The GPA has blasted online abuse dished out towards Cork's footballers following their Munster final drubbing.

Head of communications at the players' body, Sean Potts, points out that amateur sportsmen should not be publicly castigated for a bad performance.

"The whole concept behind what we're doing is respect and respecting people as individuals," he told The Irish Examiner. "It was a bad day at the office for Cork but these people are amateur sports people. They deserve to be respected.

"The media tend to be very tempered and responsible in their commentary around this but even the analysis on radio was over-the-top. A bad day is a bad day.

"We direct and encourage people to look at our recent campaign and what the context behind it is and realise these people are more than just footballers and hurlers.

"They're people in their own communities. It's hard enough following a bad defeat to face the light again but particularly so when your own people are making comments. It's beneath contempt.

"You win and lose games and you picked yourself up and that's what these athletes do. They go back at it again and try and make up for it." Tweet

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