Hi. I am just wondering what people's opinions would be on the formation of a GPA for CLUB players. The GPA only represents intercounty players, and at present there is no representative body for club players in the country. As we all know, club players are being increasingly marginalised by the GAA's hunger for maximising their financial turnover, and their promotion of the intercounty games over the club championships. What would you think of the formation of a body like this where club players could have their opinions heard and their views listened to?

icehonesty (Wexford) - Posts: 2592 - 10/05/2013 11:53:29    1381573

10/05/2013 11:53:29
icehonesty
Hi. I am just wondering what people's opinions would be on the formation of a GPA for CLUB players. The GPA only represents intercounty players, and at present there is no representative body for club players in the country. As we all know, club players are being increasingly marginalised by the GAA's hunger for maximising their financial turnover, and their promotion of the intercounty games over the club championships. What would you think of the formation of a body like this where club players could have their opinions heard and their views listened to?
What would the point of it be? What would it aim to achieve. Don't see how club players are being marginalised at all. Intercounty will always be promoted over club games considering it is made up of the elite club player ie the best of the best
What would this body do?

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 10/05/2013 12:17:20    1381587

It needs to have some sort of player body in each county at least. So many players a club level are out of pocket be it with injuries and even travel. I have had to deal with club committees begrudging players travelling home from college a few quid for diesel. An inter county player get 50 cent a mile. I have in the past travelled a round trip of 190 miles for a club game on a Wednesday night. I was looking for 30 euro just to cover the juice. If I was a county player I'd get 95 euro for the trip. Having my name dragged up at AGM by the treasurer as expenses out going basically mad feel like am robbing the club of money.

shaggylegend (Monaghan) - Posts: 1949 - 10/05/2013 12:35:57    1381601

It needs to have some sort of player body in each county at least. So many players a club level are out of pocket be it with injuries and even travel. I have had to deal with club committees begrudging players travelling home from college a few quid for diesel. An inter county player get 50 cent a mile. I have in the past travelled a round trip of 190 miles for a club game on a Wednesday night. I was looking for 30 euro just to cover the juice. If I was a county player I'd get 95 euro for the trip. Having my name dragged up at AGM by the treasurer as expenses out going basically made feel like am robbing the club of money.

shaggylegend (Monaghan) - Posts: 1949 - 10/05/2013 12:36:08    1381602

Icehonesty,

A very important point and I 100% agree with you. At the end of the day county teams are made up of club players. All the greats past and present are where they are and who they are because of their clubs. Essentially the clubs are the foundations beneath all county teams.

I can only speak for Galway cause I know its situation the best. Here the club scene is being hammered by the county setups. Everything is revolving around our quest for Liam and the clubs are being left in the dark. For example we play 3-4 weeks of intense championship in late April/Early May and then A 4-5 week break. throughout July and August most clubs in Galway don't even train because nothing is happening at club level. Following the conclusion of the All Ireland we jam in all our championship games into 6 weeks finishing up in November (the latest of all counties) we even have some clubs that end up playing 5 in a row.

Then you throw in the power the county teams have they can essentially have any game pulled at the flick of a switch. On a football note I think I read on the Galway forum that our football championship (which has yet to start) is postponed for a few weeks as the Galway Footballers dont want any injuries for the tie vs Mayo and club teams ready for championship 3 weeks ago.

Dont get me wrong I love Galway and follow them to the bitter end but im club man first and foremost and I fully agree that club players need representatives at the top level.

crossfieldball (Galway) - Posts: 650 - 10/05/2013 12:58:46    1381620

Continuity GPA sounds good

Tim_Burr (Down) - Posts: 460 - 10/05/2013 13:01:40    1381622

The major gripe I've always had about the GPA is that they've never really tried to help out the club player.

It makes sense that they should try and campaign on the behalf of club players from a PR point of view and also because of the simple fact that they themselves are still club players at the end of the day.

Some poster above stated that club players are not being marginalised and that there's nothing to be done for them. That's plainly ridiculous and shows a lack of understanding of what's happening at club level.

Several issues need to be raised as regards club players at the moment, the most important of which is the fact that we're still playing our championships in the muck of October and November. County boards are getting slightly better at this but it is imperative that this gets sorted.

We need proper fixture lists at the start of the year so we can plan accordingly. No point in training all year and then find out the championship gets moved to time you're away, or that championship has to get squeezed into a short space of time and players miss out through injury and not having enough recovery time.

It's a joke and a disgrace that the County Boards in some counties keeps treating the club players so badly.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13846 - 10/05/2013 13:16:30    1381635

The GAA does not care about clubs or the club game. They only care about the far more boring and sterile intercounty scene. The emphasis should always be on club games except for the summer when inter county championship is played. The GAA is doomed as the club scene is dying.

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4678 - 10/05/2013 13:20:36    1381638

County players get huge amount of respect for the efforts they put in but at least they are getting some kind of financial help. Most club teams do not provide medical and physio to their players and the GAA insurance no longer covers physio and anything it does cover takes a year to actually get your money back. Most clubs expect their players to travel home from college to training and to matches but do not provide expenses. What the clubs need to understand is that many of the players are to embarrassed to say they dont have the finances to do this and they just quit the game. The same with injuries, players are playing through pain and causing more harm because they cannot afford to go to physios ect. You would never see this carry on in Rugby or other sports, travel expenses are covered in rugby even for junior clubs and they have all medical covered aswell.

ballaghmen (Mayo) - Posts: 318 - 10/05/2013 14:57:24    1381725

Physio and mileage covered in rugby ballagh ? You are having a laugh. My own local rugby club has not got enough money to cover the day to day expenses of the club. Their player insurance is minimal. I know if you are injured you are pretty much on your own. That is true from minor to serious injuries.

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6199 - 10/05/2013 15:11:27    1381745

ormondbannerman
County: Clare
Posts: 4500

1381587
10/05/2013 11:53:29
icehonesty

What would the point of it be? What would it aim to achieve. Don't see how club players are being marginalised at all. Intercounty will always be promoted over club games considering it is made up of the elite club player ie the best of the best
What would this body do?

Club players are being marginalized where I come from. Huge numbers of games are put off/back because of inter county games. We have elite competitions and they should remain.However, hundreds of other players should not suffer because of a few elite. Like most others on this site, I am club over county every day of the week and I am sick and tired of the whole association being dictated too by a few certain prominent intercounty managers whose opinions seem to supersede every rule or change that is supposed to benefit the association as a whole if it is deemed by these self-appointed guardians of our games to interfere with their own vested interests. It is rational that people stick up for themselves, however, it is time some of them had their heads pulled in a small bit.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 10/05/2013 15:31:36    1381770

10/05/2013 14:57:24
ballaghmen
County players get huge amount of respect for the efforts they put in but at least they are getting some kind of financial help. Most club teams do not provide medical and physio to their players and the GAA insurance no longer covers physio and anything it does cover takes a year to actually get your money back. Most clubs expect their players to travel home from college to training and to matches but do not provide expenses. What the clubs need to understand is that many of the players are to embarrassed to say they dont have the finances to do this and they just quit the game. The same with injuries, players are playing through pain and causing more harm because they cannot afford to go to physios ect. You would never see this carry on in Rugby or other sports, travel expenses are covered in rugby even for junior clubs and they have all medical covered aswell.
Do most clubs not provide any help towards doc/physio?
That's a shock to me. My local GAA club and most if not all near me do provide some help towards physio costs ec
No that is not true about rugby that even in junior clubs players have all medical expenses covered. Some club players will get a lot of help from their club and most receive some kind of help but certainly do not get all costs covered

10/05/2013 15:11:27
Greengrass
Physio and mileage covered in rugby ballagh ? You are having a laugh. My own local rugby club has not got enough money to cover the day to day expenses of the club. Their player insurance is minimal. I know if you are injured you are pretty much on your own. That is true from minor to serious injuries.
Really? Not true in my club anyway. Player insurance certainly isn't minimal and disappointing to hear if injured that you are pretty much on your own. Luckily not the case for people in my club

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 10/05/2013 15:51:24    1381781

Just to clarify, the current GPA is solely for intercounty players. They do not have, and maybe more importantly do not want to have, any affiliation whatsoever with club players who are not inter county players.

ballaghmen
County: Mayo
Posts: 299

1Most clubs expect their players to travel home from college to training and to matches but do not provide expenses. What the clubs need to understand is that many of the players are to embarrassed to say they dont have the finances to do this and they just quit the game. The same with injuries, players are playing through pain and causing more harm because they cannot afford to go to physios ect.

This is what happened to me. I left playing due to work and education commitments. I also always felt the club begrudged every penny they ever gave me to reimburse me for medical expenses. 5 years of studying away from home I was never given a penny for travel. Many times I didn't seek medical attention (physio) for muscle injuries as I personally couldn't afford it and had no confidence I'd be reimbursed. As a result I have quite serious back and shoulder pain now on a daily basis for which I am paying to try to heal.

In regards to the rugby issue, a lot depends on whether you are playing for a top side or a low level junior team. For top sides everything is looked after. I tore a muscle playing junior rugby a few years back and I got only 30% of the expenses back as that's all that club gave to junior players.

icehonesty (Wexford) - Posts: 2592 - 10/05/2013 16:13:23    1381799

icehonesty
County: Wexford
Posts: 1187

This is what happened to me. I left playing due to work and education commitments. I also always felt the club begrudged every penny they ever gave me to reimburse me for medical expenses. 5 years of studying away from home I was never given a penny for travel. Many times I didn't seek medical attention (physio) for muscle injuries as I personally couldn't afford it and had no confidence I'd be reimbursed. As a result I have quite serious back and shoulder pain now on a daily basis for which I am paying to try to heal.

Its the sad truth in the GAA world. When you are playing good football and injury free everyone wants to know you. When you get injured and become a financial burden on the club, no one wants anything to do with you. I remember reading an piece written by a Tyrone player who suffered an injury and had to wait for a year to get back some of his lost expenses. He also described it as a lonely time and how quickly people forget about you. To make matter worst in some clubs where players do not receive any help towards paying for medical fees, people on the club board recieve expenses when travelling to county board meeting and of course they need a meal aswell.

In regards to the rugby issue, a lot depends on whether you are playing for a top side or a low level junior team. For top sides everything is looked after. I tore a muscle playing junior rugby a few years back and I got only 30% of the expenses back as that's all that club gave to junior players.

I am sure not every rugby club has the financial resources to pay all costs, but you are kind of looked down on in the GAA world if you ask for expenses or that, an attitude that comes from its a voluntary organisation, but yet no one working on county boards or in Croke park are doing it on a voluntary basis. In rugby, clubs understand more that it needs to look after it players because if they dont that player can move to a club that will.

ballaghmen (Mayo) - Posts: 318 - 11/05/2013 12:52:55    1381993

does your membership which includes insurance not cover everything. I got seriously injured for college team and they feimbursed me 100%. that was in trench cup for a fairly basic team and only average.

Ros2013 (Roscommon) - Posts: 644 - 11/05/2013 13:53:27    1382034

Ros2013
County: Roscommon
Posts: 385

1382034
does your membership which includes insurance not cover everything. I got seriously injured for college team and they feimbursed me 100%. that was in trench cup for a fairly basic team and only average.

Some clubs cover the cost of physio by charging a higher membership fee to its players but the Gaa insurance no longer covers the cost of physio. The insurance scheme tighten up a few years back. Anyways it takes an age to get back any expenses you do claim for. It might have been grand back in the boom where people threw 50s everywhere and then were delighted when they got back a lump sum off the insurance a year later, but in the current climate, people are struggling to live day to day and have to choose if they pay for physio or put food on the table.

There is to much talk about all county players do and dont get payed. Most county players are well looked after, expenses, handy jobs, college grants, best physio and loads of other perks. But the heartbeat of the GAA, the club players get nothing for just as much effort as county players these days at Senior level. Then they have to plan there life around fixtures that the county boards keep switching incase a county player gets injured.

ballaghmen (Mayo) - Posts: 318 - 11/05/2013 15:20:55    1382070

I have seen some stupid threads in my day..but this takes the biscuit!!

Sorry but think about it for a second!

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 11/05/2013 16:11:29    1382090

I know im my club once you pay your membership you are fully covered for any injury you might sustain on the field in either a match or training, provided you are wearing your helmet, you pay the full medical fee yourself and then forward the receipt onto the club and I must say they are very quick to sort us out.

On the issue of fuel money..ehh im iffy on this one lads and its my opinion im stating here. But I feel that its your club, my club, our club and its a honor and privilege to play for the club and id like to think lads (and we have them too) working or studying away would make the journeys home because they want to play for their clubs and that money wouldn't be an issue, personally id never ask money for travelling and I know alot of the other lads (4-5) in our case dont either.

crossfieldball (Galway) - Posts: 650 - 12/05/2013 11:50:28    1382388

crossfieldball
County: Galway
Posts: 262

1382388
I know im my club once you pay your membership you are fully covered for any injury you might sustain on the field in either a match or training, provided you are wearing your helmet, you pay the full medical fee yourself and then forward the receipt onto the club and I must say they are very quick to sort us out.

On the issue of fuel money..ehh im iffy on this one lads and its my opinion im stating here. But I feel that its your club, my club, our club and its a honor and privilege to play for the club and id like to think lads (and we have them too) working or studying away would make the journeys home because they want to play for their clubs and that money wouldn't be an issue, personally id never ask money for travelling and I know alot of the other lads (4-5) in our case dont either.

I know you should feel privileged to play for your club, but what about lads who actually cant afford to travel home. Some people just dont have the money anymore and as I said in some cases its a matter of putting food on the table or playing football. I have chatted to some of the younger lads and they have given up on playing because they cant afford to pay membership, travel ect. And in soem cases they know if they get injured they are not going to get any help to pay for physios.

ballaghmen (Mayo) - Posts: 318 - 12/05/2013 12:31:03    1382409

crossfieldball
County: Galway
Posts: 262

On the issue of fuel money..ehh im iffy on this one lads and its my opinion im stating here. But I feel that its your club, my club, our club and its a honor and privilege to play for the club and id like to think lads (and we have them too) working or studying away would make the journeys home because they want to play for their clubs and that money wouldn't be an issue, personally id never ask money for travelling and I know alot of the other lads (4-5) in our case dont either.

Is that kind of like the way that county players play for their county because its an honour and a privelege?

For me, I never asked for money for travel. I just couldn't afford it. To be honest in our club they definitely had a preference for lads who'd be down around home all the time. The two hour bus journey from university down at the weekends didn't seem to make any difference to them, and lads who weren't always around were always having their commitment questioned.

icehonesty (Wexford) - Posts: 2592 - 13/05/2013 14:43:05    1383074