An intermediate club in Donegal have had all adult members suspended for 8 weeks after they were found to have hosted an 'illegal' tournament as part of a charity fundraiser. Ok, the rule is there but the punishment is totally draconian and just the latest in a long line of PR disasters where the GAA are concerned.

http://www.donegalsporthub.com/donegal-gaa-club-banned-after-hosting-unauthorised-tournament/

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9762 - 23/04/2019 12:12:59    2179898

Slowly Been dragged out of the dark ages, but little pockets of apes still linger, no wonder kids are picking other sports.

OhtobeARossie (Roscommon) - Posts: 1794 - 23/04/2019 12:49:42    2179902

Joke.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13654 - 23/04/2019 14:06:43    2179914

Yet another disgraceful display of arrogance & corruption from the suits in the GAA.

This man has Motor Neurone Disease for God's sake & his local GAA club wanted to be part of the local effort in raising money he will sorely need.

For this they are suspended for eight weeks.

Yet another mind blowing display of stupidity following hard on the heels of the Liam Miller affair & the endorsment of favourtism towards Dublin for money.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 23/04/2019 14:53:19    2179928

Pure nonsense. When you read what the man was suffering from. People coming together to raise funds for a sick man. Some 'rule' doesn't tally up with it.

Just another example of power-hungry nobodies in Ireland having to make their small, insignificant voices heard. Sad, sad stuff. This kind of nonsense should be gone. It's 2019 lads.

Donegal_abroad (Donegal) - Posts: 1411 - 23/04/2019 15:07:59    2179929

It wasn't even on Newton's main pitch either. There's a disused filed beside their main field which I believe was actually used for soccer in the past.

Ludicrous stuff altogether.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9762 - 23/04/2019 15:59:40    2179940

You can't play soccer on GAA club property - that's the rule and everyone knows it. It sounds like a brilliant cause but you can't knowingly break the rule, complain when you are caught and then look to get off because it was for charity.
Because of the Liam Miller affair, charity soccer events can get clearance but for county grounds only. This could have got clearance for Ballybofey or Letterkenny. The club applied to both Croke Park and Donegal to host soccer at their own ground and were told no.
The GAA community is raising thousands, millions for charities and people in need - such as Kieran McCarthy, the Lowdnes family or young Wallace in Westmeath.
Whoever organised this event in Donegal - their heart was in the right place but the event was misjudged and now a whole club suffers.

49erroyal (Meath) - Posts: 69 - 23/04/2019 16:54:40    2179953

If the CPA ever needed to call a strike now is the time. After one year of April for clubs have they not relaxed the county training camp ban already? Counties can now put a case forward and train abroad in April. No bother bending rules for them. Some counties generate money but clubs cost money. The grassroots might as well be on the moon for all that Croke Park care about them.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7981 - 23/04/2019 17:03:31    2179957

Well if the club were suspended for "organising an unauthorised event" and they didnt organise it, they have a cast iron certainty of getting the decision overturned on appeal.

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 2016 - 23/04/2019 17:06:04    2179958

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7981 - 23/04/2019 17:21:39    2179961

They're just raging they didn't make anything from it that's all.
That rule belongs in the dark ages.

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 2322 - 23/04/2019 17:30:07    2179963

Let's call a spade a spade here. It's that old, blinkered republican viewpoint - down with soccer, down with rugby, down with anything with a the remotest Anglican hint about it. Complete and utter bullshit which should be consigned to Saoradhs meetings. Not part of a modern and inclusive GAA.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9762 - 23/04/2019 17:56:53    2179967

Absolutely effing disgraceful.
Shame on the gaa. And fair play to the donegal club. You are not alone, stand tall and proud, you did the right thing no matter what the knuckle draggers in hq say.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 23/04/2019 18:57:27    2179972

My own club has a basketball court like most others around Dublin. Never a word said.. actually the GAA launched a GAA-Basketball crossover programme a few years on a basketball court in a GAA club... ridiculous ban. I hope the club field their teams and the opposition tog out too

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4649 - 23/04/2019 20:27:20    2179979

Ironically this club is in a predominately soccer area where the GAA has been making great inroads in recent years and winning fans.This controversy could very well stall this progress.We all know there are plenty of anti GAA people out there and this will give them great ammunition.

gunman (Donegal) - Posts: 1149 - 23/04/2019 20:55:41    2179984

Full time officials at the very top of the Association, following on from their PR disasters of last year, nothing learned.
Totally lacking in Humanity, hiding behind a ruling, when a local community were getting behind & supporting one of their own !!!
The rule being broken daily by GAA invested clubs all over the country when it comes to AstroTurf pitches/cages, yet a blind eye is turned. Are these clubs exempt due to influence, one rule for Naomh Colmcille, another rule for all others ?
A good deed punished with 8 week suspension, allied to the fact that the club scene shuts down now for the Summer, these players won't play till August/September. Go & play some other sport & put your voluntary efforts into something else like many of us are doing, you will be amazed at the difference in appreciation.

Uimhir.a.3. (Galway) - Posts: 409 - 23/04/2019 21:46:14    2179994

Two points :

If it when ahead unauthourised and there is an accident the GAA are liable if it is on their grounds, and lads the cost of claims etc these days is massive, and the media would be going on about how 'irresposnbile' the GAA are.

Point number 2, if the local soccer club have no facilities to support such a tournament becuase the FAI have run up the expenses on the credit card then play a Football tournament on the GAA grounds!!!

Do all the idiots hopping off the GAA over this know how much the GAA raise centrally, at county and at club levels for charities etc??????

Why do we have to bend over backwards for a sport that is corrupt at the highest level so they is nothing at the local level??

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 24/04/2019 07:40:18    2180014

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 2322 - 24/04/2019 09:56:18    2180027

DundalkGael (Louth) - Posts: 942 - 24/04/2019 10:02:28    2180028

Regardless as to whether the act of allowing a charity soccer match to take place on your back pitch is a breach of the rules or not the enforcement of the rule and the heavy handed penalty is morally wrong and petty.

The club footballers in Donegal can make this right though, every club involved in the same competitions as Naomh Colmcille can simply refuse to field in any matches for the duration of the ban. If this action were taken by the ordinary club footballers in Donegal then I'd confidently predict the ban won't last longer than a week

downredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 567 - 24/04/2019 10:12:22    2180032