Ormond it is obvious.Arsenal fill the Emirates every week when tickets
are around about £100 a head.

Do you think that many in Ireland could afford to attend GAA matches at
that price???Maybe as a once off for a final which is currently the case
but not consistently.The publicans might be happy though as more
people will go the pub to watch the matches.

REDANDBLACK30 (Down) - Posts: 1617 - 10/08/2015 16:14:37    1767391

I don't think the GAA could support fully professional teams, but some sort of semi-professional, or pay for play, system might be feasible at inter-county level. All players would need to be paid the same rate, and be paid directly by the GAA, not the CB's. It need not affect ticket prices.
I also agree with what slayer said above, making the championship more like the league structure would make it fairer, and give all players a decent amount of championship games. Although maybe that should happen anyway, regardless of any sort of professionalism.

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 10/08/2015 16:17:21    1767396

10/08/2015 15:59:42 slayer
I'd go so far as to even suggest that the GAA/GPA could look into players becoming 'self employed'. The county boards may be only in a position to offer something like, say 200 Euro a week, but if that was paid on a contract basis and the player was free to negotiate their own image rights, public speaking fees, coach in their spare time, a player could easily get to a 'livable' wage with the right management.

I know it wouldn't be for everyone so it would be something I'd like to hear other opinions on. As I said players could get a certain fee from county board, central funding from the GAA, government funding per player and players could get an individual sponsor like is done with many pro teams. Connacht players are all available to be sponsored or have an individual sponsor themselves.
10/08/2015 16:14:37
REDANDBLACK30
Ormond it is obvious.Arsenal fill the Emirates every week when tickets
are around about £100 a head.
Do you think that many in Ireland could afford to attend GAA matches at
that price???Maybe as a once off for a final which is currently the case
but not consistently.The publicans might be happy though as more
people will go the pub to watch the matches. Why do you assume professionalism corresponds to ticket prices being the same as they are in the premier league. Arsenal have probably the most expensive tickets in the premiership. Most teams have season ticket prices costing 500-600. That covers 19 home league games and may include cup games etc. 600 divided by 19 is 30 something per game which isn't that bad when you look at things...
10/08/2015 16:17:21 Marlon_JD
I don't think the GAA could support fully professional teams, but some sort of semi-professional, or pay for play, system might be feasible at inter-county level. All players would need to be paid the same rate, and be paid directly by the GAA, not the CB's. It need not affect ticket prices.
I also agree with what slayer said above, making the championship more like the league structure would make it fairer, and give all players a decent amount of championship games. Although maybe that should happen anyway, regardless of any sort of professionalism. depends by what you mean by fully professional. How they are paid. Who pays them.

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 10/08/2015 18:58:08    1767545

An Irish solution to an Irish problem? Pretend it's an amateur organization. Allow some counties to milk sponsors and 'take care' of the lads, while the minnows flounder. Put it another way, Kerry. Dublin, Mayo prepare and perform like pros, as do Kilkenny, Tipperary in hurling. It's a nonsense to pretend otherwise.

plike (Kerry) - Posts: 569 - 11/08/2015 09:47:07    1767775

I would prefer money be pumped into facilities and coaching for counties and clubs around the country. Physios and qualified coaches at club level so young players get the right training and not just a local former player with no experience, giving out gym programmes to young players without any real knowledge. It would be unsustainable to pay players a wage that they would be able to live on.

Arsenal are in a city with 8.5million ppl and week in week out are getting attendances of 60,000.... Thats more than the population of most counties.

lilyabu (Kildare) - Posts: 32 - 11/08/2015 10:17:23    1767799

I can only envisage professionalism in the Railway Cup. Dublin North, Dublin South, North Leinster, South Leinster, Ulster East, Ulster West, Munster and Connaught. 8 teams playing home and away. 14 games in the regular season along with playoffs by the top 4 at the end of the season. Inter-county action then taking place outside of that. Unlikely of course to ever happen but the only way I could see any professional game.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7856 - 11/08/2015 10:53:10    1767846

Ormondbannerman, Use your head, of course we cant prove that prices will go up but its logic, of course they will, to cover costs, its the same no matter what business you're in. GAA isn't big enough to become professional as there isn't enough funding like there is with soccer which is played all around the world professionally and most countries have a few teams who have Millions to spend on players let alone their wages. Use some logic rather then disagreeing with everyone just because theres no way of getting solid evidence.

Kerry24365 (Kerry) - Posts: 1 - 11/08/2015 12:51:44    1767985

Take a look at league attendances you have your answer , you couldn't pay a professional plumber on some attendances ,
Everyone wants to point to marquee games as if its the norm , it isn't , who would generate the revenue to pay Leitrim , Longford , Louth , Fermanagh to go full time and Im just picking them as an example .
In hurling is it Liam McCarty level get paid or is it C Ring level or maybe we pay N Ricakard .
In football are we paying in Waterford ?
Who are we paying in Offaly hurlers footballers both or neither .
Do we pay dual players twice ?
Professional my a77 lack of thought that goes into some of these rubbish debates a drunken worm falling out of a bottle of Tequila could put up a better attempt , as if not engaging our brains to look at the product , its placement , and core numbers is bad enough to use English soccer as a point of reference , heaven help us .

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 11/08/2015 13:25:54    1768019

Dangerous situation, if players get paid then there will have to be a transfer market and more worryingly player strikes, if a panel wants more money then they will refuse to play and go on strike something similar to what Cork done a few years ago, anybody that believes that paid professionals are county proud are fools, they will leave and transfer to other counties, the reason it doesn't happen much nowadays is because your county board can block it, once professional they have no say. In Connacht rugby the ticket prices have increased because a few players earn more than others and we the fans are paying their wages, sponsorships or not fans will always have to pay extra for players wage increase, no to professionalism ie wages

riverboys (Mayo) - Posts: 1389 - 11/08/2015 14:38:33    1768072

11/08/2015 10:17:23 lilyabu
I would prefer money be pumped into facilities and coaching for counties and clubs around the country. Physios and qualified coaches at club level so young players get the right training and not just a local former player with no experience, giving out gym programmes to young players without any real knowledge. It would be unsustainable to pay players a wage that they would be able to live on.
Arsenal are in a city with 8.5million ppl and week in week out are getting attendances of 60,000.... Thats more than the population of most counties. Qualified coaches is just getting the normal guys who coach to attend courses ran by county boards etc. Arsenal also pay a significant number of players 100'000 a week etc which hasn't been said here.....
11/08/2015 10:53:10 legendzxix
I can only envisage professionalism in the Railway Cup. Dublin North, Dublin South, North Leinster, South Leinster, Ulster East, Ulster West, Munster and Connaught. 8 teams playing home and away. 14 games in the regular season along with playoffs by the top 4 at the end of the season. Inter-county action then taking place outside of that. Unlikely of course to ever happen but the only way I could see any professional game.Why can you only envisage that few sides in gaelic? Look at the biggest counties. There is cities and big support bases. You seriously suggesting that Cork and Kerry couldn't sustain a team on their own? Same with Meath - population 180000 or so..
11/08/2015 12:51:44 Kerry24365
Ormond, Use your head, of course we cant prove that prices will go up but its logic, of course they will, to cover costs, its the same no matter what business you're in. GAA isn't big enough to become professional as there isn't enough funding like there is with soccer which is played all around the world professionally and most countries have a few teams who have Millions to spend on players let alone their wages. Use some logic rather then disagreeing with everyone just because theres no way of getting solid evidence. There is no way you can conclusively say by turning pro ticket prices go up. Why do people assume professionalism needs millions spent? You are all looking at English premiership soccer and thinking very high wages there means very high wages in all pro sports

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 11/08/2015 14:46:59    1768084

It would be interesting to list the occupations of the first fifteen of the 4 semi finalists no names required that would be an indication of how professional the top teams currently are.

wonit1time (Westmeath) - Posts: 450 - 12/08/2015 08:13:07    1768449