Strike averted

[mick999]

More from the Times :

Farrell looks to 'recognition talks'
Seán Moran

The announcement of the resolution of the Government, GAA and GPA talks has been welcomed by all concerned. The launching of the players' award schemes is the culmination of a long campaign for material recognition on the part of the players' representative body.

With the threat of a players' strike now lifted - the GPA executive is expected to formalise that at its next meeting - the GAA is also happy. Association negotiator Con Hogan, who together with director general-designate Páraic Duffy represented Croke Park in the talks, expressed his satisfaction with the outcome.

"We were happy in the key area, that it's not in any way pay-for-play. No GAA money will be spent and it will be ring-fenced against any other funding for the GAA from the Irish Sports Council."

Commenting on the fact the final sum was lower than the amount originally mentioned by the last Minister for Sport, John O'Donoghue, Hogan said: "The €5 million was always notional but €3.5 million is as much as the Government were prepared to give."

GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell said the successful outcome to the talks was a significant advance for the players' organisation. "It's an important day for the GPA and we're very pleased. This was never just about money but a matter of recognition for players. It clears the air so that we can get the recognition talks with Croke Park sorted out. This has been such a high-profile issue that it's given the impression that we're all about money so now we have the opportunity to talk about other important matters.

"We can't be going from one confrontation to another. It's not the way to build a healthy relationship with Croke Park. Other sports don't have that friction between the players' organisations and the governing body."

The Minister for Sport, Séamus Brennan, welcomed the resolution in an interview on RTÉ Radio One's News at One, saying he believed the deal was "fairly affordable". "These are young people who give enormous amounts of time to sport and they do so on a voluntary basis. It's not for nothing because one deal I wanted out of this - and I was delighted I got it - was the commitment of the players that they would work with local sports partnerships through the community and visit schools."

Questioned about the status of women players, who are members of different organisations, the Minister said that that would be a matter for the camogie and women's football associations.

"We are establishing a forum on women's participation in sport and we're commencing that project. This is a particular scheme negotiated over a number of weeks and aimed at a particular group of players. If other players want to make a case to the Sports Council then they can go along and do that."

Geraldine Giles, president of Cumann Peil na mBan, said her organisation would be reserving their position for the time being before commenting on the Minister's proposed forum.

"I think we'll monitor the situation," she said. "I didn't hear the Minister's interview but we'd like to see what details there are of his proposals. In the meantime we're currently rolling out our strategic plan and that's where our focus will be over the coming weeks."

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte, who had said that he would have continued to field teams in the event of a players' strike, welcomed news of the resolution. "I think we should all learn from this, that we should keep the lines of communication open, we should try to understand each other's position, and not act in isolation within any part of the association," he said.

"To me, even the threat of a strike was not a good idea, so I'm delighted now that it's not going to be an issue, and that people have sorted out what needs to be sorted out just now."

"It would have been a distraction for players preparing for the new season.

"Everybody who is waiting for the new season to start wants players who are really ready for the new season. They don't want them to be in two minds - whether there is going to be a game or not going to be a game, are we really preparing for a competition or are we preparing to stand outside it."

© 2007 The Irish Times

[Lone Shark]

I'll be interested to see a lot of the details teased out properly in the coming days, but for the moment I'll just say this - I get the feeling we've just paid an overdue ESB bill with a credit card on the basis that the bill for that won't come for another while yet.

All that has definitely happened is that the real battles have been postponed, while the lie of the land will look a little more daunting once reality has to be faced.

[stephenite]

Drom the Indo

Farrell expertly batted away some of the more difficult questions. Asked "who will sign the cheques", he said "that's a matter for the GAA as far as we are concerned."

But the official statement says

Funding for the above schemes will be provided annually through the Irish Sports Council to the GAA and the criteria and arrangements for their disbursement will be agreed by the GAA, the GPA and the ISC.

Which is it? It's these sort of details I'd be nervous about

[stephenite]

And here we have it

THE principle may be agreed, a figure of €3.5m has even been allocated, but it quickly emerged yesterday that working out an agreed mechanism to distribute these new player grants will be far from simple and could take some time.


The Irish Sports Council (ISC) immediately clarified that they will not be directly involved in administering the GAA player grants.

They will sit down to set out agreed targets and evaluation procedures with the GAA, but ultimately it will be Croke Park and county boards who will have to distribute the money.
And given the size of the GAA's bureaucracy and the vested interests from team managers and county boards, agreeing those targets and measuring them will clearly be more problematic than other grant schemes that the ISC are already involved in.

"There is a piece of work to be done yet between ourselves and the GAA as to how this system is administered," a Sports Council spokesman admitted.

The ISC were at pains to stress that working through the governing body is exactly how they operate their other grant scheme for elite athletes, so this is not unusual.

But Sports Council officials conceded that the size, scale and complexity of the GAA agreement means this will be a very different scenario than the agreements they already have in place with Olympic sports.

There is already one clear difference that ensures some complicated negotiations lie ahead. In most Olympic sports, each governing body has a 'high performance manager,' who is charged with supervising and setting targets for its elite stars.

It is with these high performance managers, most of them paid officials, that the Sports Council works most closely in evaluating whether top athletes have reached their annual targets and rewarding them with further grant-aid.

The GAA has absolutely no equivalent 'high performance' staff, and to further complicate things the scheme is not designed to evaluate just a couple of athletes or one team but over 2000 athletes in 64 teams (hurling and football in 32 countries).

The GPA indicated yesterday that a national committee will be set up to administer the scheme and that sub-committees will also exist at county level to help run it

[sligeach]

I get the feeling we've just paid an overdue ESB bill with a credit card on the basis that the bill for that won't come for another while yet.

Very well put Lone Shark

[Tatler Jack]

From today's IT

GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell said the successful outcome to the talks was a significant advance for the players' organisation. "It's an important day for the GPA and we're very pleased. This was never just about money but a matter of recognition for players. It clears the air so that we can get the recognition talks with Croke Park sorted out.

From Examiner:

Farrell to focus on GPA's greatest challenge

By Brendan O'Brien
WITH one mountain conquered, Dessie Farrell is now ready to turn his attention to the GPA's Everest.


The grants issue may have grabbed the headlines in recent times, particularly since the players body gave notice of strike action earlier this month, but official recognition from the GAA is the prize that Farrell and his lieutenants covet most of all.

Both the GPA and GAA have admitted that the grants issue has stalled other talks and Farrell is eager to kick start discussions on official recognition now that such a contentious matter has been all but put to bed.


Said the GPA chief executive: "This has been a major issue for everyone concerned and a lot of the other issues have been put on the back burner. Now that this has been put to bed we can look forward to pursuing our other objectives.

"I think the GAA are equally glad to see this resolved so we can concentrate on formalising official recognition for the players body and all that comes with that."

So we know what the next strike will be about unless the GAA roll over again.

[Gnevin]

From today's IT

GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell said the successful outcome to the talks was a significant advance for the players' organisation. "It's an important day for the GPA and we're very pleased. This was never just about money but a matter of recognition for players. It clears the air so that we can get the recognition talks with Croke Park sorted out.

So we know what the next strike will be about unless the GAA roll over again.

Pity the GAA has already agreed to this one too .If the GAA won't want it then don't agree to it in the first place.

[magpie seanie]

I am still in a state of shock. I never thought Nickey and the boys would cave in like this. Its the end of the GAA as we have known it. I was quite a vociferous opponent of removing Rule 42 as many here know but that issue was miniscule in terms of importance compared to this. You could sell Croke Park rather than let this happen. I'm sick in the bottom of my stomach. I just don't know any more. Its heartbreaking. I always thought that when the push came the GAA would resist it and win the day. Its not the organisation I thought it was maybe. Our enemies have won, without even breaking sweat.

If that seems ott and melodramatic then tough. Its just the way I feel.

[Lone Shark]

This is an article I've submitted to the Offaly Indo, might run in the Westmeath independent as well. It ain't exactly the Star, but it's a step in the right direction anyway. Quite partisan, but it's not like Dessie and his lads like to put across a balanced viewpoint, and they seem to get a lot more air time than us. 


"Peace for our Time!"

The historically aware among your will recognise these words as the way Neville Chamberlain described the Munich Agreement on his arrival back on British soil in 1938. Of course hindsight is always 20-20, and essentially what he returned with was not peace, but war deferred and an enemy emboldened.

While acknowledging that it is more than a trifle dramatic to compare the preamble to a savage global conflict with the agreement reached this week between the Government, GAA and the GPA, it remains apt as what has been negotiatied is utterly unsustainable in the long run and has succeeded in only in strengthening the GPA's hand for future disputes down the road. Countless key principles have been sacrificed, loopholes have been created so large that even a psychiatric nurse posing as a negotiator can and will waltz through them, and above all the core notion that the GAA is an open democracy with parity of esteem among members has been jettisoned.

To stretch the comparison a little further, last week your writer was among those rounded upon by Dessie Farrell in a national daily newspaper and the language used was anything but diplomatic. In a broad swipe at "the website chatroom mentality", Dessie put forth his belief that internet discussion boards were populated by "jealous f***ers" who don't want to engage in "a proper forum". It seemed to escape his attention that a GAA follower or member can't exactly jump into his television to put forth a counter argument when Dessie is being interviewed, any more than he has access to column inches in the National dailies. Website chatrooms on the other hand allow anyone to take part – even chief executives of players associations.

This rant, accompanied by the eve more shrill threat of a strike, echoed the increasingly erratic behaviour of Adolf Hitler as he grew wary in 1938 that Allied forces were about to call his bluff at a time when he was as yet unprepared for war. Perhaps the carpets in Dessie's house have that chewed look about them too – who can say?

The source of his concern was easy to understand – if the GAA and the GPA faced each other down, there was only ever going to be one winner. GAA supporters all across Ireland have followed their clubs and counties for generations with no conditions attached as to the standard of the players that fill the shirts. If the 2008 All Ireland was of a slightly poorer standard because the "elite" saw fit to be on strike, would that matter in the slightest to the county that won it? The GAA had all the cards, and yet they chose to concede many principles, and your writer is not alone in being hugely concerned for what grounds the next battle will be fought on.

Before we examine these issues, let's draw the distinction between wanting to aggressively crush the GPA pay-for-play agenda and wanting to fight against improved player welfare. Intercounty players do make tremendous sacrifices and it is only right that they receive the best of medical cover, both in terms of personnel and insurance. Their mileage rates should be comfortably adequate to cover for all eventualities, boots and other gear should be supplied promptly and regularly, and these are just some of the areas where the GAA would have been utterly correct in doing all they could to give players what they want. However the line in the sand had to be drawn at compensating players for "lost earnings". Every player who takes part in a hobby could spend that time working instead, and would be better off if they did so, financially at least. That does not put an onus on the hobby to reward the player for his time commensurately – it merely is one of life's choices – do I work, or do I play?

Nobody in Ireland or beyond is forced to play intercounty GAA, and that's as it should be. If a tradesman or a doctor chooses to pass up extra lucrative call outs to go training of a spring evening, that is his prerogative. Countless players down the years have stayed out of county panels in order to get their career moving or to pursue a more intense line of work. Does that thereby put an onus on their employer to provide them with an adoring crowd of thousands to watch them play sport in their free time, since they had to pass up inter county GAA – of course not.

This particular deal looks set to cause huge difficulty in several key areas however. The main concerns are:
(1)   The GAA has still secured no guarantees from the GPA that in the event of this grant being withdrawn – and all government subsidies are pulled eventually in hard times – that the GPA will not then turn around and ask the GAA to foot the bill. This is the obvious next step, yet there appears to be no safeguard in place for that eventuality. This would be the final step to full professionalism.
(2)   The GPA does not have any female members. GAA clubs on the other hand have thousands, with almost every club in the country having at least one and usually more women on their committee who invariably work tirelessly for the betterment of their club and community. Ladies football and camogie clubs in villages and towns also provide great social outlets for young women and add a great social aspect to the club as a whole. The GAA cannot afford to alienate this segment of their community, as they now risk having signed up to a blatantly sexist and discriminatory agreement. The GPA has a plan for the whole €3.5 million on the table, and Ladies football or Camogie is nowhere to be seen in this plan – this is not acceptable.
(3)   The greater grant for greater progression means that GAA transfer rules could be over-ridden at any time. Only the top 12 teams in each code get the full grant – so if Niall McNamee chose to transfer to Dublin, or Darren McCormack chose to move south to Offaly – both acquisitions that the counties would be thrilled to make – the GAA couldn't block it. The player could easily take a "restraint of trade" case, and there isn't a court in the land who would even bat an eyelid before ruling in his favour. Dangerously, this also makes it easier for players to use this as a cover for changing counties for more lucrative "private incentives".

These are just some of the issues that now loom large on the horizon for the GPA. It falls now to the club members across Ireland to make their feelings known and to push them along the GAA's democratic channels in time for the upcoming Central Council meetings in December. Before the GAA should proceed with this, there needs to be a clear plan to deal with each of the above issues, not to mention a few straight answers sought of the GPA's ultimate agenda – for example why, if players are so stretched, are they eager to sign a deal which makes additional coaching and community demands of players? Why do they never seek to address the real sources of overwork on players, such as excessively long seasons and managers looking to justify under the table payments with inordinate numbers of sessions? What can they do to make their voting procedures more rigorous and thus give them the legitimacy to be brought under the auspices of the GAA as an official representative body?

It's still our GAA – for now. Before Dessie and his boys rip the heart out, take it back to your community, where it belongs. We will fight them on the pitches, we will never surrender....

[behind the wire]

good man lone shark, excellently written. maybe you could refer to dessie as arthur scargill.

[bennydorano]

This is an article I've submitted to the Offaly Indo, might run in the Westmeath independent as well. It ain't exactly the Star, but it's a step in the right direction anyway. Quite partisan, but it's not like Dessie and his lads like to put across a balanced viewpoint, and they seem to get a lot more air time than us. 


"Peace for our Time!"

The historically aware among your will recognise these words as the way Neville Chamberlain described the Munich Agreement on his arrival back on British soil in 1938. Of course hindsight is always 20-20, and essentially what he returned with was not peace, but war deferred and an enemy emboldened.

While acknowledging that it is more than a trifle dramatic to compare the preamble to a savage global conflict with the agreement reached this week between the Government, GAA and the GPA, it remains apt as what has been negotiatied is utterly unsustainable in the long run and has succeeded in only in strengthening the GPA's hand for future disputes down the road. Countless key principles have been sacrificed, loopholes have been created so large that even a psychiatric nurse posing as a negotiator can and will waltz through them, and above all the core notion that the GAA is an open democracy with parity of esteem among members has been jettisoned.

To stretch the comparison a little further, last week your writer was among those rounded upon by Dessie Farrell in a national daily newspaper and the language used was anything but diplomatic. In a broad swipe at "the website chatroom mentality", Dessie put forth his belief that internet discussion boards were populated by "jealous f***ers" who don't want to engage in "a proper forum". It seemed to escape his attention that a GAA follower or member can't exactly jump into his television to put forth a counter argument when Dessie is being interviewed, any more than he has access to column inches in the National dailies. Website chatrooms on the other hand allow anyone to take part – even chief executives of players associations.

This rant, accompanied by the eve more shrill threat of a strike, echoed the increasingly erratic behaviour of Adolf Hitler as he grew wary in 1938 that Allied forces were about to call his bluff at a time when he was as yet unprepared for war. Perhaps the carpets in Dessie's house have that chewed look about them too – who can say?

The references to Hitler mean you've automatically lost the argument, ever heard of Godwin's law?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_law

[AZOffaly]

Unfortunately, I agree with benny LS. I think the hyperbole has been overdone in this article. Your passion ran away with you here.

It's very well written, and I know where you're coming from, but it will be too easy for the pro-GPA or fence sitters to be scared away by the language.

[mackers]

Dunno whether anybody else heard it, but Matt Cooper interviewed Peter Canavan on the proposed deal last night on The last Word and Peter said that it was "a good deal for a start", and he said it on a few occasions in the interview. 

[TBT]

This is an article I've submitted to the Offaly Indo, might run in the Westmeath independent as well. It ain't exactly the Star, but it's a step in the right direction anyway. Quite partisan, but it's not like Dessie and his lads like to put across a balanced viewpoint, and they seem to get a lot more air time than us. 


"Peace for our Time!"

The historically aware among your will recognise these words as the way Neville Chamberlain described the Munich Agreement on his arrival back on British soil in 1938. Of course hindsight is always 20-20, and essentially what he returned with was not peace, but war deferred and an enemy emboldened.

While acknowledging that it is more than a trifle dramatic to compare the preamble to a savage global conflict with the agreement reached this week between the Government, GAA and the GPA, it remains apt as what has been negotiatied is utterly unsustainable in the long run and has succeeded in only in strengthening the GPA's hand for future disputes down the road. Countless key principles have been sacrificed, loopholes have been created so large that even a psychiatric nurse posing as a negotiator can and will waltz through them, and above all the core notion that the GAA is an open democracy with parity of esteem among members has been jettisoned.

To stretch the comparison a little further, last week your writer was among those rounded upon by Dessie Farrell in a national daily newspaper and the language used was anything but diplomatic. In a broad swipe at "the website chatroom mentality", Dessie put forth his belief that internet discussion boards were populated by "jealous f***ers" who don't want to engage in "a proper forum". It seemed to escape his attention that a GAA follower or member can't exactly jump into his television to put forth a counter argument when Dessie is being interviewed, any more than he has access to column inches in the National dailies. Website chatrooms on the other hand allow anyone to take part – even chief executives of players associations.

This rant, accompanied by the eve more shrill threat of a strike, echoed the increasingly erratic behaviour of Adolf Hitler as he grew wary in 1938 that Allied forces were about to call his bluff at a time when he was as yet unprepared for war. Perhaps the carpets in Dessie's house have that chewed look about them too – who can say?

The references to Hitler mean you've automatically lost the argument, ever heard of Godwin's law?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_law

I wonder what Dessie's lawyers would make of the Hitler slur?

[Denn Forever]

Just looking at the people who will be eligtible for the grants i.e. members of top ten football teams and top 12 hurling teams.

Smacks of elitism.

How have the GPA squared this?  Are there any members of the GPA from Wicklow?  Doesn't every county not deserve an equal share?  If you had to include all county panels, what would the grant drop to?