The GPA - What do you think of them

Yavvy

As far as I can see the GPA is good for the game. For a long time players in the GAA have been taken for granted, unfairly treated and in some extream cases donwright abused.

I think senior footballers and hurlers should be treated better, they should have more rights to their own image and have the ability to earn money from it ?

your views ???

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Recent GPA statment

GPA slams Congress vote to cull panels
http://www.examiner.ie/pport/web/sport/Full_Story/did-sgyjWf1kgbWkcsgDQQ5wn3uAIg.asp
By Mark Gallagher
THE GPA last night criticised GAA authorities for voting to reduce inter county squads.
Delegates at the GAA Annual Congress were almost unanimously in favour of cutting county panels from 30 to 24. However the GPA said the move was "logistically, morally and culturally wrong".

"Just weeks after the introduction of significant price hikes for tickets was specifically attributed to the increasing cost of squad preparation, the GAA has chosen to penalise players," GPA chief executive
Dessie Farrell said. "In an era of unprecedented commercial opportunity and revenue within Gaelic games, this cost-cutting policy can only be construed as ill-conceived and discriminatory against fringe players.

"These squad members contribute as much to the team unit and its success as any individual. It is inconceivable that any body purporting to represent the democratic wishes of the GAA membership should condone a motion that will rob players of their just entitlement.

"Injuries and suspensions place a constant strain on a squad's resources. This motion can only exacerbate the challenges faced by managers."

He added: "It would be naive of the GAA to assume that this would achieve anything other than a widening of the gulf between players and administrators."

His sentiments were shared by Tyrone manager Mickey Harte, who claims the organisation has taken a step backwards with the move.

"It is poor form," Harte said. "And I don't think there is much sense in it, trying to bring a county panel down to 24 players. It is putting unnecessary pressure on people. With the way the game has gone, most teams will need to be working off a panel of 30 or more to survive."

Harte is angered by this retrograde step, but concerned about the effect culling panels will have on players.

"I can see how this might be used to create, effectively, a two-tier system, with those who are inside the panel of 24 and those who are outside. If you had 30 players in your panel, you would have cover for every position.

He added: "We only had 23 players available to us for the Galway game, and we saw how that affected us.

kaimera

anything that helps GAA players can only be a good thing.

as for cutting the intercounty panel size wtf?

do any of those tits actually play inter county?

It just doesn't make sense to force teams to have 24.

Christ I'd hate to be playing intercounty right now.

Imposter

I agree that the players should own their own image rights and that they should be treated fairly (not neccessarily better).

I've mixed views on the GPA. They exist as a player's union independent of the GAA which is good and neccessary. My problem is (if i'm wrong feel free to correct me) that they only represent the elite players. This for me is wrong as they should look after all players.

For me they seem mostly about money which I don't entirely agree with. Club players can lose earnings and incur travel costs just the same as county players. Ok things like image rights won't generally be a problem for club players but they still need 'looking after' with regard to certain financial and health matters. A player's association should do that for all player's and not just the elite players.

Yavvy

imposter, Image rights is one of the big issues for the GPA and they do repersent the elite ...but they also are there to represent every player in the GAA ( for obvious reasons the stories with the elite players get more coverage)

and I think they feel if they can get rights for the bige names and county players it will trickle down ??? Im not too sure

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GPA Strategy.

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(gaelicplayers.com)


At the inaugural launch of the GPA in November 1999, a broad developmental strategy outlining the key aims and objectives of the association was defined and presented publicly as follows:

Overview:

To improve, through collective mechanisms, the welfare of the individual inter county athlete within those guidelines established by the Gaelic Athletic Association.

To establish a third level scholarship scheme that will encourage prominent young players to maintain their involvement with gaelic games.

To offer commercial entities appropriate opportunities through a relationship with the GPA, and to manage those relationships professionally and in the best interests of both parties.

To participate, take responsibility for, and play an active role in the development and marketing of gaelic games in Ireland and abroad.

To actively recruit and encourage underage participation in gaelic games through the adoption of a player driven marketing strategy for children.

To promote greater exposure for players and inherently improve the player/fan relationship through increased accessibility and familiarity.

Where appropriate, to provide constructive and professionally managed input to Croke Park on player opinion with respect to developmental issues.

To increase awareness of, and acknowledgment for, the global family, which supports the culture of gaelic, games worldwide.

The GPA Annual Gala Dinner and Awards ceremony will be launched.

Through a professionally administered marketing program, strategic alliances will be sought with relevant organisations to provide tangible benefits for GPA members.

Mechanisms will be investigated to extend accessibility to benefits to club players, whom the GPA acknowledges as the supporting structure of the GAA itself.

Medium, Long Term Strategy:

The adaptation of multi-media and internet support will be fully activated to promote development commensurate with the aims and objectives of the GPA.

The GPA Educational Scholarship Scheme for young players will be established.

The nationwide marketing initiative, with a firm focus on player participation, to encourage children to participate and maintain an interest in gaelic games will be launched.

The GPA will strive to become an active participant in the development of gaelic games outside Ireland, through a process of constructive communication and representation at key events worldwide.

The GPA has achieved significant progress in relation to some of the aforementioned objectives, having directly influenced;

An increase in mileage rates to a maximum of 30p per mile.

A restructuring and upgrading of what was a woefully inadequate insurance scheme for players.

The introduction of endorsement regulations for players.

A marked improvement in the treatment of players in individual counties.

Further, whilst the GPA has witnessed a reticence from the commercial sector to publicly and financially support the association, the outcome of the 2001 AGM should go some way towards addressing this issue.

The GPA remains focused on attracting commercial support to assist with the promotion of gaelic games, both at underage and international level, and with members having voted to assign their commercial rights to the association, the GPA now has the sole legal right to market its members participation in such schemes moving forward.

Having firmly registered and established its intentions in relation to the initial strategy document, the GPA will continue to focus on these and additional issues of concern to players. As the winds of change blow through the GAA itself, and a professional culture of drug testing, commercialization, and super stadia emerges, the GPA will strive to autonomously represent player opinion.

Mighty_Mouse

They strike me a an organisation with a focus on professionalism. A real money-orientation and I'm not sure about this.

If we get into the areas of paying players etc it can only be bad for the game.

Imposter

Originally posted by Alany
imposter, Image rights is one of the big issues for the GPA and they do repersent the elite ...but they also are there to represent every player in the GAA ( for obvious reasons the stories with the elite players get more coverage)

and I think they feel if they can get rights for the bige names and county players it will trickle down ??? Im not too sure

What you say here seems to be contradictary. You say they do represent every player while their strategy (as you posted it) says:

Mechanisms will be investigated to extend accessibility to benefits to club players, whom the GPA acknowledges as the supporting structure of the GAA itself.

That to me reads like "We'll get this working for us for now and we may extend it to everyone, but more importantly we'd like to keep club players on side as otherwise we wouldn't exist."

I didn't realise they had such a comprehensive strategy though.

Yavvy

you might be right .... To be honest I havent read everything I copyed and pasted there, on closer inspection They do seem to be only focused on county players...

however, when it was first launched i heard dessie farrell explain that the idea was to get rights for the intercounty players first and that would have a knock on effect within the GAA

Yavvy

Players carving own destiny despite GAA

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2094-1086769,00.html

The GPA reflected on lingering differences with the GAA at its AGM, but
it deserves a pat on the back for the progress it has made, writes
Michael Foley

GIVEN the unsettled childhood they had to endure, the onset of adulthood
and the end of their growing pains might be boring the GPA. Still,
they’ll make do. Yesterday evening their members assembled in Tullamore
for their AGM, with the organisation in robust health. A series of tasty
sponsorship deals has secured their financial future, and with some
Meath players having applied to join in the past year, no county is now
untouched by their membership.
Last year they convened in typically fraught circumstances, to vote on a
motion to be recognised by the GAA as the official players’ body, with a
voice on Central Council and all the other perks that would come with
the job. It marked a crossroads for them. In the end, it was felt more
attention could be gained by staying outside, tugging the tail of the
mule rather than riding as a passenger.



They called it right.

A year later, the GAA still muddle over organising elections to form an
official Players’ Committee and all the while, the GPA have become
further embedded in people’s minds. Think players union, think GPA. You
got a welfare issue? Who you gonna call? Once again the issue of
representation was discussed yesterday, along with a raft of complaints
from players concerning welfare issues. The decision at last weekend’s
GAA Congress to cut inter-county panels from 30 to 24 that had their
phones hopping all week, also gave them something to rail against.

“It’s ludicrous,” says GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell. “It poses
huge problems for managers as well as players who will be let go. It
will be too difficult to enforce. Managers will still be keeping a
training panel of 30 but those six won’t have official status and so
won’t be entitled to playing gear, expenses, meals, tickets. It will
create a two-tier structure.”

While their agitation for a better expense rate has seen the mileage
rates rise from 38c to 50c in a year and player welfare improve
substantially, finances among the county board coffers has tightened,
and the GAA has shown little enterprise in raising the necessary funds
to support their teams. At the beginning of 2003, 19 county boards were
insolvent and the financial onus to run their county teams now
comfortably takes up the bulk of every annual financial report, but do
you push on and find new ways to make up the shortfall, or recreate the
conditions for a disgruntled minority? It has been a year marked by some
more of the innovative thinking they claimed they could bring to the
table. Whatever your views on the notion of amateur sportspeople
receiving tax breaks, the GPA’s approach to getting their case across
was refreshingly pro-active. In the lead-up to last October’s vote, the
GPA organised an information seminar across the road from the Dáil in
Buswell’s Hotel. 166 TDs signed in and listened to a well-argued case
that ultimately failed. On the flip side, the GAA spoke about organising
a committee to discuss a more equilateral tax bill with the Department
of Finance, then suggested starting off with tax breaks for the All Star
team. The contradiction aside, the GAA’s political nous combined with
the GPA’s energetic approach might have made a difference.

As it stands, the gap between the two remains. Sean Kelly made some
conciliatory remarks during his speech at last weekend’s GAA Congress,
and his relationship with Farrell is quite good, but a deep reluctance
to fully engage with the GPA remains.

“It’s disappointing considering we’re four years down the line now and
people can see we’re not about professionalism or pay for play,” says
Farrell. “We’re about getting players the respect they deserve and
making sure particular issues are addressed.”

Now, members can apply for mortgages and take out insurance with one
company at a discounted rate. Recently, the GPA handed out scholarships
to 12 players, stretching from a Kilkenny hurler to a hurler from
Leitrim, to a dual player in Mayo. Later in the year, they intend
launching a coaching grants scheme. Commercially the GPA have largely
outstripped the GAA in a year. Securing a 10-year deal with Cantrell and
Cochrane that would earn them €500,000 in the first three years through
the sales of an energy drink endorsed by their players offered a solid
financial base.

They will rue the missed opportunities of the video game that slipped
into the GAA’s hands, and last weekend’s announcement of a deal with
Access Telecoms offering special telecom packages to GAA members, but
they can reasonably claim to have started the ball rolling on both
ventures. If their ethos is to be followed through to its end, who
completes the deal is largely irrelevant to them, as long as the benefit
is accrued by the players.

These days, with their roots well dug in, that kind of rationale is
easier to swallow.