2 incidents this year confirm to me that the GAA are a money making machine only.

Firstly their treatment of their Croke Park neighbors.
Secondly they scheduled an American Football game in August on the only date that one of the semi finals could have taken place.

In addition I complained to Croke Park that their records of my attendance at games this year was just wrong: their response was dismissive and rude.

Is there any way we can redirect our GAA back to being a promoter of the games whilst showing respect to the fans, neighbors and players.

IsMise (Tyrone) - Posts: 119 - 18/10/2014 10:13:21    1664848

until ireland stands on its own and stops being so heavily infleunced by our neighbours across the pond
its going to continue this way.
even the laws regarding staging concerts are taken from the british laws
yet every man woman and child labelled it stupid irish laws until they were told it was common practice in britian
and the silence looking for the laws to change then was deafening.

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 18/10/2014 11:06:26    1664862

IsMise if you took a drive around Tyrone this morning and watched the 100's of boys and girls having a great time playing football in generally very good facilities you might change your view that the GAA are "a money making machine only". The amount of people who love knocking the association is quite sad.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 18/10/2014 11:18:14    1664869

"Money making machine"

Where exactly do you think the money is going?

More money raised by the GAA is always a good thing.

The drive and ability to raise cash within the GAA since it's foundation in 1884, from the smallest of clubs to the corporate revenue streams, is the reason a parochial amateur association has left the more international focused and professional associations like the FAI and IRFU in the halpenney place.

People's attitudes about the "Grab All Association" really astound me sometimes, especially when they come from within the association.

The GAA is not a money making venture. It makes money to plough back into communities that might not have seen that investment if it wasn't for the GAA.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13707 - 18/10/2014 11:38:28    1664876

MesAmis

Spot on Mes, also I have to say I find the term 'Grab All Association' absolutely cringeworthy but anyway aside from that I can't understand people's obsession with the Gaa making money, they have to make money to survive and the more money they make the better it is for the organisation as a whole.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 18/10/2014 12:00:32    1664885

hill16

I know it's always Britain's fault, I stubbed my toe this morning = BLAME BRITAIN!!!, Spent too much money out drinkin last weekend = BLAME BRITAIN!!! Overcooked the spuds yesterday = BLAME BRITAIN!!!

You see it's easy to find a scapegoat when you have an unhealthy, illogical obsession.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 18/10/2014 12:07:24    1664892

ismise i agree with you Croke park are a disgrace with dealing with problems in relations to Season ticket issues. No accountability what so ever. Very good article in the Star today in relation to the Sky deal the figures don't add up and just cost people in ireland and the uk a fortune to watch extra games. Money is king for the gaa.

shaggylegend (Monaghan) - Posts: 1928 - 18/10/2014 13:13:23    1664916

Shaggylegend, I hope the GAA goes on to make lots and lots more money. Id say they need every penny.

Money is King in the GAA? It costs a lot less to support your county than it does to support your favourite premier league football team/corporation.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 18/10/2014 15:10:58    1664953

IsMise?

Are you a member of your club's commitee? Have you tried to become a club delegate, to then go further in county, provincial and national GAA decision-making?

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7344 - 18/10/2014 15:40:09    1664954

Come back to me when you have to deal with the ticket office for 5 days in the lead up to a game. Have the people in the ticket office tell you to correspond by email then email them you get no reply. Ring them back as to speak to the Manager of the ticket office then told you can't talk to them. Ask to speak to the communications department no they won't transfer you to them. The corporation kicked the issue down the road from monday until the friday when the ticket office closed for the weekend. Absolute disgrace.

The Business end of the association is losing touch with grass roots. The article in the star today tells you all you need to know about the sky deal and the unbelievable spin they put on trying to promote the game abroad. Promoting the game of hurling in our own country would be of more a priority than trying to get a lad in bristol or cardiff to play. Priorities are all wrong at the top.

When people get paid money in Croke Park the organisation slowly loses the things that are special. The People in the ticket office couldn't care less about grass roots gaa all they care about is getting paid at the end of the week.

shaggylegend (Monaghan) - Posts: 1928 - 18/10/2014 15:45:09    1664955

Of course it has to make money, it needs concerts, TV rights deals etc etc. But there was three points made at the top of this thread that still are relevant no matter what precious spectacles you all wear. but the GAA doesn't plough money back money into clubs, not the clubs that I work with. It has seriously badly treated the people around Croke Park, one that will effect their ability to make money in fitutre. It has stubbed Handball into the ground, has repeatedly refused to listen to anybody. Pairc Teo is NOT the GAA they are two different things. Pairc Teo is just another poorly operated corporate entity, its sole purpose is to make money for the GAA, the GAA is an entirely different thing altogether. Just look at the back of your bloody tickets.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4896 - 18/10/2014 17:06:53    1664979

htaem

no i made a valid point and because it concerned britain you immediatly go on a rant.
can you not agree we as a nation are over influenced
and too many government and other major organisations copy too many of their ways?
wembley started using its stadium for american football hence croker wanting to follow
they were even in talks to hold a monster truck derby i read only today in croker
if thats not going to destroy the best playing surface in the world i dont know what is

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 18/10/2014 20:24:41    1665036

As the old saying goes if it happens in England on Monday itll happen in Ireland on Tuesday.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 18/10/2014 20:39:02    1665038

64 teams of u-12 girls got to play 3 short matches in Croke Park today and all they had to do was get there, no charge. How does this happen? 2 years ago we brought 2 teams of u-8 boys to play there, and there were 3000 children catered for in 2 days. I think events like these say a lot about the gaa.

Fester (Carlow) - Posts: 15 - 18/10/2014 21:18:59    1665048

Other than pointing out your opinions here Hill16 what have you done to change the situation? Have you tried to become involved in the GAA to influence policy? As for our laws being similar to British laws there are historical reasons for that. Laws change because politicians propose bills in Leinster House. Some might need a referendum. I can't see too many people proposing a referendum on staging concerts, can you? Have you lobbied your local politician to get some laws changed. The people living around Croke Park had their say and rightly the GAA were found to be in the wrong.I forget the Croke Park director's name but he showed a startling amount of arrogance when he said he was sure the concerts would go ahead before they got their licence. They got a deserved kick in the arse for that.

They do redistribute money back down to grassroots level and clubs at grassroots also do their own fundraising.I can't see that they're any worse than other Irish sporting organisations and they're better than most of them.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7344 - 18/10/2014 21:57:09    1665060