Colm O'Rourke vs. the GPA

[Captain Scarlet]

In terms of O'Rourke I think he picked the wrong examples of to highlight what the GPA should and shouldn't be about. If they can promote mental health and addiction then fair play to them.
He is right in terms of they should really push on the demands on inter-county players which surely must go hand in hand with some of their personal issues. Players nowadays are isolated from socialising and other normal things for most of the year. That's hardly a good thing.
Then on top of this there are pressures to perform and fear of failure. They stem from demanding county managers, who will NEVER be criticised or mentioned by the GPA.
A huge overhaul is needed in terms of fixtures but for now wouldn't it be nice if things that are already in place were adhered to...the training ban is flouted and not once will anyone get called out on it. The GPA are the self-appointed watchdogs for the players so they need to make noise on such issues.
Also I see Paul Flynn coming out highlighting the good work. Paul Flynn of the GPA, of DCU scholarships, of the Dubs. Just doesn't really help the case when critics say it's an elitist organisation.

*By the way I am not against the GPA but I'd like more transparency and more bite in what they are doing*

[AZOffaly]

In fairness Paul Flynn has just been elected an officer of the GPA, their secretary, so it's understandable he'd be out refuting the claims.

[Captain Scarlet]

Oh I know AZ, but it doesn't help against that criticism. A lad from a smaller county arguing their case might have been an option. Conversely though his profile is needed. I was playing devil's advocate there a bit.

[Beffs]

Paul Flynn got one of the GPA's scholarships, so he's hardly an unbiased observer on their activities.

Take a 19/20 year old lad from Longford/Tipp/Monaghan. Your family has a pub/Centra shop/farm that you work in now and, will probably take over some day. So the GPA's 20 odd scholarships (usually a Bsc in Sports Science, or a Masters in Finance in DCU) are of zero use to you. And even if they were, your family couldn't afford student accommodation in Dublin for 4 years, as you are one of 6 kids.

You are being pulled between your club and your inter county U21 and Senior teams. Your club can't set a schedule for the year, due to the inter county managers demands. You can't even plan a 2 week break in Benidorm & your older brother can't plan his wedding. When you broke into the Senior set up, you trained for 9 months of the year & lived like a monk for 9 months of the year, but you only had 2 actual games last year.

You can't go out and socialize with your mates and have the odd pint to blow off steam, because you'd get dropped off the panel if you did. You are only 20, but you have nagging pains in your knee and hip, from all the over training and excessive demands on your still developing body. Surgery for both, is on the horizon soon.

Take that lad and the thousands just like him, all over the country. Ask him what he feels the GPA contributes to the running of his sport? I'd say it would be a damm sight different to what the GPA mouth pieces in their cushy offices in Dublin say.

[heffo]

the GPA mouth pieces in their cushy offices in Dublin say.

Or as Reillers used to say 'the suits above in Croke Park"!!

[manfromdelmonte]

How many lads from Carlow, Longford, Leitrim etc are involved in the GPA or benefit from their scholarships?

[AZOffaly]

Lads, I'm far from a GPA defender, but it's not true to say they are not benefitting inter county players all over the country. Granted, the bigger counties might be getting more out of it, but the GPA has forced the GAA to at least look after some basic stuff for Inter County Players.

[AZOffaly]

This is my first Google search result from 2013

Leitrim footballer Rob Lowe and former Fermanagh player Chris Breen have been granted GPA/DCU scholarship places on the Executive MBA Programme in DCU, widely recognised as the degree of choice for rising executives with ambitions to become leaders in the business world.

Kilkenny's Richie Hogan and Roscommon's David Keenan have also been awarded scholarships to complete Masters programmes in Business Management and Finance respectively, marking the first year in which the GPA/DCU Business School partnership has offered scholarships for postgraduate studies. All-Ireland finalist Rob Hennelly (Mayo) also received a full GPA scholarship for his Masters in Digital Marketing.

Lowe and Breen will bring to nine the tally of GAA players who have benefitted from the scholarship programme over the last four years. They will join current GPA/DCU Business School MBA scholars and All-Ireland medal winners, Denis Bastick (Dublin) and Jason Sherlock (Dublin) in undertaking a two-year, part-time MBA programme. Previous scholarship recipients include Patrick Quinn (Sligo), Michael Martin (Louth), Justin McNulty (Laois) and Colin Moran (Dublin).

[ck]

Well said Colm O'Rourke. Just saying what most of the country are thinking!

[Beffs]

Lads, I'm far from a GPA defender, but it's not true to say they are not benefitting inter county players all over the country. Granted, the bigger counties might be getting more out of it, but the GPA has forced the GAA to at least look after some basic stuff for Inter County Players.

No one is denying that the GPA have done some good in the past, whether it is making sure that players now get proper meals after training and their expenses sorted properly. Ditto helping them out if they have a gambling/mental health issue. But that is no excuse for them to stand still and do nothing to address the important issues that affect the vast majority of players NOW....fixture chaos, player burn out, the excessive demands made by managers etc etc

Doling out a few scholarships, or assisting someone who feels suicidal is great work. No one is denying that. But that affects what percentage of the playing population....5%, 10%? I'd say it is even less than that. Their main focus should be on the things that affect the day to day playing lives of the majority of their members & not on a small %.

That is the problem that a lot of people have with the organization. When the GPA reps deflect all criticisms away from their organisation & keep on banging on about the good work that they do, as if that is the be all and the end all of their existence, it just shows how much they are missing the point. It also shows how utterly clueless they are about what their grass roots members and the general public think about them.

[AZOffaly]

Lads, I'm far from a GPA defender, but it's not true to say they are not benefitting inter county players all over the country. Granted, the bigger counties might be getting more out of it, but the GPA has forced the GAA to at least look after some basic stuff for Inter County Players.

No one is denying that the GPA have done some good in the past, whether it is making sure that players now get proper meals after training and their expenses sorted properly. Ditto helping them out if they have a gambling/mental health issue. But that is no excuse for them to stand still and do nothing to address the important issues that the vast majority of players NOW....fixture chaos, player burn out, the excessive demands made by managers etc etc

Doling out a few scholarships, or assisting someone who feels suicidal is great work, no one is denying that. But that affects what percentage of the playing population....5%, 10%? I'd say it is even less than that. Their main focus should be on the things that affect the day to day playing lives of the majority of their members & not on a small %.

That is the problem that a lot of people have with the organization. When the GPA reps deflect all criticisms away from their organisation & keep on banging on about the good work that they do, as if that is the be all and the end all of their existence, it just shows how much they are missing the point. It also shows how utterly clueless they are about what their grass roots members and the general public think about them.

Yeah, agree with a lot of that. I just don't think it helps when we just pretend they've done nothing. Not you, per se, but it is something I've heard a few times. I do agree the biggest player welfare issue is this issue about the demands on an inter county player. So they should make that their biggest topic.

[manfromdelmonte]

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/shane-curran-blast-for-elite-gpa-as-players-left-without-voice-377634.html

Former Roscommon goalkeeper Shane Curran claims the GPA has left inter-county players "without a voice" and is compromised by GAA funding.

[Rossfan]

He offered no idea or opinion on how to improve anything.
Just another series of moans.
He runs down the latest Championship proposal but then says a lot of Counties shouldn't be in the Championship.
He'd remind you of a politician

[Hardy]

I would love Curran's campaign against the GPA to take off and that he'd start demanding a meeting with the GPA and they'd keep refusing. Then I could post, "Let them meet Cake".

[rrhf]

I'd say cakes not far off the mark.  The Young Turks at the gaa took the soup and have moved from being an aggressive force for change to being a highly expensive prize poodle.