"How can colleges be blamed for burnout when the likes of last year’s
U21 championship is still going on here in Galway? College players have
to make huge sacrifices to continue playing football while they are studying
and they should be given every encouragement possible. The colleges add
a lot to the winter provincial competitions and their presence allows county
managers to try out fringe players who might not otherwise get a competitive
game.”
National University of Galway football manager Eoin O’Donnellan
hits back at the idea that college football is partially to blame for player
burnout
"It’s absolutely vital that this issue is properly
debated throughout the GAA. This point was made loud and clear, for example,
at the meeting of Dublin County Board. There was a very strong opposition
to the scheme voiced by club delegates at that meeting and they were equally
concerned at how they had been excluded from any discussion up to now. That’s
a pattern that’s consistently emerging across the country. The situation
that Central Council put us into on 8th December simply needs to be reversed."
Donal McAnallen, who is strongly anti-player’s grants, welcomes
the news that the scheme will be debated Congress
"Many of the referees are covering club games in front of small numbers
and then they are thrust into the national limelight, perhaps in front of
60-70,000 people at Croke Park. That puts mental pressure on them which
they are not normally used to and they need strategies to prepare for that
changing environment. Of course the rules of the games are the same but
the pressures are much greater. If a referee makes a mistake it will be
highlighted and they will be criticised on The Sunday Game and they need
to put in place a strategy to ensure this criticism does not affect them.”
Sports psychologist Canice Kennedy outlines some of the difficulties
facing big game referees
"Financially and administration wise it is hard. I’m not saying
it is easy to run a club at home. I know in my own club in Ballina how difficult
it is. But, in England, we are working and having to travel all the time
for matches. I’m not giving out about this. We did it and have no problem
doing it. But for club football in England to survive Croke Park must look
at it and help us out a bit more."
Daniel McDonagh, Chairman of Liverpool based John Mitchells, outlines
how difficult it is to keep Gaelic games alive in the UK
"It was the decision I made at the time and I still think it was the
right decision. I just needed that few months to get myself right, get my
head sorted out, and get back into the swing of things. I’m looking
forward to the year ahead now."
Meath’s Joe Sheridan admits he has no regrets about leaving the
Meath panel last year after they exited the Leinster championship, which
saw him miss out on a place in the All-Ireland semi-final
"I’ll be making now decision about joining the Galway senior
set-up until such time as my involvement with LIT and the club are over.
I know the door is still open for me to join up, but quite honestly, I haven’t
given it much thought.”
Galway prodigy Joe Canning says he will wait until later in the year
before he decides if he will play with the county’s senior hurlers