With the new sky deal and the high demand on county players the county scene is now more professional than ever but the demand that is being placed on club players is also as demanding. Club football is now semi professional with players training 4 to 5 times a week! Not that I'm complaining it's not all bad getting fit and healthy but were is this going to stop! Im personally starting to feel the strain trying to balance work football and girlfriend trying to match the county scene at club level and what makes things worse is county boards messing up club fixtures!

Skyblue (Tyrone) - Posts: 193 - 11/04/2014 21:56:42    1574042

Skyblue I agree.
a few years ago I could training once/2 a week and be considered for senior team.
Now I only get to same per week and lucky to get playing for seconds.

It takes some of the fun out of it because really if you cant commit its hard to deserve a starting spot ahead of a playing who is training solid.

dstuction (Donegal) - Posts: 1209 - 12/04/2014 09:37:23    1574069

The amateur status in the GAA is a thing of the past and not just on the field of play but the whole club set up. Club members are expected to give over endless hours every week to meetings, workshops, conferences, fundraising events, media launches. The hierarchy refer to your club as a " Unit " and that Unit is constantly being pressurized to raise more and more money from the local parish, and the county boards collects that money from the clubs like a tax by way of ever increasing affiliations fees, Insurance, PIS, subscriptions, championship fines, cul camps etc. On the playing side of things, promising young 13 year old's are put into county development squads and trained like what you would expect in a premiership soccer academy and their parents are never off the road, driving from here to there most of the year. Another issue / myth is the hierarchies claim that the money goes back down to the clubs. Well, I was involved in a club at committee level for many's a year and I did not see one penny come back down to our club in all them years. It was all one way traffic as far a money was concerned.

drumlinbelt (Monaghan) - Posts: 179 - 12/04/2014 11:47:06    1574110

The GAA was founded to promote native Irish sports. However the demands on club players and the messing about with fixtures is going to drive people to other sports.

MB1 (Tyrone) - Posts: 360 - 12/04/2014 12:21:48    1574124

Another thread knocking the GAA.........

Jesus every yearthe GAA isgoing to die....

Every year some othersport will take over....

Jesus lads give it a rest!!!

People put in so much becuase they getit back in return and no one is profiting from their effort.

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 12/04/2014 13:23:42    1574150

Witnof, I don't think this is an anti GAA thread. The club situation needs looked at urgently. Clubs particularly in towns are seeing players going to soccer.

MB1 (Tyrone) - Posts: 360 - 12/04/2014 13:49:33    1574160