Conway quits Tyrone funding body

ziggysego · December 10, 2007, 07:42:51 PM

Quote
Mark Conway makes a point at last week's meeting in Toome

The secretary of the body set up to raise funds for Tyrone county teams has quit the organisation after the GAA's decision to approve player grants.

Mark Conway was one of the organisers of last week's meeting in Toome called to rally support against the grants.

He was a founder member of Club Tyrone set up in 1995.

"I have lost the interest now. The dynamic totally changed on Saturday," said Conway of the Central Council's decision to approve the grants.

Conway says the GAA is no longer the organisation that he has been associated with throughout his life.

"For me the dynamic that drove Club Tyrone is no longer there. It's not there for me. I can't speak for anybody else.

"But we are now into an era of pay for play, and for me whatever else Club Tyrone was about, it wasn't about that."

Conway has been one of the driving forces behind the fund-raising body which started life almost 13 years ago as the Millennium Initiative and later became Club Tyrone.

He has also been instrumental in helping other counties throughout Ireland establish similar initiatives.

"For me, Club Tyrone was about raising money, providing GAA facilities for our county, to put in place an infrastructure to support the development of teams, to do all of that.

"But as of Saturday, we are now in a position, having done all of that, we're now going to have to pay people to use those facilities, to use that infrastructure.

"And personally, that doesn't do anything for me, so I'm not interested in doing that.

"Every penny Club Tyrone ever raised went to the betterment of the GAA in Tyrone, but as of Saturday, for me, and I think for a number of other people, the fundamental principle of the GAA changed."

Opponents of the grants are continuing to speak out despite the GAA's Central Council's decision to approve the scheme, subject to a few adjustments.

Both the Down and Derry county conventions passed motions on Sunday expressing opposition to the GAA's deal with the Gaelic Players Association.

Derry county chairman Seamus McCloy said that the GPA should "rename their association the CPA - the County Players Association.

"They seem only to want "awards" for county players," added the Derry chairman.

He also said that he "took exception" to comments made by GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell last week when the former Dublin football described opponents of the deal as "a small rump of malcontents".

Sourced BBCi: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/northern_ireland/gaelic_games/7136644.stm

Mark Conway has been a great man behind the scenes at Club GAA in Kildress and County GAA for Tyrone. His work is second to none and he is the embodiment of what the true GAA was. He works tirelessly for all and the good the GAA. He was one of the driving force behind Club Tyrone, a programme which has been replicated across the different counties in Ireland.

Mark never seeked money for his work, nor did he seek adulation for what he did. He did this, because of his love for the GAA. A lot of so-called GAA men and women would do well to look at the example that Mark has set and forget all about this rubbish from the GPA. For Mark is a GAA man and Dessie is a money man.

I just hope that Mark does not cut all links with Tyrone GAA and we need a man with his vision and guidance through these difficult days.

Rossfan · December 10, 2007, 07:44:46 PM

Not much of a man if he walks away because he doesnt get his way on an issue.
Toys pram out spring to mind.

DMarsden · December 10, 2007, 07:46:10 PM

Never heard of him until last week but he seems like a bit of a drama queen. He's certainly gotten himself the maximum exposure out of this.

pintsofguinness · December 10, 2007, 07:54:03 PM

Quote from: Rossfan on December 10, 2007, 07:44:46 PM
Not much of a man if he walks away because he doesnt get his way on an issue.
Toys pram out spring to mind.

Get his way?
There was no vote, how would he get his way?

Why should be bust himself to gather up a few pound for a group of players who will be handed maybe 60,000?

ziggysego · December 10, 2007, 08:01:59 PM

I know Mark to speak to and he is a very decent man. He is not the kind of man that would throw a huff when things don't go his way.

The weekend's decision by the GAA to approve the grants effectivately end the amature status of the GAA.

Club Tyrone was set up to look after the welfare of county players within Tyrone and as I say, it has been used as a template across Ireland. The GPA have now ended the amature status of the GAA in all but name.

INDIANA · December 10, 2007, 08:06:27 PM

bit of a drama queen? and the GPA aren't- you're some hyprocrite. Threatening to go on strike unless you get your way is what i'd call being a drama queen and throwing your toys out of the pram.

RadioGAAGAA · December 10, 2007, 08:12:32 PM

Quote from: INDIANA on December 10, 2007, 08:06:27 PM
bit of a drama queen? and the GPA aren't- you're some hyprocrite. Threatening to go on strike unless you get your way is what i'd call being a drama queen and throwing your toys out of the pram.

sssssshhhhhhh

Maximus Marillius · December 10, 2007, 08:26:19 PM

Quote from: ziggysego on December 10, 2007, 08:01:59 PM
I know Mark to speak to and he is a very decent man. He is not the kind of man that would throw a huff when things don't go his way.

The weekend's decision by the GAA to approve the grants effectivately end the amature status of the GAA.

Club Tyrone was set up to look after the welfare of county players within Tyrone and as I say, it has been used as a template across Ireland. The GPA have now ended the amature status of the GAA in all but name.

now isn't that the biggest pile if shite you have read in a while...ziggy would you catch yourself on. It all changed the day the first manager was paid ...and that my friend was quite a while ago. Talk to yer mans club

ziggysego · December 10, 2007, 08:30:18 PM

Quote from: Maximus Marillius on December 10, 2007, 08:26:19 PM
now isn't that the biggest pile if shite you have read in a while...ziggy would you catch yourself on. It all changed the day the first manager was paid ...and that my friend was quite a while ago. Talk to yer mans club

Managers getting paid is something I disgree with too Max and if it was at all possible, it should be gotten rid out of the game.

Maximus Marillius · December 10, 2007, 08:33:23 PM

ziggy...look I understand where you are coming from, but is not about time you came into the real world. This is how it is, and this is how it is going to be....like or not. It happened a good while back and you and I never noticed it

pintsofguinness · December 10, 2007, 08:34:25 PM

The GAA didn't approve managers getting paid, they've approved players getting paid.

ziggysego · December 10, 2007, 08:36:47 PM

Quote from: Maximus Marillius on December 10, 2007, 08:33:23 PM
ziggy...look I understand where you are coming from, but is not about time you came into the real world. This is how it is, and this is how it is going to be....like or not. It happened a good while back and you and I never noticed it

So your way of thinking is... it's happened... nothing I can do about it... I'll just sit back and watch it continue?

Sorry Max, the GAA is a way of life for me and is very important to me. I will defend it to the end of the world if I have to.

ExiledGael · December 10, 2007, 08:37:38 PM

Presume you're missing a n't Pints

tyrone exile · December 10, 2007, 08:39:23 PM

Quote from: Maximus Marillius on December 10, 2007, 08:26:19 PM
now isn't that the biggest pile if shite you have read in a while...ziggy would you catch yourself on. It all changed the day the first manager was paid ...and that my friend was quite a while ago. Talk to yer mans club

Talk to yer mans club? so are kildress the only team in the country paying there managers.
The GPA is looking more and more like a cult as the days go by, Dessie mentions Kildress paying there managers and all his supporters jump on the statement and drag it out as long as possible. i think the points against the grants are a bit more effective than the points for.

As for throwing the toys out of the pram? thats a bit much coming from someone who clearly is in favour of these grants! if we dint get them were going on strike!

Tyrone will feel the effects of this resignation in years to come

I just hope he wont give up on our own club.

pintsofguinness · December 10, 2007, 08:59:05 PM

Quote from: ExiledGael on December 10, 2007, 08:37:38 PM
Presume you're missing a n't Pints

Yes, fixed now.