Will the paying of grants affect your attendance at Inter-County games

[stephenite]

Would be interested in the results of this - I've read that one or two on here plan to stop attending Inter-county games and wondered how prevalent this mood is, will this issue have a negative affect on attendances.

[RadioGAAGAA]

I would not be so worried about the number of people interested in inter county matches, as the number of people that don't want to cut the grass, fix the catch wire, sell the tickets, train the U-12s, join the county board etc etc.



Its all those little cogs (ok, some bigger than others) that the GAA rely on to run smoothly. If enough of those people become disenchanted with the whole thing, then there is a real problem.



The players are not the foundations of the GAA - its everyone else pitching in their time voluntarily to organise things around the players that is. I know on first glance that sounds stupid, but you look at all the amateur soccer leagues the length of the country, there isn't a shortage of players, but there is a shortage of good pitches, referees, changing rooms, organised youth structures within every parish etc etc etc.

[DMarsden]

I would not be so worried about the number of people interested in inter county matches, as the number of people that don't want to cut the grass, fix the catch wire, sell the tickets, train the U-12s, join the county board etc etc.

Honest to god now, you really believe that?

You'd be a very poor clubman to abandon it for such an abstract reason.

[RadioGAAGAA]

Honest to god now, you really believe that?

You'd be a very poor clubman to abandon it for such an abstract reason.

In your opinion.


We've already seen county boards up in arms over the grants, we've already seen influential volunteers resign, indeed, early indications would tend to back my argument rather than yours.


Yet again, I'll ask you to consider the state of local soccer -


Q: Who maintains the vast majority of the pitches?
A: The district councils do.

Q: What state are the pitches in?
A: Shite.

Q: Are there adequate changing facilities at every pitch?
A: Not on your life.

Q: Are the leagues and cups well organised with a large pool of referees to officiate each and every match?
A: ha ha ha ha

Q: Are there proper structured youth leagues/cups, with each club/team focusing on improving their player's ability through good training techniques over a long time period?
A: Are you taking the piss?



Pretty much each and every one of the above questions relate directly to the non-playing volunteer side of our association, be they maintaining the pitch, selling raffle tickets for that new changing room or to buy a pitch, organising the leagues, or training the youth teams.


You can declare your assumptions on this board until you are blue in the face DMarsden - it won't change the FACT that local historical evidence would point towards another outcome - one that you and every other supporter of the grants refuse to accept as even possible never mind probable.

[thejuice]

I would not be so worried about the number of people interested in inter county matches, as the number of people that don't want to cut the grass, fix the catch wire, sell the tickets, train the U-12s, join the county board etc etc.

That doesnt add up at all. There are plenty of people doing the same things for professional sports. I bet they arent bothered about the players getting paid doesnt stop them getting up in the mornings volenteering.*******

I will stick by my county and club, I dont have "Loyal to the Royals" written on my profile just because it rhymes.


***** By the way i am in England at the minute, where every weekend and mid week there are plenty of volenteers doing these things. The state of irish soccer is down to the fact that no-one actually gives a shite about it. If some volenteers walkaway there'll be more to take their place,

[DMarsden]

Your doomsday scenario is based on the assumption that people are going to stop volunteering to work for their clubs en masse because of this. I don't believe for one minute that volunteer work in clubs will be affected at all and i doubt if any right thinking gaa man believes that either.

[Rossfan]

I will be attending as many Roscommon games as I can across all the Grades.
I'll leave the negativity to the Nordies *some of whom seem to always need to be moaning about something.

I see the great unwashed of the Mayo GAA had no comment to make on grants at their convention after their moan last week.
I presume the Manager "packages"  via a vis amateur status was pointed out to them along the way somewhere.

*I presume if an Ulster team gets to the All Ireland Final next year there will be no problem getting tickets as so many former followers won't be travelling.

[Bensars]

I will be attending as many Roscommon games as I can across all the Grades.
I'll leave the negativity to the Nordies *some of whom seem to always need to be moaning about something.

I see the great unwashed of the Mayo GAA had no comment to make on grants at their convention after their moan last week.
I presume the Manager "packages"  via a vis amateur status was pointed out to them along the way somewhere.

*I presume if an Ulster team gets to the All Ireland Final next year there will be no problem getting tickets as so many former followers won't be travelling.

Thats just a petty childish post in the hope to wind people up.

[Rossfan]

I will be attending as many Roscommon games as I can across all the Grades.
I'll leave the negativity to the Nordies *some of whom seem to always need to be moaning about something.

I see the great unwashed of the Mayo GAA had no comment to make on grants at their convention after their moan last week.
I presume the Manager "packages"  via a vis amateur status was pointed out to them along the way somewhere.

*I presume if an Ulster team gets to the All Ireland Final next year there will be no problem getting tickets as so many former followers won't be travelling.

Thats just a petty childish post in the hope to wind people up.

Address the serious points raised - like how many of ye wouldnt go to an All Ireland Final if your team got there? How come the Mayo GAA went all silent all of a sudden?
I think most of the apoilt child syndrome is coming from those who are against Inter Co players getting a little token grant - a few hundred pages over several threads all doom and gloom -no one will cut the grass,no one will go to games,no one will paint the posts, I'm finished with the GAA, a Tyrone fundraiser has quit = end of GAA,We'll all be ruined says hanrahan....

GAA  = 123 years not out !!!

[bingobus]

I don't think it will affect the hardcore support or local level volunteers on the current scale of payments. But it may affect the current fairweather supports who turn up when things are going well and then put the boot in when things are on the slide.

Ireland is always a nation of begruders, who will see players as been paid, regardless of how much or little. It will be the "Go and see them shower, and line their pockets!!" attitude that may affect some into the game, rather than losing what we already have.

It could also affect the future income of the game at grassroots. Again the attitude may prevail where people say, why should I give XXXX club/county money or buy a ticket when they are getting paid out it. Again, some people will not know/care how much the payments are, but will be aware (and the media will hype it up, use it as a stick to beat underpreforming teams) that the players are getting money for playing the game, call it grants or pay if you will.

The problem isn't now but people outside the games attitude in the future.

[RadioGAAGAA]

That doesnt add up at all. There are plenty of people doing the same things for professional sports. I bet they aren't bothered about the players getting paid doesn't stop them getting up in the mornings volunteering.*

* By the way i am in England at the minute, where every weekend and mid week there are plenty of volunteers doing these things. The state of irish soccer is down to the fact that no-one actually gives a shite about it. If some volunteers walkaway there'll be more to take their place,

From the state of the clubs I know, I believe your assumption that more will be eager to step into the breach and perform the same tasks as well is extremely dubious.




It is not easy to get fellas to commit to training or managing a squad of youngsters even 1 night a week for 25 weeks of the year, never mind doing the job properly and doing it at least 2/3 times a week.

What if a sizable portion of them recognise they are losing out both from money and time aspects - and they should be recompensed?

Will there be a GMA? Gaelic Managers Association?

Will the government give grants to them?

Or will they get nothing and just quit. Answers on a postcard please.

[RadioGAAGAA]

Your doomsday scenario is based on the assumption that people are going to stop volunteering to work for their clubs en masse because of this. I don't believe for one minute that volunteer work in clubs will be affected at all and i doubt if any right thinking gaa man believes that either.

More of the arrogance, and based on comparable examples, mis-placed arrogance at that.


I am presenting evidence of this exact scenario in other sports, yet you are continually posting up your blind assumption and qualifying it with the adage that any "right thinking GAA man" would assume it as well.

[RadioGAAGAA]

GAA  = 123 years not out !!!

GAA = 123 years of amateur sportsmen.... 0 years of semi-professional sportsmen.



I hope we reach 246 years stronger than ever, but I fear a regression is imminent.

[full back]

I will be attending as many Roscommon games as I can across all the Grades.
I'll leave the negativity to the Nordies *some of whom seem to always need to be moaning about something.

[tayto]

I don't think it will affect the hardcore support or local level volunteers on the current scale of payments. But it may affect the current fairweather supports who turn up when things are going well and then put the boot in when things are on the slide.

I dont think the fairweather fan will give two hoots about the grants, they go to a handful of high profile matches a year for the craic. Some people feel let down by this and that's their right i suppose, dont really have a problem with the government giving grants to however they want but people have the right to feel otherwise.