Championship and Covid

kksaints

dobman88 wrote: »

Senior club championships. That means adult, not just senior grade. Its worded terribly.

If it was referring to only elite sport, LOI wouldn't go ahead as it's a part time league.

The LOI is the elite level of soccer in Ireland so it would still go ahead.

Interestingly when Dublin and Donegal went into level 3 lockdown, the FAI halted the amateur leagues in each county. Some of the annoyance may have sprung from the GAA keeping all adult level activities going including Junior B and below rather than just the top level county championships. The wording used in the guideline was ambiguous tbh so I can see why the FAI did what they did and why the GAA did what they did.

dobman88

kksaints wrote: »

The LOI is the elite level of soccer in Ireland so it would still go ahead.

Interestingly when Dublin and Donegal went into level 3 lockdown, the FAI halted the amateur leagues in each county. Some of the annoyance may have sprung from the GAA keeping all adult level activities going including Junior B and below rather than just the top level county championships. The wording used in the guideline was ambiguous tbh so I can see why the FAI did what they did and why the GAA did what they did.

Agree on the ambiguity of it. It was discussed here at the time I think and the general consensus was it was worded terribly. Like everything with this pandemic, it's a learning curve. At least they came out and put a halt to all club activity eventually so we all know where we stand. Disappointing timing from a personal point of view because we got into a county final for the first time in 4 years on the Friday night and gaa put a stop to all games on the Monday. But sure what can ya do, theres a bigger picture here.

Speakerboxx

PTH2009 wrote: »

Im as pissed off as anyone about this and always wanted it to happen. There were far more negative posters on here

GAA games cant happen when there are too many positive cases in the country. Too risky.

RoversCeltic

kksaints wrote: »

The LOI is the elite level of soccer in Ireland so it would still go ahead.

Interestingly when Dublin and Donegal went into level 3 lockdown, the FAI halted the amateur leagues in each county. Some of the annoyance may have sprung from the GAA keeping all adult level activities going including Junior B and below rather than just the top level county championships. The wording used in the guideline was ambiguous tbh so I can see why the FAI did what they did and why the GAA did what they did.

Surely, if they meant adult could play sports, they would have said adult, the GAA willfully misinterpreted and we as a society are paying for it now

for a minority sport there is some amount of arrogance

Hammer Archer

RoversCeltic wrote: »

Surely, if they meant adult could play sports, they would have said adult, the GAA willfully misinterpreted and we as a society are paying for it now

for a minority sport there is some amount of arrogance

A huge amount of your posts on this site are anti-GAA, so you're getting close to these being considered as trolling.
Don't respond on thread.

UsBus

Listening to Leitrim county gaa board chairman. He's not happy sending a team up north for a nothing match and he's right.
They have to travel to Down this weekend.
Waterford have to travel to Antrim
Longford going to Armagh

Absolutely bonkers and completely irresponsible from the GAA. How can the rest of the country take restrictions seriously when this mass movement is being imposed. All Gaa action should be stopped until after Xmas, it's as far from essential as you can get. Must be a financial aspect to it. The heart of the community me b*********

bocaman

Very disappointing that the club championships are suspended. In my opinion the League should really have been shelved for this season and all results rendered null and void. No one wants to play it.

TCDStudent1

UsBus wrote: »

Listening to Leitrim county gaa board chairman. He's not happy sending a team up north for a nothing match and he's right.
They have to travel to Down this weekend.
Waterford have to travel to Antrim
Longford going to Armagh

Absolutely bonkers and completely irresponsible from the GAA. How can the rest of the country take restrictions seriously when this mass movement is being imposed. All Gaa action should be stopped until after Xmas, it's as far from essential as you can get. Must be a financial aspect to it. The heart of the community me b*********

The GAA will probably lose money on running these competitions.

Happyilylost

RoversCeltic wrote:

Surely, if they meant adult could play sports, they would have said adult, the GAA willfully misinterpreted and we as a society are paying for it now

If they GAA misinterpreted anything in the times we live in they would of been called out on it. This is not the case.

Also just to be clear. The GAA made no submission to be allowed continue playing inter county championship at level 5. They have no control or power in this matter. This decision was made by the government and NPHET. I've a feeling like schools the government want this to happen as a distraction to the general population and maybe focus on something other than Covid for a few hours over a weekend.

joebloggs32

Its time for the GAA to cop on and shut it all down for the time being.

Anyone listening to Tony Holohan last nigh wuth an ounce of sense would know that in terms of the virus we are in a very bad place.

Its completely irresponsible in particular to have co minor teams meeting. Players coming together from various schools to train is the best way to spread the virus back through school communities, and then the wider community.

GS11

Aren't the GAA bringing in a testing regime for intercounty?

If they do there should be no reason for the games to not go ahead anymore than soccer.

rolling boh

Much as I love the matches I am leaning towards the argument of calling a halt this year I know we will still have covid at the very least in some form next year but a break may be best for now .It seems certain their will be major disruption with the fixtures if they go ahead and the variety of social distancing issues that will undoubtedly arise around the games it spells trouble to me .

dobman88

GS11 wrote: »

Aren't the GAA bringing in a testing regime for intercounty?

If they do there should be no reason for the games to not go ahead anymore than soccer.

Matches are starting this weekend so if they were to bring in testing on a level with professional sports they would want to be implementing it fairly fast.

manofwisdom

bocaman wrote: »

In my opinion the League should really have been shelved for this season and all results rendered null and void. No one wants to play it.

The NFL is more important to a number of counties than an upcoming knock out championship. Would be daft to null and void it with just 2 games to play.

Sultan of Bling

manofwisdom wrote:

The NFL is more important to a number of counties than an upcoming knock out championship. Would be daft to null and void it with just 2 games to play.

Better to finish an already started comp than worrying about a comp that hasn't started yet imo.

manofwisdom

Sultan of Bling wrote: »

Better to finish an already started comp than worrying about a comp that hasn't started yet imo.

Totally agree.

rolling boh

If the league can finish with no problems then things may well continue as planned the two matches could give a good idea how the championship will fare out .

billyhead

rolling boh wrote: »

If the league can finish with no problems then things may well continue as planned the two matches could give a good idea how the championship will fare out .

You would wonder than if the Hurling will finish i.e Limerick v Clare decider which doubles as the QF in the Munster championship.

Loafing Oaf

rolling boh wrote: »

If the league can finish with no problems then things may well continue as planned the two matches could give a good idea how the championship will fare out .

It's actually worked out well that the championship isn't due to start till Halloween. We should know by that stage if the country is likely to be moving to Level 4/5 (if it hasn't already), so the GAA will know the lie of the land before it takes the final decision on going ahead with the championship or not.

rolling boh

Anything could still happen the situation is so unpredictable events out of Gaa hands will most likely occur so its impossible in my view to predict with any confidence what will happen tough on the players who are gearing up for the games .

PTH2009

rolling boh wrote: »

Anything could still happen the situation is so unpredictable events out of Gaa hands will most likely occur so its impossible in my view to predict with any confidence what will happen tough on the players who are gearing up for the games .

All teams are training away as normal anyway, deff more travel involved in the next 2 weeks in the football more than the hurling

Munster And Leinster hurling QFs due to be played the weekend of 24th/25th Oct along with a few lower tier championship games. Massive weekend in the Hurling championship the 31st Oct/1st Nov with all 4 Provincial semi finals to be played

All we can do is look forward and wait in hope

thelad95

This championship if it goes ahead will turn into an absolute farce with teams missing players due to COVID in every single game. I can also guarantee there will be a team (as has happened at club level) that will keep a confirmed case or a potential close contact on the down low so they can play.

Finishing the league is utter madness and it's meaningless to the majority of teams. The ramifications regarding going to Division 3 are now gone as this year's championship is a straight knockout.

NOT A SINGLE TEAR would have been shed by anyone had the league been declared null and void and start with the same divisions again next season. Some of the journeys that will have to be undertaken to finish the the league are outrageous. What are the logistics involved? Will players be allowed take a bus or all have to drive themselves? Driving will inevitably lead to car pooling.

The classification of GAA as an elite sport was insanity given these players all live and work in the community. Professional players can restrict what they do outside training as they have no other commitments and are getting paid to do so. GAA players simply won't do this nor should they be expected to.

The GAAs reaction to this in March was fantastic but the return to play has been utterly amateurish and the sense of entitlement from fans and the organisation alike has undone all the good will from March.

almostover

thelad95 wrote: »

This championship if it goes ahead will turn into an absolute farce with teams missing players due to COVID in every single game. I can also guarantee there will be a team (as has happened at club level) that will keep a confirmed case or a potential close contact on the down low so they can play.

Finishing the league is utter madness and it's meaningless to the majority of teams. The ramifications regarding going to Division 3 are now gone as this year's championship is a straight knockout.

NOT A SINGLE TEAR would have been shed by anyone had the league been declared null and void and start with the same divisions again next season. Some of the journeys that will have to be undertaken to finish the the league are outrageous. What are the logistics involved? Will players be allowed take a bus or all have to drive themselves? Driving will inevitably lead to car pooling.

The classification of GAA as an elite sport was insanity given these players all live and work in the community. Professional players can restrict what they do outside training as they have no other commitments and are getting paid to do so. GAA players simply won't do this nor should they be expected to.

The GAAs reaction to this in March was fantastic but the return to play has been utterly amateurish and the sense of entitlement from fans and the organisation alike has undone all the good will from March.

Common sense like that wont go down well here! Agree 100% with you. GAA is not, and should never have been classed as an elite sport. The fact the players must return to their workplaces after training and matches is putting them in a very compromised position. Running off the inter county championship is of no value to the country in the grand scheme of things. The club championships were important for community spirit.

Also, why are the likes of Jim McGuinness given an exemption for cross county travel? He could hardly be classed as travelling for work.....

The Lost Sheep

almostover wrote: »

Common sense like that wont go down well here! Agree 100% with you. GAA is not, and should never have been classed as an elite sport. The fact the players must return to their workplaces after training and matches is putting them in a very compromised position. Running off the inter county championship is of no value to the country in the grand scheme of things. The club championships were important for community spirit.

Also, why are the likes of Jim McGuinness given an exemption for cross county travel? He could hardly be classed as travelling for work.....

Inter county level hurling and gaelic football are elite level sport though. No way are they not.

thelad95

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Inter county level hurling and gaelic football are elite level sport though. No way are they not.

The GAA is an amateur organisation that operates as a non profit over seeing the organisation of amateur competitions played by people in their spare time before they go back to their day jobs in construction sites, in schools, in hospitals and many more places.

Just because teams have more gym sessions and keep a better eye on their diet than teams of 20 years ago does not make them elite athletes and the way the GAA has brought back activity certainly has not shown it to be an "elite sport" organisation.

The IRFU and the FAI took their medicine when it came to playing behind closed doors (as nearly every sporting organisation worldwide has had to do) yet the GAA insisted on having fans and made an absolute pigs ear of it.

There is no regard being shown to player welfare whatsoever. Already, Fermanagh are very close to not having a team to field yet I can guarantee the GAA will insist on the fixture being fulfilled. But you know it's only Fermanagh.

The Lost Sheep

thelad95 wrote: »

The GAA is an amateur organisation that operates as a non profit over seeing the organisation of amateur competitions played by people in their spare time before they go back to their day jobs in construction sites, in schools, in hospitals and many more places.

Just because teams have more gym sessions and keep a better eye on their diet than teams of 20 years ago does not make them elite athletes and the way the GAA has brought back activity certainly has not shown it to be an "elite sport" organisation.

The IRFU and the FAI took their medicine when it came to playing behind closed doors (as nearly every sporting organisation worldwide has had to do) yet the GAA insisted on having fans and made an absolute pigs ear of it.

There is no regard being shown to player welfare whatsoever. Already, Fermanagh are very close to not having a team to field yet I can guarantee the GAA will insist on the fixture being fulfilled. But you know it's only Fermanagh.

Its still elite level because its the elite level within the sport. The players training schedule etc is semi professional. That the GAA is amateur and players have day jobs doesnt make the top level not be an elite level of sport.

almostover

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Inter county level hurling and gaelic football are elite level sport though. No way are they not.

Inter county GAA is amateur sport masquerading as elite level sport. Ask any GAA player who has been involved in an inter county setup and has played pro sport also, aussie rules, rugby, soccer etc. There is no comparison. Inter county GAA for sure is a high level sport, as high a level as amateur sport can get. It could be compared to high level amatuer golf for example in terms of the work put in and commitment involved.

But when the players must work a job for a living, playing matches in front of an empty stadium to honor TV contracts seems a little grotesque. Granted GAA has a special place in Irish sport but those who play it are the same as you and I only infinitely more physically talented no doubt! It's a hiding to nothing having inter county matches, I'd be very surprised if the championship actually finishes and it will be mired in controversy from the get go.

The Lost Sheep

almostover wrote: »

Inter county GAA is amateur sport masquerading as elite level sport. Ask any GAA player who has been involved in an inter county setup and has played pro sport also, aussie rules, rugby, soccer etc. There is no comparison. Inter county GAA for sure is a high level sport, as high a level as amateur sport can get. It could be compared to high level amatuer golf for example in terms of the work put in and commitment involved.

But when the players must work a job for a living, playing matches in front of an empty stadium to honor TV contracts seems a little grotesque. Granted GAA has a special place in Irish sport but those who play it are the same as you and I only infinitely more physically talented no doubt! It's a hiding to nothing having inter county matches, I'd be very surprised if the championship actually finishes and it will be mired in controversy from the get go.

That it is amateur doesnt mean it is not an elite sport.

almostover

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

That it is amateur doesnt mean it is not an elite sport.

You're missing the point. It's one thing to send pro rugby players out to play during a pandemic as they're paid to do so and can do flip all else all week and limit their contacts very easily. GAA players must work for a living and therefore do not enjoy this same luxury.

blowitupref

thelad95 wrote: »

Finishing the league is utter madness and it's meaningless to the majority of teams. The ramifications regarding going to Division 3 are now gone as this year's championship is a straight knockout.

NOT A SINGLE TEAR would have been shed by anyone had the league been declared null and void and start with the same divisions again next season.

The league is more important to many of the lower division teams than the November knock out championship.

Those ramifications are not gone. Relegation in Div 2 and promotion from Div 3 in the last two games will be used for who is in next years tier 2 championship. It would be more "mad" not finish that competition than start another one and be left with the possibility of two unfinished competitions, plus teams need a few decent competitive games in preparation before a championship that could be just 1 game for a number of teams.

Dickie10

How on earth has Jim McGunniess not been called out for travelling to a training session in Galway? thats non essential travel there

Happyilylost

Dickie10 wrote:

How on earth has Jim McGunniess not been called out for travelling to a training session in Galway? thats non essential travel there

Same as Davy to Wexford?

Dickie10

surely should be called out as non essential

Happyilylost

Dickie10 wrote:

surely should be called out as non essential

I agree. Problem is there is no clear cut lines to any of it.

arctictree

Happyilylost wrote: »

Same as Davy to Wexford?

Sure it's his job and can't be done from home!

almostover

arctictree wrote: »

Sure it's his job and can't be done from home!

Didn't think GAA mangers were paid....amateur organisation and all that......

feargale

This is how Hockey Ireland does it:

In a growing dispute that does not look like ending soon, Hockey Ireland (HI) on Tuesday issued provisional sanctions against the senior women’s teams at the three Cork clubs for not fulfilling fixtures.

Players, citing health fears, did not travel for the opening round of the EY National Hockey League because of Covid-19 concerns. The sanction of a 5-0 defeat and the forfeiting of home advantage for the return fixture against each non-travelling club will apply if there is a subsequent breach of rules. It comes as a second member of the Cork C of I women’s squad has tested positive for the Covid-19 virus. The player felt unwell on Saturday and was tested at the weekend.

Now there are priorities for you. Out of the trenches, girls and over the top!

arctictree

arctictree wrote: »

Sure it's his job and can't be done from home!

Is it essential work, anyway players that are based outside there county i presume are doing the same.

frank8211

MrMusician18 wrote: »

Want there an outbreak in forkhill gaa which saw almost the entire junior panel infected (some 30 cases) after they won the junior title.

Over 100 positive in forkhill a few days ago.

gaa cuse of louthe woes. Rest of us stay in, cant go anywhere as long as they can pLAy their football

Pogue eile

feargale wrote: »

This is how the Hockey Ireland does it:

In a growing dispute that does not look like ending soon, Hockey Ireland (HI) on Tuesday issued provisional sanctions against the senior women’s teams at the three Cork clubs for not fulfilling fixtures.

Players, citing health fears, did not travel for the opening round of the EY National Hockey League because of Covid-19 concerns. The sanction of a 5-0 defeat and the forfeiting of home advantage for the return fixture against each non-travelling club will apply if there is a subsequent breach of rules. It comes as a second member of the Cork C of I women’s squad has tested positive for the Covid-19 virus. The player felt unwell on Saturday and was tested at the weekend.

Now there are priorities for you. Out of the trenches, girls and over the top!

Could you only imagine the shi*storm that would ensue if the GAA pulled a stroke like this!

Pogue eile

frank8211 wrote: »

gaa cuse of louthe woes. Rest of us stay in, cant go anywhere as long as they can pLAy their football

You seem to be getting to the pub or the Off Licence ok at the same time

seligehgit

feargale wrote: »

This is how the Hockey Ireland does it:

In a growing dispute that does not look like ending soon, Hockey Ireland (HI) on Tuesday issued provisional sanctions against the senior women’s teams at the three Cork clubs for not fulfilling fixtures.

Players, citing health fears, did not travel for the opening round of the EY National Hockey League because of Covid-19 concerns. The sanction of a 5-0 defeat and the forfeiting of home advantage for the return fixture against each non-travelling club will apply if there is a subsequent breach of rules. It comes as a second member of the Cork C of I women’s squad has tested positive for the Covid-19 virus. The player felt unwell on Saturday and was tested at the weekend.

Now there are priorities for you. Out of the trenches, girls and over the top![/QUOTE]

That is ridiculously hardline.

Indeed can't see that ending well.

arctictree

Fred Daly wrote: »

Is it essential work, anyway players that are based outside there county i presume are doing the same.

Essential work is a level 4 and 5 restriction. For level 3:

Work from home unless absolutely necessary to attend in person.

elefant

almostover wrote: »

You're missing the point. It's one thing to send pro rugby players out to play during a pandemic as they're paid to do so and can do flip all else all week and limit their contacts very easily. GAA players must work for a living and therefore do not enjoy this same luxury.

It's still elite level sport.

While it's fair enough to make an argument that the inter county championships shouldn't proceed because it isn't possible to preserve a bubble around the competing players, it's only adding absurdity to your case to suggest that part of this reasoning is based on the idea that senior inter county GAA is 'masquerading' as elite level sport.

Elite is not an antonym of amateur. Take it up with NPHET if you think the wording should be changed from 'elite' to 'professional'.

Pogue eile

elefant wrote: »

It's still elite level sport.

While it's fair enough to make an argument that the inter county championships shouldn't proceed because it isn't possible to preserve a bubble around the competing players, it's only adding absurdity to your case to suggest that part of this reasoning is based on the idea that senior inter county GAA is 'masquerading' as elite level sport.

Elite is not an antonym of amateur. Take it up with NPHET if you think the wording should be changed from 'elite' to 'professional'.

I agree wholeheartedly with you, however the use of the word 'elite' is the root of the problem, there is no agreed, universal definition of elite, its an arbitrary and subjective word that can mean one thing to you and a completely different thing to someone else.

The oxford definition is ''a select group that is superior in terms of ability or qualities to the rest of a group or society.'' so based on that definition I could quite easily argue that club GAA is elite for example or my local junior soccer club for that matter.

Sonny678

Absolute disaster has been county finals in gaa.

1 A club in Armagh won county final, 31 out of 33 of the panel had covid afterwards and 100 people in surrounding village also.
2 Moycullen in Galway won first ever senior county title. Afterwards massive outbreak in panel which has spilled over into local area
3 Ballivor and Rataoth won county titles in Meath. Afterward many players tested positive and both Ballivor and Rataoth have huge numbers of cases in the town.
One of the things that happened was players filled the cup up with drink and all drank from the same cup afterwards and then preceded to visit all the local pubs and many local houses in the parish. GAA response to this, we should have took the cup off the winning team after the ceremony, just after the match.
Then you had
4 The scenes in Blackrock Cork after the County final.win when the team and supporters marched through the town with the cup like a st patricks day parade. No social distancing at matchs as crowds all atop of each other and more then 200 people at county finals.
5 An ex county player resigned from management of Offaly club team as he was not happy with issues over a case
6 In Waterford hurling final, player was waiting for test yet he was allowed to play in final. His later test proved he had the virus.
7 A minor player was waiting on a test he was allowed to travel on packed bus with rest of panel to county final he was tested positive
8 Donegal, Fermanagh and Armagh have had to cancel matchs and training as players in all 3 counties have got the virus. Fermamagh are playing Clare at weekend and so many Fermanagh players have the virus they might not
be able to field a team.


There are some of the known cases whats happenned in GAA, its pretty certain there is many more cases like the above not being reported in GAA. We have seen with the soccer team how quickly with sportspeople how they can get afftected. Yet in the next 2 weeks 32 counties in the island will engage in a national competition, (basically amateur players many of them frontline workers )will be on packed buses and criss cross the country and criss crossing the border, which happens to be one of the areas with the worst effected cases in Europe. Yet starting at the weekend, this is only starting. It reminds me of what a once great gaa president from Mayo who was also a doctor said when he talked about the scourge of drink on Irish society. He wrote a book called "No one shouted stop". I think that title of that book is apt now, No one shouted stop.

What the hell are the GAA at, an amateur organistion having a national competition in two jurisdictions, one of which has highest number of cases in Europe, what are they at, having an All Ireland championship as a world wide pandemic is its second wave as cases explode across the island. You couldnt think of a worst 2 months then November and December to have the championship as the second waves peaks. Will anyone in the GAA hierachy shout stop? It really looks like an amateur association acting like amateurs. In March the GAA did excellent work now they will have PR disaster on there hands at the very least, just because in the words of great late Eugene McGee who once said every decision the GAA makes goes back to money. You take the Sky deal, the super 8s and now the championship going ahead. Its all to do with money, games played means the GAA will get money from broadcasters. Its totally against what GAA should stand for. Just when the GAA should be showing example and leadership to young people, to everyone they are doing the opposite and if anything are super spreaders in terms of cases currently. I can see the championship starting but there is not a hope in hell , zero chance of it finishing. But the issues, the growing rate of numbers will increase and the GAA will have played an helping hand in that. It really is crazy when you sit down and think of it. Call of the All Ireland championship and play them when it is safe to do so. Its very simple. But where is the leadership in the GAA. No where to be seen.

Always_Running

Sonny stop including that Roscommon non story in your list.

Sonny678

Always_Running wrote: »

Sonny stop including that Roscommon non story in your list.

Ok.

thelad95

Always_Running wrote: »

Sonny stop including that Roscommon non story in your list.

There is absolutely zero necessity for a massive function like dinner.

The fact it's within the regulations shows how stupid they are. Rugby players are tested every few days so if they all sit down for a meal they can be relatively safe in the knowledge that nobody has it.

GAA players are not and there's absolutely nobody looking out for their welfare. Somebody somewhere needs to put an end to this madness. The absolute silence from the GAA when they know exactly what is going on is horrific. They could end up with a situation where they literally have blood on their hands.

Always_Running

thelad95 wrote: »

There is absolutely zero necessity for a massive function like dinner.

The fact it's within the regulations shows how stupid they are. Rugby players are tested every few days so if they all sit down for a meal they can be relatively safe in the knowledge that nobody has it.

GAA players are not and there's absolutely nobody looking out for their welfare. Somebody somewhere needs to put an end to this madness. The absolute silence from the GAA when they know exactly what is going on is horrific. They could end up with a situation where they literally have blood on their hands.

It wasn't a "massive function like dinner" it was a team having some grub, catering food with paper plates and plastic knives, forks with social distancing done while they eat. Every GAA Inter County teams does that after most training session or matches.