Tyone Responds To GPA Regonition

[Norf Tyrone]

If 'the GAA is about equality for all its' people',why did I, as a member of the GAA in Tyrone, not get the opportunity to contribute to this debate?Obviously some are'more equal than others'! I assume that Mr Darcy includes hurlers among 'our players', in that case his claim to have as good a 'track record in that area as anybody's' is ludicrous.

You did. I am sure your Club had an AGM recently. At that AGM your Club would've appointed a County board representative who is the eyes, ears and mouth for your Club at County level.

Now that you have seen the opinion of Pat Darcy, who has spoken for the County that democratically elected him, you still have a voice.

Go to your next Club meeting.
Raise a motion of no confidence in your County chairman.
If your Club passes the motion, your Club representative will take it to the next County meeting.
If the motion of no confidence fails, the democracy in the County suggests that most agree with the stance of the chair.

The GAA is build on people, men and women, working to preserve our heritage and to give young people a healthily alternative to play stations, drink and a life based on selfishness.

When I first read that I thought we were giving an alternative to the stations!

[Gnevin]

this GPA is simply a further erosion of GAA values.  Its time to go back to basics..

And basics would mean ?
Rule 42 ?
Rule 21 ?
Screwing over the players?

[Uladh]

their agenda is nothing less than the destruction of the amateur ethos and egalitarian structure of the GAA.

That is an opinion based on assumption and chinese whispers.

That letter is an embarrassment to all concerned and will be the hilarious subject matter of humorous emails in 5 years time.

The players are as entitled to a voice as anyone else and as with any union, they are entitled to maximise their influence as a group.

anyone who believes the gpa don't represent county footballers has their head in the sand.

[Norf Tyrone]

The players are as entitled to a voice as anyone else and as with any union, they are entitled to maximise their influence as a group.

They do. The vote at the AGMs like the rest of us.

[Uladh]

In case you are unaware, the EU still allows for like minded "workers" (ie those who bring in the revenue) to form a union for their own purposes. what next? ban the postman's union because they've negotiated better work conditions than your "outsiders looking in" union?

[Norf Tyrone]

the EU still allows for like minded "workers" (ie those who bring in the revenue)

Workers! The players do a fantastic job, but they cannot be clasified any more as workers as you or I. I am not going to get into a 'the man who coaches the U10s rant', but the players might be the focal point of the game, but they are not the foundations. The revenue only comes in because people build the forum to let them display their wares.

Anyhow..what's money got to do with it?

[Uladh]

so players shouldn't be allowed a union?

so revenue shouldn't be an issue for any part of the association?

If thats the case, why don't the GAA let everyone in free to every match, be it your club, mine or croke park?

[Bogball XV]

The players are as entitled to a voice as anyone else and as with any union, they are entitled to maximise their influence as a group.

anyone who believes the gpa don't represent county footballers has their head in the sand.

I'm pretty pro pay for play and players rights etc Uladh, but I don't think that county footballers are this elite group totally disparate from club footballers - i think that much of what the gpa do is embarrassing, confrontational and counterproductive.  They have a massive image problem, look at the comments on here, as you can see from another thread, there are quite a few ex-county (maybe current) players who post here, you are one of the few who ever stand up for them.

[Norf Tyrone]

If thats the case, why don't the GAA let everyone in free to every match, be it your club, mine or croke park?

The money goes back into the food chain, to insure players, build the facilities of the tomorrow, and cover the cost of equipment etc etc.

so players shouldn't be allowed a union?

I can't say they shouldn't be allowed one, but shouldn't the coaches have one too? or what about the water carriers, the physios, the chairman, the PROs, the registrars, the grass cutters? What makes the players better or different than those group?

[bigpaul]

If 'the GAA is about equality for all its' people',why did I, as a member of the GAA in Tyrone, not get the opportunity to contribute to this debate?Obviously some are'more equal than others'! I assume that Mr Darcy includes hurlers among 'our players', in that case his claim to have as good a 'track record in that area as anybody's' is ludicrous.

You did. I am sure your Club had an AGM recently. At that AGM your Club would've appointed a County board representative who is the eyes, ears and mouth for your Club at County level.

Now that you have seen the opinion of Pat Darcy, who has spoken for the County that democratically elected him, you still have a voice.

Go to your next Club meeting.
Raise a motion of no confidence in your County chairman.
If your Club passes the motion, your Club representative will take it to the next County meeting.
If the motion of no confidence fails, the democracy in the County suggests that most agree with the stance of the chair.

The GPA were n't raised as an issue at the AGM,nor were there any motions on the GPA discussed,yet the T. C. B. has gone on record with a policy on the matter! Not a demonstration of democracy by any standards that I recognise.I cannot be  considered to be on an equal footing to anyone who had the opportunity to  attend that meeting!The letter states that there was 'unaminous agreement' at the meeting,what does that mean ? Was there a vote taken on a specific motion,if so ,what was the wording of the motion? If not,did everyone speak?

On the matter of the Tyrone Hurlers,they felt the need to seek assistance from the GPA!

[dublinfella]

If thats the case, why don't the GAA let everyone in free to every match, be it your club, mine or croke park?

The money goes back into the food chain, to insure players, build the facilities of the tomorrow, and cover the cost of equipment etc etc.

so players shouldn't be allowed a union?

I can't say they shouldn't be allowed one, but shouldn't the coaches have one too? or what about the water carriers, the physios, the chairman, the PROs, the registrars, the grass cutters? What makes the players better or different than those group?

have any of the other groups you mentioned felt so frustrated at the bad treatment they percieve they get that they felt their only option was to form a union?

croke park ballsed this up big time by not meeting players halfway 10 years ago. they created the millitancy by treating the players like dung.

[Fionntamhnach]

If 'the GAA is about equality for all its' people',why did I, as a member of the GAA in Tyrone, not get the opportunity to contribute to this debate?Obviously some are'more equal than others'! I assume that Mr Darcy includes hurlers among 'our players', in that case his claim to have as good a 'track record in that area as anybody's' is ludicrous.

You did. I am sure your Club had an AGM recently. At that AGM your Club would've appointed a County board representative who is the eyes, ears and mouth for your Club at County level.

Now that you have seen the opinion of Pat Darcy, who has spoken for the County that democratically elected him, you still have a voice.

Go to your next Club meeting.
Raise a motion of no confidence in your County chairman.
If your Club passes the motion, your Club representative will take it to the next County meeting.
If the motion of no confidence fails, the democracy in the County suggests that most agree with the stance of the chair.

The GPA were n't raised as an issue at the AGM,nor were there any motions on the GPA discussed,yet the T. C. B. has gone on record with a policy on the matter! Not a demonstration of democracy by any standards that I recognise.I cannot be  considered to be on an equal footing to anyone who had the opportunity to  attend that meeting!The letter states that there was 'unaminous agreement' at the meeting,what does that mean ? Was there a vote taken on a specific motion,if so ,what was the wording of the motion? If not,did everyone speak?

On the matter of the Tyrone Hurlers,they felt the need to seek assistance from the GPA!

If you are a member of your local club (which I'm sure you are) surely you would have had a chance to put forward a motion at your AGM? If not, what's the reason why? I only speak on the case that in our own AGM, any member can put forward a motion to our club. Also, do you seriously expect any GAA member in Tyrone should have the right to attend a county board meeting? A venue that would potentially hold thousands would be needed to accommodate that! Every club in the county is represented at a county board meeting through their delegate, maybe you should speak to your own so they can tell you what went down at that meeting.

I remember the matter involving the county hurlers and the GPA getting involved, it was down to a monumental c**k-up in communication and a fairly anal referee which ended up being played on a pitch that not too long beforehand was considered good enough for the senior footballers to play a competitive match on. I'm sure the GPA would have only been delighted to help out as it was a chink of bright publicity that they could try and get their hands on so they could boast about it in their press releases. Joe Brolly summed it up right when he said that the GPA in general don't give a damn about hurlers from Mayo, and for that matter other counties who aren't competing in the McCarthy Cup.

[Norf Tyrone]

The GPA were n't raised as an issue at the AGM,nor were there any motions on the GPA discussed,yet the T. C. B. has gone on record with a policy on the matter! Not a demonstration of democracy by any standards that I recognise.I cannot be  considered to be on an equal footing to anyone who had the opportunity to  attend that meeting!The letter states that there was 'unaminous agreement' at the meeting,what does that mean ? Was there a vote taken on a specific motion,if so ,what was the wording of the motion? If not,did everyone speak?

Now the way I understand it, you might be in agreement with me here. The GPA are not recognised by Croke Park to date, but it looked as if they were to be given some form of recognition. The Tyrone County board realised this and made their feelings known. As you stated the issue re the GPA wasn't raised at any AGM (Club, County or National), so maybe the Tyrone board are ensuring that it goes no further withoudue discussion.

[bigpaul]

I didn't feel any need to propose a motion concerning the GPA, nor was there any mention of one being on the Clar for the County Convention.Therefore, the vast majority of GAA members in Tyrone were denied any opportunity to discuss a matter of policy!The  accusation that is most often levelled at the GPA is that of 'elitism',that was a pretty elite gathering when it was decided to formulate a policy without prior notice and go public with it!

[bigpaul]

I remember the matter involving the county hurlers and the GPA getting involved, it was down to a monumental c**k-up in communication and a fairly anal referee which ended up being played on a pitch that not too long beforehand was considered good enough for the senior footballers to play a competitive match on. I'm sure the GPA would have only been delighted to help out as it was a chink of bright publicity that they could try and get their hands on so they could boast about it in their press releases. Joe Brolly summed it up right when he said that the GPA in general don't give a damn about hurlers from Mayo, and for that matter other counties who aren't competing in the McCarthy Cup.

They went on record afterwards thanking the GPA for their involvement and Thomas Colton, I think it was, wrote to the Tyrone Times taking Kevin Hughes to task on the matter,saying that they were banging their heads against a brick wall until the GPA came on board.
As for Joe,he has never explained why he felt the need to attend the inaugural meeting,were there issues that needed to be addressed?If there were, what were they,have they since been addressed or was he just wrong in his assessment at that time?