"Paying hurling and football teams isn't sustainable"

September 09, 2015

Clare's Podge Collins and Alan O'Neill celebrate at the final whistle. INPHO

Clare's Podge Collins says his opinion on pay-for-play in the GAA was misinterpreted on RTE documentary Páirc Life last night.

The Examiner reports that the Banner County All-Ireland hurling winner, who is currently recuperating from a cruciate ligament injury, clarified his stance in an interview with Clare FM.

"I think my views on the actual documentary and even on a thing I read last night were misinterpreted," he told his local radio station.

"Like, pay-for-play is not sustainable in 32 counties. Paying hurling and football teams isn't sustainable.

"What I would say is teams that are filling up stadiums in league games, that are getting to Croke Park and playing in front of 82,000 people every year, your Kilkennys, your Kerry footballers, your Dublin footballers, these lads should be rewarded at the end of the year accordingly.

"And not just, let's say, the Kerry footballers getting All Stars. They'll get a small sum, then they'll get different deals off the back of it like advertisements and all that kind of stuff.

"But then there are corner backs on that Kerry team who might get nothing. I would say these lads filling out the stadium, the amount of revenue that creates for the GAA, that these teams that are getting there every year should be getting looked (after) accordingly."

The elite should be rewarded for filling out Croke Park added the Cratloe clubman.

"Essentially, I would say players would get paid if you're getting to Croke Park. Like, how much revenue is created from the All-Ireland final? You're talking about 80,000 people paying €80 a pop (sic).

"When you're at that level every year and the amount of revenue you're creating... these players are doing that bit more to get where they're getting."


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