Kevin McCloy and the special injury fund

[T Fearon]

What is the story here? Didn't he get sorted out? All insurance policies have exclusions,but it seems like he was looked after without too much hassle in the end

[DennistheMenace]

I think they GAA should be much more upfront about the structure of the fund, as Kevin said all this publicising on their website and seminars on heart issues yet none of it is covered. I also take issue with the goodwill gesture payment, you can't have one rule for one and another rule for another play the week after.

[Jinxy]

As a matter of interest, say some overweight, unfit guy in his late 30's decides he wants to take up football and starts playing with his local junior C team.
During the warm-up before his first game, he goes into cardiac arrest.
Who covers the bills?
I'm just trying to get a feel for where the dividing line is, if there is a dividing line at all.
If the argument is that Kevin is an ex-county player who gave many years of service, therefore he should be covered... well I'm afraid that's no argument at all in this particular context.
Either everyone is covered or no one is.

[AZOffaly]

I agree with that jinxy. If I went back tomorrow and had a heart attack I could hardly expect that my medical bills would be covered by the GAA.

Having said that, we in the GAA have a well earned reputation for trying to 'look after our own', and I'd imagine the fact that he was not an unfit 30 something, but a regular playing member of his club, who had his incident while representing the club, does colour this significantly. My gut feel is you have to try and help the lad out at least, and in fairness that's what happened. I'd like to think that any similar situation would also be sympathetically received, as has happened numerous times with benefit nights etc etc. But the legalese on the injury fund probably excludes this sort of situation from being technically 'covered', and I can see why that would be the case also.

[NAG1]

I think they GAA should be much more upfront about the structure of the fund, as Kevin said all this publicising on their website and seminars on heart issues yet none of it is covered. I also take issue with the goodwill gesture payment, you can't have one rule for one and another rule for another play the week after.

They are upfront about their cover and it is there in black and white for anyone to come along and read what is covered and what is not.

Players seem to have this notion that no matter what happens that this scheme will catch everything and they will be sorted out, only to find that it is a limited scheme only there to back up whatever private insurance the player themselves have in place. This is the aspect which should be advertised more widely.

Just because this happened at a match does not automatically qualify it for any sort of payment, may seem harsh but that's the remit of the scheme.

It has been stated already if this had of been a junior B player, there would not have been a word about this. There would have been no good will payment and that would have been it.

I think there should be a little more gratitude shown in the fact that the GAA in Derry allowed KMcC to play the game/ past time in such an environment where he could have such a life changing event happen and still be able to come out the other side of it.

[Applesisapples]

Some people on here seem to think that insurance policies cost nothing and should cover all that type of policy would be unaffordable to all but the very richest clubs. As GAA members our insurance covers quite a bit more than schemes for most players in other codes, who unless they are at the very top level have to provide their own insurance and fair play to the GAA for that. I think Kevin was treated very well in the circumstances and thank God he is recovering.

[twohands!!!]

I think they GAA should be much more upfront about the structure of the fund, as Kevin said all this publicising on their website and seminars on heart issues yet none of it is covered. I also take issue with the goodwill gesture payment, you can't have one rule for one and another rule for another play the week after.

They are upfront about their cover and it is there in black and white for anyone to come along and read what is covered and what is not.

Players seem to have this notion that no matter what happens that this scheme will catch everything and they will be sorted out, only to find that it is a limited scheme only there to back up whatever private insurance the player themselves have in place. This is the aspect which should be advertised more widely.

Just because this happened at a match does not automatically qualify it for any sort of payment, may seem harsh but that's the remit of the scheme.

It has been stated already if this had of been a junior B player, there would not have been a word about this. There would have been no good will payment and that would have been it.

I think there should be a little more gratitude shown in the fact that the GAA in Derry allowed KMcC to play the game/ past time in such an environment where he could have such a life changing event happen and still be able to come out the other side of it.

Yeah it definitely needs to be made clearer to players that everything isn't covered. Some folk seem to expect that the scheme should cover everything which is just not feasible.

Also McCloy is probably even that bit more fortunate that it's the NHS he had dealing with as opposed to the HSE lads.

[Applesisapples]

Just to be clear. Kevin was playing for Lavey, his Club not the GAA so therefore primary responsibility rests with them not the GAA. Bolton looked after their player, not the PL or FA. From what I can see the GAA went above and beyond what could be expected.

[johnneycool]

Just to be clear. Kevin was playing for Lavey, his Club not the GAA so therefore primary responsibility rests with them not the GAA. Bolton looked after their player, not the PL or FA. From what I can see the GAA went above and beyond what could be expected.

Not entirely accurate. Lavey like every club in Ireland are levied per the number of teams they field. That team levy is sent to Croke Park and is administered by the GAA.
All insurance monies are paid out of the same pot.

The GAA cannot take the money and then be considered to be above responsibility, but those responsibilities only go so far and TBH, the fact that Kevin got anything was a magnanimous gesture by the GAA, something the ordinary junior B footballer and hurler won't get.

[roney]

The tabloid nature of the media got Kevin into a fight 'against the GAA'.

That's absolute balls as many here have said.

As far as I can tell, Kevin didn't qualify for the scheme so the charity of the association he is supposedly fighting against sorted him out to exactly the same amount.

He is asking a valid question, however. Should something like the condition he had suffered come under the injury fund? He possibly has a point.

One for debate. However, has Jinxy as alluded to earlier, and as I understand it, if the incident had happened anywhere else other than a GAA field, would he be alive now?

There's a lad buried in Derry yesterday who wasn't as lucky.

[cockahoop]

Like most people when i first read this story i was shocked that Kevin could be treated this way but after reading the GAA's response i thought Kevin's article was a bit OTT and  also contradictory in that he talked about taking his children away from gaa to rugby but then he says he's involved with this years u/12's.Also in the way the journalist edited the first article it didn't exactly look good on Lavey which i know for fact they gave tremendous support to Kevin and his family but he seemed to put this right with his second article the next day.
I know a very high official within Derry and i made a point of finding out the full story and what he told me was John Keenan drove directly to Croke Park to sort out the problem with the insurance and left with a payout for Kevin and this was all done within 4 days!!i very much doubt local amateur soccer or rugby would have dealt with this any better,so i think Kevin is being a bit harsh on the GAA although i can also understand his sentiments regarding insurance for GAA player,there is a loop hole there and Kevin is right in highlighting it but IMO wrong to criticise the GAA foe it,I'm am very sure now that that particular loop hole has been brought to light the GAA will some how ratified its position on insurance.
I know Kevin very well as he only lives down the road and i can tell you that you wont find a more decent genuine man and i am very sure the Irish news over egged the pudding regarding his article.
Kevin is on the late late tonight so it will be interesting to hear it from the horse mouth so to speak.

[Jinxy]

http://www.thestar.ie/star/mccloys-pay-out-bombshell-58245/

"My consultant said even if I was screened the week beforehand it may not have shown. There is no medical evidence saying I had a condition.
"At this stage it is probably going to come down to one of these things that on the night there was some electrical fault on the left side of my heart and it may never happen again.
"Who is to say I didn't come out of a tackle in the first 10 minutes of that match which put extra strain on my heart."

Is all of this genuinely coming from him or is there somebody in his ear?
I don't get it to be honest.

[JoG2]

Has big Kevin been on yet?

[cockahoop]

Has big Kevin been on yet?

Nope wasn't on,I seem to have been misinformed