What would happen if?

[BennyHarp]

This is just a thought i had after reading some of the posts about players striking and also the fact that the US open handball was run by an organisation other than the GAA.

What would happen if there was a split in the GAA? and say, (for example like in darts PDC V WDB or boxings WBA, WBO, WBC Etc)  another organisation set up its own championship. e.g. the GPA All Ireland Championship - sponsored by a few major companies prepared to pump millions of pound into the competition.

This championship is prepared to pay the players to play in an elite championship and break away from the GAA. So like a champions league style professional hurling and football championship is formed, only concentrating on county football! The GAA is left to look after club footbal and hurlingl which is pillaged for its best talent by the county teams!

This is written with my tongue frimly in my cheek, but is it completely ridiculous or a possible doomsday scenario???

[BennyHarp]

i'm sure with plenty of money involved something could be sorted out!

[deiseach]

It's a question best left to the philosophers.

With that in mind, I'd certainly be one of those people who such a competition would be aimed at, someone who is only truly interested in their county*. You'd probably find a lot of overlap between the two, much like the way those involved in FC United of Manchester, for all of their pious cant about the purity of their love for the Red Devils of Matt Busby and, uh, George Best, still can't tear themselves away from the excitement generated at Old Trafford.

*I went to my first club match in eight years last weekend. I wonder do people become more attached to the club scene as they get older . . .

[the green man]

It never would happen, the GAA would probably ban players who choose to play in it, therefore ruling them out of club action.

[Rossfan]

At best you'd end up with  8 or 10 artificial teams in a league which would die  through lack of interest after about 5 years at most as people would be totally bored of it.
How much would it cost - 10 teams with squads of 25 plus 5 or more backroom all avareging €1200 a head per week. That would give you a wage bill of about 18m per annum.
Ground rental,training grounds,insurances travel etc etc  probably €30m per annum.
Even if sponsorship and TV was readily available  still need to raise up to €20m from gate receipts - or a total of 1 million spectators to go to 90 league games (4 rounds) and maybe 20 Cup/Championship/play off games.

I DON'T THINK SO .

[muppet]

Well not in Ross anyway.

[timmykelleher]

On what basis could the GAA ban them?
If professional soccer and Aussie rules players can play for their clubs then surely they can't ban players for playing in the "GPA football league" so long as their own clubs don't pay them to play.

[the green man]

On what basis could the GAA ban them?
If professional soccer and Aussie rules players can play for their clubs then surely they can't ban players for playing in the "GPA football league" so long as their own clubs don't pay them to play.

Same way as they banned ye if ye played soccer, times ago

[deiseach]

The pro league would never let their 'assets' play for their GAA clubs

[BennyHarp]

Same way as they banned ye if ye played soccer, times ago

Yeah but that was years ago! Players earn a reputation playing for club - sign for a professional county team, dont play club anymore until their county contract runs out!