MICHEAL CLIFFORD ON GAA’S LOVE-IN
The GAA’s embarrassing ‘manifesto’ reads like the lyrics of a Chris De Burgh love song and will go down as a colossal waste of time, effort and money...
‘WHAT THE GAA NEEDS IS ACTION RATHER THAN SOFT WORDS’
IN a week when one sports association could not find its tongue, another was happy to sing for Ireland. As John Delaney and the FAI stonewalled, John Horan and the GAA stood in front of one in Bettystown in Co Meath and unveiled their manifesto. Thing is, when all was tortuously said and done, we are not sure if we were any more informed than Imelda Munster, the Sinn Féin TD, who showed us that you don’t always have to get an answer to nail the truth when suggesting Delaney’s silence spoke volumes.
Meanwhile, the GAA spoke plenty but said little.
The ‘manifesto’, which if you ever get around to reading and deciphering – the manic design is only half the challenge – when it comes to a club wall near you, reads like a Chris De Burgh love song, so sugary sweet that you are not sure whether to laugh or cry.
‘We belong not because of who we are or where we come from, being here means belonging, belonging means knowing that you’re part of a community that has a place for all, where potential is nurtured, where individuals become teams who honour the legacy of those who went before and strive to build a legacy of their own.
‘Some of us play, some of us used to play, some of us never played.
‘We all belong, belonging means having a voice, means being able to say what you think is right being listened to...’
Ah, stop… it is hard not to beg, just like Delaney did this week, for the sweet relief of a comfort break.
There is a great line from the writer Ambrose Bierce, who describes such smug monologues as ‘a thought that snores in words.’
That being the case, this manifesto should not come framed on a wall but swaddled in a duvet with a hot water bottle attached to ensure that it is left to snore its head off in comfort.
But here’s the thing, this was not penned on the back of a piece of treacle paper after a vat of red wine had been consumed in front of an open fire while listening to the collected works of De Burgh.
No, this is the result, we were informed by the GAA this week, of ‘in-depth research conducted over the past 12 months among 8,000 people into what the GAA really means to them in modern-day Irish life.’
While it is understandable that whoever came up with this sugared nonsense might like to share the blame, what really bothers is that Croke Park invested time, effort and money into this.
There is absolutely nothing untrue in any of what has been proclaimed, but for pity’s sake this does not address the challenge which faces the GAA’s grassroots.
Prior to this week’s proclamation, clubs were not addled by their corner-back ringing the secretary in the middle of the night enquiring as to whether his craving for
belonging was being delivered by the club.
On the other hand, there is a fair chance that the club secretary might receive a less philosophical query, such as: ‘when the f**k are we playing championship again.’
And does it not seem odd that the GAA need to survey 8,000 people – God knows what questions they were asked and we don’t really want to know on the basis of the answers provided – when multiples of that number joined the Club Players Association (CPA) when the GAA had failed them in providing a proper and practical fixture schedule.
Belonging has never been the issue, and neither has the sense of community identity which the GAA facilitates like no one else, but they don’t need a plaque on the wall to tell them that. What they need is action rather than soft words.
The kind of action which would provide the CPA with the same kind of official recognition afforded to the GPA, delivering on a blank canvas review of the master fixture schedule and overseeing the allocation of central funds to ensure all are treated equally and fairly.
The irony is that the GAA only has to look at one of its own committees this week, to realise that slogans are no substitute for action.
The Central Hearings Committee dished out 44 weeks worth of suspensions in total to Carlow manager Turlough O’Brien, coach Stephen Poacher and midfielder Brendan Murphy. The Carlow trio were deemed to have used ‘threatening behaviour’ towards Cork referee James Bermingham at the end of last month’s League defeat to Down.
In fact, the CHC even raised O’Brien’s ban from 16 to 20 weeks, no doubt after viewing video footage of the incident and, in the process, hammered home the clearest of messages that it will do what is necessary to ensure that respect is shown to its officials.
There is no guarantee it will work – after all the action taken against Carlow brings the total number of suspensions dispensed by the GAA this season for threatening or abusive behaviour to referees to seven – but they have done enough to show that they are deadly serious.
They have tried the softly, softly approach with the ‘Give Respect, Get Respect’ campaign, but as well intentioned as that slogan was, it was hardly heeded last winter when lawlessness and spite reared its head time and again.
There is a reason for that as words without actions usually means that you really have nothing to say.
This week with one hand the GAA chose action over words.
With the other they rolled the opposite way by releasing a document that reeked of something you might have to clean up after a bull goes for a comfort break.