevant to the "ordinary" club player or member. For me as an ordinary club member and trainer of an underage team, the fact that intercounty players are generally getting (even) better looked after now and making a few bob from endorsements doesn't benefit me one iota. But it doesn't cost me anything either, so I said Good Luck to them. But for others, it just seems to sicken their hole. And those begrudgers are great at making plenty of noise.

Hound - you're breaking another of the golden rules of the GAAboard - You must at all times criticise the GPA and automatically oppose anything they say or do 

[theskull1]

Maybe so but I seriously doubt the suggestions made here that Brolly donates his RTE money to charity. I think he would have mentioned it in the article if he did. While he seems to be a charitable soul he also likes to advertise the fact as the article proves.

Some personality types wouldn't feel the need to bumm and blow about it.

[muppet]

Maybe so but I seriously doubt the suggestions made here that Brolly donates his RTE money to charity. I think he would have mentioned it in the article if he did. While he seems to be a charitable soul he also likes to advertise the fact as the article proves.

Some personality types wouldn't feel the need to bumm and blow about it.

Earning money and choosing to donate it is not the same thing as amateurism.

[Eamonnca1]

Damned if I know why we're talking about Brolly's personal finances. It's got no bearing on the validity or otherwise of the points he makes.

I can't believe we're questioning the altruistic credentials of the man who donated an organ.

[lynchbhoy]

Agree Eamonn. This is not about brolly.

This is about the
-lack of transparency on GPA finance and operations,
-lack of info on GPA projects and results,
-lack of transparency on the GPA awards - and scholarships plus the recipients and award criteria/reasons ( although for players it seems ex players are scholarship recipients also - leading to suggestions of 'jobs for the boys/clique')

The GPA stands for intercounty players, those that are members.

As we have learned from successive governments in this country and the jobs for the boys methods they employ- we need to have transparency to ensure there is no corrupt practices and in doing so eradicate most begrudgery!

[sligoman2]

Do we have transparency on the gaa's finances?

[rrhf]

George Orwell is alive and well.

[lynchbhoy]

George Orwell is alive and well.

All star nominee ??

[twohands!!!]

Agree Eamonn. This is not about brolly.

This is about the
-lack of transparency on GPA finance and operations,
-lack of info on GPA projects and results,
-lack of transparency on the GPA awards - and scholarships plus the recipients and award criteria/reasons ( although for players it seems ex players are scholarship recipients also - leading to suggestions of 'jobs for the boys/clique')

The GPA stands for intercounty players, those that are members.

As we have learned from successive governments in this country and the jobs for the boys methods they employ- we need to have transparency to ensure there is no corrupt practices and in doing so eradicate most begrudgery!

Exactly - I don't have any real issue with the GPA looking after intercounty players (I'd prefer if they were doing something about all players) but the fact that there is such a complete lack of transparency about their operations when there is stories about annual junkets to New York is a massive worry.

We've seen in the Irish charity sector folk who have no problem paying themselves ridiculous salaries - it would be a shame if the GAA became infected with the same sort of mindset

There's no mention of any financial records anywhere on the GPA site.

[johnneycool]

A change of mind for Donal Óg, maybe because he's happy with his lot now!

From Hoganstand;

Cusack no longer in favour of professionalism
06 November 2014

Donal Og Cusack on the set of The Sunday Game

GPA chairman Donal Og Cusack is glad the GAA hasn't turned professional.

Whereas he once favoured a professional game, the former Cork hurling goalkeeper says his views on the matter have changed with the passing of time. Cusack was speaking at a discussion on 'Amateur Ethos in a Professional Game' at the 2014 Web Summit in the RDS yesterday.

"When I was a younger man, 19, 20, I would have loved to have been paid for playing my game," he admitted.

"But the more I went through the career, and now when I'm looking back, I'm happy I wasn't a professional. I think it's actually a more wholesome model that we have in the Association.

"The danger with it for me — and it was interesting to hear experienced commentators this week in Ireland speaking about the inevitability about the game going professional which I would disagree with — and the concern I would have is you take a young kid form Dublin, Monaghan, Cork or wherever, and you put him into a professional set-up, we all know that the lifespan of professional people is shortening, it's the same in our games.

"He'd maybe make a full-time salary out of it but then when he gets injured or is finished playing or is no more good to the team he's playing with, he's dropped back out of that system and hasn't had the life experience that the current inter-county player gets."

Instead of embracing professionalism, Cusack feels the GAA should concentrate on guiding players in their work careers.

"I think there's a huge benefit to the Association in that if players are watching the dual career model, they'll go back into their communities, back in to their clubs, stronger, more rounded people," he continued.

"That's good for the Association and I'd suggest good for the country as well."

[Zulu]

And there's the problem with the discussion on this board, it doesn't matter what the GPA do or say some will find a problem with it even when their objection stretches logic well beyond breaking point.

[Rossfan]

And there's the problem with the discussion on this board, it doesn't matter what the GPA do or say some will find a problem with it even when their objection stretches logic well beyond breaking point.

See my piece at top of page about the GAABoard Golden Rule
Rule 1(a)(ii) - Donal Og Cusack is to be castigated at every opportunity and doubly so if he says anything we agree with.

[BennyHarp]

And there's the problem with the discussion on this board, it doesn't matter what the GPA do or say some will find a problem with it even when their objection stretches logic well beyond breaking point.

Just out of interest and because I dont want to read back through the whole thread, but which objections did people raise stretch logic beyond breaking point?