Gaelic players announce media ban

[AZOffaly]

Can I just ask what people think of the idea of bringing the GPA formally into the GPA (as opposed to 'recognising' them as an outside body)? I wouldn't have a problem with that, and they could lobby from inside to improve the players' lot. Given that they are not for professionalism or pay for play, there should not be a huge idealogical obstacle. (I'm taking them at their word there). It makes all the sense in the world to me, all things being equal, to have a body in the GAA aggressively looking after the players (all players) interests, while at the same time adhering to the GAA's ethos.

Better to have them in the tent pissing out I'd say.

[orangeman]

Can I just ask what people think of the idea of bringing the GPA formally into the GPA (as opposed to 'recognising' them as an outside body)? I wouldn't have a problem with that, and they could lobby from inside to improve the players' lot. Given that they are not for professionalism or pay for play, there should not be a huge idealogical obstacle. (I'm taking them at their word there). It makes all the sense in the world to me, all things being equal, to have a body in the GAA aggressively looking after the players (all players) interests, while at the same time adhering to the GAA's ethos.

Better to have them in the tent pissing out I'd say.

By all means, bring them in. Then and only then can they be made accountable. The idea of them running their own company charging players membership fees, negotiating sponsorship deals in competition to the main body of the GAA is lunacy.

I've said it for a long time now - Dessie wants to model himself and the GPA like Grath Crooks and the Professional Footballers Association. Dessie doesn't give two hoots about the Kildare hurlers. It's all about the elite and what they can get out of them in terms of commercial opportunities.


So that being the case, the GPA as it is now, will never allow themselves to be under the control / direction of Croke Park. They want to be out on a limb but financed by the GAA.


Great business if you can get it.


I think Dessie has bit off more than he can chew here but fair play to him for trying it.

[AZOffaly]

Leaving aside our feelings on what Dessie, and the rest of the GPA, have as their real agenda, surely it makes sense for the GAA to offer to bring them onside. If they refuse the offer, then you'd have to get at least a little suspicious of their motives. I have my own concerns over what they are ultimately about, but they have publicly, at least, denied that. So you can either call them liars or test the waters with them. I'm not a believer that going down the adversarial route is a good use of time and resources unless you absolutely have to, so why not welcome the players body into the structures of the GAA. Make them a committee that is financed like any other, and make them responsible for dealing with player issues, top to bottom. Player Burnout, Player Health, Players Equipment, etc etc. Some initiatives will obviously be focussed more on county players, but at least if you make them responsible for all players, top to bottom, they will have a lobby group that makes a difference to ALL players.

[orangeman]

Leaving aside our feelings on what Dessie, and the rest of the GPA, have as their real agenda, surely it makes sense for the GAA to offer to bring them onside. If they refuse the offer, then you'd have to get at least a little suspicious of their motives. I have my own concerns over what they are ultimately about, but they have publicly, at least, denied that. So you can either call them liars or test the waters with them. I'm not a believer that going down the adversarial route is a good use of time and resources unless you absolutely have to, so why not welcome the players body into the structures of the GAA. Make them a committee that is financed like any other, and make them responsible for dealing with player issues, top to bottom. Player Burnout, Player Health, Players Equipment, etc etc. Some initiatives will obviously be focussed more on county players, but at least if you make them responsible for all players, top to bottom, they will have a lobby group that makes a difference to ALL players.

This is all very well and well described by you as what you would like to see the GPA do within the GAA.


But the GPA don't want to be inside and under the control / direction of the GAA - they want to be around the table as a SEPARATE entity - representing the players who they want to be outside of the GAA when it comes to their commercial rights etc etc.

[AZOffaly]

Have they been asked? If they have, and refused, then that's one thing. If we are just assuming they don't want in that's another.

Personally, if they were asked and refused, I'd like to see them answer why.

[orangeman]

Have they been asked? If they have, and refused, then that's one thing. If we are just assuming they don't want in that's another.

Personally, if they were asked and refused, I'd like to see them answer why.

Do you seriously think that Dessie after asking for a minimum of 5% of all takings will go into the Croke Park committee room and say that the GPA are delighted that they are now formally recognised and that the GPA will work hand in hand with the GAA and that the GPA will hand over all monies from their separate sponsorship deals, commericial activities etc etc. to the GAA.


Don't think so.

The genie is now out of the bottle - it's going to be some crack trying to get it back into the bottle again.

[AZOffaly]

I don't know if he would or not. It'd be some craic listening to the explanation though. If the GPA is all about player welfare, and the GAA offer to take them in for that purpose, then it'd be hard for the GPA to explain away their motives for refusing. It would certainly be a completely different vista. Their funds are supposed to go towards the advancement of Welfare issues.

[Zulu]

Exactly AZ, the only way to deal with issues, differences of opinions or downright hostility is to talk it out. At the end of the day the GPA represent many IC players and they won't be going anywhere soon, this idea that we ignore them or tell them to basically f**k off is nonsense and will only lead to a more serious confrontation down the line.

The GPA should be brought into the GAA officially and allowed to look after player welfare, they will need some level of autonomy and money or else they'll be toothless but I see no problems there. In time their role can be expanded to cover club players as well but that shouldn't be used as a stick to beat them with now as it is an impossible task for any group at the moment.

The bottom line here is regardless of your view of the GPA they are representing an important faction of the GAA and the hostility from some quaters towards them is ill concieved and counter productive.

[Bud Wiser]

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Can I just ask what people think of the idea of bringing the GPA formally into the GPA (as opposed to 'recognising' them as an outside body)? I wouldn't have a problem with that, and they could lobby from inside to improve the players' lot. Given that they are not for professionalism or pay for play, there should not be a huge idealogical obstacle. (I'm taking them at their word there). It makes all the sense in the world to me, all things being equal, to have a body in the GAA aggressively looking after the players (all players) interests, while at the same time adhering to the GAA's ethos.

Now ye'r talking.  That would be the job.    What raised the stakes and alerted the GPA (again, in my opinion) that there was a harvest to be reaped was when the GAA announced in 2008 that they were going to get 8 Million Euro  (EIGHT MILLION) in a four way deal between four sponsors for football and hurling.   The GPA are not looking for just a measly share of attendance funds, they are looking for 5% of money from, (a) attendances, (b) Main Sponsorship and (c) General sponsorship and players appearance (interviews) money.   Now, do the sums on that and it ios a considerable amount of money and wheras the GPA have a Pension Scheme for their employees under which I am sure they contribute an odd lump sum I feel that yes, there is room for the GPA to be involved with the GAA but under the terms and conditions agreed by the GAA, not fiorced on them.

Another scenario would be for the GAA to have a seperate little piggy bank account in which 5% or One and a half Million a year was put into for players benefit.  Instead of paying players as is the main obstacle, they could create a players rolling grant scheme payable on retirement.  So say for example, Joe Bloggs gets selected on the county team and he is representing his county for five years on and off, doesn't matter if he is not picked for every game.  The when he annoucnces his retirement from intercounty scene he, and all the other Joe Bloggs's that are hanging up the boots that year are called to a little function in Croke Park or by their own respective county boards and in return for their "out of pocket expenses" and by way of providing them with funds from a rolling grant that was available during their playing years they are given  a nice acknowledgement of the time and effort they have given - by way of their now due grant funds. It would encourage the players to commit to the training regimes that we all take for  granted.  It would mean that every player got the same reward and based on football and hurling with panels of 25 it would work out around 1,000 per player if the last one year and five thousand if the play for five years.  Ok, so Christy Ring would have made a fortune but a cap could be put on it if you excuse the pun.! 

[orangeman]

Exactly AZ, the only way to deal with issues, differences of opinions or downright hostility is to talk it out. At the end of the day the GPA represent many IC players and they won't be going anywhere soon, this idea that we ignore them or tell them to basically f**k off is nonsense and will only lead to a more serious confrontation down the line.

The GPA should be brought into the GAA officially and allowed to look after player welfare, they will need some level of autonomy and money or else they'll be toothless but I see no problems there. In time their role can be expanded to cover club players as well but that shouldn't be used as a stick to beat them with now as it is an impossible task for any group at the moment.

The bottom line here is regardless of your view of the GPA they are representing an important faction of the GAA and the hostility from some quaters towards them is ill concieved and counter productive.

How do you think the GPA see this autonomy ? Do you think they want to retain a separate company, separate bank accounts, separate offices away from Croke Park, separate staffing structure, separate sponsorship / commercial acvtivities  etc ?

Do you think the money they will need should be based on a % of income ?


I agree that the continued shunning of the GPA by some members of the GAA in Croke Park is counter productive and will back fire eventually.

[INDIANA]

Exactly AZ, the only way to deal with issues, differences of opinions or downright hostility is to talk it out. At the end of the day the GPA represent many IC players and they won't be going anywhere soon, this idea that we ignore them or tell them to basically f**k off is nonsense and will only lead to a more serious confrontation down the line.

The GPA should be brought into the GAA officially and allowed to look after player welfare, they will need some level of autonomy and money or else they'll be toothless but I see no problems there. In time their role can be expanded to cover club players as well but that shouldn't be used as a stick to beat them with now as it is an impossible task for any group at the moment.

The bottom line here is regardless of your view of the GPA they are representing an important faction of the GAA and the hostility from some quaters towards them is ill concieved and counter productive.

They are not interested in club players- that I know for a fact.
Hostility towards a group that don't have the best interests of the association at heart. Only their own interests. Wake up - the country is in a recession.People are losing their jobs evrey day of the week- yet these guys think they should be getting paid in the midst of the worst recession the country has ever seen? Have you even looked at the outlay on these teams on an annual basis? 500k in a lot of cases. I think its an outrageous demand in the current climate. A lot of them get expenses paid as well.
If they want to play professional sport there is an avenue to do that.
No-one knows anything about them- because they don't reveal any information about themselves- its all cloak and daggers. Who's a member - who's not  a member. Whats their mandate?

[Bud Wiser]

The other problem here is the P.R.O. handling of this whole affair by the GAA.  Danny Lynch was the PRO but was old stock from an older era and while some thought he was good I thought he was out of his depth in later years and I am sorry to say that even though I often shared a pint with the man.  However, the current P.R.O. is worse, far worse and should get out a bit more.  Peter McKenna, Linda and Niamh McCoy and the rest of his staff do an excellent job but where is the voice of the P.R.O. ??  Expecting the Presidents, past or present to comment and allowing themselves to be drawn into a direct dogfight on Morning Ireland and such programs is wrong.  The GPA are beating the GAA by about twenty five points in hurling parlance in terms of Press Releases and their effect.

The GAA should come out and say, with qualification that

1. They understand the situation the country is in at the moment and their demands for grant aid are being relaxed at this time as there are more of our citizens and services including hospitals deserving of financial assistance than lads playing hurling.

2.  That in the proud tradition of the GAA, the GAA will continue to look after the players welfare with the introduction of a rolling grant scheme that will compensate them when they end their playing careers.

3.  That the special purchase scheme they (GAA) have introduced (yesterday) for tickets ensures great value for money by giving everyone a chance to see these wonderful players in action and that by supporting the GAA you are also supporting the players rolling grant fund.

This is not the time for the GAA to sit sucking their thumbs in a corner and bleating about the GPA annoying them.

[heffo]

However, the current P.R.O. is worse, far worse and should get out a bit more. 

The role of P.R.O is gone - there is a Communications mgr who's out visiting clubs with Cooney a couple of days a week - maybe he's acting under instruction from Duffy/Cooney to say nothing..

[orangeman]

Bud - I'm nominating you for the PRO / communications job ! 

[Keyser soze]

I think it's time for the GAA to bite the bullet on this one. These guys don't deserve to get a penny directly from the GAA income. They are a special interest group representing a minuscule percentage of the GAA membership. The issue here is about paying these guys for play and the the amateur status of the game. Anyone who seriously thinks that giving the GPA 5% [to start with] of income will result in anything other than players turning professional is living in cloud cuckoo land. The slide towards this position on the GPA's part has been as inexorable as it has been obvious. Travel expenses to wet weather gear to re-hydration expenses to grants......

It is clear where this is going and anyone who says differently is stupid, self interested or in denial. I think this will be the ruination of the GAA.

Quite frankly it is as logical to say that intercounty referees could form a Referees Assoc and demand a similar percentage of the turnover.

I wish someone in the GAA would have the balls to stand up and tell Dessie Farrell and his fellow travellers to f**k off, if you don't want to continue to play our games on an amateur basis f**k off and pick a sport that will pay you.