The GAA’s plan is actually pretty good

YOU know what the GAA have got this one pretty much spot on. In the last couple of weeks we’ve wondered if they were acting too much out of caution and maybe they were and maybe they are, but having read their roadmap, we’ve got to say we’re impressed. This is a sober, serious document that attempts to weigh risk and reward. It lays out sensible precautions and procedures that will have to be undertaken by every GAA club across the country to facilitate a return to some sort of normality.

Having read the guidelines we can understand why the Association first needs a couple of weeks lead in to get structures in place before reopening. You could argue that they might have been a little quicker getting these recommendations out there given that the original NPHET phase two proposal (as opposed to the current sped-up version) cited June 8 for a return to some sort of training, but at this stage what difference does a couple of weeks make? The GAA have put safety first and for that we have to give them all due credit.

None of this, by the way, is to say that there might not be issues with what has been proposed. We can’t imagine there will be too many people queuing up to take on the new Covid-19 officer positions, which are required under the GAA’s roadmap back to action.

That’s a lot of responsibility to put on any individual’s shoulders – ensuring health questionnaires are filled, carrying out temperature tests, sanitising equipment and facilities – but the GAA being what the GAA is people will step up to the plate out of a sense of responsibility and community. If the pandemic has proven anything, it’s that GAA people won’t be found wanting.

Another potential issue is a club versus county clash with inter-county managers hoping to get their hands on players before their allotted date, thereby interrupting the latter stages of county championship competitions. This probably could have been avoided if they’d gone with a return to inter-county action before club. Even so there’s not much out of the ordinary in there being a tug of war between county and club managers. There’s nothing new under the sun after all and, if anything, a good old-fashioned club v county tussle or two will only serve to give us that old familiar feeling we’ve been missing for far too long. It’s good to be (almost) back.