League final press event cancelled over GPA expenses row
March 29, 2022
Kildare manager Cian O'Neill, Donegal's Patrick McBrearty, GAA President Aogan O'Fearghail, Sean McGrath (CEO, Allianz Ireland), Galway's Damien Comer and Kerry selector Mikey Sheehy at the launch of the 2018 Allianz Football Leagues.
©INPHO/Bryan Keane.
Allianz has been forced to cancel its traditional media event ahead of this weekend's National League Football and Hurling finals as the row between the GPA and the GAA over player expenses rumbles on.
A vote taken last Thursday night by GPA members to "escalate the player protest" means that the players' refusal to give media interviews now extends to sponsorship events.
In a note to all GPA members last weekend, CEO Tom Parsons stated that the players’ body was still open to discussions with the GAA to resolve the standoff with the GAA over the restoration of the 2019 Players’ Charter.
GAA director-general Tom Ryan recently stressed that the Association would only cover up to four training sessions / matches per week for player mileage expenses, with anything above that the subject of local agreements.
Prior to the pandemic, expenses were payable for as many sessions / matches as were asked of panels. The row led to the GPA issuing a directive to teams and managers not to give post-match interviews, but this continues to be ignored by a host of managers, including Dessie Farrell - who ironically is a former GPA CEO - Padraic Joyce, Kieran Kingston, Anthony Cunningham, Liam Cahill and John Maughan.
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