GPA are a Divisive Organisation

[Seany]

Sorry to be banging on about the GPA, but does anyone else agree that even apart from the whole grants/ pay for Play / Strike business, thatt hey are  avery divisive organisation. 

Not content with the tried and trusted Allstars thins, they go off and set up their own team of the Year Awards, thus rendering those players who have received one and not the other, not real allstars.
Not content with Toyota who are the official GAA sponsors, they go off and do a deal with Seat and then Opel for their own sponsorship which their top men drive for free.
Not content with Lucozade being the official GAA drinks product, pumping in thousands to the county boards, they go off and set up a deal with Club Energise
Not content with the GAA players getting great exposure, thsy kick up about 'image rights', thus rendering the GAA PS2 game a joke of a thing because you can't show players' faces or name them.
A couple of years ago, a few good GAA lads from my end of the country set up a GAA sticker book  company.  no killingi n it mind you, but a nice bit of exposure for ordinary county players.  Where else would you see a picture of the Carlow corner back? went about it the right way.  Got official GAA recognition - the lot.  our friends took them to court over image rights and cleaned them out.

They are the most divisive and bad mannered outfit ever to appear.  Yapped on about Rule 42 and then when they got soccer into Croke park, they couldn't even be happy about that.  Yapped on about wanting a share of the cake to keep Dessie and Donall in their big jobs and Opel cars.

Maybe I'm on my own here, but every time they put a statement in the paper about some other divisive thing they're yapping on about, , I'm ready to bust someone with pure rage. Totally negative, even Dessie's voice sounds whingy and drawling as if he was constipated for about a week. 

[AZOffaly]

I think on this board, you are most certainly not on your own. There are a multitude of threads about the GAP and various issues, and mostly the opinion is that they are not good for the games in their current form. There are a good few defenders of the GPA as well, in fairness, but the majority seems to be anti GPA. Reflects the feelings of GAA members not on the board as well, in my experience.

[lynchbhoy]

not on your own seany as AZ says.
If the GPA come up with some decent suggestions and requests, then by all means we should consider what they say
but more often than not, its all about the money they can get.

what about that suggestion they had regarding funds for inj players, or players whose working career is ended through football inj

these are good reasons to collect a pool of money for , then adminster...

otherwise, that image rights whinging - thats a disgrace

[Star Spangler]

hear, hear Seany.

[DUBSFORSAM1]

What about the scholarships for students?
What about their proposals to stop the club v's county issue?
What about their burnout proposals?
What about the fitness & conditioning workshops?
Critiscising teh Munster Council decision on the seeding for the Football Championship?
What about the Fair Play award?
What about the insurance discounts for associate members (ie club players)?
How about the Gaelic Performance Camps and their coaching software?

I suppose these are all divisive issues?

[tintin25]

Tom Brewster has told the Impartial Reporter that there is overwhelming support for strike action among Fermanagh players.


The prospect of inter county GAA players going on strike moved a step closer last week after the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) announced that they have issued members with a ballot for strike action.

The threat has arisen due to the ongoing impasse between the players, the GAA and the Irish Government over the implementation of 5million euro worth of sports grant. However, The GPA still hope that the problem can be resolved without the need for what GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell describes as "the nuclear option."

"Basically, there is 5million euro a year in place, additional to any other funding that the GAA already receive, and is specifically for the players, but the problem is that there is no agreement on how the funds are to be implemented," explained GPA member Brewster.

With no agreement in sight, Brewster states that there is a strong backing for the call to strike after every county squad in Ireland was contacted to gauge the mood regarding the grants issue and any possible protest.

"The vast majority of players in Fermanagh, and indeed Ulster, are in favour of going on strike. I don't want to see strike action, that's not what we want, and hopefully it can be resolved before that. But we feel strongly about this and want things sorted out. We also realise that this affects the supporters and this is definitely something which we don't want, but we feel we may be left with little other option," stated Brewster.

The Enniskillen Gaels man, though, is keen to emphasise that this funding is not a method of pay for play but a way of covering extra expenses that players occur, that are not covered by the normal expenses.

"No, this is not a way of receiving pay for play and I personally don't want to see the GAA going down that line as I don't think that it is sustainable. It is to cover additional expenses that players are out of pocket, that our regular expenses do not cover. Studies have shown that players are massively out of pocket over a ten year period and that should not be the case.

"Let me give you an example. Last year I went to an ice chamber, which helps with the speed of recovery. There was no problem there, the county board was great in sorting it out for me, but I then had to take four days unpaid leave after it. Nobody covers that, I lost nearly a week's pay," he said.

There are many further examples of this including players missing out on overtime due to playing commitments or missing out on promotions at work because they are not able to give the same commitment to their job.

Brewster even recalls a teammate changing jobs to accommodate his training schedule with the county squad.

"I remember a few years ago we used to train on a certain night of the week because it suited most of the players but one prominent Fermanagh player used to work late that night and he actually changed jobs to fit in football," said Brewster.

Farrell has advised members to vote in favour of the strike which will consist of a removal of players from all inter county competitions next season with results of the ballot due in about two weeks.

However, he is hopeful that the issue will be resolved without the need for strike action.

[magpie seanie]

What about their proposals to stop the club v's county issue?
What about their burnout proposals?

Hold on a second. That's a typical mealy mouthed half truth that over states the GPA's role.

They made submissions to both discussions as did many county boards, several clubs and indeed several individuals but both these initiatives were led by Croke Park. Both were driven and overseen by the Player Welfare Officer Padraic Duffy who is doing a great job. He's also driven initiatives such as providing defibrillators, cardiac screening, benevolent fund etc. He has done a huge amount more for player welfare (all players, not just the elite) in a couple of years than the GPA has done since its inception.

[Bensars]

well said seanie.

Dubsforsam1 has been on here a while. he goes to the GPA website, gets a sound bite which he believes is true and trots out the same propoganda. nothing wrong with that, he is entitled to his opinion.

However seanie, if i was you i would desist and remove yourself from any debate with the aforementioned,as you will be debating with yourself. Dubsforsam1 just delivers the soundbites, isnt capable of logically arguing around them.

[magpie seanie]

Ignoring Bensars advice for a minute...

When was Padraic Duffy's role created? To the best of my knowledge it was in response to the GPA?

I'm sure that's what the GPA like to think. They may have had an impact in raising awareness of some of the issues but their achievements are few and far between. The GAA may be slow at getting there at times but it generally does get there. It's a well run, democratic organisation full of good, talented people. Work with it. Don't fight with it. The fact that you were only able to come up with that reply (in quotes above) to my points about Padraic Duffy is a clear indication that I was right.

[magpie seanie]

What is your point?

[tyrone86]

DFS1 - I doubt you're Dessie himself because he's not that articulate, but are you his PA or the lad that was going to be his "proxy" to central council? I think everyone here can see that the GPA has a point in some regards but such sycophancy on your part leads me to believe you've ulterior motives on the subject.

[bennydorano]

Divisive the same way employers see Trade Unions as divisive?  At the very least the GPA has increased the speed that the GAA swings into action on any issue.  Just happen to be reading Sweeney's Road to Croker, and recently read the chapter about the Cork hurlers' fiasco a few years back.

[BallyhaiseMan]

Thats it,ive had enough of this shite.

im starting a Gaelic Club Players Organisation,Its going to be called,wait for it the GCPO.

who is with me?

[DUBSFORSAM1]

What is your point?

My point is that in the GAA there was no urgency or seeming rush to look after players - hey presto the GPA starts and puts pressure on and suddenly there is a Player Welfare Officer and things start improving.......if that is so how are the divisive?

[theskull1]

What is your point?

My point is that in the GAA there was no urgency or seeming rush to look after players - hey presto the GPA starts and puts pressure on and suddenly there is a Player Welfare Officer and things start improving.......if that is so how are the divisive?

That may be the case, so fair play to youse. So now that you have achieved what you were after, should youse not just disband? Some chance 

If you expect people have been fooled into thinking that the GPA don't have ulterior motives for existing, then you're either as thick as pig shit or you think the rest of are.