Just read an article that to me has just shown the massive gap in resources between counties and also the amount of money in the game.

Mayo have spent €210k since November, just on their intercounty teams.

Last year Wicklow spent €277k on their intercounty teams for a whole year.

Mayo were ranked only 16th in the amount of money spent last year.

Here's my question, what other "amateur" sport in the world can 1) have teams such spending in excess of €1.25 million in their teams.
2) have such a massive inequality in terms of funding and resources between teams that are ultimately trying to win the same competitions? It ridiculous.

The fact of the matter is that there are plenty of people making a lot of money off of a sport where the players (outside of maybe 7/8 teams) are getting absolutey nothing out of playing the sport. I cant think of any other amatuer team sport that bears anything like the inequality of the GAA.

Something needs to be done, be it capping the amount of money that can be put into county teams to level the playing field or starting to pay players a set amount across the country per training session, the money is there and I'd like to see players benefitting from it rather than someone who's sitting on the Leinster Council for example

Victorious87 (Wicklow) - Posts: 601 - 14/03/2016 15:32:28    1834717

Completely agree. The amateur ethos is wheeled out whenever it suits, and cast aside when it doesn't. Frankly, I say anyone who isn't getting paid is foolish.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 14/03/2016 15:48:38    1834728

Its amateur in the sense that the players do not get paid. That is largely true(with the exception of New York players!)

The cost of running a county setup is a totally different story. The GAA doesn't hide the fact it employs full time professionals.

Close thread?

republican (Sligo) - Posts: 348 - 14/03/2016 15:52:55    1834730

I've genuinely always been proud of the GAA's amateur ethos, I've invariably seen a nobility in it, that hasn't always been appreciated. But I'm starting to think that its no longer viable, and no longer fair. How can it be, when administrators and others are making so much out of the game, and players still get squat? When you have GAA presidents getting a salary reimbursement of 160,000 euro's a year, and players of the year just getting a holiday and nice trophy, something stinks. If everyone is volunteering, then its amateur. If the top brass are getting paid, but the guys actually who put bums on seats get diddly, then it's closer to slavery than amateurism. Well, slavery might be overstating it, but a royal rip of some persuasion.

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 14/03/2016 16:38:58    1834750

Insurance, travel costs, hotels, food, equipment etc etc....it all has t be paid for so how the hell can the GAA stay amuteur? Have a look at the running costs of your local club and you'll soon see how easy it is to burn money...only for the volunteers the GAA would collapse in the morning.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11540 - 14/03/2016 16:56:58    1834760

Yes yew_tree that's not the point I'm making, the point I was making is that how can Mayo spend nearly as much as Wicklow did last year after 5 league matches? It's not the players being looked after I have an issue with its the inequality that exists between the haves and have nots in a so called amatuer sport

Victorious87 (Wicklow) - Posts: 601 - 14/03/2016 17:33:49    1834786

I've genuinely always been proud of the GAA's amateur ethos, I've invariably seen a nobility in it, that hasn't always been appreciated. But I'm starting to think that its no longer viable, and no longer fair. How can it be, when administrators and others are making so much out of the game, and players still get squat? When you have GAA presidents getting a salary reimbursement of 160,000 euro's a year, and players of the year just getting a holiday and nice trophy, something stinks. If everyone is volunteering, then its amateur. If the top brass are getting paid, but the guys actually who put bums on seats get diddly, then it's closer to slavery than amateurism. Well, slavery might be overstating it, but a royal rip of some persuasion.

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts:1349 - 14/03/2016 16:38:58 1834750

Back that up with facts! Who is making so much???

Do you actual realise that if you sign up to be president you give up 4 years of your life and are never home?

You talk of slavery??? Do you have any clue or are just one of these mouths that simply follows the ramble without actually delving into the reality? Some people are paid a salary because they are in functions that require full time effort and the respectability to go with it. These people are GAA people not some free loaders joining up to make the fortune you claim

A more stupid post I do not think we will see this year.

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 14/03/2016 17:40:13    1834796

Well, snap, because yours is the most stupid reply I've ever gotten to a post, so there's a pair of us. First, I rolled back on on the slavery jibe in the same very post, I used it as a contrast to the term 'amateruism' to make a point. Point missed I guess, I'll try to contain my shock.
Then you say:
"Back that up with facts! Who is making so much???"
http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/cooney-defends-presidential-pay-152683.html
Maybe 160,000 euro's isn't alot to you, but its alot to the rest of us

Then you say:
"Do you actual realise that if you sign up to be president you give up 4 years of your life and are never home?"
Back THAT up with facts. What kind of life do inter-county players have? Do you think its an easy commitment? Do you not think the commitment required to compete at intercounty level is life consuming, and beyond what any amateur player, any where else in the world, would give? Delve into reality yourself.

Then you say:
"Some people are paid a salary because they are in functions that require full time effort and the respectability to go with it."
Respectability? I don't know about you, but I find what inter-county players do to be pretty respectable. And time consuming. Life consuming. I know that of all the jobs I've had since my mid 20's, none of them would have facilitated the lifestyle required from an inter-county player. And who fills stadiums? Who ultimately earns the money for the association? Who's role is ultimately more important? No contest for me, but maybe thats because I've 'delved into reality'. Sigh.

And then you outdo yourself with:
"These people are GAA people not some free loaders joining up to make the fortune you claim"
Please point out in my original post, WHERE did I say anyone in the GAA were free loaders, or that they join up just to make money. Where did I say that?

I guess its the season for ridiculous posts in general.

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 14/03/2016 18:52:03    1834834

Can the Gaa really call itself amateur?
Just read an article that to me has just shown the massive gap in resources between counties and also the amount of money in the game.
Mayo have spent €210k since November, just on their intercounty teams.
Last year Wicklow spent €277k on their intercounty teams for a whole year.
Mayo were ranked only 16th in the amount of money spent last year.
Here's my question, what other "amateur" sport in the world can 1) have teams such spending in excess of €1.25 million in their teams.
2) have such a massive inequality in terms of funding and resources between teams that are ultimately trying to win the same competitions? It ridiculous.
The fact of the matter is that there are plenty of people making a lot of money off of a sport where the players (outside of maybe 7/8 teams) are getting absolutey nothing out of playing the sport. I cant think of any other amatuer team sport that bears anything like the inequality of the GAA.
Something needs to be done, be it capping the amount of money that can be put into county teams to level the playing field or starting to pay players a set amount across the country per training session, the money is there and I'd like to see players benefitting from it rather than someone who's sitting on the Leinster Council for example
Victorious87 (Wicklow) - Posts:382 - 14/03/2016 15:32:28 Its still amateur and the support services for any top level team will be considerably high especially considering the effort players are putting in. They'll need top level docs, physios etc etc
Its a way of life that the bigger, stronger teams will be spending more. How do you stop inequality in finance?
How are the players outside the top 7/8 teams getting nothing from playing the sport.
How do you cap spending? What do you decide to put a cap on and what not to cap?
How do you cap each training session?

I've genuinely always been proud of the GAA's amateur ethos, I've invariably seen a nobility in it, that hasn't always been appreciated. But I'm starting to think that its no longer viable, and no longer fair. How can it be, when administrators and others are making so much out of the game, and players still get squat? When you have GAA presidents getting a salary reimbursement of 160,000 euro's a year, and players of the year just getting a holiday and nice trophy, something stinks. If everyone is volunteering, then its amateur. If the top brass are getting paid, but the guys actually who put bums on seats get diddly, then it's closer to slavery than amateurism. Well, slavery might be overstating it, but a royal rip of some persuasion.
Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts:1349 - 14/03/2016 16:38:58GAA president is a full time role that deserves remuneration and considering to take on the role the person has to take leave from their existing job should they not get the same money as they would get in their normal job?
The GAA president takes on a full time job for 3 years and is to be expected to work for free. That's nonsense.
The person who becomes President of the association will have spent a lifetime working as an amateur in the association making sacrifices like any player does and they have to take secondment from their job so of course they deserve remuneration.
The GAA president isn't a volunteer and its bat shit crazy to talk about slavery in this situation

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 14/03/2016 18:55:50    1834836

ormondbannerman (Clare)
The GAA president takes on a full time job for 3 years and is to be expected to work for free. That's nonsense.
Where is my post did I say the President should work for free?

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 14/03/2016 19:10:40    1834844

ormondbannerman(Clare)
The GAA president takes on a full time job for 3 years and is to be expected to work for free. That's nonsense.
Where is my post did I say the President should work for free?
Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts:1352 - 14/03/2016 19:10:40You said something stinks in relation to the GAA President getting 160'000 a year and players getting nothing. Nothing stinks about that. GAA President is head of an association with around a million members worldwide and has so much to do in that role. That they only get 160000 is very lucky as they easily should get more.

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 14/03/2016 20:31:58    1834893

Ormondbannerman

It's a way of professional sports life that the better, stronger teams get more finance, there should not be that much of a difference in funding in an amatuer sport.

How do you cap spending? Easily, say the max any county can spend on their teams is maybe 700k, that is more than enough to look after 3 teams (u18,21,senior) include the luxuries of say warm weather training camps, nutritionists etc. Now I'm not in favour of that happening because the likes of Dublin and Mayo are earning their money and looking after their players, I'm just pointing out it could easily be done.

What I Would prefer is that the GAA look at the money that a county gets in sponsorship and if it's over a certain cut off point then their funding from Croke Park is cut and the excess spread around counties that can't attract massive sponsers or overseas support groups.

Victorious87 (Wicklow) - Posts: 601 - 14/03/2016 20:42:05    1834902

Funny but those who are looking to pay players have yet to post on the " How involved with the GAA are you ? " thread , now why am I not surprised.

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 14/03/2016 21:00:25    1834913

You said something stinks in relation to the GAA President getting 160'000 a year and players getting nothing.
Yeah, and you read that as the President should work for free, but that's not what I said. And if you had read my entire post, you would have seen that I opened by saying that I appreciated the amateur ethos, and was proud of it in many ways, but that it might not be viable any longer, or fair. That's the opposite of saying people should work for free.

Nothing stinks about that. GAA President is head of an association with around a million members worldwide and has so much to do in that role. That they only get 160000 is very lucky as they easily should get more.
I imagine we just come from different backgrounds. To some, 160000 euro's is a small amount. To others, its astronomical. For what its worth, I don't begrudge the president some sort of renumeration. But as for who deserves what...
Who's backs and chests carry sponsor logo's? The players.
Who do 82,000 people pay into Croke Park to see play? The players.
What do Sky pay to cover? Live coverage of GAA congress? No. the games. the players.
What do people pay for GAAGO for? I think you can guess.
Who ultimately makes the money to pay everyone's wages? The players.
Who doesn't get paid? The players

Of course its not slavery, that was hyperbole on my part used to make a point. Clumsily. But expecting the people who ultimately make the money to make do with a holiday and some travel expenses, while others are renumerated with 6 figure sums, I don't think thats viable in the long term. But maybe I'm alone in that assertion

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 14/03/2016 21:01:15    1834915

Ormondbannerman
It's a way of professional sports life that the better, stronger teams get more finance, there should not be that much of a difference in funding in an amatuer sport.
How do you cap spending? Easily, say the max any county can spend on their teams is maybe 700k, that is more than enough to look after 3 teams (u18,21,senior) include the luxuries of say warm weather training camps, nutritionists etc. Now I'm not in favour of that happening because the likes of Dublin and Mayo are earning their money and looking after their players, I'm just pointing out it could easily be done.
What I Would prefer is that the GAA look at the money that a county gets in sponsorship and if it's over a certain cut off point then their funding from Croke Park is cut and the excess spread around counties that can't attract massive sponsers or overseas support groups.
Victorious87 (Wicklow) - Posts:383 - 14/03/2016 20:42:05Don't be so naïve. Amateur sport will always have teams with significant differences in financial backing as well as differences in standards. Its not easy at all to cap spending and if Counties are earning more and putting the money into development then why is that an issue? Its not money spent on player wages. Its going on development of the game.
A county deserves the same amount of money as anyone else based on its size/playing numbers and if bigger counties can earn more outside that then you cant really stop that. How else is there to be progress then?
You said something stinks in relation to the GAA President getting 160'000 a year and players getting nothing.
Yeah, and you read that as the President should work for free, but that's not what I said. And if you had read my entire post, you would have seen that I opened by saying that I appreciated the amateur ethos, and was proud of it in many ways, but that it might not be viable any longer, or fair. That's the opposite of saying people should work for free.
Nothing stinks about that. GAA President is head of an association with around a million members worldwide and has so much to do in that role. That they only get 160000 is very lucky as they easily should get more.
I imagine we just come from different backgrounds. To some, 160000 euro's is a small amount. To others, its astronomical. For what its worth, I don't begrudge the president some sort of renumeration. But as for who deserves what...
Who's backs and chests carry sponsor logo's? The players.
Who do 82,000 people pay into Croke Park to see play? The players.
What do Sky pay to cover? Live coverage of GAA congress? No. the games. the players.
What do people pay for GAAGO for? I think you can guess.
Who ultimately makes the money to pay everyone's wages? The players.
Who doesn't get paid? The players
Of course its not slavery, that was hyperbole on my part used to make a point. Clumsily. But expecting the people who ultimately make the money to make do with a holiday and some travel expenses, while others are renumerated with 6 figure sums, I don't think thats viable in the long term. But maybe I'm alone in that assertion
Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts:1353 - 14/03/2016 21:01:15160'000 is a lot of money. You assumed that I don't think it is. Complete misunderstanding of what I said. Of course its a large sum but the GAA is a large organisation. Head of GAA is head of an organisation with how many employees, its a national governing body etc etc. If you don't have the President and the hierarchy working in the background then the support services around the players fall apart and then the players and everyone else loses out.

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 14/03/2016 21:58:49    1834937

Funny but those who are looking to pay players have yet to post on the " How involved with the GAA are you ? " thread , now why am I not surprised.
Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts:3109 - 14/03/2016 21:00:25 I haven't posted as apart from supporting my clubs senior hurling team and watching the odd game in their grounds which is just up the road from my house. Im not involved as I don't like many of the hierarchy in my club because of the way myself, my brother and father were treated when we were members. My brother was a county standard gaelic player yet was treated like shite because we were outsiders, didn't grow up in the parish etc etc

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 14/03/2016 21:59:20    1834938

Marlon you statement was 'How can it be, when administrators and others are making so much out of the game'

You have yet to back this up with anything other than objecting to the President be paid. Only example is the President gets 160K a year for more than a full time job.

So who is making so much money in the GAA?? Who??? Starting naming names or be quiet

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 15/03/2016 10:02:29    1834973

Ormond, you are right, the president is a full time roll.

I bet he doesn't put in a fraction of the time players or management put in though...

They are all full time roles, our players are effectively moonlighting for free. If the president can get paid, then so should those guys. Similarly, if the amateur ethos applies for them, it should for the president etc too.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 15/03/2016 10:02:44    1834974

Ormond, you are right, the president is a full time roll.

I bet he doesn't put in a fraction of the time players or management put in though...

They are all full time roles, our players are effectively moonlighting for free. If the president can get paid, then so should those guys. Similarly, if the amateur ethos applies for them, it should for the president etc too.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts:15137 - 15/03/2016 10:02:44 1

This statement is based on what?? I think it is based on the same values of Marlon....been negative about the GAA in the in thing.

I remember seeing the figures somewhere for the time away from, the KMs per etc for the President, but cannot find.

And remember the GAA Presidents salary is based on the job he left, there is no fixed rate

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 15/03/2016 10:56:03    1834998

Ormond, you are right, the president is a full time roll.
I bet he doesn't put in a fraction of the time players or management put in though...
They are all full time roles, our players are effectively moonlighting for free. If the president can get paid, then so should those guys. Similarly, if the amateur ethos applies for them, it should for the president etc too.
TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts:15137 - 15/03/2016 10:02:44 What are you basing the time the GAA president spends in the roll(sic) on? I would easily bet that the president spends more time than players on official duties for the GAA and considering the GAA president has to take leave of absence from their job to take on the role of president should they not be compensated for that?
Players are still working full time or are students. That the President gets paid doesn't mean players should be
The President role is a full time job for 3 years that is not the case with players

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 15/03/2016 11:53:19    1835028