The GPA – a walking contradiction – McSherry’s Musings

On Saturday afternoon Tyrone hurlers and Armagh battled it out in Owenbeg for the National League Division 3A title. Both sets of players are very much in the shadow of their football counterparts, indeed many GAA supporters here would be hardpressed to name three members of the Tyrone squad. These Musings were penned before the sliotar was thrown in, so one can but hope the Red Hand was victorious.

In their wisdom however – and I use the word ‘wisdom’ very loosely – The Gaelic Players Association (GPA) has directed the players not to do interviews with the press after the game. It is a clumsy and short-sighted response to their grievance with the GAA concerning outstanding expenses, although it is unclear who is owed how much for what.

Players like Conor Grogan, Chris Kearns or Damian Casey (there’s three!) get little enough time in the spotlight which has now been firmly switched off by the GPA. Not only will they not get publicity in the local and provincial press, in this era of newspapers using social media their opportunity to be seen and heard by Tyrone folk in America, Australia and throughout the globe has been denied.

The GPA also pulled players from the league final press event. They hammer the GAA for ‘financially penalising’ players while encouraging the same players not to take part in an event for which they would have earned a considerable sum of money. All the while, the ten employees in the GPA pocket an average salary of almost €70,000.

The Ulster championship launch was also cancelled last week, which would have been a chance for players to state their case about the expenses stand-off. In the words of Kristofferson, the GPA is ‘a walking contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction, taking every wrong direction on his lonely way back home…’

The slap in the face to local newspapers is as misguided as poor Will Smith’s march onto the stage at the Oscar ceremony on getting the surly whistle from his wife, after he laughed at the GI Jane quip from Chris Rock. Wow!

“I would say that wouldn’t I?!”

At a personal level it makes little difference to my life as I don’t be on the ground at GAA games and my attendance is always as a paying supporter, not reporter. There is also the misconception posited that the press live off the backs of the GAA players. The reality, however, is the relationship between the press and the players is symbiotic rather than parasitic, with both benefiting from the relationship. If there was no media coverage there would be no David Clifford, Dazzler or Declan Hannon.

The majority of players love the grand write-ups, colour pics, Q&As and feature pieces when fairly represented… why wouldn’t they?! The local papers have promoted club and county games at all ages since long before the GPA appeared and will still do so long after they’ve gone.

The interactions between the players and the hacks are for the most part congenial and good spirited although, like most relationships, they do get frayed at times. There is no-one living off anyone’s back in all this and lest one forgets, journalism is a job not an amateur sport, like say… Gaelic football or hurling.

Make no mistake, not all the players agree with the press snub, indeed a Kilkenny hurler spoke to TG4 post-match last week. A county player suggested to me that not speaking to our paper is “a load of sh*te”… true dat!

Rather than nipping at the press, the GPA would be better served to challenge the GAA who they claim have reneged on payments. A one-day strike would probably have sorted it out. A 24 hour short sharp shock. Don’t play the league finals and one suspects the GAA would soon come up with whatever monies the GPA claim is owed, and if they don’t we can get the club games going again. Football and hurling for everyone!

The GPA claims its remit is the welfare of players, the great protector of the county player. They have argued that the play/life balance is all wrong, that players train too much and compromise their careers after football as a result. The GAA have proposed a four-training-sessions-a-week cap. ‘No!’ screams the GPA. So much for balancing play and other aspects of living. One suspects their goal is a push towards semi-professionalism rather than rowing back on the severe demands on county players.

Perhaps it was the Celtic Tiger, but somewhere along the line a mindset developed among many to use the GAA to line their pockets. Suits have done very well out of the GAA thank you very much, while managers are doing the rounds of clubs and county teams making small and not-so -small fortunes. Because some windows in the house are broken doesn’t mean we smash them all.

The ethos and beauty of Gaelic games is the amateur status and spirit of the volunteer, whatever about the wide-boys.

The GPA’s primary concern is money. It has over €7.5 million in revenue and total assets of over €4 million (€4,253,444 to be precise). It is a corporate fundraising entity. Former New York chairman, Laurence McGrath said of their visit stateside, “They come to town, push you aside, hoover up money and give nothing back.”

The county players are being played.