GAA clubs ‘fighting like cats and dogs’

January 2000

The race to secure underage GAA plyers in Wexford town was likened to ‘a pack of young ones fighting over fellows at a disco’ by a delegate to the annual convention of Bord na nÓg Loch Garman in the Ferrycarrig Hotel on Monday last.

Wexford District Secretary, James Flood, claimed that gaelic football clubs in the town are ‘fighting like cats and dogs over players’, in the course of discussion of a motion tabled by the Faythe Harriers club.

And he had the attendance in stitches when he added that players were talking about ‘going to high courts, low courts, and in between courts’ if their transfer applications weren’t granted. ‘We’ll be worse than Martin Cahill (The General) up in Dublin if we keep going this way,’ he added.

Last year, the Clonard club were successful in tabling a motion to the underage GAA convention which stated that players in the urban area were obliged to remain with their first club up to and including the under-16 age bracket. The motion came into effect on January 1 last, but Faythe Harriers attempted to have it rescinded at Monday’s convention.

Paud Browne, of Faythe Harriers, said that the rule discriminates against players under the age of 16. ‘They are being denied a transfer that an older player could get. It would be an interesting legal case if someone decided to pursue it.’

However, Joe Brennan of Clonard replied that somebody under 16 might also like to drive a car, but they are not allowed to do that until they are older either.

Following further discussion, the bid by Faythe Harriers to have Clonard’s motion rescinded was lost on a show of hands.