Self-righteous GPA

The self-righteousness of the GPA knows no bounds.

Less than a week ago Dessie Farrell lashed out at the Of One Belief group for insinuating  that Farrell and the GPA privately harbour long-term aims to create professional Gaelic games. Dessie took umbrage at these remarks claiming that the GPA's "bona fides" on preserving the amateur status are recognised by the GAA. How dare that "rump of malcontents" cast suspicions over the GPA's good word!

Although he later admitted he "probably" did make the comments referred to by Of One Belief in 2002, he insisted the remarks were written in a much different climate of relations. He neglected, however, to disclaim the sections of his book, written in 2005,  that advocate semi-professionalism, and, where- in a fit of egalitarianism rarely seen in peak Celtic Tiger Ireland- he put forward the concept of every player receiving the same amount of money. That didn't last long either, then, did it?

I dislike the label "flip flopper" and don't believe that a change of mind should handicap anyone. But, reacting with such pique and indignation, as if question marks over the GPA's commitment to amateur status were some slur on Dessie's and the GPA's character is downright petulant. Even worse, it's sanctimonious. 

 

It seems, however, the GPA doesn't know any other way. Their support today for Antrim's request to change in throw-in time for Sunday's Allianz Hurling League tie against Waterford in Dungarvan betrays this characteristic again. Bringing forward the throw-in time so that the Antrim players could make their way back to north Antrim - over 450 km and 6 hours drive - is perfectly reasonable, justifying additional GPA pressure on the GAA to accede to Antrim's petition. But, in doing so, why do they always have to be so prickly?

Why do they need "point out just how (my emphasis) accommodating players have been in recent years where fixture scheduling has taken place to facilitate television, Saturday ties and midweek games". Is there an implicit threat that they may not be so accommodating in the future? Even if not, their haste to always claim the moral high ground is priggish, and, more often than not, unfounded. Remember the GPA player's hankering to get on television with their Club Energise drinks in 2005? The GPA needs television as much as the GAA, if not more, especially if their ambitions to get their grubby hands on some of the TV revenue are fulfilled. So why bring that into it?

It's time for the GPA to stop thinking its above the GAA. We've had enough of the holier-than-thou attitude.  

Too much GAA on TV? YES, says Delaney

Leinster Council chief executive Michael Delaney has called for a restriction on the number of live games screened on Sunday afternoons according to today's Indo.

"Two live games, followed by the 'Sunday Game' is overkill."

"When you have two games shown live on a Sunday, it takes over the whole day so it's very difficult to get people out to watch club games later on."

"As things stand, the club scene is being seriously damaged by too much TV coverage on Sundays," said Delaney.

No to AFL Compensation for GAA recruitment

While no shock, this morning's headline in the Irish Independent "GAA clubs in line for compensation over AFL recruitment", is still disturbing. What's more alarming is Nicky Brennan's apparent willingness to explore this possibility.

Compensation for what? The young GAA players that the AFL are recruiting are members of the GAA. Look it up Nicky. Membership means participation by choice. The clubs don't own these players. The counties don't own these players. The GAA doesn't own these players. They are playing GAA because they want to. It's a choice. They sign up, they pay a membership subscription (which I might add is very good value when compared to lots of other sports memberships) to play.

While it is hard to stomach, there is not a lot that can be done. Great GAA players like Setanta O hAilpin, Colm Begley and Martin Clarke, who prefer to go to Australia to become professional athletes in a different code, should be free to leave with no "benefits" in return, if they choose to do so. How many young players who play soccer or rugby and Gaelic games have given up Gaelic football or hurling to try to play either of those codes? 

As Martin Breheny points out "Of far more concern to the GAA should be the drop off in the number of youngsters playing the games once they pass minor level". I'd go further. What about making GAA more appealing to a broader audience by cutting out the frequent violence in the game and creating a culture where there is more respect for the referee and for one's opponents? How many young people give up or, indeed, never take up, Gaelic games because of the perceived lack of respect for rules and because of the violence that frequents even underage games?

And what about the players that give up before they reach minor level because they never got a fair chance to play the game? How many kids depart disgruntled because certain mentors choose to ignore their lesser talents, which may develop at a later age but are never given the chance to do so, in pursuit of short-term success. A much sought after U-14 Division III title, for example. It's more widespread than you think. Shouldn't that be more of a concern?

The similarities between Gaelic football and Aussie rules and the age at which these players are recruited, just as they are appearing on the inter-county scene, makes their decision all the harder for the GAA to take. But, it is their decision. The GAA has no 'rights' over a player, unlike in soccer. UEFA have rules for compensating clubs in Europe for each transfer for any player up to the age of 23. That's because players are considered "assets" in a purely financial sense and UEFA wants clubs to have the necessary financial and sporting incentives to invest in training and educating young players. Introducing similar rules in GAA and accepting compensation for players from the AFL would be another huge step towards professionalisation. If the GAA really wants itself to be considered primarily a "sporting and cultural" organisation then the idea of compensation should be dismissed immediately and categorically. 

And that silly International Rules circus should be rejected along with it. 

Is there too much GAA on television?

The GAA has completed its TV rights deals for coverage up to and including 2010, and nobody, it seems, has been left out.

Under the deal, RTÉ secured the live rights for 40 GAA championship games, with the exception of ten games, which will be shown by TV3. The live rights to the Allianz National Leagues and Club/Cup Championships were awarded to TG4 and Setanta Sport respectively. TG4 will have the rights to Sunday afternoon League games and Club and Colleges games, while Setanta will show floodlit games on Saturday nights and four Sunday afternoon League games. A range of highlight packages have been awarded to RTÉ, TG4, Setanta Sport and the BBC. UTV secured a 'Clips' package.

In addition, BBC NI, RTÉ and the GAA have agreed a new deal that will mean significantly more GAA matches being broadcast live on BBC NI over the next three years. Under the new agreement, BBC NI will be able to show live any game in the Ulster Football Championship that RTE is also broadcasting.

Even less high profile competitions such as the Sigerson and Fitzgibbon Cup finals, the U21 championships, the Mc Kenna Cup O’Byrne Cup, Leinster Colleges, Féile na nGael and even Cumann na mBunscol finals, all of which had previously struggled to receive any television coverage, now get televised. Such comprehensive GAA coverage on television is good news for armchair GAA fans all across Ireland. But, isn’t there a balance to be struck?

Despite the high numbers of championship games to be broadcast—in total, 52 live championship ties were broadcast last year, including replays and with 50 games already divided up between RTÉ and TV3, that will be exceeded under the new contract which kicks in after the National Leagues—Nicky Brennan has emphatically rejected the suggestion that there is overkill regarding live coverage at this point.

‘‘All we’re doing is what we’ve been doing for the last number of years. There’s a strong audience out there for it. Our attendances have not been impacted on over the last number of years, we’ve continued to maintain our attendances. It’s always something we’re conscious of, I won’t deny that.”

Nicky is in denial about a lot of things these days, the grants for example, so maybe he and the lads at Croker Park have neglected to think of the wider impact of televising more and more games. Does all this GAA on television mean that less people are now inclined to go and watch club games, which take place at the same time as televised matches on a Saturday evening? And who is going to decide the throw-in times for the matches—the broadcasters or the GAA—and how will this affect fans?

In England the traditional Saturday kick-off time of 3.00 pm for football matches has been sacrificed to accommodate the whims of the broadcasters, much to the disgust of fan groups. It’s the broadcasters, not the clubs or the League, who specify the times on which most teams play their games. The new times, such as Monday evenings, greatly inconvenience fans travelling to games. We’re lucky as travel distances are not too much of a problem in the early stages of GAA championships and it ceases to be an issue from the quarter-finals on as the majority of games are played at the usual Sunday time.

The impact of televised games on attendance at club matches is still worth considering. Although, proving there is a link is next to impossible as there are no statistics to evaluate the trends maybe the GAA should still think about blocking hours for club matches at weekends. For example, Article 48 of UEFA's Statutes and Article 3 of UEFA's Broadcasting Regulation provides for member associations to block broadcasts during certain hours. The Football Association in England does not authorise the broadcasting of football matches played during its main fixture on Saturday afternoons to protect attendances at the game.

TV coverage does provide the opportunity to watch a game fans want to attend but are unable to get tickets and for neutrals to watch the best matches—all GAA fans want to, and should, see Munster hurling matches. Some fans, however, are influenced to watch games on TV rather than go to the match. So maybe the comfortable option of watching a game on telly rather than go see a local club game is becoming more popular with all these games now on TV.

What do you think?

GAA TV Rights: not just for the money

There it is again!

B-O-N-A-N-Z-A

"€30m: Croker's bonanza from new TV deal" is the headline in today's Irish Independent.

At least the headline is tempered by the contents of the article where Nicky Brennan explains that money was not the most important consideration in the deal: "We went for a combination of finance, quality of coverage and experience."

Thankfully, there's no pay-per-view deal with Setanta. Imagine the hay the GPA would have made out of that.

There's still no mention, however, of all the good uses this money will be used for. Danny Lynch may be gone, but the ineffectiveness of the GAA's PR team appears to remain the same.

Why the GAA must remain amateur

Bonanza!

No, not the American western/cowboy TV series set at the Ponderosa Ranch, but the most popular word used in headlines to describe GAA finances in recent years. Whether announcing rental income from Croke Park, TV rights money or a new sponsorship deal, “Bonanza” is the word of choice for journalists, evoking images of a GAA treasure chest as deep and as rich as Aladdin's Cave.

Just like Aladdin’s Cave, however, it is a myth that the GAA is overflowing with riches. While it is true that the popularity of Gaelic Games ensures that the GAA generates substantial income for an amateur organization each year, reports rarely tell the full story of the GAA's finances. The false impression created leads many to the lazy conclusion that “with all the money floating around why shouldn’t the players get paid for their efforts?”

The untold story leads to a radically different judgement. For a start, the media seldom reports on the enormous costs involved with running an Association of the size and nature of the GAA. The cost of staging the games alone is considerable. In 2002 the GAA spent almost €4.5 million on match related costs (over 27% of total gate receipts). Nearly half of this money went straight back to the various grounds as rent, to be used for ground maintenance, development and to assist with recurring running costs. Another 25% was accounted for by sundry expenses such as Gardai and security, printing and promotional expenses, stewards and catering, medals and trophies.

Then there’s the money directly related to the needs of the panels involved. In 2001 up to €10 million was spent by county boards on preparation of their county teams alone. Croke Park contributes most of this both directly and indirectly subsidisng activities at County level with €8.7m in 2006. This money is spent by county boards on players to cover expenses such as travel and accommodation, meals, equipment, playing gear, and other general expenses incurred by county boards during the preparation of teams during a Championship season. The enormity of the expense involved can be gauged from the fact that the increase in the minimum mileage allowance for players costs county committees an average of €1.25m per annum (that was the cost in 2002). A further 6% of gross gate receipts are used to finance the players Injury Scheme which is available to players at all levels of the Association.

The alarming expenses of training inter-county teams have to be added to the increased expenses associated with county teams administration of internal club competitions and other general running costs. The number of games played at all levels of the GAA gives a clearer indication of just how much money is needed to fund the Association. For instance, the Leinster Council estimate that up to 1,800 games are played throughout the province in second level school competitions alone in any given year. Only a tiny proportion of these games would even collect a gate—even then it would hardly be worth counting—and thus the cost of running such competitions has to be financed from more central funds.

Aside from match related costs, grants to the Association’s club and County board units, and administration expenses, plans for the development of the games have all to be financed from central funds. To date all surplus revenues from previous years have been used to fund the redevelopment of Croke Park or loan schemes for clubs. The GAA’s commitment to coaching and games development is an investment in the future, designed to protect the Association’s longer term ambitions. €5 million was spent on Games development in 2002 to finance a network of coaching officers and administrators, summer camps, schools of excellence, grants to primary, second and third level schools and colleges, subsidies for hurleys and helmets, Feile competitions etc. The Provinces similarly reinvest the revenues they earn. In 2001 Leinster Council alone had a coaching and games development budget of well over €1.25 million.

In total upwards of 75% of the revenues generated by Central Council in 2006 were ploughed back into the Association. (See the 2007 Annual Report) This resourcing is intended to benefit players, clubs and counties alike. Contrast this with professional soccer where the wages to turnover ratio for Italian clubs was 76% in 2002-03, Spain (72%), France (68%) and England (61%) according to Deloitte Football Finance. Or look at it another way, the Premier League redistributes just 7½% a year to the Football Foundation, the body responsible for grass roots and community football development.

The GAA’s income and re-investment is an unbroken virtuous circle (see diagram above) whereby the commitment to investment in the future will guarantee the survival and continued development of Gaelic games. This outstanding contribution—propelled by voluntary input—depends on the money staying in the game.

Show me the money!

"Kevin Keegan has offered me more money. I am definitely leaving Spurs. It's all about the money, I don't care about the [Carling Cup] final".

Apparently Pascal Chimbonda made this remark-brazenly exposing his mercenary motivation-when questioned about rumours in the media that he was looking to leave Tottenham Hotspur. Paul Wilson, a respected football journalist for the Guardian, applauded Chimbonda for his honesty, as he's sadly resigned to the reality of what really inspires professional footballers today. He was also critical of fans for their continued, naive adherence to the sentimental belief that players measure their careers in cups and medals, rather than pounds and pay cheques. "Football may have been like that once", he writes "but no longer".

Unlike GAA. We (GAA members) don't have to worry about accusations of being over-romantic about Gaelic games because that situation doesn't exist in our sport. Right?

Not quite. As Martin Breheny points out today, the player-County Board dispute in Cork, is part of a bigger battle -- a battle for the "GAA's soul and identity". The inter-county players regard themselves as the "wealth generators" of Gaelic games, and their philosophy (essentially that they are the sun around which the rest of us should revolve--my interpretation not Martin's) is putting them on course for a critical pay-for-play showdown.

The idealistic view that Gaelic games should be all about participation, and the medals and the glory too, of course, is being rapidly eroded by the GPA on their blinkered march to reimbursement. As Dessie says, the players no longer "really buy into the traditional GAA line, certainly not the one that highlighted our ethereal rewards - honour, adulation, camaraderie, recognition". They want something "more tangible". They want what Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.) in the movie Jerry Maguire, called "the Kwan".

"Kwan means love, respect, community... and the dollars too".

But footballers in England didn't always have this Rod Tidwell mentality. Wilson describes the situation when fifty years ago all First Division fooballers were on more or less than same wages as a result of the maximum-wage system. The crucial difference today is the difference in earnings which means that players are no longer loyal to the club that formed them. The only values the players deem important are those in pay packets. Do we want a similar situation to develop in GAA? The categorical response from most GAA members would appear-from the debates that have taken place on the proposed grant in counties like Tyrone and Dublin- to be no.

Under EU law, however, there is no middle road. If accepted, the grants system will establish an economic link between players and Gaelic games, meaning that the players can appeal to the European Commission, and ultimately the European Courts, to move counties freely. The players may be happy to divvy up their prospective grant money now. But it won't always be like that. Self-interest and the free market will eventually win out, just like it did in English football. It will only take one disgruntled player- and there are enough of them already- to tear the county structure down. And then, it really will be all about the money.