Sports Capital Grant

DoctaDee

Bonniedog wrote: »

...

The system is weighted not in favour of Dublin but in favour of big clubs everywhere.

And that doesn't necessarily ring true either Bonnie, the likes of Crokes, Cuala, Na Fianna & Lucan weren't successful with their applications.

There seems to be a misconception in some discussions that the clubs are handed this grant money straight off, whereas the reality is that they must satisfy the conditions of the grant, in particular their own capital for the development project.

Say for example they received a grant of 150K for a 4G pitch. A regular pitch of 140x90 metres @ €40 a sq metre takes the cost to approx half a million, so the club would need to demonstrate that they have secured 350K of their own funding before they could drawdown the grant money - that in anyone language is a lot of lotto tickets that need selling

Furthermore I think the grant offer stays in place for 2 years, it's a case of use it or lose it in that time - so while the grant is a huge boost, it's not without its worries in the short/medium term

pakie ed

My GAA club put a plan and applied for a sport capital grant last February. We got news last Month that we were granted funding. We only got 15% of the total cost what a joke. Our plan was to fund up to 36% with rest made up of grants. We can't make up the difference so our plan has to be shelved. We are a small rural club, this was a slap in the face to our efforts to grow our teams in the future.

Dots1982

pakie ed wrote: »

My GAA club put a plan and applied for a sport capital grant last February. We got news last Month that we were granted funding. We only got 15% of the total cost what a joke. Our plan was to fund up to 36% with rest made up of grants. We can't make up the difference so our plan has to be shelved. We are a small rural club, this was a slap in the face to our efforts to grow our teams in the future.

Hope you’re letting your TD know he won’t be getting much from club members in the next GE

LooseCannonUF

pakie ed wrote: »

My GAA club put a plan and applied for a sport capital grant last February. We got news last Month that we were granted funding. We only got 15% of the total cost what a joke. Our plan was to fund up to 36% with rest made up of grants. We can't make up the difference so our plan has to be shelved. We are a small rural club, this was a slap in the face to our efforts to grow our teams in the future.

How much were ye looking for?
What facilities were ye looking to build/expand?
How much had ye fundraised?

I think a lot depends on things like the above.

Bonniedog

In my experience the key is whether a club owns property. If not you are peeing against the wind and like my old club will only get pittances for nets and line markers and defibrillators.

nice_guy80

Dots1982 wrote: »

Hope you’re letting your TD know he won’t be getting much from club members in the next GE

there should be no political input to the process

Bonniedog

nice_guy80 wrote: »

there should be no political input to the process

You are right, but there is. The biggest part of a TD's work is lobbying for stuff for individuals or groups. That covers everything from social welfare to SUSI grants to big money like sports capital.

MayoAreMagic

Dots1982 wrote: »

Same old debates.

If you don’t approve of the funding strategy the GAA have followed then stop going to intercounty games.

Dublin could win the Next 10 allirelands and the GAA won’t lift a finger until they see attendances are hit.

Thems the facts. If you keep going and paying the GAA for pursuing a unequal funding strategy then you’re a sucker.

Well, not really the truth is it? They could put a motion to congress and vote. 31 counties worth of votes. And it would be all your own doing.

If Dublin fans were any ways clued in, they would see that the power in the gaa isn't in Dublin, but rather in the group. If you keep isolating yourself and refusing to give an inch to anyone else, you will pretty soon find yourself on the wrong side of a huge majority.

In truth, the Dubs would be much better served giving an inch here and there on things that aren't going to make that much of a difference in the grand scheme of things...

The latest whining about Michael O'Donoghue (who took a team of alsorans and won literally everything), getting an award over Jim Gavin (who with a team who had won 4 AI in 5 years, won an all Ireland) for achievements in the last 12 months, would be the latest example of why the Dubs could very well end up sickening everyone into taking away their funding.

Jaden

I think it's time for the DGAA to be founded. Entirely self-financed, nothing from the GAA - a completely separate set of books.

The biggest stumbling block I can see would be provisions for a Home Ground. Until a suitable venue exists, the DGAA can rent Croke park for games where that level of capacity is needed. DGAA pay for the use of the ground, and keep the gate receipts.

Where the GAA mandate that a game must be played in Croke park, then the gate receipts are divided up.

It's a bit of a brain-fart of an idea, I'm just not seeing the downside to this (yet). Just another thing to mull over during the Winter months.

MayoAreMagic

Jaden wrote: »

I think it's time for the DGAA to be founded. Entirely self-financed, nothing from the GAA - a completely separate set of books.

The biggest stumbling block I can see would be provisions for a Home Ground. Until a suitable venue exists, the DGAA can rent Croke park for games where that level of capacity is needed. DGAA pay for the use of the ground, and keep the gate receipts.

Where the GAA mandate that a game must be played in Croke park, then the gate receipts are divided up.

It's a bit of a brain-fart of an idea, I'm just not seeing the downside to this (yet). Just another thing to mull over during the Winter months.

Fair enough.

First order of business, pay back every penny of gaa money...

We will get back to you on our decision on your application to rent croke parke when we have a chance... Until then, well you will figure something out I'm sure.

Also, what competition will DGAA teams be competing in? The AI is a GAA competition after all...

Jaden

If Dublin are draining GAA resources, then it makes sense to stop this ASAP. This isn't Brexit, it's about ensuring fairness and the long term survival of Gaelic Games in Ireland. If the issue is that there is a perceived unfairness with money the DCB are allocated, then surely the solution is to remove all allocations completely. The GAA would not have to hand over another penny to fund any part of GAA in Dublin. Maybe people think there is no merit to this, and that it's a worse idea then the current model. Fair enough.

On the subject of renting Croke park, this agreement is already in place, it would simply need to be formalised between two affiliated organisations. The DCB currently pay for the use of Croke park, in situations where it is needed as an alternative to The Nell. It could become a very useful revenue stream for the GAA. Literally money for nothing, with no strings.

A core requirement in founding the DGAA would be that an agreement is in place that they may enter all GAA competitions. AI entry is arbitrary, both British and American teams enter it, so precedent exists. The DGAA is not a competing organisation to the GAA, it would exist as a complimentary organisation.

I dunno, maybe DGAA is the wrong term, maybe the DPC (Dublin Provincial Council) is a first stepping stone. However, this does not solve the percieved issue of funding mismatch, only a total separation of finances can achieve that, I think.

I'm just whiling away the winter months here. We gotta discuss something before our brains seize.

Bonniedog

If Dublin is so a drain on GAA funding, which it is not actually proportionately, then why up until two years ago were the Leinster Council so insistent on Dublin footballers playing all Leinster games in CP?

Answers on a postcard....

MayoAreMagic

Bonniedog wrote: »

If Dublin is so a drain on GAA funding, which it is not actually proportionately, then why up until two years ago were the Leinster Council so insistent on Dublin footballers playing all Leinster games in CP?

Answers on a postcard....

I don't see how these are linked. They are putting them on in CP to bring in as much money as possible from their large fanbase. They do similar things with ourselves and others also.

However, some seem to be under the impression that Dublin bring in more than everyone else, combined. Dublin have 1/6th of the population of the island. A relatively larger number don't partake in gaa than in other counties. A small bit of maths will show you that Dublin, while being the biggest single draw, are nowhere near bringing in more than everyone else.