Meeting of Grassroots to Discuss our Strategy re GPA

[fer fox ache]

There was nobody in favour of grants, one or two speakers did highlighht the hypocrisy of payments to managers, saying that we had created a rod for our own backs. Another speaker who is the father of a current county player, did pose the question as to whether we were asking too much of our players, pointing out that pre-season training for county teams had begun ebefore the club leagues were even finished.
A lot of the anger seemed to be directed at the fact that the decision to award grants seems to have been rail-roaded in in an undemocratic fashion. Many speakers pointed to the fact that the awarding of grants contravenes Rule 11 and that any change to a rule in the official guide can only be effected by Congress. There was also input from those who consulted rugby clubs who said that while professionalism had increased their club's profile it had destroyed participation, they cited the example of the Malone club in Belfast which in the years before rugby turned professional that they had fielded 17 adult teams and that they now struggled to field five.

[Clubmember]

I hear Joe Brolly were there last night. Did anyone think to ask Joe which charity or club he donates the money he makes off the back of his fellow players? RTÉ pundit, newspaper articles, speaker circuit etc. all this on top of his healthily salary cheque as a barrister which has no doubt halped his profile and client base!!! Sickening hypocrisy again. If Joe feels so strongly about anyone profiting from our games he would want to look in the mirror. (By the way I don't object to Joe doing well just the hypocracy)

According to the paper today Lasts night meeting claimed to respresent "the true gaels" and "grassroots" of ulster GAA yet the only ones there were those opposing it by the sounds of it. Red Hand Luke - Who did you invite to speak on behalf on other parties?

Before you all jump down my throat and say you are not invited to GPA meetings or grant negotiations meetings you might want to note the following:

GAA (who you elected to represent you) : motion on grants has been debated at length over the past 5 years and was passed by central council months back

Government : Again this debate has taken place over the last five years in the public domain - how many of you approached a government representative to object to this?

GPA: They respresent their members- Inter County player who sign up to them -  why would you be invited to a private members meeting?

By the way - One of your big issues here is that volunteers have to pay this. If the GPA took it out of the hands of GAA - would you be happy then?? I think not.


Again I ask what happened to stamping out the managers payments on the agenda?

ULSTER SAYS NO - UVA - emotive words lads, just a pity some common sense hasn't prevailed here


As far as I can see this is about a loss of control and people seeing an opportunity to make a name for themselves.

[DMarsden]

And in all GPA meetings there is structured debate with all parties mentioned in debate present ?

Not for all but this was a meeting advertised as canvassing grass opinion. are you telling me there's noone of an opposite oinion among the growing numbers repoted to have been in attendance?

Also it was an open forum for anyone to attend. If someone like yourself felt so strongly why did you go and represent your views. Media also present. When was the last GPA meeting like that. If memory serves me right the cameras and jounalists were barred.

you'll have to get that brain trainer from santy, the press and photographers are regularly insitu for gpa meetings.

This would have been the ideal oppurtunity for your leader to be present to remove any potential worries. As he stated in his newspaper column, he was pissed off with internet users and anyone who wanted to meet him he would.

In your hysteria you have lost sight of the fact that this was an anti gaa meeting. the government and gpa's roles in all of this are over and this meeting was to rebel against our own leadership as an association, not that i'm saying thats necessarily a bad thing in itself.

[orangeman]

Foxache - the example of rugby is a good one and very valid - prefessionalism wrecked rugby and will do the same to GAA - But Dessie and his mates won't mind that ( or at least that is how he / they are perceived ) -

It's time the GPA came out on television and SPELT IT OUT TO THE WIDER GAA PUBLIC THAT THEY DON'T WANT PAY FOR PLAY !

[believebelive]

I hear Joe Brolly were there last night. Did anyone think to ask Joe which charity or club he donates the money he makes off the back of his fellow players? RTÉ pundit, newspaper articles, speaker circuit etc. all this on top of his healthily salary cheque as a barrister which has no doubt halped his profile and client base!!! Sickening hypocrisy again. If Joe feels so strongly about anyone profiting from our games he would want to look in the mirror. (By the way I don't object to Joe doing well just the hypocracy)

According to the paper today Lasts night meeting claimed to respresent "the true gaels" and "grassroots" of ulster GAA yet the only ones there were those opposing it by the sounds of it. Red Hand Luke - Who did you invite to speak on behalf on other parties?

Before you all jump down my throat and say you are not invited to GPA meetings or grant negotiations meetings you might want to note the following:

GAA (who you elected to represent you) : motion on grants has been debated at length over the past 5 years and was passed by central council months back

Government : Again this debate has taken place over the last five years in the public domain - how many of you approached a government representative to object to this?

GPA: They respresent their members- Inter County player who sign up to them -  why would you be invited to a private members meeting?

By the way - One of your big issues here is that volunteers have to pay this. If the GPA took it out of the hands of GAA - would you be happy then?? I think not.


Again I ask what happened to stamping out the managers payments on the agenda?

ULSTER SAYS NO - UVA - emotive words lads, just a pity some common sense hasn't prevailed here


As far as I can see this is about a loss of control and people seeing an opportunity to make a name for themselves.

If central council, congress and croke park took every decision in the GAA for the last number fo years then the ban to play foreign sports would not have been lifted in 1971 and Croe Park would never have been opened to soccer and rugby - the precedent has been set to ask the whole association their opinion on major issues - whether you like it or not this is a major issue

[Clubmember]

Once again it's not a rule change!! If nickey & co felt it was they wouldn't have rushed it through. They are not that stupid

[DMarsden]

It's time the GPA came out on television and SPELT IT OUT TO THE WIDER GAA PUBLIC THAT THEY DON'T WANT PAY FOR PLAY !

The gpa have already done this through more official and accountable measures. this has been pointed out continually but unless its written on the blackboard in crayon it seems the message flounders on the rock of modern communication.

[Jinxy]

I hear Joe Brolly were there last night. Did anyone think to ask Joe which charity or club he donates the money he makes off the back of his fellow players? RTÉ pundit, newspaper articles, speaker circuit etc. all this on top of his healthily salary cheque as a barrister which has no doubt halped his profile and client base!!! Sickening hypocrisy again. If Joe feels so strongly about anyone profiting from our games he would want to look in the mirror. (By the way I don't object to Joe doing well just the hypocracy)

We are back to this nonsense now are we?

[DMarsden]

Lads,

this is no longer a gpa issue.

[Bogball XV]

Lads,

this is no longer a gpa issue.

good, will they disband then?  Or at least a few leadership changes?

[RedBlack]

When the OrangeMen won their one and only AI they allegedly spent up to £500,000.00. There were men turning up to training to do stats, physios, fitness/nutrition people and management - were these people all doing it for the love of their county?
Mr Conway was nearly in tears on TV and radio about the sacrosanct amateur status of the GAA. Who is he kidding? Tyrone spend hundreds of thousands on their quest for AI glory every year. Every half decent club side - Junior/Int/Snr pays a manager - what did Dromore spend this year?
Inter County players need to live, they deserve all they get.
Times move on, we are in a competitive market place in most of Ireland. Soccer and rugby are sniping at us - if we don't look after our no. 1 asset - the players, we will ultimately flounder.

[DMarsden]

If you can't see that this meeting, and people's vitriol about the distribution of government money concerns the GAA only, you have further issues. the gpa and the government's roles in this scenario are over and agreed with everyone, including croke park.

Why should the gpa disband?

[RedBlack]

Mid Louth - thanks for the welcome.
I agree that some clubs don't play a manager - many do.
You don't tackle my main point - the critics of players getting paid a few quid seem happy to turn a blind eye to all the other money sloshing about. Inter county managers are earning what? €50k, €100k - we all hear rumours? Can someone tell us (without naming names of course).
I train underage teams in my club and it costs me - diesel, phones, kit washing, training gear, time. I resent it more that many clubs in our county are paying managers (including our own), than that inter co. players get a few quid.
Club soccer/rugby players pay to play - gaelic footballers/hurlers still will for their club/parish. But if you ask a guy to put his career and family on hold for 5-10 years, then surely he deserves something. I don't resent paying to watch inter-county football - the players provide the entertainment and often suffer for it.

[NAG]

Behind then wire well said.

We are a democratic organisaton and as such should have a say in the running of OUR association, I was never asked at a club meeting my opinion on this sbuject in fact my or county were never asked.

I think we were not asked on purpose because the top branch knew the answer they would get and they thought they could phob us off with soime government grant scheme the lesser of two evils rather than face the GPA down.

[Bogball XV]

Why should the gpa disband?

Because they have a serious image problem, imo, the 'grassroots' have much more of a problem with the GPA as they currently stand than they do with any grants.  They are divisive and confrontational, such stances are not a good way to engender public support.