Horan’s Congress vow to club game
LOOKS like John Horan is going to quell any grassroots revolt with kindness.
In his inaugural address after being officially installed as the GAA’s 39th president, he revealed that a National Club Committee is to be established, a body perhaps to take the sting out of the Club Players Association that has a 25,000 membership unhappy with the current weighting between club and county.
Playing down talk of a ‘disconnect’ between grassroots and Croke Park, it was interesting that he announced a National Club Forum will take place.
This all came after an afternoon when the CPA locked horns again with officialdom in the shape of a motion for transparency in terms of voting procedures at annual congress. If there was one debate when the temperature in the room rose on Saturday afternoon, it came with the motion from Wexford club St Mary’s, Rosslare, home of Liam Griffin, the Wexford All-Ireland winning manager and Club Players Association fixtures co-ordinator. It proposed that each delegate’s vote on all motions at Congress shall be recorded and published in the minutes thereafter.
Framed by proposer Griffin as a motion for greater accountability and transparency, he said it was ‘the GAA being mature and responsible’ adding: ‘What is there to be afraid of?’ Quite an amount, it seems. Cork chairperson Tracey Kennedy said she found the thrust of it ‘a little disturbing’ while European GAA’s Tony Bass echoed the view that delegates should operate as is on the basis of ‘respect and trust’.
After delegates rounded on the CPA last year when a bid for official recognition was ultimately withdrawn against a chorus of dissent, this CPA-sponsored motion was heavily defeated with 83 per cent against.
Horan wasn’t surprised by the result in that respect.
He also targeted a review of the development squad system with a view again of tilting the balance back in favour of clubs. ‘I don’t think people are acting out of malice but some people are getting carried away with their own self-importance with some of the training sessions. Young lads should be dipping in and out of county squads.’
As he put it: ‘Elitism is a threat to our amateur status.’
He also revealed that a new three-year Strategic Vision and Action Plan will be unveiled in April and that Páraic Duffy’s successor as director general will be approved at a Central Council meeting at the end of March before being announced.
In motion terms, the headline news at a low-key Congress was the decision to bring in a ban on betting sponsorship.
‘We’ve taken the lead out of pure social responsibility,’ said Horan.
Delegates voted by a 93-7 per cent majority to ban ‘sponsorship by a betting company of any competition, team, playing gear or facility’. At a time when the association’s values are under the spotlight with criticisms of an over-emphasis on commercial activity and high finance, it was an important statement and one that sets it apart from its main sporting rivals.
‘The whole movement of betting into credit cards, phones, that sort of thing, is exposing people in a far great way,’ added the Na Fianna clubman.
‘In fairness, the GPA and our own Health and Well-Being [Committee] are working hard on trying to help people. It’s worse than an alcohol problem. An alcohol problem, people will fall down. A betting problem can wipe families out.’
Former Galway dual player Alan Kerins outlined how over 100 members of the Gaelic Players Association had accessed the counselling services for this very problem.
Currently, no county team is sponsored by a betting company but some clubs and county boards have local arrangements. Multiple All-Ireland football champions Crossmaglen Rangers remain the most high-profile, sponsored by Bar One Racing. They will be allowed to continue until existing contracts run out.
What chance on other sporting organisations on the island following suit?