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Anti GAA Agenda

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "Hopefully without having to go into all the same old arguments again, question for UlsterRules and Magpie2 -

Which do you think is more important:
a) the players of today, who benefit from all the changes the split season has brought, and who continue to support it? Sole reason the CPA existed in the first place. GPA survey shows 89% of inter-county players support it. GPA survey also shows 92% of inter-county players favour an inter-county season of seven months or less.

or

b) the children of today, who may or may not be brought to an inter-county match in August or September, or who may or may not watch them on the telly?"
I would love to see the survey and how it was put to club and county players, Especially when traditionally 90% of all countys were knocked out of the intercounty championship by the end of July so could start the Club championship then.


For me I Would have the
National league from Jan to Mar
Championship from May to Aug (All Ireland last week of Aug)
Club League games played from May-Aug regardless of you missing an Inter Co player
Club Championship Sept to Oct
Everyone shut down for Nov

Remember as each week passes in the championship Counties are getting knocked out and the inter Co player returns to the club scene earlier.

I just don't like the condensed nature of GAA now, I beleive it will hurt the game in the long run

ulsterrules (Donegal) - Posts: 335 - 20/08/2026 14:43:16    2690632

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Replying To ulsterrules:  "Moving to other pro sports is blown up. Only AFL is a runner for GAA. Over the last 10 years on the mens side we have lost maybe 10 top players, in the womens game it is alot higher, this is mainly because the AFL started a pro league for women 10 years ago and did not have a track record of producing players to fill teams so the quick fix was to poach the Irish girls as the years pass this will slow down.

The biggest mistake the GAA have done in my opinion is giving up Aug/Sept to other sports. the next intercounty game a child will see on TV is Feb27, 6 months the kids will be watching other sports aspiring to be them and not our own GAA players"
Here's one for you too, as regards what sport that children or anyone else may watch on TV.

There were some complaints this year about how the All-Ireland Hurling Final "clashed" with the World Cup Final, despite the fact they were a few hours apart. No reason anybody couldn't watch both, even if they were at the hurling match. I was at the hurling myself and still managed to watch all the soccer live that night.

And that only comes around once every four years. But move the All-Ireland Finals back to September Sunday afternoons, and every single one of them will clash directly with "Super Sunday" on Sky Sports. The armchair viewer who could go either way could very well end up watching Liverpool v Arsenal or Man United v Chelsea instead of Limerick v Galway or Mayo v Kerry.

If you look at it that way, and if you're so concerned about wanting children to look at the All-Ireland Finals and dream, is it not better to have our Finals on at a time when there isn't something else that might tempt them away so easily?

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3890 - 20/08/2026 15:41:47    2690641

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Replying To ulsterrules:  "
Replying To Pikeman96:  "Hopefully without having to go into all the same old arguments again, question for <b>UlsterRules</b> and <b>Magpie2</b> - Which do you think is more important: a) the players of today, who benefit from all the changes the split season has brought, and who continue to support it? Sole reason the CPA existed in the first place. GPA survey shows 89% of inter-county players support it. GPA survey also shows 92% of inter-county players favour an inter-county season of seven months or less. or b) the children of today, who may or may not be brought to an inter-county match in August or September, or who may or may not watch them on the telly?"</div>I would love to see the survey and how it was put to club and county players, Especially when traditionally 90% of all countys were knocked out of the intercounty championship by the end of July so could start the Club championship then. For me I Would have the National league from Jan to Mar Championship from May to Aug (All Ireland last week of Aug) Club League games played from May-Aug regardless of you missing an Inter Co player Club Championship Sept to Oct Everyone shut down for Nov Remember as each week passes in the championship Counties are getting knocked out and the inter Co player returns to the club scene earlier. I just don't like the condensed nature of GAA now, I beleive it will hurt the game in the long run"
To be honest anyone that is out and about with players would not need to see results of a survey to know players like the new calendar. Players for example in Roscommon know their club championship is starting on the first weekend in August period. They don't want to be told it will be the first weekend in August "IF" the Rossies are out. Surely club players are entitled to this bit of certainty, in any case they have demanded it and have no inclination to go back. Ironically county boards who initially opposed the early finals have warmed to the certainty of their club seasons, especially fixtures secretaries.

sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 1179 - 20/08/2026 16:13:22    2690657

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Replying To ulsterrules:  "
Replying To Pikeman96:  "Hopefully without having to go into all the same old arguments again, question for <b>UlsterRules</b> and <b>Magpie2</b> - Which do you think is more important: a) the players of today, who benefit from all the changes the split season has brought, and who continue to support it? Sole reason the CPA existed in the first place. GPA survey shows 89% of inter-county players support it. GPA survey also shows 92% of inter-county players favour an inter-county season of seven months or less. or b) the children of today, who may or may not be brought to an inter-county match in August or September, or who may or may not watch them on the telly?"</div>I would love to see the survey and how it was put to club and county players, Especially when traditionally 90% of all countys were knocked out of the intercounty championship by the end of July so could start the Club championship then. For me I Would have the National league from Jan to Mar Championship from May to Aug (All Ireland last week of Aug) Club League games played from May-Aug regardless of you missing an Inter Co player Club Championship Sept to Oct Everyone shut down for Nov Remember as each week passes in the championship Counties are getting knocked out and the inter Co player returns to the club scene earlier. I just don't like the condensed nature of GAA now, I beleive it will hurt the game in the long run"
'I would love to see the survey and how it was put to club and county players, Especially when traditionally 90% of all countys were knocked out of the intercounty championship by the end of July so could start the Club championship then.'

You can't schedule club championships based on when your county might be out of the championship or schedule it with a couple of weeks notice because people make plans based on when the club championships are actually scheduled for.

A few more live games on television in August and September won't motivate many children to take up hurling or football. That's down to clubs or schools to get their parents motivated to start them going to training.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 8725 - 20/08/2026 16:14:36    2690658

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Replying To ulsterrules:  "
Replying To Pikeman96:  "Hopefully without having to go into all the same old arguments again, question for <b>UlsterRules</b> and <b>Magpie2</b> - Which do you think is more important: a) the players of today, who benefit from all the changes the split season has brought, and who continue to support it? Sole reason the CPA existed in the first place. GPA survey shows 89% of inter-county players support it. GPA survey also shows 92% of inter-county players favour an inter-county season of seven months or less. or b) the children of today, who may or may not be brought to an inter-county match in August or September, or who may or may not watch them on the telly?"</div>I would love to see the survey and how it was put to club and county players, Especially when traditionally 90% of all countys were knocked out of the intercounty championship by the end of July so could start the Club championship then. For me I Would have the National league from Jan to Mar Championship from May to Aug (All Ireland last week of Aug) Club League games played from May-Aug regardless of you missing an Inter Co player Club Championship Sept to Oct Everyone shut down for Nov Remember as each week passes in the championship Counties are getting knocked out and the inter Co player returns to the club scene earlier. I just don't like the condensed nature of GAA now, I beleive it will hurt the game in the long run"
You'd love to see the survey? It's all there in the article linked -> https://www.gaelicplayers.com/split-season-support-but-work-required-on-season-length-the-view-of-inter-county-players/

The players would definitely not agree to your plan as outlined above, the majority of inter county players only want to play for a max of 7 months, nearly a third want less than 7 months. And what about the poor club player, are they to stay hanging around until September for a championship to be played over 2 months... not even taking into account provincal / all ireland club championships. In past times, the quickest the Dublin GAA championship for example could be run off was 6 weeks... all rushed to accommodate the inter county, talk about an insult to the club player.

There's no good solutions so keep everyone happy, but the people that actually play the game are relatively happy and that's the only thing that matters.

Square_B (Leitrim) - Posts: 2340 - 20/08/2026 16:44:18    2690665

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