Alot of talk recently about managers being paid - should we or shouldn't we? Will the players then want to be paid? The answer to both questions is probably yes. GAA players and managers put in a huge effort to make themselves the stars that they are. The GAA can well afford to make these lads full time professionals. I did a quick tot on the figures. Ok, the players will never be on mega bucks like their Premier League counterparts. But if the GAA paid players a modest salary of, say, €65,000 per annum and managers, say, €90,000 per annum, it would still only come to around €130mil per year. The GAA can well afford this and should reward their inter-county stars rather than keeping it all for themselves above in Croke Park. Opinions guys?

whiterbannnas (Mayo) - Posts: 2441 - 03/02/2012 11:25:34    1104745

130 mil a year, what planet are you on ! Where will they get the money ! Break it down for us in detail ??

MR (Louth) - Posts: 2570 - 03/02/2012 11:43:13    1104751

fans would have to pay 100 euro to get in to a league game, 130m, are you dreaming, i agree with paying mangers but 90,000 a year.

PRO (Cavan) - Posts: 92 - 03/02/2012 12:11:24    1104772

MR
County: Louth

130 mil a year, what planet are you on ! Where will they get the money ! Break it down for us in detail ??

A decent chunk of money to the average joe soap no doubt. But to an organisation like the GAA, a drop in the ocean. The GAA make a fortune every year from tv rights, sponsorship, gate receipts, etc. Financing 64 squads of players and 64 managers would be no big financial strain believe me

whiterbannnas (Mayo) - Posts: 2441 - 03/02/2012 12:15:09    1104776

Break it down for us then ! I hate this naive talk, it is unreal !

MR (Louth) - Posts: 2570 - 03/02/2012 12:40:08    1104799

MR im not here to be doin your maths for ya. Figure it out for yourself. But it is a realistic option believe me

whiterbannnas (Mayo) - Posts: 2441 - 03/02/2012 12:43:14    1104802

If Brian cody says players and managers shouldnt be paid thats good enough for me.If youre not willing to play for free then step aside,there are plenty of fellas there to take your place.

TheRoad (Galway) - Posts: 1339 - 03/02/2012 13:14:50    1104821

I agree with theroad here, If some managers and very successful managers are OK with non-payment then why Pay. Why is a manager any more entitled than players, trainers, physios, etc etc.
Unworkable!

ballybannongael (Down) - Posts: 547 - 03/02/2012 13:20:42    1104831

There is no way that anyone should be paid a salary!

We participate in our association for the love of our villiage/ parish/ town/ club/ county, not for money!

This is why the GAA is so unique in world sport.

LocAnOilean (Down) - Posts: 67 - 03/02/2012 13:29:45    1104834

good on ye bannanas, 64 managers to pay, should that not be 64 management teams, as most intercounty managers around the country have a management of at least 4 people and in some cases more, some teams have a fitness coach, a strength coach etc and what about the kit man. these will all surely have to be paid too. and that 130 million that you say should be paid to each would work out as 59,742.65 per person on average. a nice lift for all involved. but that then is 130 million taken straight out of the gaa at grass root level, and with the inevitable drop on gate receipts due to protest from many members it would soon become 130 million that the association would wish they had back.

pig.ignorant (Derry) - Posts: 655 - 03/02/2012 13:36:44    1104844

@whiterbannnas - So you cannot back up your argument then with facts and figures ! Nonsense man !

MR (Louth) - Posts: 2570 - 03/02/2012 13:54:48    1104864

MR ive already given you the facts & figures - 65,000 per player, 90,000 per manager

whiterbannnas (Mayo) - Posts: 2441 - 03/02/2012 14:23:08    1104892

ballybannongael
County: Down

I agree with theroad here, If some managers and very successful managers are OK with non-payment then why Pay

Some managers are quite happy not to receive any official salary as that would mean having to pay tax

whiterbannnas (Mayo) - Posts: 2441 - 03/02/2012 14:25:32    1104895

Other sports have professional teams because of huge gate receipts they bring in. imagine this scenario, there are 2,000 people at Louth v Westmeath on Sunday. If there are 1200 people paying full admission(13 euro) and 800 paying student/OAP rates then the entire gate receipts would come to 19,600 euro. Under a professional system how would it be manageable to pay both teams enough to cover a decent weekly wage, and pay referees, umpires stewards etc. It might be feasible for a county like Dublin who has a huge support, but it wouldnt work for alot of other counties. Possibly players could be given payment under a semi-pro system but that would be it.

PK57 (Louth) - Posts: 1664 - 03/02/2012 14:28:35    1104897

03/02/2012 14:23:08
whiterbannnas
County: Mayo
Posts: 1986

1104892
MR ive already given you the facts & figures - 65,000 per player, 90,000 per manager

------------------------------------------------

You do now what the GAA revenue is don't you?? 2010 I believe it was €58M so paying out €130M sounds like a smart move!!!

Ireland cannot sustain financially professional sports (rubgy has just 3 and half teams it can support).

Other problem then is that Labour Laws take over the rules of governance as to who can play for whom etc. So club and county loyalties are gone.

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 03/02/2012 14:30:37    1104899

Will this topic of discussion ever end?

The GAA hasn't been a professional organisation in over 125 years and it seems to be doing just fine without it

Leave well enough alone

gigoer (Wexford) - Posts: 1998 - 03/02/2012 14:32:02    1104901

@whiterbannnas - No you haven't, where is the money coming from ? In detail ?

As PK57 said, he just did the maths and it doesn't add up !

MR (Louth) - Posts: 2570 - 03/02/2012 14:32:37    1104903

Totally against the idea of G.A.A becoming a proffesional sport. I play football myself and I see the types of commitment put into playing with county teams from some of my clubmates. Call me old fashioned, but I think the corner stone of the G.A.A is based on local heroes. Lads you watch playing in an all ireland final along with millions worldwide, and then you walk past them down the street. It's one of the most unique organisations in the world because of it. If it becomes professional somewhere down the line you will see a new breed of footballer who is a bit stuck up and feel like celebrities. You'll see it turning like soccer when there'll be lads sitting on the bench with ipads and what not.

If they were to be paid it would also be a step backwards for the gaa i think. First of all, ticket prices will go through the roof. The price of a ticket to an English soccer game is between £30-40. And the only reason they're not any dearer is because soccer generates so much revenue from t.v and newspapers and sponsorships. The G.A.A, although immensly popular, cannot attract as much attention as soccer.

This will have a knock on affect. Once people decide not to splash out for tickets, young lads won't be going to games with their parents. Leading to a decline in interest in the sport and less young men playing the game.

Then there would be the facilities down grading. More money being pumped into paying players and staff etc. will lead to less money being spent on promoting the game and helping to enhance the quality of youth coming through. Which in turn leads to less enjoyable football and we'll really have something to complain about on these boards then.

Correct me if you feel I'm completly off sight but although paying players seems like a step forward, I see it as a step back. How will it be decided which players get paid? Is it a pay as you play basis? Or a weekly basis? Because on of the problems i see is that when you decide that you're going to pay just the county footballers, what happens when theres lads that are called into the panel for one or two games and never play? Will they get the same play as the full forward who scores 1-5?

There's too many problems with it in my opinion, and whilst I see why players should be payed, the cons out-weigh the pros!

razor99 (Mayo) - Posts: 186 - 03/02/2012 14:39:53    1104919

ballybannongael
County: Down
Posts: 175

1104831 I agree with theroad here, If some managers and very successful managers are OK with non-payment then why Pay. Why is a manager any more entitled than players, trainers, physios, etc etc.
Unworkable!

Physios, trainers, dietitians, stewards, refs, programme sellers, etc etc all get paid.

dhorse (Laois) - Posts: 11374 - 03/02/2012 14:46:15    1104928

PK57

Ticket prices may need to be increased to 70 or 80 euro per match alright. But with increased promotion and advertising i think the GAA could still aim to average 40,000 attendances at most league and championship games

whiterbannnas (Mayo) - Posts: 2441 - 03/02/2012 14:47:03    1104930