Formal recognition for GPA by GAA

[cornafean]

There will be points of conflict but, presumably, they will be kept in-house and worked through to a conclusion rather than thrashed out publicly which, in the past, was in nobody's interest.[b][/b]

Interesting strategy given what we've been reading over the past two days.  Breheny clearly an advocate of the "Catholic Church" approach to problem solving and PR!!

or perhaps the "Bertie Ahern" approach, which was to bring people behind closed doors, throw money at them until they stop whinging, and keep doing this until the country was bankrupted.

[A Quinn Martin Production]

He also seems to think that in order to have an opinion about anything in the GAA you must have a "mandate".  I don't think OOB claims any sort of mandate.  They're just giving their opinion. 

From their website ""Of One Belief" is a sounding board and no more, for those who share a belief about the GAA."

It's clearly not a belief that Breheny or the grandiosely name Irish "Independent" share but that's OK.  He needs access to inter county players to fill his articles so it's natural he'll be on the side of the GPA.

[theskull1]

Exactly..Its in journalists best interests to agree with anything which builds the profile and hype of intercounty activities and the personalities...on that basis their views are tainted. Why does anybody feel these scribes have a better opinion than the rest of us?

[Red Hand Gael]

This scandalous deal done by the two boyo's is wrong in so many ways. How dare they steamroller their ideas over the Ard Chomhairle before they have even met. I thought Congress was the voice of democracy in our Organisation. These "Interim Arrangements" are way beyond the remit of Christy and Pauric.

The Gaelic Players Management Company Ltd was on the verge of insolvency. They were nearly beaten into submission. Why are we donating into this private Company? Why are the GPA represented by a Private Company? Has the GAA ever heard of due diligence?

All funders are entitled to scrutinise the spending of the group they donate to. Has the GAA even attempted to put arrangements in place for this? Are they going to have a Value For Money Audit? Is Dessie's Salary/Pension Contributions/Benefits in Kind going to be divulged to everyone?

[dowling]

Zulu what exactly does 'players welfare' cover in relation to this money and and what will be different to what county boards cover?

[Rawhide]

 

[Rawhide]

Thats a few of you boys told off 

Duffy hit backs at GPA deal critics

Padraic Duffy
28 November 2009


GAA director-general Paraic Duffy has responded to criticism of the GAA's decision to grant formal recognition to the GPA and to provide the players' body with funding to the tune of EUR1.6 million next year.

The Monaghan man is especially disappointed with the reaction from the mainly Ulster-based 'Of One Belief' lobby group, who branded the deal "a sad and sordid mess". The Group also accused the GAA top brass of selling out and asked whether the Association was getting value for money from their Croke Park employees.



"I don't like the sort of personalised stuff we got early in the week. It was aimed at full-time officials in Croke Park who were on the team that negotiated with the GPA. There's no place in the GAA for trying to drive a wedge between various parts of the Association," Duffy told the Irish Independent.

Duffy, along with president Christy Cooney, Operations Manager Fergal McGill and Central Hearings Committee chairman Liam Keane, conducted the negotiations on behalf of the GAA.

He pointed out: "Liam Keane is not employed by the GAA and is a volunteer who played for his club up to two years ago; Fergal McGill still plays for his club in Leitrim, while both Christy and myself have a long involvement with our clubs and counties. So, trying to create this division between Croke Park and the rest is unfortunate.

"I would have thought that any document which proposes a plan to end what was effectively a 10-year dispute is worthy of serious consideration and not just a quick reaction full of personalised stuff."

[Zulu]

quote]Your talk of separating inter county players from the clubs is what I am referring to. Two tiered systems etc etc.
[/quote]

Yes a possible solution to the current situation where club players get hardly any games and even fewer during the summer. But as you'd expect from some, rather than discussing if this, or something else, could be the way forward we hear shite talk about the clubs being central to the GAA even though the current system ensures clubs are playing their county finals in October and November. No, your right a system that acknowledges the rteality that is infront of our noses and allows more lads to play club GAA and the county boards to structure a club championship free of the IC scene in anti-club, Christ help me 

You quoted me in your post, stop back tracking. You make a comment and then when pulled on it of course it was a general comment.

It was a general comment, as indicated by the phrase 'that old chesnut' but if you want to think it was directed at you so be it, you did say it so it was, at least in part, directed at you, so no back tracking here.

And why should top players show a united front if they don't agree with the GPA?

What? They GAA and the top players represented by the GPA were promoting rival drink companies, which was an idiotic situation to get into and one that now won't happen again.

These are examples of what the GPA are willing to do, they have their cause and they aren't afraid to make decisions they feel are strategic to getting what they want. Read Donal Ogs book.

They've already showed they won't do interviews if they don't want to.

Why would a journalist bite the hand that feeds it?

And I've already told you that I know of a number of players who don't decide who they give interviews to on the basis of the journalists views on the GPA, so your accusation is bogus but one easily bandied about when some people don't like what the journalists are saying. I supppose you've dismissed the possibility that these people just don't agree with you?

We have or had a player welfare officer, I am uncertain whether Mr Duffy was replaced after being appointed director general. Everything you mention should be covered by the role of player welfare officer.

And now it will be by the player representitive body that the players support. If teh GPA is a monster, it is one of the GAA's own making so now they have to live with it.

So it is a nonsense that Louth are broke and our main spending has been on our county players in the last five years and now we are told that it wasn't good enough. So Louth are part of the GAA when it is of convenience, where exactly is the line so I can keep a note of it for future reference.

Louth run their own affairs, and according to you they've made a mess of them, just like Roscommon a few years ago but that has nothing to do with the GPA.

It isn't the GPA I am pointing fingers at, I am pointing fingers at the gentle men who decided this was the best course of action for the GAA. I never once mentioned the GPA when talking of Louth.

Come on man, the debate is whether the GPA are entitled to GAA funding, you seem to reckon they aren't and instead the GAA should be bailing out Louth GAA who have over spent on thier county team, is that right?

Again no mention of the GPA in my comments, everything I've mentioned here is completely directed at the GAA's head men.

Ah I see, so you've no issue with the GPA but you think journalists who support this deal are lying just so they won't 'bite the hand that feeds them'?  And you accuse me of backtracking.

[Hardy]

"There's no place in the GAA for trying to drive a wedge between various parts of the Association," Duffy told the Irish Independent.

He's taking the piss, no?

[Zulu]

Whatever your views on the GPA, that one belief crowd don't help matters because all they do is take up the extreme opposite position. Some called for a debate on this issue at club level and I'd have no problem with that but lets debate it on facts not on soothsayer type predictions of doom.

[Zulu]

Yes I can really see Donal Og, Sean Og or any of the other hardcore GPA guys lining up to give an interview to a journalist who has put the GPA through the mill.

Well I admire your attempts to defend an indefensible position, to support your view that all journalists are protecting their own interests and lying to the natiion you've used two, count em, two players who are nearly retired (oh and other harcore guys, whoever they are). You make a strong case I'll grant you!!!!!!!

Which people are they? The GPA guys who have nearly secured 1.6 million? I'm sure they'd say whoever it took to get their hands on that money. If my club was getting the same I'd say anything.

What? You're making less sense with each post.

Exactly, I don't like the method they've gone about with it. They should have taken the player welfare officer more serious over the last ten years and done something better with it, I find it sad that we now have to outsource player welfare rather than have it dealt with with a role created for it.

Well take that up with the GAA then rather than posting nonsense about journalists protecting their interests, even if it means lying.

I wouldn't be familiar with the internal workings with Roscommon GAA, I do know Louth took player welfare very seriously over the last number of years and it is one of the main reasons we are in trouble. Louth are still an arm of the GAA, not an outside association like the one we are writing chqs for 1.6m for.

This 'outside association' represents GAA club members, including club members from Louth and if they are brought in and funded hopefully they'll be able to represent us (all club players) all. But it seems you'd rather keep them out and ignore the reality that exists.

What exactly are the GPA going to do for Louth inter county players? Are they going to pay for their gym membership, mileage, meals after training? And this goes for every other county board that is feeling the strain.

I can't answer that but do you think that those things mentioned are the only things players need? I certainly think that advice on a range of issues from employment, education, proper nutrition etc. are also required.

I reckon that the units of the GAA deserve money not some outside body. I referenced Louth as it is a prime example of what is going on around the country. I reckon the GAA should be looking after its own units that are catering for a much larger percentage of the membership.

It does do this and whether you like it or not, the IC scene provides the money to do that. That the GAA spend some of it on those that provide the bulk of our funding is not unreasonable IMO.

His opinion is biased considering his job is created by the inter county scene. No back tracking.

So who are you giving out about the GAA or the GPA?

The Of One Belief is make up of good hard working GAA men who've done a major amount for the GAA, as I'm sure Tyrone Gaels will agree with. They are certainly entitled to voice their opinion.

Could you read their website and tell me where the "soothsayer type predictions of doom" are?

Surely CP is as well, of course they are entitled to voice their opinion but they are scaremongering as much as anyting else and they also imply that they represent the hardworking club man, well I'd like to know what an IC player is if he isn't that?

[Zulu]

Right from this debate I've taken that your opinion is:-

- that no journalist has a vested interest in the anything and their opinion will never be compromised.

Nice try, you can't support your claim that all journalists are lying for self-interest so you try to turn it on me. It seems to be beyond you to admit that you were guilty of implying a far too simplistic and unsupported reason for journalists pro-GPA articles. Instead you're trying to imply I've said the opposite, which I haven't.

that no group other than the GPA or Croke Park is allowed to voice any concerns, that we should all put our heads in the sand and let them get on with it

More nonsense, but you're on a bit of run in that respect.

You aren't really up turning on any of the issues and no amount of debate would turn you.

Intelligent and reasoned debate could convince me of anything but you have produced much of that.

[Hardy]

Some called for a debate on this issue at club level and I'd have no problem with that but lets debate it on facts not on soothsayer type predictions of doom.

What facts? What information are club members going to have to go on when they sit down to debate this and mandate their delegates in advance of the congress votes?

A few simple questions that occur without thinking for more than ten seconds, to start with:

- How is "player welfare" defined for the purposes of this agreement?
- Who will administer the distribution of the €1.6 million "player welfare" fund and who will decide on which (if any) players get money?
- What ring-fencing has been put in place to prevent continual annual inflation of this amount. (I think I know the answer to that one, but anyway ...)
- Which entity will be in receipt of the €1.6M? If it's the GPA limited company, what due diligence has been done on the affairs of this company?
- What EXACTLY is the €250,000 for and how will the GAA monitor its disbursement?
- Which GAA fund will the money be taken from?
- Which programmes will be terminated or reduced as a result of the diversion of this amount of funding?
- Where can we see the cost/benefit analysis that informed this use of funds?

How is any member supposed to make an informed decision on how to vote on this proposal without at least this basic information?

[haranguerer]

This has probably been brought up before, but i couldnt be bothered reading through the whole thread, sorry!

I'm not against the GPA at all, but I'm intrigued as to how a body which doesnt represent the majority of the players can be officially represented as the players representation by the GAA. It seems they missed a trick in not pointing that out. I'll admit to not knowing much about the whole ins and outs - it was just a thought when I saw that news.

[Zulu]

How is any member supposed to make an informed decision on how to vote on this proposal without at least this basic information?

Well I doubt club representitives have had that much information on any topic before they accepted or rejected them, but can clubs not ask for this information through their CB's?