Playing with fire With 2007 upon us the football fanatics up here in Tyrone will not be sad to see the back of 2006. It will not go down as one of the county's most memorable years. It all began with a barrage of negative publicity (the league game against Dublin in the Battle of Omagh) and concluded in a similar fashion with the media outburst surrounding the treatment of injured players Brian McGuigan and Conor Gormley. When this story broke, not only were people in Tyrone flabbergasted but throughout the length and breadth of the country Gaelic football followers were amazed that this type of situation was allowed to develop. The headlines painted the picture that the county board left the two double All Ireland winners, hanging out to dry. Strictly speaking this is not the case but they haven't exactly been knocking down doors to offer support. In terms of medical support and rehabilitation Conor and Brian are receiving the very best of treatment. The current Tyrone physio Louis O'Connor is widely regarded as one of the finest practitioners in the province and has access to the most modern equipment and facilities with regard to rehab. As a result the good news is that both players are making steady progress and should be back in Tyrone colours before the end of the NFL. When county players are out with long term injuries, difficulties often arise surrounding the payment of medical bills and claiming for the loss of earnings. It's one thing receiving the best of treatment from perhaps one of the top surgeons in the country but not so nice to receive a letter three or four months later requesting payment for bills outstanding. Loss of wages in particular continues to be a thorny issue with most players throughout the country. The road that most county boards go down involves the pursuit of earnings through the Player Injury Insurance Scheme. The problem with this scheme is that it can be some time before the player actually receives anything. The form-filling process is seldom straight-forward, with players unsure in the first place how long they are going to be out of work. In Brian Mc Guigan's case (shortly after breaking his leg) he received a donation equivalent to a month's wage. However some eight months later, he has not received a penny more. In an era when the financial position of the GAA in Tyrone has never been healthier, many supporters are left scratching their heads as to why Brain McGuigan is having to hobble around a building site while recuperating from a broken leg. Indeed the reason why the county is in such a healthy position at present is due to the existence of Club Tyrone, whose members contribute over £250,000 in total towards the development of Gaelic games at county level. This contribution occurs on an annual basis and leaves the Tyrone County Board the envy of many a county committee. Club Tyrone has proven to be a very well organised, highly efficient group but their professionalism and expertise needs to be reciprocated by the county board. Unfortunately the wealth generated does not always guarantee consensus when it comes to issues of player welfare. After the 2003 All Ireland final, Brian McGuigan suffered a reaction to medication he received prior to the final. Subsequently he was out of work for a number of weeks and, as at present, complications arose. At the time Brian's father Frank was particularly irate concerning the treatment he received and I can recall a number of Club Tyrone members voicing their anger that this was allowed to happen. Three years on and similar problems still exist. The finance is obviously there but proper structures to deal with such difficulties are not. There are a few of course who believe that the county players in Tyrone are pampered by a county board which bows to their every need. Indeed last April it disappointed me that a prominent Club Tyrone official felt the need to go to press to publicly castigate the role of the GPA, belittling the likes of Dessie Farrell and Kieran McGeeney in the process. The crux of his argument is that county players are well enough looked after and that the demands on them are only myths. He addressed the plight of the county player in a very condescending manner, insinuating that our players are treated similarly to those of other professional sports in Ireland. Ignorance is bliss - there are many examples of mistreatment of county players that never reach the headlines. Brian McGuigan and Connor Gormley were somewhat embarrassed by this controversy. Like the majority of Tyrone players I find them to be fully committed individuals who prefer to do their talking on the pitch. Since the birth of Club Tyrone the treatment of county players in Tyrone has improved considerably and I believe its existence is vital if Tyrone are to compete at the highest levels. One of Club Tyrone's mantras is about looking to the future, working and investing to make sure that the years ahead continue to be as fulfilling as those past. Whilst I know that on the field Tyrone have a lot of ground to catch up on if they are to return to the pinnacle, there is still some catching up to be done off the field as well. The only good that will come out of negative publicity is that procedures will be re-examined and new structures implemented that will prevent this happening again and will ensure that such matters will be dealt with effectively and efficiently in the future. As for the future my wish list for 2007 includes the following - That the excellent physio I mentioned earlier is able to get Dooher and the rest of the injured gang back on the pitch as soon as possible. - The first ever floodlight game at Croke Park will have the Irish public talking about Dublin and Tyrone for all the right reasons. - Tyrone get to perform in Croker more often than the Irish soccer team. Despite the somewhat partisan wish list, my final few words will be centred on a Kilkenny man. Congratulations to Henry Shefflin on winning perhaps the top accolade in Irish sport - the RTE Sports Personality of the year. Not only is Shefflin a supreme artist on the pitch but off it he too deserves the mantle 'top man' - a perfect role model for the youth of today. Tweet

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