County players are not the enemy Without a doubt the GPA strike is the most emotive issue to hit the GAA since Rule 42. I'm sure that may followers up until recently perceived the idea of players withdrawing the services as pie in the sky. The result of the postal ballot on strike action left everyone crystal clear on how serious the players feel on this issue. Over 70% of GPA members voted with 95% of this number voting to go on strike if the grants debate is not sorted out. The very thought of gaelic players refusing to tog out for their county does not rest easy with me. You do not need a very long memory to recall the times when it was not so popular to wear a gaelic jersey and how players and administrators alike were subjected to sectarian abuse and harassment in certain parts of this country due to their love of the games. Now it appears that internal strife and bureaucratic wrangling could result in the games coming to a standstill. In any other sport the promise of ?5 million from the government would have that particular governing body rubbing its hands. Not so with the GAA. The principle of sharing ?5 million in government funding between 64 intercounty senior squads is not in question - it is the mechanism for distributing the grants that is causing the furore. Since the idea of government grants was raised over five years ago the GAA have been happy to sit back and let the GPA and the government sort it out themselves. The fact that they sat back and let the saga run and run has infuriated the GPA. For the last five years the GPA Executive has been reporting back to its members that funds are there but they cannot touch it. It was inevitable that after years of fruitless negotiation with the GAA and government, that the prospect of strike action would be put to its members. The player's response has been emphatic but hardly surprising. They are aware that the Irish government acknowledges the contribution they make to the fabric of Irish society. They see athletes from other sports improving and benefiting from grant aid - many of whom do not face the same pressure and demands. As players they see the GAA negotiating with TV companies over broadcasting rights that will bring in over ?50 million to the association. As players they see the GAA negotiating with major companies over the new sponsorship structure for the championships in which they will be the sole participants. This should net the Association over ?30 million. It's not surprising they feel a little dismayed when a compromise cannot be reached to transfer the princely sum of ?2,000 from government funds to their own county players. The prospect of a strike is real and it's clear that opinion is divided nation wide. It was with great interest that I read the opposing views of ex Armagh players Benny Tierney and Jarlath Burns. Not only did Benny and Jarlath donn the orange 'geansai' for many a year but they won a Sigerson Cup together with St Mary's teacher Training College in Belfast. As great friends both men are still heavily involved in the GAA but their views on the strike are poles apart. Following the announcement of the strike both men penned articles and for an outsider reading them it would surely have left him scratching his head wondering what is the life of the county player really like. On one hand there is Benny's perspective where he details the time and effort county players spend ensuring that he is in perfect shape both physically and mentally for a match. Benny mentions the time spent away from work and home. For those that have children how important family occasions are foregone due to county commitments. From a monetary perspective Benny suggest that the feet will still be on the ground regardless of whether or not the grant comes through. It will not put a big dent on the mortgage or be a reason to change the car. In fact the only Mercs he sees at Armagh training are those belonging to county officials. In conclusion Benny expresses his anger at the way county players are now been labelled. He maintains that things are no different now than ten years ago- players train hard with only one thing in mind- making their place on the team and achieving for their county. Jarlath looks at the prospect of gaelic players striking from a different angle. He reminds players of the privileges they would lose out on such as the five days in the sun before the championship. Jarlath believes that it wouldn't be long before the players would miss the fillet steaks after training, the variety of training gear and the glut of good looking women that appear to run after county players these days. Jarlath suggests that many players would have to renew acquaintances with the club mates they totally forget about when playing with the county. Jarlath paints a picture of county players who are greedy and totally unaware of what goes on at club level. Studying both Benny and Jarlath's thoughts on player welfare left me wondering did the two men actually play on the same Armagh team at all. And if the lifestyle of a county player is so cushy and glamorous then surely Jarlath like myself would not have been so eager to retire from the inter-county scene. There are however a number of Jarlath's perceptions with which I concur. Having spent a week with Benny in Spain (coaching at the gaelic camp Marbella) it is obvious that the Armagh team were very well fed after training. Jarlath's point about GAA players attracting the ladies also appears accurate. As for the rest of Jarlath's observations it appears that the footballers in Tyrone must be different than everywhere else in the country. As far as I am aware the vast majority of those playing for Tyrone do so for reasons other than attaining a profile or attracting freebies. I can also assure Jarlath that the county players in Tyrone at present have no problems posing for photographs with children nor did they ever have in my time as a player. For Jarlath to portray intercounty players as greedy and ignorant of what goes on at club level is incredible. Again I can only speak about what goes on in Tyrone and certainly this is not the case. Using two high profile players as an example both Ryan Mc Menamin and Conor Gormley not only devote time to their club seniors but they will be found running the line as assistant managers with their club's U16's. Receiving a grant from the government will hardly alter their approach to their clubs. The county players from my own club are no different. Jarlath speaks about how county players would have to 'rub shoulders with the rest of us' if they weren't playing for their county. In recent weeks the five Errigal players on the Tyrone panel have been knocking on doors all over the country selling £20 tickets as part of the club's fundraising initiative to pay for new changing rooms. County players or not, grant or no grant the same five boys would do it again if they were asked to next year. (There are still more tickets left by the way!) To label county players as out of touch with grass-roots is unfair and unacceptable. What is important in the remaining weeks of 2007 is that serious negotiations be allowed to happen and a compromise to be reached. It's not too much to ask. Tweet

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