Its Time to Say no to the GPA Deal

[SimpleSimon]

As a GPA member, and hopeful recipiant of the new grant I am happy enough. Had it not been agreed I would have happy enough as long as it didn't interfere with me playing for my county next year. By the way before I get an ear-full I voted against strike but would have followed the majority vote!

This is the first time i've commented on the issue and lads, let me tell you, you's live in a wonderland and I wish I could operate in the purest world you think exists! I get grief in work for leaving to attend training weekends (out of my annual leave), specialist appointments with injury, coming in injured. Even though I had a very bad injury involving 3 bone breaks and only missed 1 day. So tell me that hasn't interfered with promotion etc and that's fair enough but I have been quite bluntly told otherwise!

But I don't care about the money I play for the love of the game and who/what I get the opportunity to represent. But it will be nice to get the grant as an added bonus!

[theskull1]

Well it's up to those who don't agree with this move to vote with their feet. I'll not be supporting these mercenaries. They make me sick to the core.

[stephenite]

Seriously - is that the best you have - what you would expect from a soccer fan? Coming from you Dessie I though you'd be a bit more aggro. If there was (and indeed should be) a GAA 'referendum' with every member voting, you and your ilk would be sitting on your holes outside county grounds with pathetic little placards demanding money - the mandate for the type of change grubby little gits in the GPA want should only from come from the grass roots - we will than see how many of them support ye

Stephenite - I feel sorry that in your sad mind you can't tolerate someone having a different opinion to yours...I have no connection to the GPA , I would get no benefit or anything out of it....Name any other issue that there has been a "referendum" on with every member voting? Do you not trust the GAA officials to do what is right for the GAA???
Why don't you demand that every club/county that pay any players/administrators be kicked out of the GAA??
I have done my share for building up the GAA both in a playing, coaching, team setup and administration role so I have as much right as anyone to have my view...

Stop being childish and either debate the issue or not - where have I pointed out that I cannot tolerate other opinions, it's a serious issue and if you're not prepared to discuss properly without putting words in peoples mouths and coming out with ludicrous suggestions like the ones above to support your argument then there's really not much point, is there?

Do you think that if all GAA members were asked to vote on this, the GPA would receive much support? You seem to intimate as much in your first post on this thread,  We're supposed to be a democratic association. I have no problem with the players getting the grant money - I've said that repeatedly, I just don't think our amateur status should be compromised for the association as a whole. The other issue I have is the fact that this is a tiered grant which puts paid to any notion that Farrel, Cusack and McGeeney were looking after all inter county players, Joe Brolly was right all along, Geezer doesn't give a shite about the Mayo hurlers

[INDIANA]

we've been over the paid officials route before dsfm. That's their job in many cases- so that's an irrelevent point and i think people have pedantically expalined it to you but maybe you speak some other strange dialect of English that the rest of us haven't picked
up on.
The point i made to you before if you add up what the top counties and top players get over the course of a season they do pretty well for amateur sportsmen. This is simply the GPA's way of muscling in on the finance end of things. From their point of view they want a cut of the revenue they create- that's their ultimate ambition. that's fine but then you have a professional organisation and not an amateur one. They aren't going to be happy with 3k in 5 years.
i fully expect that by the time the mini leagues in my club hit minor players will be paid to play county football at least semi-professionally and will not play with their clubs. Thta's the route it's going down. I think we will have some job on our hands to keep the club scene going down the AIL route which is in the abyss. What other way can it go? The next thing is a strike for tv revenue- might be a couple of years but it will happen.
The only sure thing with money is that it goes up- i can't see it going any other way.

And to Simple simon i appreciate what you say but it was your choice . I never played at senior county level but i reached the latter stages of the all-ireland club championship a couple of times and it cost me in terms of work as i'm self employed. But it was my decision to miss that work i could have taken and i don't regret it. That attitude is gone now but i suppose it is a refllection of the times we live in.

[stephenite]

As a GPA member, and hopeful recipiant of the new grant I am happy enough. Had it not been agreed I would have happy enough as long as it didn't interfere with me playing for my county next year. By the way before I get an ear-full I voted against strike but would have followed the majority vote!

This is the first time i've commented on the issue and lads, let me tell you, you's live in a wonderland and I wish I could operate in the purest world you think exists! I get grief in work for leaving to attend training weekends (out of my annual leave), specialist appointments with injury, coming in injured. Even though I had a very bad injury involving 3 bone breaks and only missed 1 day. So tell me that hasn't interfered with promotion etc and that's fair enough but I have been quite bluntly told otherwise!

But I don't care about the money I play for the love of the game and who/what I get the opportunity to represent. But it will be nice to get the grant as an added bonus!

All well and good - but what's your position on those players that put as much in as you but will get less reward, less of a grant?

There's surely a legal challenge just around the corner on this one?

[orangeman]

GPA don't give a shit about this !

[tyrone86]

Talk about cute hoorism at its finest. I don't know if there's any county conventions before 8th of December but a week leaves very little time for meetings of County Committees and Management Committees, especially in December when there's none scheduled before Conventions. Any rebellion to this deal will have to come from any Conventions held before it, or from CC Delegates voting with their conscience.

[believebelive]

Seriously - is that the best you have - what you would expect from a soccer fan? Coming from you Dessie I though you'd be a bit more aggro. If there was (and indeed should be) a GAA 'referendum' with every member voting, you and your ilk would be sitting on your holes outside county grounds with pathetic little placards demanding money - the mandate for the type of change grubby little gits in the GPA want should only from come from the grass roots - we will than see how many of them support ye

Stephenite - I feel sorry that in your sad mind you can't tolerate someone having a different opinion to yours...I have no connection to the GPA , I would get no benefit or anything out of it....Name any other issue that there has been a "referendum" on with every member voting? Do you not trust the GAA officials to do what is right for the GAA???Why don't you demand that every club/county that pay any players/administrators be kicked out of the GAA??
I have done my share for building up the GAA both in a playing, coaching, team setup and administration role so I have as much right as anyone to have my view...

Sorry Dubs but there you go again - the clubs have been canvassed on three occassions as to their opinions on major issues effecting teh association - one was in in 1971 when 30 counties out of 32 voted to lift the ban on foreign sports - this was in contrast to 80% of congress delegates who previously voted to keep the ban -
the issue of rule 21 where clubs and members were once again balloted - the rule was deleted.

And finally rule 42 where congress voted against opening up Croke Park twice - when the debate was finally opened up to the grassroots a majority of us decided to open it.

So there is three examples where membershave been asked their opinion and funnily enough it did not actually reflect Croke Parks position in those votes.
But hey why let facts get in the way of a rant

[Out in Front]

This was in the Irish Independent on Tuesday November 20

"GAA grant talk raises equality concerns"

"As negotiations on the contentious player grant issue continued yesterday, women's gaelic players reiterated that they will seek a slice of the action if any grants scheme for elite GAA players is established.

The Irish Sports Council (ISC) resisted getting involved in the grant issue particularly because, as a government agency, they have a strong equality remit and could not serve one section of the GAA's playing population while ignoring its female equivalent.

But they have been dragged into negotiations in recent months as the Government and GAA desperately seek a way to break the impasse with the Gaelic Players' Association (GPA).

Comments from Ladies Gaelic Football President Geraldine Giles indicated that the equality issue will not go away.

"If it comes down to the Government giving grants you would have to look at fairness across the board and across all sectors and that just doesn't mean for ladies footballers but it would go for camogie players and everyone involved in the sport," Giles said....

....the Sports Council already supports ladies football by funding specific projects and even part-funds some of their fulltime staff, but Giles said the issue of player grants was a separate one.

"I wouldn't like to see pay-for-play ever, that would ruin the whole amateurism of the games," she said. "But, if a grant scheme for players is set up we would definitely seek parity of esteem."

If memory serves me right, Ladies Football were quick off the mark regarding the equality issue when the grants issue was first muted. I'd say it will be the same this time. If they, and the camogie people, kick up enough fuss over equality, could it delay the grants if they or a player went down the legal route to get their slice of the cake?

[DUBSFORSAM1]

Seriously - is that the best you have - what you would expect from a soccer fan? Coming from you Dessie I though you'd be a bit more aggro. If there was (and indeed should be) a GAA 'referendum' with every member voting, you and your ilk would be sitting on your holes outside county grounds with pathetic little placards demanding money - the mandate for the type of change grubby little gits in the GPA want should only from come from the grass roots - we will than see how many of them support ye

Stephenite - I feel sorry that in your sad mind you can't tolerate someone having a different opinion to yours...I have no connection to the GPA , I would get no benefit or anything out of it....Name any other issue that there has been a "referendum" on with every member voting? Do you not trust the GAA officials to do what is right for the GAA???Why don't you demand that every club/county that pay any players/administrators be kicked out of the GAA??
I have done my share for building up the GAA both in a playing, coaching, team setup and administration role so I have as much right as anyone to have my view...

Sorry Dubs but there you go again - the clubs have been canvassed on three occassions as to their opinions on major issues effecting teh association - one was in in 1971 when 30 counties out of 32 voted to lift the ban on foreign sports - this was in contrast to 80% of congress delegates who previously voted to keep the ban -
the issue of rule 21 where clubs and members were once again balloted - the rule was deleted.

And finally rule 42 where congress voted against opening up Croke Park twice - when the debate was finally opened up to the grassroots a majority of us decided to open it.

So there is three examples where membershave been asked their opinion and funnily enough it did not actually reflect Croke Parks position in those votes.
But hey why let facts get in the way of a rant

Believebelieve - so you are saying that in each of them votes every individual memeber of the GAA had a vote and the totals were combined? That is different to being consulted.

[DUBSFORSAM1]

Seriously - is that the best you have - what you would expect from a soccer fan? Coming from you Dessie I though you'd be a bit more aggro. If there was (and indeed should be) a GAA 'referendum' with every member voting, you and your ilk would be sitting on your holes outside county grounds with pathetic little placards demanding money - the mandate for the type of change grubby little gits in the GPA want should only from come from the grass roots - we will than see how many of them support ye

Stephenite - I feel sorry that in your sad mind you can't tolerate someone having a different opinion to yours...I have no connection to the GPA , I would get no benefit or anything out of it....Name any other issue that there has been a "referendum" on with every member voting? Do you not trust the GAA officials to do what is right for the GAA???
Why don't you demand that every club/county that pay any players/administrators be kicked out of the GAA??
I have done my share for building up the GAA both in a playing, coaching, team setup and administration role so I have as much right as anyone to have my view...

Stop being childish and either debate the issue or not - where have I pointed out that I cannot tolerate other opinions, it's a serious issue and if you're not prepared to discuss properly without putting words in peoples mouths and coming out with ludicrous suggestions like the ones above to support your argument then there's really not much point, is there?

Do you think that if all GAA members were asked to vote on this, the GPA would receive much support? You seem to intimate as much in your first post on this thread,  We're supposed to be a democratic association. I have no problem with the players getting the grant money - I've said that repeatedly, I just don't think our amateur status should be compromised for the association as a whole. The other issue I have is the fact that this is a tiered grant which puts paid to any notion that Farrel, Cusack and McGeeney were looking after all inter county players, Joe Brolly was right all along, Geezer doesn't give a shite about the Mayo hurlers

So calling me Dessie and saying you thought I would be more aggro?? or you and your ilk or grubby little gits.....are you saying they are polite points??

I would say it would get a reasonable level of support...yes...

How does the Govt giving Grant money to County players through the Sports Council affect the amateur status of the GAA???
Are the GAA paying the money? NO
Is it seperate funding? YES
Tiered grants were agreed within the GPA/GAA a long time ago....if you bothered to check up on that.....how does that possibly prove that they aren't interested in teh Mayo hurlers??? It actually puts in place procedures that the counties have to support all the panels rather than paying pure lipservice to the weaker sport in teh county....

Indiana - In some counties they don't have paid adminstrators and most of the times they used to be voluntary roles - why decide to go professional administrators??? Are volunteers not interested or have the numbers of volunteers dropped since people started getting paid???

[stephenite]

So calling me Dessie and saying you thought I would be more aggro?? or you and your ilk or grubby little gits.....are you saying they are polite points??

What on earth has politness got to do with anything, words are used to get a point across and convey emotion. They are all used to be untruthful, or conniving which is what you attempted. But let's not get bogged down in that,

I would say it would get a reasonable level of support...yes...

I disagree.

Tiered grants were agreed within the GPA/GAA a long time ago....if you bothered to check up on that.....how does that possibly prove that they aren't interested in teh Mayo hurlers??? It actually puts in place procedures that the counties have to support all the panels rather than paying pure lipservice to the weaker sport in teh county....

I am aware that the tiered grants were mooted a long time ago - but now that this has been put in place in such an elitist fashion I believe that the inquity in this scenario is unworkable - a Mayo hurler puts in just as much effort as the Kerry footballer, why does he receive less? Is he less of an elite sportsman. It's Government money, there has to be a more equitbale way of distributing it.
I'm no lawyer (maybe BC1 can comment) but I'd be amazed if this was challenged and the outcome wasn't in favour of all players getting the same amount regardless of the teams progress

[tyrone86]

Indiana - In some counties they don't have paid adminstrators and most of the times they used to be voluntary roles - why decide to go professional administrators??? Are volunteers not interested or have the numbers of volunteers dropped since people started getting paid???

I'd doubt all counties don't have paid administrators because funding is provided for them from various sources.

But to answer your question, given the current size of the association and the logistics involved, is it really fair to have one man - generally your county secretary - doing a 40 hour week working 9-5 and then having to come home and do another 40 hour week on the behalf of the association? Let's be honest, the way the world is now planning, paperwork, support for other officers on the board, support for clubs etc etc, of course there's a need for a full time administrator in each county - personally I doubt if a flexible 40 hours working week would cover it now.

[Clubmember]

This is my first time posting on the Board, however I have viewed the comments made on it for years.

I feel strongly about the existence of the GPA and the announcement made today over player grants.  

The sentiments coming from vast majority of posters on the discussion board is that they are opposed to the GPA and what they stand for.

Today President of the GAA, supported by officials signed up (in principle) to a deal that will ultimately led to semi-professionalism for the association, in simple terms our leaders have caved in and GPA has won.

The indications coming from Croke Park over the last 8 months made it clear that the association would not be distributing any money from the Sports Council to players, however today it was agreed that a National Committee comprising of GAA volunteers and "GPA officials?" would administer the grants and they would be supported committees at County Board level.

This issue needs to be debated and decided by the Grassroots, this decision has far reaching consequences and is of more importance (to the internal association) than the rule 21 or rule 42 debates.  

Central Council will meet on Saturday 8th December and the President has stated that the purpose of this meeting is to "ratify" the GPA deal............

Central Council is a democratically elected body and doesn't have to ratify anything......call your central council delegate and ask him is he going to vote the GAA out of existence next Saturday......Tell your central council delegate that this month will be election time for him and he should vote against semi-professionalism as the grass roots GAA volunteers in the county put him on the Central Council, they can also take him off it.....!

If you are a GAA member, then ask you Club Secretary to write the Director General and CC your county and provincial secretary, tell the top table at Croke Park that we the Grassroots GAA volunteers say no to this deal. County Conventions will be run across the county in December go to your convention ask to speak under AOB and raise the issue.

Now is the time, we need galvanise the grassroots, let our voice be heard, this is a battle for the future of GAA, we need to take back control of our association and stop the Dublin media and a group of self interested retired players setting the agenda of the largest Sporting, Cultural, Voluntary and Community Organisation in the world....





Tell your Central Council Delegate before next Saturday:

•   No to pay for play
•   No to players grants being administrated by the GAA
•   No to recognition of the GPA
•   Yes to Player Welfare
•   Yes to Amateurism
•   Yes to Grassroots recognition and support  


Don't let Dessie Farrell and Co dismantle our Club network, sneak professionalism in through the back door and insult generations of grassroots GAA volunteers who built our association.


Red Hand Luke  

You forget that central council have already endorsed this principle when they accepted original propsal (think some months back?). I don't think Nickey & Co would support this scheme if they felt it was going to damage our games.
I for one thought it was unfair that professional sports people were given tax breaks and our top players were'nt.  Im a club member and this issue is very rarely raised ...truth is most club people don't really care but anyone I've spoken to woouldn't seem to begrudge players these grants
Not so sure all the grassroots see it the way you do....anyway I would welcome a referendum on this but doubt that will happen.

[stephenite]

Are the GAA paying the money? NO
[\quote]

You don't know that yet, do you? The statement released doesn't definitively say who will be paying the money. We know where the money is coming from but who is paying it out?