Money from Rugby/soccer games not filtered through to clubs

[winsamsoon]

Lads hadn't really given much thought to this until it was raised at my own clubs AGM last weekend but a member of the crowd raised an issue to the county chairman asking where the money generated from the rugby and soccer internationals at croke went. He had it worked out as something in the region of £250,000 was to go to each county board. In this difficult time for clubs financially a cut of £7,000 would be a very welcome addition to any club. To date in Armagh this money hasn't been shared out (according to the county chairman) He had said that they went through a few different avenues of sharing the money out amongst the clubs but they all fell through and the money is still in the hands of the county board. This would include any money generated from all those games at croke, so not just this year. I started this thread because i would like to see what other counties have done with the money and also hear the views of other Armagh gaels on what they know about this issue.

[thewanderer]

Armagh co board must have swallowed it up in their expenses? certainly think it should be distributed to the clubs asap but a rumour has it that the money is to be diverted to gaa centre of exellence in each province. so no windfall for the clubs in these trying times.

[winsamsoon]

The original plan was to filter it out to the clubs in Armagh and other counties (words of the county chairman) and supposedly delegated down from croke park. In Armagh this didn't happen. Again the county chairman said they had preposed to provide each club in Armagh with a computer system, again this didn't materialise. He didn't say the money was swallowed up by expenses as far as he was aware the money was there. He did mention some centre of excellence but we have left it that our representatives would raise it at the county convention. I haven't heard the outcome yet. I was more interested to see had other counties distributed the money

[JUst retired]

winsamsoon. I was at the convention last night and the Co.Chairman never spoke on this money being allocated or not. It was the Co.tresuarer who answered a question on it, from a club delegate. He said the money had not been allocated from Croke park yet, but was still there in place to be allocated.Our representative on Central Council was asked to enquire about it.
Shows how people can get the wrong info and make it into a debate with out the facts.

[thewanderer]

Just win was talking about what was said at his own AGM when the co chair was present. Was it not stated by the treasurer about the money may be diverted to centre of exellence

[heffo]

The money is Dublin is going towards the new facilty in Rathcoole - I heard a few clubs query alright why the money wasn't going to them, but nobody proposed a motion at the County convention last night...so Rathcoole it is..

[winsamsoon]

winsamsoon. I was at the convention last night and the Co.Chairman never spoke on this money being allocated or not. It was the Co.tresuarer who answered a question on it, from a club delegate. He said the money had not been allocated from Croke park yet, but was still there in place to be allocated.Our representative on Central Council was asked to enquire about it.
Shows how people can get the wrong info and make it into a debate with out the facts.

You may have been at the convention Just but you clearly can't read. As The wanderer has stated i was talking about my club AGM (to which you wouldn't know the facts) The outgoing chairman said what i have already posted. So to date our county has received no fees from Dublin from the soccer or Rugby internationals (Is that the official line?)

[bingobus]

It Monaghan the Money went to the County Boards centre of excellence at Cloghan to further enhance its use ie new set of floodlights on one pitch since this money went to them. Clubs where invited to tender for it, at short notice, but when a few clubs had the cheek to submit expressions of interest, the county board recommended that the money would be best served in their own coffers despite the clubs having already give €500k for cloghan over a number of years in levies.

The plan was originally to give it to 1 club for a major project or give 10 clubs 25k each. In the end it disappeared into county funds. Was a disgrace and with the cull of the top table at last weeks convention, I would like to think this was a factor.

Croke park should have intervened as I think the Gaelic life paper revealed that 7 out of the 9 county boards in Ulster kept money for their own use rather than pass it to clubs.

[winsamsoon]

I thought this was the case Bingo bus ie the county boards had kept it for their own use to maybe fund other projects that they had went over budget on. We heard it from lad that was at the Armagh county convention and they claimed that Croke haven't sent the monies through yet. But here we have an example of the monaghan board receiving the funds and misusing them. There seems to be a lot of mystery surrounding the topic which makes me a tad suspicious. The money should have went to the clubs because it is really all they get out of the participation of soccer and rugby in Croke park. After all this was one of the selling points that was within the negotiations when voting on whether or not to let it into croker. There are very few clubs to my knowledge that have benefitted from the monies generated from these events, certainly the minority. Croke park should have intervened because it is a damned disgrace especially in such difficult times where some clubs are actually in danger of folding.

[cornafean]

But here we have an example of the monaghan board receiving the funds and misusing them. There seems to be a lot of mystery surrounding the topic which makes me a tad suspicious. The money should have went to the clubs because it is really all they get out of the participation of soccer and rugby in Croke park.

Although I know nothing about what goes on in GAA administration in Monaghan, this comment is very unfair to the Monaghan County Board.

Bingobus said that the plan in Monaghan was originally to give it to 1 club for a major project or give 10 clubs 25k each. I understand that this was in line with a Croke Park directive. I know that Croke Park did not want clubs to spend the money on day-to-day running costs, as the rugby/soccer income was a temporary stream of income that would only last a few years. Instead they wanted to spend it on capital projects but unfortunately when you divide €250,000 among 30/40/50/60+ clubs, the amount that each club would get would be too small in the context of a capital project to make much difference.

The idea of limiting the allocation to one club or 10 clubs per county was inherently unfair and it was not surprise that it was rejected in most if not all counties. 

[nrico2006]

I believe that something in the region of 30 million was made from the opening of Croker Park to the other sports.  Not sure if this was Euro or Sterling. A disgrace if all the clubs in the country didn't or won't receive some money. 

[winsamsoon]

But here we have an example of the monaghan board receiving the funds and misusing them. There seems to be a lot of mystery surrounding the topic which makes me a tad suspicious. The money should have went to the clubs because it is really all they get out of the participation of soccer and rugby in Croke park.

Although I know nothing about what goes on in GAA administration in Monaghan, this comment is very unfair to the Monaghan County Board.

Bingobus said that the plan in Monaghan was originally to give it to 1 club for a major project or give 10 clubs 25k each. I understand that this was in line with a Croke Park directive. I know that Croke Park did not want clubs to spend the money on day-to-day running costs, as the rugby/soccer income was a temporary stream of income that would only last a few years. Instead they wanted to spend it on capital projects but unfortunately when you divide €250,000 among 30/40/50/60+ clubs, the amount that each club would get would be too small in the context of a capital project to make much difference.

The idea of limiting the allocation to one club or 10 clubs per county was inherently unfair and it was not surprise that it was rejected in most if not all counties.

Cornafean i am aware of that directive about the ten clubs and i can understand how it was deemed unfair by county boards. I also don't want to criticise any county board outside of my own county because i really wouldn't be up to date on the ins and outs of other counties and in some cases not my own. However the fact still remains that no clubs in monaghan according to Bingo bus have received money that was sent out by Croke park for the clubs. The same has happened in Armagh, this is wrong . I also accept the point that Croke park didn't want to give it to clubs for day to day running as it would create a false sense in the finaces when it finally dissapears but i can tell you my own club could be doing with even a small share of the £250,000 for this year alone. £7,000 at this moment in time could work wonders for my club if not to just put it into the club it could be used to fund a major fund raising activity which we are currently looking to do.

[clareman]

In Clare, ten clubs are getting €25,000 each. 30 clubs applied for the ten grants and the county board haven't picked their ten yet.

[winsamsoon]

But this seems to be the criteria handed down by Croke Park and county boards have decided to do what they see best fit for it. I also think the sum of £250,000 was only the total for 2009 so where did the revenue generated for 2008 go ??

[Harold Disgracey]

Gene Duffy spoke about this at the county board meeting Peter McDonnell was appointed manager. He mentioned €30m being available over 3 years rising to €60m. Money was to go to each province for development of pitches/centres of excellence etc. Each county also to get €250k for strategic projects. He proposed the following for Armagh:
1. Defibrillators & training to be provided to each club - those who already have one to be reimbursed.
2. Laptops/computers to be provided to every club - to improve communication.
3. Buy into the new multi-sports development at St Pats, Armagh.