GPA issues members with a ballot for strike!

[Lecale2]

Pity it has come to this but I'd be happy enouigh to see inter county competition suspended for a season if counties can't field. Play club competitions on Sunday afternoons in June, July & August.

[DoYerJob Linesman]

Bouncy Bouncy BouncyBouncy Bouncy BouncyBouncy Bouncy BouncyBouncy Bouncy BouncyBouncy Bouncy BouncyBouncy Bouncy Bouncy

Every post that Bensars writes looks the same to me!

[dublinfella]

If the players strike - wouldnt other club players take up their mantle? Its a real kick in the teeth to club players on the fringe of the intercounty set up.

I don't know if thats a cert, no-one likes a scab, even if the GPA are in total meltdown.

[deiseach]

I don't know if thats a cert, no-one likes a scab, even if the GPA are in total meltdown.

If needs be, I still have my hurley

[DUBSFORSAM1]

Why all the whinging about the GPA??

Is there whinging about the grants they offer to students who are in college?? Is that not a form of pay for play???
Is there whinging about sponsorships, holidays, etc given to them - effectively another form of pay for play...

With regards to numbers according to Enda McNulty they have 1,856 members with a burgeoning associate scheme for club players...where is the praise for the GPA scholarship scheme, work on burnout, work on club fixtures crisis and their proposals, benevolent funds, charity work,

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We have had an Actuaries Report commissioned; the first independent scientific evaluation of the costs involved for inter-county players due to their substantial commitment to teams. Depending on the duration of service, anywhere from €100,000 to €150,000 was estimated as the cost of an average county career. We have had an Actuaries Report commissioned; the first independent scientific evaluation of the costs involved for inter-county players due to their substantial commitment to teams. Depending on the duration of service, anywhere from €100,000 to €150,000 was estimated as the cost of an average county career.
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The grants are on the basis of donation to every county player either hurling or football without recourse to ability or standards etc.......

[Frank Casey]

Bouncy Bouncy BouncyBouncy Bouncy BouncyBouncy Bouncy BouncyBouncy Bouncy BouncyBouncy Bouncy BouncyBouncy Bouncy Bouncy

Every post that Bensars writes looks the same to me!

I am reminded of that eminent philosopher from Peckam - Del Boy "Lovely Jubblies"

[Tatler Jack]

Why all the whinging about the GPA??

No whinging DfS1 but most people can see the GPA for what it is. Far from being a representative body for players it is in effect a marketing body for a small elite group including the management. Unfortunately it has never been put under any form of media scrutiny particularly in relation to its finances and who is benefitting. The current strike threat represents an opportunity for the GAA to put an end to Dessie's clique once and for all. I would support a players representative body that is representative of all players and is loyal to the Association. Please don't make me laugh with your listing of GPA achievements - PR for the most part. Unfortunately many Dubs supporters out of blind loyalty to Dessie refuse to see the GPA for what it is - a selfish organisation that cares little for theoverall good of the GAA and what the GAA stands for throughout the country.

[DUBSFORSAM1]

Tatler Jack

So how is it PR? Did you not read the listing of all the players who get scholarships?? Did you read their proposals to solve the club v's county crisis?? Did you read all the agreements they have got with the GAA on treatment of players and squads??

The small elite you are talking about is every county player in both hurling and football ntowithstanging what county they are from....ie a Mayo hurler is treated like a Kilkenny hurler or a Kerry footballer or a Kilkenny footballer.....if you look at the people taking part you will find they are nearly all ex-players who won't benefit either....

How is it a selfish organisation? As O'Cusack says a county player gets an option to but 2 tickets for the AIF but a central council delegate receives 14 tickets...Could you imagine any other organisation having a mileage allowance of 50c per mile?? (eg civil service rates go from 86.05 cents to 128.1 cents per mile)...

My views have nothing to do with being a Dublin supporter either...

[Bensars]

Why all the whinging about the GPA??

Is there whinging about the grants they offer to students who are in college?? Is that not a form of pay for play???
Is there whinging about sponsorships, holidays, etc given to them - effectively another form of pay for play...

With regards to numbers according to Enda McNulty they have 1,856 members with a burgeoning associate scheme for club players...where is the praise for the GPA scholarship scheme, work on burnout, work on club fixtures crisis and their proposals, benevolent funds, charity work,
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We have had an Actuaries Report commissioned; the first independent scientific evaluation of the costs involved for inter-county players due to their substantial commitment to teams. Depending on the duration of service, anywhere from €100,000 to €150,000 was estimated as the cost of an average county career. We have had an Actuaries Report commissioned; the first independent scientific evaluation of the costs involved for inter-county players due to their substantial commitment to teams. Depending on the duration of service, anywhere from €100,000 to €150,000 was estimated as the cost of an average county career.
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The grants are on the basis of donation to every county player either hurling or football without recourse to ability or standards etc.......

Firstly this is not a go at the players themselves.

1. depending on length of career.  So a player playing inter county for3 years ( example only) will lose 100K euro while a player playing for 10 years will lose up to 150K euro??  Doesnt add up

2 If this was the case and based on the occupations and salaries of some county players, they would not be able to survive. Not many intercounty footballers are living in small houses with small mortgages in one of the most expensives economies in the world.

3. "Is there whinging about the grants they offer to students who are in college?? Is that not a form of pay for play???"  question posed. Then you ask "where is the praise for the GPA scholarship scheme".  Is this not a contradiction ??

4. "Is there whinging about sponsorships, holidays, etc given to them - effectively another form of pay for play..."   This is the crux of the point you are missing IMHO. These are perks that are afforded to the better players within the GAA ( namely intercounty ). I begrudge noone a holiday for training all year and putting the required time and dedication. These are tokens of graditute lavished on them  rather than demands of recompence.

5. what your "independent scientific evaluation " fails to include in its analysis is the income that some players may recieve from work oppurtunities otherwise not afforded to them had they been an average club footballer/hurler over the course of the career and beyond. It also fails to mention the income generated by those in self employment because of their status within the GAA.


Once again this is not a go at the county players themselves, but rather the mechanism that i feel is using these amateur athletes to further their own gains. remember who started this organisation, a professional in the marketing arena, who saw a gap in the market to  maximise marketing "potental" . What is the most marketable asset the GAA has, that they cannot negociate on themselves? ?   The Players.

[Tatler Jack]

DfS1 you are very naive if you believe all the PR from the GPA. the GAA had started the process of scholarships some years before the GPA ever was founded - indeed I would have mixed views on them as not all players who received them developed into established county players. However that is largely irrelevant. As regards mileage I agree players should receive a realistic mileage in line with what a county can afford - the civil service rates are determined by another self serving elite i.e. themselves and are considerably more than the running costs of a car!!

As regards the GPA the facts are:

1  It was established by someone (Donal O'Neill) who was working for a sports marketing organisation and who saw an opportunity to market GAA players, attract sponsorship and get a bit of the action.

2 To give it more legitimacy a figurehead was need hence Dessie became Chief Executive - doubt he would have got the job for his management or inter personal skills

Since then they have cleverly purported to be representative of all players from Kerry footballers to Leitrim hurlers. They remind me of the IFA who used to claim they represented all farmers when in fact their policies were mainly designed to support large farmers. Small farmers and Leitrim hurlers are files in the "useful stooges" cabinets of these organisations.


When the GPA publishes accounts showing all sponsorship, how it is distributed and who benefits (including the self serving clique that run it) I will be prepared to revise my opinion of them. Until then I see them as an organisation that has little interest in the long term welfare of the GAA and indeed of most players. They are opportunistic and reactionary and luckily for them they have a largely unquestioning media to support them.

In the case of the current grants controversy they have created a problem and now want to blame the GAA. O'Donoghue made a fool of them (another example of a cute Kerryman being too clever for a Dub) by promising something that he knew it would be near impossible to deliver. Dessie sold it to his members and got brownie points but now the members want the lolly and Dessie has to blame somebody. Let's hope Nicky Brennan does not yield on this - the problem is between the GPA and the government and has nothing to do with the GAA.

I suggest DfS1 you should be a bit more cynical about all marketing organisations - including the GPA



PS As regards the Actuary report - I am sure there are thousands of people whio give of their free time to voluntary organisations who could get similar reports prepared that would show that their voluntary work has cost them hundreds of thousands over their lifetime. Just more spinning by the GPA.

[stephenite]

I might, only might have a bit more time for the GPA if it weren't for that ***** Dessie Farrell. I cannot see past him and listen to the real arguments he tries to make - I just get all angry and end up roaring at the laptop


*Apologies for the harsh language, but only used to highlight the hatred

[Tatler Jack]

I

might, only might have a bit more time for the GPA if it weren't for that ***** Dessie Farrell

.

Hes only the monkey Stephenite - there are a couple of organ grinders that the monkey dances to

[deiseach]

Depending on the duration of service, anywhere from €100,000 to €150,000 was estimated as the cost of an average county career. We have had an Actuaries Report commissioned; the first independent scientific evaluation of the costs involved for inter-county players due to their substantial commitment to teams. Depending on the duration of service, anywhere from €100,000 to €150,000 was estimated as the cost of an average county career.

If people are so badly out of pocket from playing a sport, and don't feel it's worth it, they should give it up. Plenty of us fret over booking holidays for fear they might head off and miss something - a fella I used go to Waterford matches with when I lived in Dublin allowed his wife to convince him to take their holidays on the last weekend of June 2002. Some might view such concerns as the ruination of a summer. But it's the price we pay for something we love.

[fearglasmor]

I sincerely hope that if this threat to turn down the invitation to represent their county is carried out bt existing players who are GPA members, that the GAA authorities at national, provincial and county board level will all stand firmly behind the ideals of the GAA. If I was invited to come in for training and turned it down, then someone else would be offered the chance. This should be no different. As has been said already, I and lots more will go to support my county whoever is on the panel, individual ego's mean nothing.

[dublinfella]

I sincerely hope that if this threat to turn down the invitation to represent their county is carried out bt existing players who are GPA members, that the GAA authorities at national, provincial and county board level will all stand firmly behind the ideals of the GAA. If I was invited to come in for training and turned it down, then someone else would be offered the chance. This should be no different. As has been said already, I and lots more will go to support my county whoever is on the panel, individual ego's mean nothing.

crossing a picket is never that simple.