Given the recent scandalous fixture situation in Wexfod, one of my fellow countymen came on here asking was the situation the same in other counties. Given the replies that have came since, only one conclusion can be drawn from this - the GAA no longer care or hold in any level of regard the thousands of ordinary club players up and down the country. Ordinary players who give hours of their hard earned spare time either training or selling county board tickets or cutting pitches are being shown absolute contempt and brushed aside as being unimportant from the months of May-September. Fair enough the inter-county scene is the money spinner but sooner or later the GAA are going to have to realise that it is the 21st century and that lads are not going to sit idly by and plan holidays or weddings or stag partys around football/hurling matches which they have no idea when they will take place. I was at training tonight for a senior hurling club (middle of the road senior hurling) and there was 12 at it. Lads are absolutely sick and tired of training with no idea when a game will be on or when they can get their week in the sun - one of the lads was saying he wants to go to the Galway races but is afraid we will be hurling that weekend if Wexford are bet on Saturday, even though it's only 2 weekends away we still dont know.

Whatever the GPA may say, the club players up and down the country are the poor relations of the gaa, not themselves. If the GAA dont act on this and force county boards to play club games in the summer months, players are going to walk away and play soccer and rugby (rugby becoming massively popular and soccer potentially if Ireland qualify for the world cup) because they know from day 1 on the 1st of August/September when every game (bar a waterlogged pitch) for the following 8 months will be played.

The day of the undying loyalty to the club and the GAA and the parish and the die-hard is over, if the GAA dont soon act on this and come up with a fixture plan to keep club players and inter-county teams happy the association will die on its backside. And there is no point locking the gate when the horse is gone out - the time for action is now.

Pinkie (Wexford) - Posts: 4100 - 02/07/2009 23:20:16    330587

Pinkie
County: Wexford
Posts: 531

330587 Given the recent scandalous fixture situation in Wexfod, one of my fellow countymen came on here asking was the situation the same in other counties. Given the replies that have came since, only one conclusion can be drawn from this - the GAA no longer care or hold in any level of regard the thousands of ordinary club players up and down the country. Ordinary players who give hours of their hard earned spare time either training or selling county board tickets or cutting pitches are being shown absolute contempt and brushed aside as being unimportant from the months of May-September. Fair enough the inter-county scene is the money spinner but sooner or later the GAA are going to have to realise that it is the 21st century and that lads are not going to sit idly by and plan holidays or weddings or stag partys around football/hurling matches which they have no idea when they will take place. I was at training tonight for a senior hurling club (middle of the road senior hurling) and there was 12 at it. Lads are absolutely sick and tired of training with no idea when a game will be on or when they can get their week in the sun - one of the lads was saying he wants to go to the Galway races but is afraid we will be hurling that weekend if Wexford are bet on Saturday, even though it's only 2 weekends away we still dont know.

Whatever the GPA may say, the club players up and down the country are the poor relations of the gaa, not themselves. If the GAA dont act on this and force county boards to play club games in the summer months, players are going to walk away and play soccer and rugby (rugby becoming massively popular and soccer potentially if Ireland qualify for the world cup) because they know from day 1 on the 1st of August/September when every game (bar a waterlogged pitch) for the following 8 months will be played.

The day of the undying loyalty to the club and the GAA and the parish and the die-hard is over, if the GAA dont soon act on this and come up with a fixture plan to keep club players and inter-county teams happy the association will die on its backside. And there is no point locking the gate when the horse is gone out - the time for action is now.


Excellent post Pinkie.. we're very much on the same wave length Mo Chara... The GAA are doing their best to destroy the future of our games. (The Players)

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20763 - 03/07/2009 10:23:48    330777

Superb post sir.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 10367 - 03/07/2009 11:09:31    330835

The GAA will be lucky to reach their 150th year at the rate their going

Orlaith (Derry) - Posts: 4282 - 03/07/2009 12:04:37    330909

PINKIE, excellent post lad, email it to christy cooney on behalf of the club players of ireland.
players will be swapping their footballs for rubgy or soccers balls and their hurls for cricket bats.

POD09 (Limerick) - Posts: 486 - 03/07/2009 12:34:17    330960

Good Post Pinkie, i thought that it was only in antrim we had a game and then had to wait a month or more for the next match. Sure if Desy Farrell and the GPA have their way we'll be a dying breed anyway, its all about inter-county players after all!!!!

bumpernut (Antrim) - Posts: 1852 - 03/07/2009 12:54:32    330992

As usual the gloom and doom.

Every decade the death of the GAA is predicted.

By the way who is the GAA this nameless faceless org?

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 03/07/2009 12:57:21    330996

I would hate te see it die any time soon! Its a good sport. But the way the GAA is going they will be gone in about 25 years. Hopefully in wrong! Time will tell that old cliche

Orlaith (Derry) - Posts: 4282 - 03/07/2009 13:12:22    331019

I feel the same here. My mine gripe in Kildare is having to pay into games even if your playing!! Another point i'd make is the county board seem to fix games for strange times and days which suit nobody. this mainly happens to hurling games. Imagine the Kildare county board don't care about hurling!!

daytona11 (Kildare) - Posts: 4012 - 03/07/2009 13:14:37    331026

We have the situation here in Antrim where you've 8 scheduled matches in 9 weeks from the start of April on, Ulster League Sat nite and Antrim League the next day.

We haven't had a game for the last five weeks. There might be a league game next Sunday. Championship is 4 weeks away although it might moved to accomodate divisional squads in the senior championship. No-one really knows what's going on.

All this for county players who book holidays on the same dates as All-Ireland Qualifiers.

Benandonner (Antrim) - Posts: 459 - 03/07/2009 13:29:54    331046

My local club went 7 weeks last summer when they played only 1 game.

Fredthered (Donegal) - Posts: 1144 - 03/07/2009 13:37:24    331056

completely agree.. GPA=gaelic players association
last time i checked i was a gaelic player.
they might aswel change it to
IcGPA= Inter county gaelic players association

ACminor (Galway) - Posts: 154 - 03/07/2009 14:12:05    331098

We are all the G.A.A. and it is up to us to tell our County Board reps what we think and let them convey OUR message to those higher up !! Either that or write to H.Q. !!

Cavan_Slasher (Cavan) - Posts: 10253 - 03/07/2009 14:13:41    331100

Well said Pinkie!

Mick14 (Limerick) - Posts: 766 - 03/07/2009 14:14:36    331103

gaa never cared about players but there selves
we get no help here in the deep west the forgotten people
we shall struggle on

mikeyjohn (Galway) - Posts: 305 - 03/07/2009 14:16:37    331106

excellent post pinkie could not agree more!!
inter county matches should be fixed around club games after all its the club that produces county players!!
why should us , the majority sit and wait around during good weather for county players only to end up playing championship into the winter??
i have nothing against county players just the way county matches are fixed!

wingback07 (Kildare) - Posts: 36 - 03/07/2009 14:34:21    331122

Who are the GAA. They are your Club Chairman and officers, your trainers and volunteers and players,Your Divisional Board and volunteers, your County Board and your county team etc. Do they not care about club players? Yes they do. By making one sweeping statement under the banner 'The GAA' you are insulting everyone of the above.I know in Kerry that club games had been delayed in previous years due to involvement in The All Ireland final each year but it has changed this year with County League and Champioship games going ahead. We are all the GAA and when there is a scuffle at a local junior match the headline reads 'GAA riot'. Now, a row at a junior soccer or rugby match are not quoted as 'FAI or IRFU riot'! So who sre you blaming?

Real Kerry Fan (None) - Posts: 2957 - 03/07/2009 14:59:14    331163

Well said Real Kerry Fan

MyUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 227 - 03/07/2009 15:02:46    331174

we should make the GPA change it's name to the Gaelic County Players Association; what % of players are club players?

befair (Down) - Posts: 238 - 03/07/2009 15:33:33    331226

superb post

bigman2 (Tipperary) - Posts: 1202 - 03/07/2009 15:49:06    331253