The GAA at the highest levels, Central Council, Congress & Croke Park are really intent on killing off the CPA, the naked hotility towards it & the way they despise it with very cynical put downs is evidently clear to all. The CPA is viewed as a threat by all those in power, who are afraid it will disrupt their political & financial ambitions within the organisation. The GAA is on a very clear path at present, one of elitism. Their vehicle is the Inter County set up where the power & especially the money lies, particularly the media rights money. Too many have a vested interest & have too much to lose politically or financially. The next group coming are the GPA, who will want a semi-pro set up for players. At present the GAA do not want anything that will disrupt that, so they view the CPA as sh*t on the shoe of their ambitions. The failure to recognise the CPA officially at Congress was a kick in the teeth, especially from one Kilkenny man, one of the highest office holders in the land whose condescension was sickening. The open mocking by some delegates bordered on sheer hatred. The failure to recognise a group that has many multiples in membership compared to the GPA is really highlighted when they hand over millions from Central funds to the GPA plus a percentage of all commercial GAA revenues, it shows where their priorities lie. The dismissal of many of the CPA motions for Congress & then a slap down when it came to the motion on transparency, showed they don't want their political shenanigans exposed. This weekend Central Council delivered the slap down voting down the blank canvas request, yet they are ready to add more games to the Inter County set up with a Tier Two competition, following on from the addition of extra games with the introduction of the Super 8's last year. The talking out of both sides of their mouths by leading officials & Presidents is hypocritical & needs to be called out & shown up for what it is, sheer hypocrisy. The CPA should now take the nuclear option & look for an all out strike or to flood a Congress or Central Council AGM & picket it. The GAA is now infiltrated with fear, people are afraid to speak out in case they or their clubs are punished or demonised, County Boards wield a big stick & people feel threatened from speaking out. The system is rotten to the core. The flood of people now leaving from players, parents, sponsors, teachers, students to other codes, either playing, acting as administrators, sponsoring different sports is now increasing as people become more disillusioned with the whole two faced Association we have at present.

Uimhir.a.3. (Galway) - Posts: 409 - 26/11/2018 15:59:33    2152495

One of two things will happen:
1. Everyone will become disillusioned with the mobey-grabbing GAA and people will leave in their droves; a trickle at first, but then a steady stream.
1a. Eventually the remaining membership will vote professionalism in, if they finally have no shame left.

2. A new organisation will be set up, not even to rival the GAA, but just to restore the purity to Gaelic games. This could happen whether #1 happens or not.

Tacaí Liatroma (Leitrim) - Posts: 1030 - 26/11/2018 16:17:38    2152497

I actually think the biggest danger to the CPA is the CPA. They seem to lack any sort of strategic thinking or any willingness to be flexible. In theory they should be a stronger pressure group but at the minute they are a shambles. Until they get their senior management sorted themselves I can see them struggling to have any sort of influence.

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 26/11/2018 16:27:42    2152499

if the gaa try to kill off the gaa they are committing suicide to their own organisation.
if there was a club organised boycott of inter county gaa fixtures,how long before the gaa would stop and listen?i think that stage is not far away.

perfect10 (Wexford) - Posts: 3929 - 26/11/2018 16:40:52    2152500

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4226 - 26/11/2018 17:00:24    2152505

The GAA at the highest levels, Central Council, Congress & Croke Park are really intent on killing off the CPA, the naked hotility towards it & the way they despise it with very cynical put downs is evidently clear to all. The CPA is viewed as a threat by all those in power, who are afraid it will disrupt their political & financial ambitions within the organisation. The GAA is on a very clear path at present, one of elitism. Their vehicle is the Inter County set up where the power & especially the money lies, particularly the media rights money. Too many have a vested interest & have too much to lose politically or financially. The next group coming are the GPA, who will want a semi-pro set up for players. At present the GAA do not want anything that will disrupt that, so they view the CPA as sh*t on the shoe of their ambitions. The failure to recognise the CPA officially at Congress was a kick in the teeth, especially from one Kilkenny man, one of the highest office holders in the land whose condescension was sickening. The open mocking by some delegates bordered on sheer hatred. The failure to recognise a group that has many multiples in membership compared to the GPA is really highlighted when they hand over millions from Central funds to the GPA plus a percentage of all commercial GAA revenues, it shows where their priorities lie. The dismissal of many of the CPA motions for Congress & then a slap down when it came to the motion on transparency, showed they don't want their political shenanigans exposed. This weekend Central Council delivered the slap down voting down the blank canvas request, yet they are ready to add more games to the Inter County set up with a Tier Two competition, following on from the addition of extra games with the introduction of the Super 8's last year. The talking out of both sides of their mouths by leading officials & Presidents is hypocritical & needs to be called out & shown up for what it is, sheer hypocrisy. The CPA should now take the nuclear option & look for an all out strike or to flood a Congress or Central Council AGM & picket it. The GAA is now infiltrated with fear, people are afraid to speak out in case they or their clubs are punished or demonised, County Boards wield a big stick & people feel threatened from speaking out. The system is rotten to the core. The flood of people now leaving from players, parents, sponsors, teachers, students to other codes, either playing, acting as administrators, sponsoring different sports is now increasing as people become more disillusioned with the whole two faced Association we have at present.
Uimhir.a.3. (Galway) - Posts: 253 - 26/11/2018 15:59:33 How many sports have a full lobby group for all grassroots players? What grassroots players will want is hugely varied and as a result a lobby group will never really be able to gain consensus and be able to look for a proper deal for themselves.
An all out strike wont strike fear in the GAA HQ hearts though.
The GAA have to put a lot of work into the inter county game with the rising popularity of all kinds of sports nationwide in particular rugby with the provinces/national team.
There is nothing wrong with more inter county games and club players should look more to their own committee members and club members who are on divisional and county boards/committees for why the club game is in shite condition in relation to number of games played in summer and having so many games played in shite weather in winter.

DonaldDuck (Tipperary) - Posts: 544 - 26/11/2018 17:12:41    2152507

No more bigger critic than myself of the GAA administrators but it is an unbelievable organization and is the envy of many others. It's success is the fruits of and power of the grass roots support. However like the Catholic church and politics the leadership think they are bigger that the sum total of the members. The argument that leaders are democratically elected might be right (flakey enough). The GAA would do well to see where this led the church who use have 90% participation and now have 27% or less. A great example of self destruction.

Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 2660 - 26/11/2018 17:59:42    2152513

CPA are a shambles. Elitist in their own right. Dont even answer e-mails regarding issues the purport to address. No clue on how to organize. Will disappear in the near future.

seamusorinn (USA) - Posts: 295 - 26/11/2018 22:50:50    2152541

thelongridge (Offaly) - Posts: 1741 - 27/11/2018 11:28:18    2152582

Why can't the GPA represent all players, club and county. County players are club players who are given the honour of playing for their county. The GPA seem to think they can run the GAA to suit their agenda.
Now they are unhappy with some of the proposed rule changes, including the limit of 3 hand passes.
Anyone who is forced to endure that turgid boring, of keepball passing for Gaelic football can see the need for change, apparently not the elitist GPA.
It shows how out of touch they are with supporters, who pay good money to watch this muck.
thelongridge (Offaly) - Posts: 925 - 27/11/2018 11:28:18Because its not needed. How many sports have a players association representing every player at every level?
GPA dont think they can run GAA to suit their agenda. They argue for their members.

DonaldDuck (Tipperary) - Posts: 544 - 27/11/2018 12:02:59    2152586

GPA is a curse on the association and The fact that a CPA is even required - and it is needed- is a disgrace.

Finsceal (None) - Posts: 559 - 27/11/2018 12:33:09    2152597

GPA is a curse on the association and The fact that a CPA is even required - and it is needed- is a disgrace.

Finsceal (None) - Posts: 531 - 27/11/2018 12:33:09Why is GPA a curse on the GAA?

DonaldDuck (Tipperary) - Posts: 544 - 27/11/2018 12:53:53    2152599

Finsceal (None) - Posts: 559 - 27/11/2018 14:22:13    2152608

Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 2660 - 27/11/2018 15:16:41    2152616

Elitist nonsense where the main aim is to make the game professional and pull further away from the grass roots fabric of the GAA . Now its just a clique ( within a clique etc) . Furthermore it has not improved our games 1 iota especially obviously football. Its the antithesis of the aims of the association.
Finsceal (None) - Posts: 532 - 27/11/2018 14:22:13The GPA isnt directly meant to improve the playing standards its about improving rights players have. They are connected but very different.
Its far from elitist. Because it represents county players doesnt make it elitist and they dont necessarily want the game to turn professional but players to receive a greater reward for the extremaly significant workload they put in for us to enjoy.
And they dont want to turn away from the grassroots.

DonaldDuck (Tipperary) - Posts: 544 - 27/11/2018 15:16:47    2152617

If we have clubs why do we need the CPA?

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 27/11/2018 17:15:19    2152627

uimhir,a,3,you use very strong language there,I find it hard to believe that there was hatred towards the CPA,were you at Congress?and who was the KK delegate who was so anti the CPA?

mooncat (Kilkenny) - Posts: 533 - 27/11/2018 17:40:08    2152629

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4226 - 27/11/2018 19:01:42    2152635

thelongridge (Offaly) - Posts: 1741 - 27/11/2018 19:36:11    2152641

Argue for themselves more likely.
thelongridge (Offaly) - Posts: 926 - 27/11/2018 19:36:11And themselves is who exactly?

DonaldDuck (Tipperary) - Posts: 544 - 27/11/2018 19:44:31    2152642