GAA people = Cavemen?

Nodin

AndonHandon wrote: »

Yes, it is. GAA isn't an international sport though so does not lend itself to patriotism the same way other sports do. Essentially the setting up and joining of a GAA club abroad is to create a bubble in which to isolate oneself from the foreign community within which one is supposedly engaged.

"hate filled" is something that suddenly hops to mind reading that. Not the GAA players either.

Mushy

AndonHandon wrote: »

Yes, it is. GAA isn't an international sport though so does not lend itself to patriotism the same way other sports do. Essentially the setting up and joining of a GAA club abroad is to create a bubble in which to isolate oneself from the foreign community within which one is supposedly engaged.

You do know anyone can join these clubs abroad right?

AndonHandon

Nodin wrote: »

"hate filled" is something that suddenly hops to mind reading that. Not the GAA players either.

Mushy wrote: »

You do know anyone can join these clubs abroad right?

So it is not parochialism?

WesternZulu

AndonHandon wrote: »

So it is not parochialism?

There are loads of clubs around the world that have been set up by the locals themselves and have little, if any, Irish players.
France played Italy recently in a Gaelic football game of all indigenous players.
There have been loads of clubs set up in Galicia in Spain by locals as well.

Obviously, they have been all brainwashed by the GAA :rolleyes:

Nodin

AndonHandon wrote: »

So it is not parochialism?

No, it is not.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=94394229&postcount=150

whupdedo

dreamers75 wrote: »

Fairly sure the OP is bang on.

I refuse to let my kids play GAA as they a bunch of wankbags.

Thats the spirit, hinder the our kids potential enjoyment of a community sport all because of your own narrow minded views, was it because you were left off the team wben you were 9 and never forgave the big bad manager ?

Mushy

AndonHandon wrote: »

So it is not parochialism?

No for reason Nodin has already mentioned.

AndonHandon

Nodin wrote: »

No, it is not.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=94394229&postcount=150

You can believe that if you want but that only applies to the minority I'm afraid. How many emigrant stories and lives have been documented abroad and the GAA club is discussed, not just for the pure love of the sport but for the community associated with the GAA club?

Yesterday's IT Generation Emigration piece as a very recent example;
www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/generation-emigration/it-takes-time-to-adjust-to-the-uae-but-the-irish-fit-in-well-1.2109832

"The Irish community in Abu Dhabi and the UAE has grown dramatically in the last five years. That Irish parochial sense of community is evident through the hard working Irish Society, a successful GAA club, a soccer team, golf society and a drama group".

Laois_Man

GAA clubs by their nature are very clannish. A friend of mine, English, from Liverpool, moved to Ireland. He attempted to embrace the culture. Loved Gaelic football for a while, joined a local club, had good athletic ability and natural skill. Good commitment too.....trained his arse off. But he could never get in the team. Was always behind the wobbly belly's who barely ever trained but who started every game coz they'd been around so long. So he got disillusioned after a while, joined another GAA club (after a lot of silly bureaucracy) and the exact same thing happened. So he joined a local soccer club instead where straight away he started every game and was one of the best players if not thee best

Interesting difference. Would it have been different if he wasn't English. Dunno, maybe. But it definitely would've been different if he'd been a clan member all his life.

lufties

Nodin wrote: »

...or people playing a sport they like wanting to continue playing a sport they like. It could be that.

There's more to it than that, Gaa players/crowd tend to be dog ignorant with a misplaced arrogance. They see the world through a very small selfish prism.

supersean1999

I played gaa and soccer both until 20, I decided I prefered soccer, I managed for 3 years after I finished playing, out Of the 25 lads in the soccer panel, 10-15 played gaa for 2-3 different gaa clubs, everyone of them would tell me they were either asked to pick one or the other or pressure put on them, also noticed that the gaa trainings would be changed to clash with soccer games, it became normal, I'd safely say at every decent level of gaa intermediate and senior club level, playing soccer is frowned apon and 100% your , let's say encouraged not to play, the level of commitment and pressure gaa managers and clubs put on players drive them away

dirtyden

Cash Tall Loner wrote: »

Another thing I might mention is that your second name matters in some areas, like mine.

Ah I get the bitterness now, you were not picked.

Nodin

AndonHandon wrote: »

You can believe that if you want but that only applies to the minority I'm afraid. How many emigrant stories and lives have been documented abroad and the GAA club is discussed, not just for the pure love of the sport but for the community associated with the GAA club?

Yesterday's IT Generation Emigration piece as a very recent example;
www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/generation-emigration/it-takes-time-to-adjust-to-the-uae-but-the-irish-fit-in-well-1.2109832

"The Irish community in Abu Dhabi and the UAE has grown dramatically in the last five years. That Irish parochial sense of community is evident through the hard working Irish Society, a successful GAA club, a soccer team, golf society and a drama group".

So they're so parochial and non-integrating they play soccer (a sport alien in the world), golf (unknown outside Cavan) and "drama" (no idea what that is, must be a Donegal thing).

lufties wrote:

There's more to it than that, Gaa players/crowd tend to be dog ignorant with a
misplaced arrogance. They see the world through a very small selfish prism.

Typed without a trace of irony there. Well done.

catallus

This morning, outside our Church, there was a collection for the GAA club.

It just made me feel everything is right with tbe world.

RIchieNouveau

I played a tiny bit of football when I was in primary so I'm not familiar with any of this stuff, the racism thing piqued my interest though. My son is mixed race and is starting school soon. Is racism a big problem in the GAA? I wouldn't have minded him playing it. Well, I still wouldn't even if the answer is yes but I'd prefer a heads up if it is a problem.

Mushy

AndonHandon wrote: »

You can believe that if you want but that only applies to the minority I'm afraid. How many emigrant stories and lives have been documented abroad and the GAA club is discussed, not just for the pure love of the sport but for the community associated with the GAA club?

Yesterday's IT Generation Emigration piece as a very recent example;
www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/generation-emigration/it-takes-time-to-adjust-to-the-uae-but-the-irish-fit-in-well-1.2109832

"The Irish community in Abu Dhabi and the UAE has grown dramatically in the last five years. That Irish parochial sense of community is evident through the hard working Irish Society, a successful GAA club, a soccer team, golf society and a drama group".

You say it like it's a bad thing. And then quote an article that gives various examples of the parochialism of Irish people. Yet a few posts up, you said it is embedded into GAA culture:

"and is a product of the embedded parochialism from the GAA culture in Ireland."

Does it(parochialism) have negative connotations? Yeah, it does. Is this restricted to GAA? Not a hope.

diusmr8a504cvk

dirtyden wrote: »

Ah I get the bitterness now, you were not picked.

I started every single game until the day I l left, but decisions in meetings were only done if they didn't affect these families.

AndonHandon

Nodin wrote: »

So they're so parochial and non-integrating they play soccer (a sport alien in the world), golf (unknown outside Cavan) and "drama" (no idea what that is, must be a Donegal thing).

Those sports are played via the GAA club connections i.e. the other Irish emigrants; they did not join up with a local club but set up their own golf, soccer and drama clubs all emanating from that GAA club. Again, I am not saying that they should not play GAA sports or shun the community associated with that GAA club as it helps them to settle in what is an alien society, far from home. But it is parochialism for the most part and not merely a wish to keep playing GAA sports.

This other story was in the IT recently and some things the lady said are just typical;
http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/generation-emigration/emigrant-voices/the-biggest-incentive-to-live-in-abu-dhabi-is-financial-1.2108298

"We have a thriving and active GAA club here called Abu Dhabi Na Fianna, one of the biggest and most successful clubs in the Middle East and Asia . . . You know it’s a small world when club players from home meet on a Gaelic pitch in Abu Dhabi, and those same players have met competitively at home in club and inter county matches, often regaling their peers here with tales of clashes on and off the ball."

It's only a small world when you let it be a small world!

diusmr8a504cvk

RIchieNouveau wrote: »

I played a tiny bit of football when I was in primary so I'm not familiar with any of this stuff, the racism thing piqued my interest though. My son is mixed race and is starting school soon. Is racism a big problem in the GAA? I wouldn't have minded him playing it. Well, I still wouldn't even if the answer is yes but I'd prefer a heads up if it is a problem.

I doubt it'd be a problem but there's an equal chance it could occur in other sport than GAA. There'll always be one Arsehole trying to rise him about it.

whupdedo

Robsweezie wrote: »

a little off topic but has anyone else noticed that GAA, hurling and Irish sports stars in general tend to have the personality of a dead fish?

You've obviously never seen the kearney bros interviewed, ive seen more interesting documentaries about soil quality in outer mongolia (I havent ever seen a documentary about soil quality but I can imagine it would be riveting compared to the 2 auto bots) or paul o connel or cian healy, all boring, all lead very uninteresting lifes if their interview are anything to go by

The days of the hell raising sports star are gone and in their place are brain dead robots who give rehearsed boring answers and seem totally devoid of any personality whatsoever

RIchieNouveau

Cash Tall Loner wrote: »

I doubt it'd be a problem but there's an equal chance it could occur in other sport than GAA. There'll always be one Arsehole trying to rise him about it.

Ah OK. So he might get a couple of comments from other players, I'm sure that comes with all sports and I'm under no illusions that he'll get through life without a bit of that. I was imagining loads of jeering from the sidelines or something.

AndonHandon

Mushy wrote: »

You say it like it's a bad thing. And then quote an article that gives various examples of the parochialism of Irish people. Yet a few posts up, you said it is embedded into GAA culture:

"and is a product of the embedded parochialism from the GAA culture in Ireland."

Does it(parochialism) have negative connotations? Yeah, it does. Is this restricted to GAA? Not a hope.

Of course it is not restricted to GAA. But it is strongly associated with the GAA.

diusmr8a504cvk

RIchieNouveau wrote: »

Ah OK. So he might get a couple of comments from other players, I'm sure that comes with all sports and I'm under no illusions that he'll get through life without a bit of that. I was imagining loads of jeering from the sidelines or something.

There's less of it in the city where there's lot of races. Out in the sticks, it's strange to see different races.

Mushy

RIchieNouveau wrote: »

Ah OK. So he might get a couple of comments from other players, I'm sure that comes with all sports and I'm under no illusions that he'll get through life without a bit of that. I was imagining loads of jeering from the sidelines or something.

There may be jeering from the sidelines, but once again, those people wouldn't be worth paying attention to. Would apply to all sports though. As an aside to this, GAA are looking into the Meath hurling game against Wicklow where fans and players were allegedly abusing a Wicklow player for being a traveller.

AndonHandon wrote: »

Of course it is not restricted to GAA. But it is strongly associated with the GAA.

Yup, and not a bad thing.

Baby Jane

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

Again, thanks for the parenting tips Dr Spock - how many kids have you raised again, you seem to have missed that one last time round.

I am not sure a person would have to be a parent to express disagreement with actively forbidding a child from getting involved with a sport that might be of interest to them?
Even though you seem like you'll do your best to turn your child off gaelic games, so they probably will be sufficiently influenced (I understand your dislike of the organisation) they might develop an interest in the sport due to e.g. their friends playing the sport.
I know there are many things a non parent is not qualified to advise a parent on, but this doesn't apply to absolutely everything though.

Pumpkinseeds

Most Irish kids are inculcated into GAA sports when they're at school and a lot of people seem to enjoy it. That being said, I live in a town with a very popular and very successful club and a lot of them appear to be mouth breathing muck savages. I never had an ounce of interest in GAA pursuits but my brother was very into it. I'll leave them to it, tbh there seems to be a very clichy element to it all.

suicide_circus

I dont get why people think hurling is a great spectator sport. You cant see the ball A LOT of the time.

score_card

Laois_Man wrote: »

GAA clubs by their nature are very clannish. A friend of mine, English, from Liverpool, moved to Ireland. He attempted to embrace the culture. Loved Gaelic football for a while, joined a local club, had good athletic ability and natural skill. Good commitment too.....trained his arse off. But he could never get in the team. Was always behind the wobbly belly's who barely ever trained but who started every game coz they'd been around so long. So he got disillusioned after a while, joined another GAA club (after a lot of silly bureaucracy) and the exact same thing happened. So he joined a local soccer club instead where straight away he started every game and was one of the best players if not thee best

Interesting difference. Would it have been different if he wasn't English. Dunno, maybe. But it definitely would've been different if he'd been a clan member all his life.

if he had been from dublin ( or even donegal ) and the club in question was in kerry or mayo , the same thing would likely have happened

GAA club culture is indeed very clannish , its also full of who your father was when it comes to getting picked , if your father played for the local team , your guarenteed to get picked no matter how crap you are

Nodin

AndonHandon wrote: »

.....................

It's only a small world when you let it be a small world!

...advice you seem to be able to give out but not receive.

4zn76tysfajdxp

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

He'll join Litte Kickers at 18 months, Soccer. And he'll join the kids cricket team down in the Phoenix Park when he's able.

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

Cricket is one of the most inclusive sports around, and as an added bonus, there's an excellent chance that if a youngfella is trained from a young age he'll get to represent his country (or closest equivalent) at the highest level, a World Cup..

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

well, he's ten months old now, hopefully in 20 years or so Ireland will have secured Test status - if not, then yeah, an England & Wales* call up would be the pinnacle of Test Cricket, and I'd be absolutely proud of it.

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

I don't play any sports

You're coming across as a bit of a "stage mom," tbh.

dirtyden

Cash Tall Loner wrote: »

I started every single game until the day I l left, but decisions in meetings were only done if they didn't affect these families.

Yeah, sure you did!

Baby Jane

Eric Wrong Self-interest wrote: »

You're coming across as a bit of a "stage mom," tbh.

How many kids have YOU raised successfully though?

cena

dreamers75 wrote: »

Fairly sure the OP is bang on.

I refuse to let my kids play GAA as they a bunch of wankbags.

What if gaa is the only sport in yout area?

Mal-Adjusted

Cash Tall Loner wrote: »

There's less of it in the city where there's lot of races. Out in the sticks, it's strange to see different races.

lufties wrote: »

There's more to it than that, Gaa players/crowd tend to be dog ignorant with a misplaced arrogance. They see the world through a very small selfish prism.

The above attitude is what stops people like you from being taken seriously. The enormous generalizations only advertise your own bitterness with farcical statements like that. You clearly don't like the GAA, that's fine, you don't have to. But trying to justify your hatred by inventing fictions like this is simply childish.

anncoates wrote: »

People involved with 'soccer' generally have a better sense of self criticism though. Many such people here would be very quick to trenchantly criticize the FAI or junior football structures in Ireland, perhaps too quickly sometimes.

On the other hand, if the aspects of cultural near-fascism, blatant funding disparities and political cronyism, expansionism (see Croke Park residents vs HQ profits) of the GAA is brought up, even reasonable supporters will instantly circle the wagons and start ranting

You clearly haven't ever been on GAA boards. There's multiple discussions on this website and others about funding disparities, vanity projects and many other issues. What GAA fans take issue with is statements like the above, where someone who's clearly talking through their hole is just trying to get their ore in..

FURET

AndonHandon wrote: »

This. How many Irish have emigrated to fantastically far away places like Australia and the Middle East only to set up their own GAA tribe (club), spend all their time hanging out together and marrying each other? It's a real attitude of "once we have each other we don't need anyone else".

Personally, when out of curiosity I looked up the Irish society where I currently live, I felt a bit disappointed that the ethos of it seemed to revolve around the pub, GAA, and Rose of Tralee.

I've decided not to attend any of its events - which is absolutely no loss for the group's members, I'm sure!

I think Irish people in general tend to cluster into groups when abroad and the activities of these groups tend to be very predictable. The same is true for some other nationalities (Filipinos always seek each other out). But Germans and many other northern Europeans seem to eschew each other when abroad. These are purely anecdotal observations, mind you.

What can I say - one of the main reasons I left Ireland was because social life there didn't appeal to me at all; it revolves hugely around alcohol and sport. If you're not into these activities, you are in a minority.

I suspect the Irish abroad fall into two groups:

• The first and probably largest group is the one that hangs out together and basically tries to replicate life in Ireland through sport and the pub.
• The second group are more introverted, not very enamored with Ireland, and many may have left Ireland precisely because they wanted to escape from the social life dominance of sport and the pub (and probably the weather). When these individuals go abroad, I guess they tend to avoid other Irish people and gravitate towards other cultures.

Personally I have avoided Irish people where I live. On the few occasions when I have bumped into Irish people, they inevitably try to strike up some banter about the local Irish pub or make some GAA-related remark about the county I'm from. I just get nothing from that at all; it's not how I'd choose to start a conversation, I don't go to the pub and I couldn't care less about the county I happened to be born in, and I know absolutely nothing about its GAA teams. However, I completely understand why many people would try to start a conversation that way. But for me it's very off-putting...it's not as if people ask me "are you interested in hurling?" Usually, they just assume that I am interested and make some quip that goes over my head. It's the way I'm wired.

I suppose more generally I don't like large group activities, teams, and the notion of supporters and fans. I look at large groups of supporters, all bellowing their slogans and wearing their colors, and I see nothing more than a mob. I realize that my perspective is unusual, and I'm fine with that and don't try to get into debates with people about it. I do not wish that deep down I could be like them. I just don't understand the mentality and find it annoying. But the thing about the GAA is that every two-bit dreary old village in Ireland (like the one that I'm from) has its very own mob. And then there are the 32 mobs, one for each county. And this clannishness seeps into politics and gets in the way of sensible planning. That's my considered viewpoint and I'm sticking to it.

AndonHandon

Nodin wrote: »

...advice you seem to be able to give out but not receive.

My statements are backed with well constructed answers and evidence, only met, certainly by yourself, with side-stepping, rather pointless one-liners attempting to obfuscate my points.

anncoates

Mal-Adjusted wrote: »

There's multiple discussions on this website and others about funding disparities, vanity projects and many other issues. What GAA fans take issue with is statements like the above, where someone who's clearly talking through their hole is just trying to get their ore in..

So you personally agree that there are significant funding disparities, that the GAA are sh1tting on the Croke Park residents every chance they get on order to maximize income and that they blatantly decided to finish Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght - because they're a different code?

You're right that I don't read the GAA forums much in here. If supporters genuinely are going against the grain re: above, then I'm sorry and kudos but my experience has been that members will back HQ when the chips are down.

That's not a slight on normal supporters and volunteers, of which as I said, number my family and friends and it's not about the games themselves.

Similarly, I detest the FAI and feel it needs serous reform but they're more of a model of corrupt incompetence and cronyism but they don't have that cultural /establishment position in Ireland.

Kermit.de.frog

I don't understand what this thread is about really.

I play both hurling and soccer and I can safely say that I don't recognise what the OP is on about in relation to the GAA. I have seen dopier gob****es at soccer matches to be perfectly honest.

The thread title is also a little incendiary.

Aongus Von Bismarck

I was always very fit and athletic growing up. I played a number of sports and excelled in most codes. My parish in Galway has a strong hurling tradition so naturally that was where I cut my cloth initially. Later in life I gravitated more to smaller team sports like rowing and athletics.

I have to say my experience has always been wholly positive. It was one of community and parish pride. An excellent outlet where I learned valuable life and teamwork skills. I have great respect for the men and women who give up their free time voluntarily throughout the year to pass on life skills and bring enjoyment to children and teenagers across the country.

Mal-Adjusted

anncoates wrote: »

So you personally agree that there are significant funding disparities,

Of course, both within the GAA and between GAA and other sports.

anncoates wrote: »

that the GAA are sh1tting on the Croke Park residents every chance they get on order to maximize income

I wouldn't use such sensationalism language, and i recognise that the conflict between Croke Park and the residents is a two way street but they have certainly made no friends there.

anncoates wrote: »

and that they blatantly decided at a national level - to finish Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght - because they're a different code?

from the little i know of that event, a club objected to the development of the stadium due to bull$h!t. It was a disgraceful tactic and didn't work. They may have had the blessing of Dublin Co board or even Croke Park, but using the term "national level" suggests that the entire organisation was on board with, or even following, the story.

anncoates wrote: »

You're right that I don't read the GAA forums much in here. If supporters genuinely are going against the grain re: above, then I'm sorry and kudos but my experience has been that members will back HQ when the chips are down.

What do you mean by "going against the grain"? The GAA is not some well oiled machine, opperating as a single unit. In reality, each county board (and each club) is alike to an indipendant body, each with their own goals and development plans.

anncoates wrote: »

Similarly, I detest the FAI and feel it needs serous reform but they're more of a model of corrupt incompetence and cronyism but they don't have that cultural /establishment position in Ireland.

As a Shelbourne fan, I could rant for ages on the failings of the FAI. There is a world of difference between them and the GAA central council.

Nodin

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

I don't understand what this thread is about really.

I play both hurling and soccer and I can safely say that I don't recognise what the OP is on about in relation to the GAA. I have seen dopier gob****es at soccer matches to be perfectly honest.

The thread title is also a little incendiary.

Somewhat surprised a lock wasn't put on it tbh.

goose2005

sabat wrote: »

Garrison Games is the expression I've heard many times.

Of course you should never mention to GAA heads that their football is an entirely artificial construct, manufactured purely to be something that wasn't English. The effects of this back-of-an-envelope rulebook can still be seen today as it's almost impossible to dispossess an opposition player without fouling them.

That's no big deal. Most football codes were only thrown together. The rugby league/union split came about because some people wanted to stop shin-kicking. Association football in 1885 was pretty different to modern soccer.

Interesting to note that fascist Italy tried to invent its own football (volata) rather than play English soccer or rugby.

anncoates

Mal-Adjusted wrote: »

.from the little i know of that event, a club objected to the development of the stadium due to bull$h!t. It was a disgraceful tactic and didn't work. They may have had the blessing of Dublin Co board or even Croke Park, but using the term "national level" suggests that the entire organisation was on board with, or even following, the story.
.

They set out to scupper the stadium, end of, and by extension, 'association football' in the area as leaked emails showed. The county board backed them. You can say it's not acknowledged at National level but the board and club are part of that. If the FAI backed or tolerated a similar stunt against a GAA club, I'd be disgusted and appalled.

I take your points which are reasonable and welcome but there's still a fealty to the organization that you don't get as much in football. I support a club and then, just the sport generally for kids and whatever but if anybody asks me about the FAI as an organisation, I don't support them currently as an organization and will say so. Whereas most GAA supporters will say, well such and such is deplorable but sure look at the volunteer work, craic etc. There seems to be this blind loyalty at organizational level which is akin to an military esprit de corps.

Just on a smaller note. The eulogies about volunteer work are great and fair play (my own family do it) but every sport in the country has plenty of volunteers. Looking at some of those ludicrously mawkish ads for the likes of AIB, you'd swear the GAA invented amateur sports and volunteerism.

coopdog85

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

well, he's ten months old now, hopefully in 20 years or so Ireland will have secured Test status - if not, then yeah, an England & Wales* call up would be the pinnacle of Test Cricket, and I'd be absolutely proud of it.

*it's actually England & Wales, not just England.

No offence, but I hope your son turns out to be gay. He can run off & become a dancer. Daddy won't you be so proud of him?

Nodin

coopdog85 wrote: »

No offence, but I hope your son turns out to be gay. He can run off & become a dancer. Daddy won't you be so proud of him?

Yep, the gayness test will bar him from cricket forever.....

Fr D Maugire

I grew up in the sticks playing GAA football but also athletics/soccer/cycling and never had any issues other than having the time to fit them all in.

My opinion on many things that people have against the GAA is that if it didn't exist, the same issues, parochialism, small-mindedness etc would still be the same in whatever sport would be No 1. Having issues with managers/coaches happens in all sports and is not exclusive to GAA.

I mentioned that I was involved in a number of sports and the one thing all clubs had in common is that they all had their assholes, the GAA just has more as it is the biggest sport in most parts, Law of averages etc.

I have been involved in cycling again in recent years and there are plenty of assholes to go around as it has grown bigger. Indeed there were a number of incidents in our general area last year that were just shocking. Now new clubs are forming out of old clubs because of fights/disagreements. Crazy stuff.

I stopped being involved with our local GAA club because of a few disrespectful comments directed at me by a few assholes. Was it because they were GAA people? No, it was because they were assholes. Period. I still attend games etc and would have no problem getting involved again in the future if I had the time.

I think in rural area especially, the GAA can be a real lifeline for people. I have seen people who as kids barely played or were interested in GAA become followers of the County team and get involved in the local club with their children etc.

At the end of the day, people are people.

Duckworth_Luas

goose2005 wrote: »

That's no big deal. Most football codes were only thrown together. The rugby league/union split came about because some people wanted to stop shin-kicking. Association football in 1885 was pretty different to modern soccer.

Interesting to note that fascist Italy tried to invent its own football (volata) rather than play English soccer or rugby.

The Rugby League/ Rugby Union split came about over payments to players over missed working hours.

The original Association Football/Rugby Football split occurred over rules such as the banning of shin-kicking.

Funnily enough the original Association rules were drawn up in a pub, there was only about 12 of them and the original game bore more similarity to modern Gaelic football than to any of the other modern codes. The one game it certainly doesn't resemble is modern soccer.

Mal-Adjusted

anncoates wrote: »

They set out to scupper the stadium, end of, and by extension, 'association football' in the area as leaked emails showed. The county board backed them. You can say it's not acknowledged at National level but the board and club are part of that. If the FAI backed or tolerated a similar stunt against a GAA club, I'd be disgusted and appalled.

Like i said, i agree with that. i'm just not so blinded that i'd blame the entire organisation based on what a club/Dublin co board tried to do.

anncoates wrote: »

I take your points which are reasonable and welcome but there's still a fealty to the organization that you don't get as much in football. I support a club and then, just the sport generally for kids and whatever but if anybody asks me about the FAI as an organisation, I don't support them currently as an organization and will say so. Whereas most GAA supporters will say, well such and such is deplorable but sure look at the volunteer work, craic etc. There seems to be this blind loyalty at organizational level which is akin to an military esprit de corps.

That seems more a fault of the FAI than the GAA. One body does what it can (for the most part) for member clubs and counties. The other grudgingly acknowledges it's clubs and won't lift a finger when they're screaming out for help (Monaghan United). There is certainly no blind loyalty though, just look at the criticism Kerry GAA got when they tried to buy up all the community pitches that time, or the recent Hurling 2020 proposals.

anncoates wrote: »

Just on a smaller note. The eulogies about volunteer work are great and fair play (my own family do it) but every sport in the country has plenty of volunteers. Looking at some of those ludicrously mawkish ads for the likes of AIB, you'd swear the GAA invented amateur sports and volunteerism.

It's no worse that the "This is rugby country" ads that were around a few years ago, or the soccer thing with the "best fans in the world" about people who for the most part wouldn't be arsed going to a match five minutes down the road. Every organisation is going to put as positive light on itself as it can. If you have a problem with the way volunteerism is presented, go to AIB, they made the ads.

Shurimgreat

Yep GAA is completely unsophisticated compared to great sports like Rugby for example where you have 10 or 12 forwards who spend most of the game bashing heads against each other or rolling around in the muck or kicking the ball over the sideline is thought of as a great skill.

Zack Morris

The points system makes GAA far too predictable. All the dominant team has to do is control the midfield and win the game by kicking points. The sport is just a poor concept, it's no wonder why is only popular in regions of Ireland where the Catholic Church is strong and the people are, in general, stupid.