The USGAA County Board’s decision to fine 20 clubs for not fielding teams at last August’s USGAA Finals has been met with widespread anger.

According to statement issued by San Francisco GAA secretary Mike Nash, clubs which opted not to travel to Boston, Massachusetts because of Covid-19 concerns have now been hit with hefty fines and exclusion from this weekend’s Annual Convention.

“With the 2021 USGAA Convention set to take place on the weekend of November 12, 2021, dozens of GAA clubs from California to Texas to Florida are facing thousands of dollars in fines and being told they will be excluded from the annual convention, where board members are elected, and rules and by-laws voted on and adopted,” Nash outlined.

“The 2021 USGAA Finals were held near Boston, Massachusetts in August 2021. During the late summer months, Covid-19 continued to rage through the USA, and over 700,000 died in the preceding 18 months. With a patchwork of lockdown guidance, and vaccine rates that varied significantly across the 50 states, the US Centers for Disease Control and other health authorities were strongly recommending that people avoid non-essential travel. As a result, 20 clubs in the USGAA — including many who would be faced with nearly 6,000 miles of round trip air travel — chose to put a priority on club member safety, and not participate in the annual Finals. These clubs informed the USGAA County Board of their decisions months ahead of the scheduled games.

“Despite the pandemic concerns and adequate notice, the USGAA County Board chose to levy nearly $20,000 in fines on 20 clubs, and informed the clubs that there would be no hearings or ability to appeal the decision. In addition to the monetary penalties, clubs in the Western Division, which includes the San Francisco area, were informed that they would be barred from nominating candidates for board positions at the upcoming Convention, and risked being banned from competing in USGAA events during the 2022 season.” 

USGAA Western Division chairperson Bertie Penny said of the situation: “The USGAA Board is punishing clubs for prioritizing the health and safety of their members. For many clubs on the West Coast, a trip to Boston is the same distance as a Dublin GAA team traveling to New York. It is unacceptable for a volunteer organization to prioritize revenues over the health, safety and well-being of its members.” 

Paul McGarry, chairperson of USGAA Northwest Division, remarked: “Safety must always be the number one priority for all clubs. The USGAA Board is failing to set an example for the organization, further evidenced by their refusal to accommodate remote voting or publish COVID protocols for the 2021 Convention."

MIke Nash's statement concluded: “Representatives from the affected clubs and divisions have reached out to the GAA for assistance in resolving this issue ahead of this weekend’s Convention, but so far, Croke Park has chosen not to intervene.”

What do you think of fining clubs in the year of a pandemic? A. Acceptable B. Negligent C. Disgraceful
Would love to hear your answers#GAACOVIDFINE @officialgaa pic.twitter.com/FAzg1kZXri

— SanFranciscoGAA (@SanFranciscoGAA) November 9, 2021

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