The Money's in Dublin, Laois Players follow it.

Bud Wiser · February 17, 2011, 08:55:29 AM

From the Independent.
LAOIS star John O'Loughlin has admitted his transfer from Mountmellick to Dublin outfit St Brigid's was too good to turn down.

The UCD student, a key part of Justin McNulty's county side, has been offered a coaching job with Brigid's and will take up the role when he completes his degree in May. He will become the ninth Laois player to join a Dublin club.

"I was approached by Brigid's a couple of weeks ago," he admitted. "It's too good an opportunity to turn down and I'm going to start working with them straight away when I finish college in May.

"It means leaving Mountmellick which is tough. I had to think long and hard about it, but I don't see it as a permanent thing."
Surely this is as bad for Dublin football in terms of giving their own lads a chance to prove they can make the U21 and senior grade on the county team. If Dublin clubs are going to pack their teams with players from all over the country then shur that is a balls of a racket altogether?

heffo · February 17, 2011, 09:31:09 AM

It's a balls of a racket Bud.

The rule needs to be changed centrally from outside Dublin - the only people benefiting from this are the players involved & the bigger clubs getting them.

Dublin GAA, the small rural club or the GAA as a whole don't benefit.

fearglasmor · February 17, 2011, 04:34:33 PM

So you cant's be paid to play intercounty football but you can be paid to play club football !!

The stench of rottenness in the GAA gets stronger by the week. Someone needs to sniff it out.

RedandGreenSniper · February 17, 2011, 04:47:47 PM

Hard to blame O'Loughlin. Not too many lads going straight from college into work nowadays so it was nearly a no-brainer for him. Brigid's are hard to blame either. What can be done though? Hard to stop such transfers really under GAA rules.

tyssam5 · February 17, 2011, 06:09:23 PM

Quote from: fearglasmor on February 17, 2011, 04:34:33 PM
So you cant's be paid to play intercounty football but you can be paid to play club football !!The stench of rottenness in the GAA gets stronger by the week. Someone needs to sniff it out.

You could be paid as a coach by a county board just the same as by a club right?

screenexile · February 17, 2011, 06:24:04 PM

When I first moved to Dublin Enda McNulty had just left his full time position as coach at Ballyboden after playing in . . . wait for it . . . 4 games the previous year for the club!!

Bud Wiser · February 17, 2011, 08:23:28 PM

QuoteHard to blame O'Loughlin

And we could debate it 'till the cows come home but, there you have it. He even said it himself, offer he could not refuse.

mylestheslasher · February 17, 2011, 08:35:35 PM

In this case he is getting paid as a coach which is not the same as being paid to play (although it may be used as a cover for playing). The only way to stop it is to limit to say 1 the amount of paid coaches a team pay have per annum.

Gael85 · February 17, 2011, 11:21:08 PM

thats at least 8 Laois players playing club football in Dublin

Michael John Tierney-Parnells
Colm Begley-Parnells
Darren Rooney-Parnells
Colm Parkinson-Parnells
John O'Loughlin-St Brigids
Stephen Lawlor-St Vincents
Brendan Quigley-Fingallians
Rory Stapleton-St Vincents

the old vet · February 18, 2011, 01:58:11 AM

I wish john all the best, but it a sad day to see john leaving his home club mountmellick,and i hope one day he will come back to his home club and win a senior championship for mountmellick.

rrhf · February 18, 2011, 08:48:17 AM

Quite easy. Players that play for a club cannot be employed by it in any capacity.

DuffleKing · February 18, 2011, 09:52:14 AM

Quote from: rrhf on February 18, 2011, 08:48:17 AM
Quite easy. Players that play for a club cannot be employed by it in any capacity.

By extension, that would mean that any county footballer could not be employed by his own county as a full time coach or administrator. In down for example, that was leave benny coulter, ambrose Rodgers and Marty Clarke ineligible. Thankfully, if this rule is coming down the track, we're backward and short sighted in armagh and employ noone who'd be any use in helping promote the games with their profile.