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Another Spectacular GAA PR Own Goal

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I understand the field in question is only leased by the club so it is not vested in the GAA and as result no rule was broken as the rule only applies to pitches owned by the GAA culmore (None) - Posts: 1398 - 25/04/2019 21:54:51 2180293 Link
The GAA is community based in every corner of our 32 counties/country. I am not concerned whether the area is rich in soccer as that is irrelevant. I also do not take kindly to other sports, soccer included where players get paid (and with little or no facilities) telling us how to run our organisation, however when one in our community is sick and needs help then the GAA politics/rules goes out the window and we do the decent thing and help our neighbour-is that not what we have been about over the last 100+ years. If we waited to get insurance for everything we did in life then we would not get out of bed. browncows (Meath) - Posts: 2342 - 26/04/2019 00:17:53 2180316 Link
Replying To MuckrossHead: "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: 1406 - 24/04/2019 07:40:18 I don't know whether to laugh or cry at this. Are memories so short that Congress agreed to run a crooked championship to keep the money rolling in?" I actually had a smile when I read that. royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 26/04/2019 09:31:48 2180333 Link
Replying To browncows: "The GAA is community based in every corner of our 32 counties/country. I am not concerned whether the area is rich in soccer as that is irrelevant. I also do not take kindly to other sports, soccer included where players get paid (and with little or no facilities) telling us how to run our organisation, however when one in our community is sick and needs help then the GAA politics/rules goes out the window and we do the decent thing and help our neighbour-is that not what we have been about over the last 100+ years. If we waited to get insurance for everything we did in life then we would not get out of bed." True. You nearly need insurance before you go to the jacks these days. Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9759 - 26/04/2019 10:45:09 2180344 Link
Tomsmith here Just to clear up a few points from my contact in St Johnstone / Lifford area I have read that this club Saint Colmcilless app;lied for permission to run this game to Donegal County Board ( DCB) and was refused.. This was appealed to Croke park who also refused permission. This club then went ahead and ran what is described as a soccer game on a GAA field, contrary to rule 6 ?? The DCB was left in a position of what to do , a very worthy fundraiser run by a club defying County Board and Croke Park. In stepped a Local Public figure who outlined his voluntary role in club development. Upsteps a local Journalist who was and may be the PRO for Donegal Soccer League who named the local beneficiary who the charity was run for . I just wonder is it an Anti Gaa rant that was started in a predominately Soccer strong hold. Perhaps the soccer fraternity would deal with its own National problems tomsmith (Cavan) - Posts: 4033 - 26/04/2019 11:15:18 2180354 Link
Very few League of Ireland players are fulltime professionals. Those that go beyond have backed their ability since their early teens, put any decent education to the side, to make it in bigger leagues where less than 1% will make it. A tough career choice. For shame the way the FAI treat part-time soccer players in the League of Ireland. Many sign in the the dole in the off season and work part time to play the game they love. I can never understand when so many kids are playing soccer, watching Premier League and Champions League and wearing the jersies that the League of Ireland isn't promoted better. FAI corruption/laziness the probable suspect. The IRFU are very good marketing their games. Going into non-rugby areas to promote the game in schools and above. Aldi and Lidl TV ads, not what many would consider to be the rugby market. GAA seem to market to GAA people not so concerned with attracting new participants and supporters. Where is the GAA PR? For me somewhere between soccer and rugby. If the FAI mess is actually fixed the soccer PR will improve. At club level smart people are on social media giving updates on training, games, upcoming draws, social event fundraisers because they depend on that revenue. They seem quite content at the top. A few concerts sell out, money for jam. Some championship games that don't sell out, a chance to make a few more quid to pass down to grassroots, won't bother them. Every summer, great, great doesn't describe them well enough, Cúlcamps. Very little mention in national media, county stars dropping in, a huge feel good factor, kids trying and loving the GAA that week but many drift off to other sports because no-one reminds them enough. It's not 1979. Amateur rugby, a few soccer games on ITV or BBC, no internet. GAA was king. GAA is still king but it needs to think more about how to attract new people and be be more open to them liking other sports. GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7978 - 26/04/2019 12:39:25 2180386 Link
It appears the biggest mistake here was the club asking for permission. Clubs up and down the country history non-GAA events without consequence. If the rule was enforced consistently for the year across all counties there would be a few handy county titles to be won Chipstix (Leitrim) - Posts: 7 - 26/04/2019 13:56:32 2180399 Link
The only thing spectacular about this nonsense is who is actually liable if a soccer player breaks his leg playing on a GAA pitch. I have a business I pay insurance but that insurance only covers activity associated with my business. I can tell you if a GAA club hosts a sporting event outside of GAA designated activity they are not covered for it. A fundraiser in the club's bar is covered because the bar is not GAA activity. However the pitch is for GAA activity only and clubs are only covered for GAA activity on the pitch (unless they pay more for it and then they don't avail of cheap collective GAA insurance). It is very simple a Tour guides insurance covers him for Tour guiding not driving the bus. So who stumped up the insurance for this event? People need to catch themselves on we live in a very litigious world and being ignorant of the law is no excuse it certainly is not an argument that can be used in court. If GAA clubs wish to host other sporting events - go ahead and build a pitch and insure that activity much as what Parnells GAA did in Dublin, built a Soccer GAA pitch and rent out to the AUL soccer league. arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4953 - 26/04/2019 15:11:54 2180425 Link
What they should have done is just played the game and admitted afterwards that neither team was very good at soloing. Job done. Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9759 - 26/04/2019 15:47:46 2180434 Link
Replying To arock: "The only thing spectacular about this nonsense is who is actually liable if a soccer player breaks his leg playing on a GAA pitch. I have a business I pay insurance but that insurance only covers activity associated with my business. I can tell you if a GAA club hosts a sporting event outside of GAA designated activity they are not covered for it. A fundraiser in the club's bar is covered because the bar is not GAA activity. However the pitch is for GAA activity only and clubs are only covered for GAA activity on the pitch (unless they pay more for it and then they don't avail of cheap collective GAA insurance). It is very simple a Tour guides insurance covers him for Tour guiding not driving the bus. So who stumped up the insurance for this event? People need to catch themselves on we live in a very litigious world and being ignorant of the law is no excuse it certainly is not an argument that can be used in court. If GAA clubs wish to host other sporting events - go ahead and build a pitch and insure that activity much as what Parnells GAA did in Dublin, built a Soccer GAA pitch and rent out to the AUL soccer league." I can see and understand the point your making and it is totally valid, but this decision has hardly anything to do with insurance by the GAA. Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 2320 - 26/04/2019 17:29:19 2180455 Link
A massive poster/billboard launch by the GAA & the current Uachtaran about community, belonging, respect, then we get the Naomh Colmcille punishment, followed by reading today how Mountmellick had to rearrange a brillant cross community initiative for a young man with a serious illness. The contradiction between the PR spin & the reality on the ground is laughable, shameful really. Uimhir.a.3. (Galway) - Posts: 409 - 27/04/2019 11:19:01 2180523 Link
Great quotes on rte website from "Clubman" Brendan Devenney who now is a Newtowncunningham man again, the club he left to play for another club a few miles in the road........... totalrecall (Leitrim) - Posts: 1060 - 27/04/2019 11:23:12 2180525 Link
Replying To Bon: "I can see and understand the point your making and it is totally valid, but this decision has hardly anything to do with insurance by the GAA." My understanding of the broken rule and the situation is it is completely insurance driven. WheresDeBallBag (Louth) - Posts: 458 - 27/04/2019 11:28:53 2180526 Link
Replying To WheresDeBallBag: "My understanding of the broken rule and the situation is it is completely insurance driven." Didn't hear this. Is it from a club source or your own deduction? I wonder if it were possible to get one off insurance for an event like this. Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3846 - 27/04/2019 11:39:21 2180527 Link
Replying To Donegalman: "Didn't hear this. Is it from a club source or your own deduction? I wonder if it were possible to get one off insurance for an event like this." It is possible to get insurance outside the GAA scheme (which is much cheaper), but an insurance company would require a letter from the GAA giving permission for the event. The GAA twice refused permission so no company would be able to insure this event. If a player was injured or a spectator fell ill, the club itself would be liable for damages and could be bankrupted, that is why we have these rules and that is why the club has its proposed penalty. fast_forward (Louth) - Posts: 45 - 27/04/2019 12:43:03 2180533 Link
Replying To fast_forward: "It is possible to get insurance outside the GAA scheme (which is much cheaper), but an insurance company would require a letter from the GAA giving permission for the event. The GAA twice refused permission so no company would be able to insure this event. If a player was injured or a spectator fell ill, the club itself would be liable for damages and could be bankrupted, that is why we have these rules and that is why the club has its proposed penalty." All correct & valid, but ignores the fact that the rule is broken every week in clubs, clubs who have representatives at the highest level, yet no action or punishment is taken. Uimhir.a.3. (Galway) - Posts: 409 - 27/04/2019 17:37:25 2180566 Link
Replying To Donegalman: "Didn't hear this. Is it from a club source or your own deduction? I wonder if it were possible to get one off insurance for an event like this." My own deduction based on the reported penalty. The penalty is specific to a rule which relates to particular situations. Of course you can look for insurance for anything but you might not get it. If a club wish to use a pitch belonging to a body outside of the gaa for training or a game they should get a letter from the GAA's insurers to indemnify the property owners. I imagine the same is possible and required by the GAA's insurers in the case of an event outside of the normal activity of the GAA with its own insurance policy. Its a shame that this nonsense restrains the good will of a community but the rule is there to protect the clubs and the organisation from the nasty letigous world we live in. WheresDeBallBag (Louth) - Posts: 458 - 27/04/2019 23:30:19 2180611 Link
Replying To GreenandRed: "Do you think there's no corruption in the GAA? Do issues in the FAI mean all is good with the GAA. There is something rotten at the top of the FAI no doubt, but plenty of great people involved with soccer, many involved with the GAA. The club OK'd this tournament so they should have been covered by insurance. County board saying rules wete broken shouldn't void any insurance claims. Soccer is very popular in Donegal. I don't know why it was held on GAA grounds but maybe the GAA might look more welcoming to participants of other sports. This is not just a PR mistake, this is the complete opposite of good PR and makes the Association look stupid." There is always two sides to a debate and I have given another side previously . The GAA are correct to protect their interests. Why do soccer pay their players and then are not able to provide playing facilities?-enough said of that. Why is their a need to play soccer in a GAA pitch which already provides playing facilities for football (male and female), hurling, camogie and rounders. No club has the right to ok a soccer match and expect insurance cover and anyone who knows anything about insurance cover should know that-maybe we should get the GAA to insure all our pitches for soccer play!, and maybe we should then start to pay them to play-is that the sort of logic you aspire to. Now saying plenty of people being involved in both codes is a good reason for giving the pitch makes even less sense. GAA clubs should never make their facilities available to soccer and that is the reason all our clubs are vested in the way the are. browncows (Meath) - Posts: 2342 - 28/04/2019 12:28:31 2180640 Link
Replying To Uimhir.a.3.: "All correct & valid, but ignores the fact that the rule is broken every week in clubs, clubs who have representatives at the highest level, yet no action or punishment is taken." How do you know it's broken everyday. There is plenty of ways to ensure correct insurance is in place to cater for differing communities needs. I doubt you are privy to the insurance details of all the Ltd community companies across the country. If you do maybe you should make the club involved aware of their issue or better yet help them put it right. WheresDeBallBag (Louth) - Posts: 458 - 28/04/2019 14:17:00 2180649 Link
Replying To DundalkGael: "My GAA club has Atheltics (Have had for 20 years) training on our pitch (clubhouse in winter) 4 times a week!" There is probably a lease in place or a letter from the AC insurers to indemnify the GAA. Your AC would have it's own insurance. WheresDeBallBag (Louth) - Posts: 458 - 28/04/2019 14:24:18 2180651 Link