Páraic Duffy speaks out!

[haranguerer]

The only thing I think is so stupid about this is that it's only become an issue now!

We know this has been going on for 10 years at least.

Now it's a big elephant in the room.

What about players getting paid?
Who was paying the big money for the Mullaghbawn/Na Fianna man while he was the first professional footballer - or even Larry by the Lee before that?

100% right logan - everyone knows many managers have been getting paid for ages, and i've never noticed anyone caring too much. To say its the biggest single issue facing the gaa is ludricous and doesnt bode well for this eejits tenure.

And what has he to say about payments made to players to go to the US and play? I've absolutely no issue with this either, but is it not a greater contradiction to the GAAs amateur status?

[cornafean]

Páraic Duffy may be many things but he's certainly not an eejit. I can't help thinking that there is definitely some logical motivation behind this statement. Perhaps it is a spoiling tactic ahead of the furore that will erupt in the coming days/weeks/months when the GPA grants scheme is abolished. Páraic said something similar about clubs and counties paying managers when he attempted to justify the original pay-for-play version of the grants scheme in December 2007, basically aiming a "let he who has not sinned cast the first stone" challenge to Of One Belief and the other critics of that particular proposal.

[uselessfootballer]

Apols Zulu but I've never cought the hang of this insert quote function so can't quote you back before commenting.

I appreciate your comments and agree that it is time I stopped sitting on my hands and raise this issue at an agm. This is something I have considered doing for the past 2 years but didn't, not wanting to rock the boat etc

When I have raised the issue outside of meetings with committee members or the club chairman I get given the same  explaination that without the payment of expenses it would be impossible to get a manager/coach for the senior team. I do understand this difficult position position but if payments were outlawed and the payment of ligimate travel overseen by the county board then a lot of these managers for hire would have little option but to return to the service of their own club if they want to continue their involvement in the sport therefore taking away the market forces that buts my club and many others in the difficult position.

I also agree with you that if an expert paid coaching input is warranted anywhere within the club then it is at the youth level benefitting the future of the club.

[rrhf]

Interesting cornafean and Id say you are maybe onto something. 
My take on it is that Duffy may be  using this statement to actually start a "witch hunt" clean up campaign and see where this will lead.  Im pretty sure the players will be looking dough from the GAAs coffers soon enough so if theres a root and branch clean up and nobody gets paid then the players cant point he finger to improve their bargaining position.   

[orangeman]

Interesting cornafean and Id say you are maybe onto something. 
My take on it is that Duffy may be  using this statement to actually start a "witch hunt" clean up campaign and see where this will lead.  Im pretty sure the players will be looking dough from the GAAs coffers soon enough so if theres a root and branch clean up and nobody gets paid then the players cant point he finger to improve their bargaining position.   

Same thought crossed my mind - better to get your spake in first.

[Logan]

The only thing I think is so stupid about this is that it's only become an issue now!

We know this has been going on for 10 years at least.

Now it's a big elephant in the room.

What about players getting paid?
Who was paying the big money for the Mullaghbawn/Na Fianna man while he was the first professional footballer - or even Larry by the Lee before that?

100% right logan - everyone knows many managers have been getting paid for ages, and i've never noticed anyone caring too much. To say its the biggest single issue facing the gaa is ludricous and doesnt bode well for this eejits tenure.

And what has he to say about payments made to players to go to the US and play? I've absolutely no issue with this either, but is it not a greater contradiction to the GAAs amateur status?

The other stupid thing is that it was only 30,000

The dogs in the street know the man from Waterville is on 100,000 a year

[stephenite]

i agree 100% with his remarks

money being given to managers could be used to fund full time/part time coaches to ensure kids in schools get to play GAA games

I don't often agree with Rossies but I do on this issue.

It is hypocrisy in the extreme to argue that managers nowadays can't be expected to do it for nothing and then attack players for looking for money. What's good for the goose is good for the manager.

This is very simple. Gaelic games are either amateur or they are not.

IMHO managers should not be paid while the game remains amateur.

I disagree, Muppet. The players are the participants, the beneficiaries of the services the rest of the organisation provides so that they can participate. The organisation pays all sorts of professionals for services to support the games. If we pay physiotherapists, landscapers and bus drivers, why should we single out managers as the only service providers whom we expect to provide their services for nothing?

I don't buy this players are the participants argument for one second, and more importantly neither do the players - it just doesn't stand up.

Yes, they are participants, but so are the managers. But the players are also the biggest service providers we have - at an inter county level at least, they are the ones providing the entertainment .You cannot expect players to put in all the effort and only the managers to get paid, without the players questioning the sanity of such a system and why they'd fecking bother.

If managers shouldn't be singled out of the service providers list you've given, why should the players be left out? Of course they have a choice not to turn up but that's a nonsense argument really.

You're either an amatuer or your not - I've said it before but the amateur horse bolted out of the stable years ago. It's only a matter of time and negotiation before the payments for managers become sanctioned and approved, then the players will get their slice, when that happens the rich will get richer and the poor etc...

The comments by Duffy are just part of the inevitable cycle of negotiating that will take place until we're semi-professional at least - it'll drag on for a while yet but it's in the post.

[Zulu]

Why is it only a matter of time? Managers get paid already and I've never heard of a player wondering why they don't also get paid. There is a big difference between the GAA paying managers and players and some counties or clubs having 'sugar daddy's' that are willing to fund a coach/manager.

[Logan]

Lets be honest for all the work that goes into managing they probably should get paid - but just come out and everyone admit it

Stop hiding it.

As for players, I don't know of any players crying about not getting paid - though I know some who did get paid for periods of a year

[stephenite]

Why is it only a matter of time? Managers get paid already and I've never heard of a player wondering why they don't also get paid. There is a big difference between the GAA paying managers and players and some counties or clubs having 'sugar daddy's' that are willing to fund a coach/manager.

I've heard of plenty - I also know of players that have got more cash in hand than the manager.
It's widespread, has been for years in most counties. It's only a matter of time before it's legitimized. The GPA has been quoted already as saying that this is the end goal, even if they've publicly rowed back on that since, they privately haven't.

Is anyone serioulsy trying to suggest that if mangers were getting 'official' payments the GPA would not be lobbying for players to get paid also?

If an inter county player was training away as he does now and the manager is getting paid 150K a year, and he's a builder strugling to find work, is anyone seriously suggesting that this player would not at least question why he was not also receiving payment? He's the one doing all the running and gym work, no one shows up to watch the managers etc.

It's illogical to state that one should be paid without the other at least demanding similair treatment.

[Zulu]

I'll have to take your word for it Stephenite but I know a good few IC players and not one has suggested they should get paid even though they are aware that their manager gets paid. In my experience players want top quality coaches and support structures, if that needs to be paid for then so be it, they realize that neither the GAA nor a wealthy benefactor can afford to pay 30 lads (60 if he's paying for both codes) but they can afford to pay for quality backroom teams. I know players would like to be paid to play football but they also know that it isn't possible, now personally I'd have no problem with a player getting paid, my problem with professionalism isn't the payment but the realities of a pro game in terms of transfers and sustainability.

[stephenite]

now personally I'd have no problem with a player getting paid, my problem with professionalism isn't the payment but the realities of a pro game in terms of transfers and sustainability.

I'd agree with most of that, the same arguments I've put to lads but it falls on deaf ears.

I still think it will happen eventually though

[rrhf]

I dont agree with that Stephenite, I think it is in the best interest of GAA members particularly in the current era whereby a mechanism is put in place to eradicate the brown envelope and no one from an amnesty or cut off point can even consider paying or acting the mercenary.  The culture needs to be stopped and Duffy is bringing it up to 1) either deal with it and eradicate it from the GAA or 2) unthinkably to support the GPAs ambitions of paying the players in the long term by exposing the hypocrisy.   

[orangeman]

I dont agree with that Stephenite, I think it is in the best interest of GAA members particularly in the current era whereby a mechanism is put in place to eradicate the brown envelope and no one from an amnesty or cut off point can even consider paying or acting the mercenary.  The culture needs to be stopped and Duffy is bringing it up to 1) either deal with it and eradicate it from the GAA or 2) unthinkably to support the GPAs ambitions of paying the players in the long term by exposing the hypocrisy.   

You're right - that would be unthinkable.

Duffy et al have zero intention of doing that.

[Zulu]

I dont agree with that Stephenite, I think it is in the best interest of GAA members particularly in the current era whereby a mechanism is put in place to eradicate the brown envelope and no one from an amnesty or cut off point can even consider paying or acting the mercenary.  The culture needs to be stopped and Duffy is bringing it up to 1) either deal with it and eradicate it from the GAA or 2) unthinkably to support the GPAs ambitions of paying the players in the long term by exposing the hypocrisy.   

The term mercenary is thrown out there to tar everyone with the same brush and paint a picture of self serving coaches interested in only lining their pockets. And while this is undoubtedly true of some coaches it is far from true about most, coaches bring a level of expertise to a club/county so why shouldn't they get reimbursed for it? When i was coming up through the ranks from underage to adult I knew of no club that had an outside coach or manager, the reality is that now most of those coaches wouldn't be accepted by players in any ambitious clubs because they don't know enough about preparing a team.

Clubs and certainly counties now demand tactical nous, physical preparation knowledge, innovation and massive committment from their backroom staff. Why should people with no connection to the club do that for free? 

By the way one of the main reasons coaches are now getting paid is because so few people are willing to do it, so clubs have to pay outsiders to come in and do what their own clubmen won't do. If people want to stop this 'mercenary' practice get off your arse, get experience coaching at underage, travel around your county watching games and get on the internet to find drills and games to keep your sessions interesting, then there'd be no need to pay anyone.