Rural clubs feeling the strain with lack of young players

THE FLIGHT from rural areas of Wexford has been put in stark perspective for G.A.A. clubs in the county with the recent release of fixtures for under-age championship games. Many parishes in the county can no longer field teams at that level, with the number of amalgamated clubs on the increase.

Indeed, this has become so prevalent this year, that one fears for the future of the G.A.A. in the rural parish, so long portrayed as the bedrock of its activities.

Is this a warning signal for the Association? The club is no longer what we knew, or expected it to be, since far too many are not alone struggling on the playing pitches, but also with ever-increasing fundraising efforts, just to keep them afloat.

Yes, many clubs, on the increase each year, are experiencing a real player problem, so much so that the parish rule is quickly evaporating as a result.

This year we have seen the introduction of Under-20 along with Under-17 age structures, replacing Under-21 and Under-18, which served the G.A.A. so well for generations.

On the basis of amalgamated clubs, while the Under-17 championship has been delayed with the recent weather, the number of players registered in this grade must be dramatically on the decrease.

But from personal observation, the Under-20 grade has got off to a very shaky start, given the struggle clubs have experienced in fielding teams for their opening round games.

On the basis of having attended two rounds of the Under-20 football championship, I was left with little difficulty in forming an opinion as to the huge problems facing rural clubs.

In the opening round, St. Anne’s (Rathangan) mustered 17 players while Blackwater had 16, but the second round really threw a damning light on the real problems given that Dunbrody Gaels (Horeswood and St. James’), and Forth and Bargy Gaels (St. Mary’s Rosslare, Our Lady’s Island and St. Fintan’s) could only gather together 15 players apiece, with neither side having an available substitute.

The startling statistic is that Forth and Bargy Gaels, with the pick of three clubs, could only muster 15 players for a championship game. Those opening two rounds produced a shocking sign of the dilemma facing the G.A.A. in rural parishes.

This, in turn, will lead to major problems at adult levels outside the major centres of population in the medium term.

Given the plight of so many clubs, the County Board has taken a surprising route in turning the Under-20 football championship into a ‘two-tier’ competition as far as rules governing the competition are concerned, which in turn makes a mockery of a new structure brought in to promote the game and alleviate the clash with adult fixtures.

The County Board has decided that clubs, between themselves, may agree to play 13-a-side games in order to fulfil fixtures. But the County Chairman stressed, however, that this should only occur in the group phase and that clubs would be expected to field full 15-man teams for knockout matches.

This is one way of addressing a crisis but is it really what the G.A.A. wants? And what about the paying public, although it must be stressed that there appeared to be no gate collections for the games I attended?

It’s not only a player crisis facing many clubs, but now many believe that the financial demands are also beginning to impact on clubs.

Clubs have now been informed by the G.A.A. Insurance Officer in Croke Park that due to an increase in claims, the costs of the insurance scheme have increased by 46%, while it is likely that future determinations will be made on a club-by-club basis.

The clubs did marvellously well to come through the recession and falling revenues to cope with the difficulties in their everyday activities, but they are now becoming increasingly concerned with the heavy financial burden being placed on them.

Clubs are striving not just to contain their debt burden but to erase it, so it’s critical that such instances are kept to a minimum.

For the organisation as a whole it’s important that the financial burden does not impact on the playing structure of the club, with committees devoted to ways and means of coping with their finances at the expense of player development.