Like besidetheditch, I'm a bit skeptical about this too: some of the "rules" sound like a wind-up. Hard to believe that any county squad would formulate, and agree, to such a code.

football first (None) - Posts: 1259 - 25/03/2015 14:17:01    1706432

you will find that the best performing schools are the ones who stricctly enfore the school rules, whether it be non-tolerance of non-standard school uniform strick rules on hairstyle or jewelery etc etc. so the same mentality probably works within a club environment. As long as there are no exceptions and no bending of the rules for ANYONE. if you sign up then you stick by the rules. If you don't want to sign up then don't join.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 25/03/2015 14:36:30    1706440

It's strict and unfair for amateur players to be expected to adhere to these rules, but at the end of the day the lads know what they are signing and what it means. No point whinging about it after.

Of course as always, if they don't like it they don't have to sign it.....

daytona11 (Kildare) - Posts: 4012 - 25/03/2015 14:51:28    1706445

A few random thoughts on this and related matters:

- S.Goldrick, your analogy with schools is nonsensical and I'd suspect, depending on how you measure it, inaccurate. Firstly, these are not children who need to be chastised so that they know the difference between right and wrong. These are grown adults, and I cna't see how it is good for them to be treated like infants. And as for 'best results', well, perhaps you can drill someone into passing an exam through fear and discipline, but I certainly don't think it develops them in any other way. These 'best schools' of yours are not preparing their students for real world. Similarly with athletes - you might get short term results with draconian measures, but longer term development and longevity of careers will be negatively impacted.

- Anyone saying that this is wrong for 'amateurs' is missing the point. Eliminating diversity and any creative spirit is wrong for everyone involved in sport, be them amateur or professional.

- Most professional sports teams don't engage in this type of rubbish, instead realising that relaxed and happy players are more productive. These GAA codes of conduct and the likes are simply amateurs playing at being professional.

- In all walks of life, strong leadership allows diversity to flourish. They look for differences that they can use to their advantage, not eliminate it for fear that it will corrupt.

- Clare players should feel ashamed of themselves for issuing their statement last week. They hung their friends/teammates out to dry, despite some of them surely knowing that what was done to those 2 lads was demeaning and wrong.

- Any player who suggests, supports or even reluctantly signs up to a code of conduct such as the one that Wooly has described, really does need to develop a bit of perspective in both sport and life.

Thomas Clarke (Tyrone) - Posts: 1002 - 25/03/2015 15:14:19    1706455

This is all a bit ridiculous. Davy Fitz and co are going a long way towards destroying what's good about the GAA.
Have to say I am in almost full agreement with Parkinson here.

pdempsey (Mayo) - Posts: 1313 - 25/03/2015 15:14:48    1706456

A bit off the point here, but it seems theres a lot of teatotallers at a high level in the GAA. Is it the same in other sports?

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 25/03/2015 15:30:41    1706464

I remember watching the Living with Lions DVD of their successful tour of South Africa in 1997, wherein the Lions squad were given licence to draft their own code of conduct, the rationale being that they were more likely to abide by rules that they themselves had drawn up. Didn't seem to be a bad idea to me, and the results were there to back it up in the end.

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 25/03/2015 15:50:48    1706472

Thomas Clarke - you are spot on. Very well put.

pdempsey (Mayo) - Posts: 1313 - 25/03/2015 15:59:53    1706477

Nothing new here am laughing my head off at the its a disgrace mob , , top teams maybe never had to sign up for a CoC , but you bet your life they lived by one .
Edidie Brennan on Sunday game ,he said no Kk player was ever told they couldnt drink , but you knew if you did youd probably through poor performance end up on the subs bench , keep it up and eventually youd find yourself out of the squad , common sense .
Dublin lads who visited my club over a xmass brought Sam with them , they all got in photos took selfies etc had a few beers great crack , however because they were back in training none of them could get into a photo with Sam , a rule agreed with management and players , it happens all the time , different regimes will try different things for an edge . Bottom line the 30 or so players back at the ranch are living by CoC so it cant be that bad .

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 25/03/2015 16:06:01    1706485

On the teatotal thing, diet is a key aspect if you want to be successful in any sport - if you're not taking proper care as regards your diet you're simply handing an advantage to all your competitors.

besidetheditch (Dublin) - Posts: 81 - 25/03/2015 16:12:51    1706489

My biggest gripe in the gaa in general is the drinks ban, it is insane. Professional sportsmen dont get drinking bans like this, i know of club team who go on a drinking ban 8 weeks before championship, how is this fair on young men? No wonder players are packing it in earlier and earlier, the likes of Shefflin playing well in to the 30s are def a thing of the past. I have no problem with saying to lads no drink the night before training or 2 days before a league game and maybe 5 days before championship. What is the problem with having a beer after a game on a sunday? far far too much expected of our players, the whole attitude needs to be looked at, you cant seriously tell me that by not touching a drink for 3 months will benifit you over a man who has had maybe 4-5 nights on the tear?

the_watcher (Antrim) - Posts: 128 - 25/03/2015 16:14:27    1706491

this code of conduct is nothing short of embaressing and pathetic...prehistoric stuff comes to mind

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 25/03/2015 16:20:46    1706495

So how do you think that Ireland went from being nearly men to winning the 6 nations twice in a row.. because they do what the coach asks them to do to the minute detail of placing their bodies in a certain position after tackling an opponent....AND because the players are bought into what needs to be done.. a contract between players is not needed if everyone is already on the same hymn sheet but if they are not then it shows who is going a different direction to the rest of the team.. Colm Parkinson is the type of player who promised loads and could have carried his team to an all Ireland but never did due to his Individualism (lack of teamwork) with this all in mind... the contract he is talking about is laughable..

Farney (Monaghan) - Posts: 801 - 25/03/2015 16:23:35    1706497

parkinson is an entertaining character, since he has been on OffTheBall he is fairly spot on in what he says. The fact he is an everton supporter too so i guess he cant be all that bad!!

This is a good point he has made about the lack of respect for Davy O Halloran and footballers these days living like monks

woops (Kerry) - Posts: 2073 - 25/03/2015 16:33:01    1706501

Farney
County: Monaghan
Posts: 436

1706497 So how do you think that Ireland went from being nearly men to winning the 6 nations twice in a row.. because they do what the coach asks them to do to the minute detail of placing their bodies in a certain position after tackling an opponent....AND because the players are bought into what needs to be done.. a contract between players is not needed if everyone is already on the same hymn sheet but if they are not then it shows who is going a different direction to the rest of the team.. Colm Parkinson is the type of player who promised loads and could have carried his team to an all Ireland but never did due to his Individualism (lack of teamwork) with this all in mind... the contract he is talking about is laughable..

Ireland won the last 2 Six Nations because England, France & Wales have all been preparing/experimenting with the World Cup in mind.

Ireland are the only ones who really go flat out to try and win the thing, playing their strongest team at all times.

England, France & Wales will do better in the World Cup than Ireland.

As far as the Codes of Conduct mentioned are concerned its crazy stuff all together. Sure every team during World Cups have nights out on the beer, not sessions but nights where they are allowed to have a few drinks bond with team mates & let off a bit of steam.

Dessie13 (Dublin) - Posts: 70 - 25/03/2015 16:48:53    1706509

Why we blame some faceless structure....the GAA

Its the players fault themselves. Its not any one on Croke Park etc pushing them to do this. I doubt even the county boards ask for this.

Its players and managers, and I think it is worse in the weaker counties than the strong, as they think they need to do this to catch up.

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 25/03/2015 16:59:12    1706515

witnof
County: Dublin
Posts: 738

1706515 Why we blame some faceless structure....the GAA

Its the players fault themselves. Its not any one on Croke Park etc pushing them to do this. I doubt even the county boards ask for this.

Its players and managers, and I think it is worse in the weaker counties than the strong, as they think they need to do this to catch up.

What's happening at present is that older players, who have sense, are retiring as they don't wish to be a party to this kind of nonsense. So the player age profile is decreasing all the time. Young players, at 18 and 19 years of age, they don't know that it's not right to tell them they can't have a certain hair length or colour, that it's not right to have these abusive rules imposed. The big bad in these cases are managers and selectors. They are the ones making players sign these ridiculous codes of conduct or else they won't allow them represent their county. As time rolls on, two things are happening. One, the GPA is showing it's true colours as an organisation which wants to make money and enhance career prospects of intercounty players, and they have little concern with player welfare. Two, the squad age profile is decreasing, making it more and more unlikely that a team will strike or stand up for themselves. In fact, these kind of rules are exactly what the GPA wants, since their real mandate is to find payment for players who operate at a professional level.

icehonesty (Wexford) - Posts: 2553 - 25/03/2015 17:37:14    1706533

you can't impose a drinking ban, you can only impose a drinking ban in public. If a player wants to have wine or beers or whatever at home then who is going to know.

secondly Thomas Clarke. You shouldn't dismiss my analogy with schools so cheaply. you would do well to heed it.
It is a team game after all . a good team will always beat a bunch of individuals. some people need boundaries, others don't.
if you want a group of 30 - 40 people to perform at their best in a team game you want them all committed to the same philosophy . You can't get away with lack of discipline from a few mavericks any more.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 25/03/2015 18:14:06    1706548

You want to see the code of conduct we have in Cavan --

1. No singing in the shower.
2. No eatin anyone else's sammages.
3. No taking the soap and towels home with ya.
4. No begging on Saturdays.
5. No kicking the ball.

Cavan_Slasher (Cavan) - Posts: 10253 - 25/03/2015 20:51:27    1706615

There are two ways of looking at this. It depends who you are dealing with.
Some players know themselves.
Others have to be told.
Then there are players who will take a mile if given an inch.
Of course we live in an era of control, secrecy etc etc which is mad.

These managers have too much power and they are abusing it but....

I remember a situation a few years ago in Tyrone (Thomas Clarke may know about this).... Manchester United were very popular at the time and they had a lad called Gordon Hill playing for them. Anyway a certain GAA player looked a bit like Hill and modelled himslf on Hill. He had his hair cut like him and every time he played a match he dressed up in full Man Utd kit bar the jersey. He would play in this gear even in big championship matches and such was the level of discipline in that club that he was never censured. He also played a bit for Tyrone but the Man Utd gear had to be discarded on those occasions.

I also heard of another player who was a great admirer of Liverpool.He was picked for the Tyrone Under 21s and at the first team meeting the panel were ritually issued with their county gear ie tracksuit, shorts, socks and whatever. What did your man do but arrive at the next session in full Liverpool regalia. He was given short shrift though and sent home...... This guy is still playing club football but his Tyrone career petered out.

So obviously there is need for some code of conduct when you have lads like these going about......

BIG SACKS (Tyrone) - Posts: 1681 - 25/03/2015 21:43:15    1706640