National Forum

GPA Survey

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Replying To ExiledInWex:  "The biggest take away from the report is players want a 7 month inter county window from January to end July (from starting training to All-Ireland final). They all want to play for the club too.
I made this point on Wexford page. Players need a break. They can't just be expected to jump off the club treadmill straight in to inter county training.
1st January, everybody is mad for road. But everybody wants a break in November and December and if the GAA product can't give them that, players will just walk away."
Do you think this is the reason for the amount of top club teams caught on the hop so far this club championship season. The county players on top club teams that get to club championship provincial finals and on to All Ireland have no break. Straight from club finals and straight into county matches. Couldn't understand why they brought back the likes of the Mc Kenna cup. I've heard it rumoured Darragh Canavan is looking a year out of football.

Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 2433 - 23/10/2025 20:02:51    2641305

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Replying To sligo joe:  "The club players made their views very clear through the Club Players Association and demanded the split season with early All Ireland Finals. They achieved their objective and then disbanded. To suggest anything different is incorrect."
The Gaelic Players Association represents who? Inter county players? Why not name themselves correctly?

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 2417 - 24/10/2025 08:36:26    2641335

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Replying To Claretandblue:  "The Gaelic Players Association represents who? Inter county players? Why not name themselves correctly?"
Ah look another lad pretending the split season isn't what the vast, vast majority of players want, both club and county.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8573 - 24/10/2025 09:51:52    2641343

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We should start up our own association here. THEM: The Hoganstand Experts Movement. We'd book a venue for 1000 for the Christmas Party but only 100 would turn up.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 8308 - 24/10/2025 11:19:46    2641359

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Replying To Claretandblue:  "The Gaelic Players Association represents who? Inter county players? Why not name themselves correctly?"
Well maybe if it would please you the GPA should change their name. But the point is (and you seem to be avoiding it) is the most ardent proponents of the new season was the Club Players Association, in fact it was the only item on their agenda.
I don't know how much contact you have with club players but all the evidence anecdotally and from surveys (survey in Cork recently 90+% in favour of new season) is that they like the new way.

sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 1022 - 24/10/2025 12:14:34    2641371

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Replying To Claretandblue:  "The Gaelic Players Association represents who? Inter county players? Why not name themselves correctly?"
I've probably said it here before, but this is a thing that grates with me about the GPA.

Way back when it was being established, the people behind it strongly refuted any suggestion or accusation that it would be to represent the elite inter-county players only, and would instead represent all players, no matter what level they lined out at. I even heard Dessie Farrell himself get quite vexed about this at a meeting I attended myself in Enniscorthy back then.

But over time, they went so far away from that, that when club players did have a big issue to resolve, they felt they had no choice but to form their own separate association. They knew the GPA wasn't going to represent them after all.

Still the case though that the CPA got what they wanted, and then disbanded because there was no more to fight for. So despite what a poster says on previous page, there's no reason to believe club players are unhappy with the current situation, because if they were, there'd be talk of re-establishing the CPA.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3169 - 24/10/2025 13:02:04    2641375

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Replying To sligo joe:  "Well maybe if it would please you the GPA should change their name. But the point is (and you seem to be avoiding it) is the most ardent proponents of the new season was the Club Players Association, in fact it was the only item on their agenda.
I don't know how much contact you have with club players but all the evidence anecdotally and from surveys (survey in Cork recently 90+% in favour of new season) is that they like the new way."
The CPA were so delighted with the new calendar that they declared their mission completed and disbanded.
The very existence of the GPA seems to have driven some demented.
There's no going back to the last Century where players were looked upon as a nuisance getting in the way of the "real GAA" and its meetings, boards, committees etc

Seanfan (Roscommon) - Posts: 177 - 24/10/2025 14:29:41    2641395

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Replying To Viking66:  "All clubs will have their management teams in place long before the end of the IC season. Many will have before the IC season starts even."
Sorry but you are incorrect. Loads of top coaches jump in with a club team when they county team they are involved with are finished.

eoinog (Sligo) - Posts: 2259 - 24/10/2025 16:20:13    2641406

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Replying To eoinog:  "Sorry but you are incorrect. Loads of top coaches jump in with a club team when they county team they are involved with are finished."
Can't think of any in this county tbh. I know Tom Mullaly coaches a club side, but he does that at the same time. John Meyler coaches a couple of different clubs at the same time. Must be tough to double job.
Who do you know went in to manage a team after intercounty finished up? And how did it go for them? Must be an impossible job if you haven't been involved with the players until June or July.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17307 - 24/10/2025 20:53:00    2641423

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Replying To eoinog:  "Sorry but you are incorrect. Loads of top coaches jump in with a club team when they county team they are involved with are finished."
Any examples? Loads you say ? Who are what teams ?

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8573 - 24/10/2025 21:20:38    2641426

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