Levy plan approved Clubs vote to abandon annual GAA development draw

WICKLOW GAA’s development draw bit the dust at the last County Board meeting when 50 delegates voted in favour of the new levy system with 14 voting against.

After a lengthy discussion, Donard’s Peter Case said the proposal should be adopted but Carnew’s James ‘Bear’ Doran said that there should be a vote at least, and his comments were taken as a counter proposal.

With Mick Hagan acting as teller, the vote was taken and the proposal was swept into rule.

The discussion began with County Chairman Martin Coleman highlighting the fact that many clubs in the county were facing financial difficulties and that after meeting with and listening two those clubs, Colm Finnegan and Pat Doyle had brought forward this new proposal.

“We met a few clubs during the year that were in financial difficulties and one of the their main issues was the county development draw and how they intended to raise the money we request. So, the finance committee sat down and came up with new proposals and they put them to management last week and they’re here tonight for you to approve or reject them,” said Coleman.

“If these are accepted it means that our county development draw is gone. If these are rejected it means that our county development draw remains,” he added.

County treasurer Colm Finnegan, said that this new proposal would allow clubs to adopt their own fundraising plans.

“Having listened to clubs, not just this year, but over the last couple of years some clubs were finding it more and more difficult to sell their required quota of tickets and there have been other comments made as well,” said Colm. “So, Pat Doyle and myself sat down on several occasions and looked at how we might be able to alleviate the financial burden on the clubs and take into consideration, to my mind two things, one is that the draw provided money to the clubs and the County Board, a facility that is still required. And number two is that with this proposal, it will open the way for the clubs to decide how they are going to do their own fundraising.

“One of the issues we came across was that this interfered with their own fundraising efforts like a strictly come dancing or white collar boxing or whatever. They all wanted to have their own fundraisers in their own catchment areas and they were going to the same people time after time with €50 tickets, €25 tickets.

“The other thing is that the National Club Draw, held for the last two years, I think it’s fair to say has taken off and it has been embraced enthusiastically again this year. We’ve got a lot of clubs on board and looking for more tickets. They find them an easier sell,” he added.

Colm Finnegan was asked about the structure of the draw in terms of what each club is charged.

“We’ve structured it in relation to registrations but, as well as that, some clubs may have two teams registered but realistically they’ve only one so we take that into consideration as well,” he said.

One delegate said that the development draw was a major fundraiser for some clubs. Colm Finnegan replied that four or five years ago that was most certainly the case but that over the last year, with clubs becoming more proactive with their own fundraising, those clubs were now finding the development draw as a hindrance to those fundraising efforts.

Rathnew’s Laurence Ellis said that clubs were still going to have to go back to the same people for the money to pay for the proposed levy.

“You’re saying that we won’t have to go to the same people for €50 for the tickets but we’re going to have to go to them for €50 to pay for this levy. I mean, is there a finance committee in the county, because you won’t need them anymore, you just forward the bills to the clubs. We still have to raise this money. It’s working out at about €5,000 per team when you take insurance and all that into consideration.

Colm Finnegan said that Laurence Ellis’ own club, Rathnew, would be paying €1,500 less with the new proposal.

“But you were offering a prize,” retorted Laurence Ellis, “you were offering them a prize or a new car or something. What are you going to offer them now? This seems like a cop out by the County Board. Why don’t you send every bill to the clubs?”

“I don’t think it’s a cop out by the County Board,” replied Martin Coleman. “We have to look after our county teams, our county teams, Laurence, yours and I’s. We have to look after them as well,” he added.

“Other counties have a bit of initiative when it comes to fundraising,” said the Rathnew delegate.

“I’m sure they have,” said Martin Coleman. “Ask Kildare how much each club are paying? They surely have initiative, they’re paying about €7,500 (per club), the Senior clubs,” he added.

Pat Doyle said that it is getting expensive to be involved with teams but that some clubs in the county were struggling and that this proposal would result in a “massive saving” for them.

“We met with about 15 clubs last year that were really struggling. And for the 15 of them, this is a massive saving for them. I think the well organised clubs, they’re still getting hit, but I think it’s a much fairer social system. For Rathnew it’s €2,300 cheaper than under the draw last year. I think it’s a faired system for the smaller clubs, or the less organised clubs or whatever you want to call them. I think, unfortunately, the four or five clubs at the other end of the scale who are taking a hit, at the moment they can handle that,” he said.

Avondale’s Brendan Brady said that he supported Laurence Ellis’s point.

“There’s nothing in return for the clubs. At least if you were selling tickets and you have to hand over the money to the County Board and it’s organised and everything else, at least there’s a chance of a prize for the clubs.

“We had a race day. We let it go. Now we’re letting the draw go. I would support Laurence. There has to be some initiative,” he said.

“Just on that, Brendan,” interjected Martin Coleman. “We’re not letting it go. This is a proposal”.

“It’s your proposal to let it go. You sit back and do nothing,” said Brendan Brady.

“If you reject this the development draw remains. You are the people who decide, not us,” replied Martin Coleman.

County Treasurer Colm Finnegan informed the meeting that the profits for the County Board from the new levy would be about €4,000 to €5,000 less than the profit from the development draw but that the absence of the draw would allow the County Board to look into other fundraising efforts to fill the gap.

Rathnew’s Bobby Dignam wondered if the County Board had sat down and considered keeping the draw but lowering the ticket prices.

County Chairman Martin Coleman said that they had reduced the ticket prices from the original €100 price and that any further reductions would make the draw ineffective.

Avondale’s Brendan Brady criticised the County Board for the lack of marketing in connection to the annual draw. He said that there was quite a furore over it in the early days but that in latter years the marketing had fallen by the wayside.

“In fairness, Brendan, there was plenty of advertising done and the clubs all got posters,” said Martin Coleman.

Brendan Brady said that there had to be more done.

“That’s not enough. You have to have a night, a launch night, and market it a bit better. Even the results don’t be announced on local radio,” said Mr Brady.

“Well, local radio in the west, we can’t hear local radio,” said Martin Coleman.

“Get a bigger aerial,” said someone from the floor.

Pat Doyle disagreed with Brendan Brady over the lack of marketing. He said that on the night of the draw the winners and the results were published online and that the results were also published in the Wicklow People.

“It (the draw) were everywhere this year,” said Pat Doyle.

Several delegates agreed wholeheartedly with the new proposal saying that the main problem is clubs having to go back to the same people in the community over and over again for development draws, lotto and other fundraising projects and it was becoming increasingly difficult to sell the tickets.

The Coolboy delegate questioned the levy for his club at €1,250 when compared to the same levy for the likes of Kilcoole (which he used as an example).

“If you drove through Kilcoole and then drove through Coolboy, you’d be gone through Coolboy in the blink of an eye,” he said.

“There are more rich people in Coolboy,” quipped Martin Coleman.

Colm Finnegan highlighted the fact that it was always difficult to get a perfect levy system.

“You’re a one-team club,” said Colm Finnegan to the Coolboy delegate.

“So is Lacken, and they’re paying €750,” said the Coolboy delegate.

Pat Doyle said that the amount being charged to a club wasn’t only a reflection on the amount of teams in the club. “It’s the fairest social system we ever put in here for levies, based on everything that’s going on in clubs. If we thought for a second you couldn’t afford €1,250 you wouldn’t have got it,” said Pat Doyle.

The Hollywood delegate brought up the same issue saying that it seemed strange that his club was being charged the levy they were when clubs that might be considered “bigger” were paying less.

Martin Coleman said that Colm Finnegan and Pat Doyle had already addressed the issue and that there were a wide range of criteria used when coming up with the levy for each club.

“So you’re penalising the clubs who are working hard,” said the Hollywood delegate. “No,” said Martin Coleman. “You are,” shouted someone from the floor.

Pat Doyle was asked about how much of the outstanding monies owed by clubs in the county had still to be collected.

Pat Doyle informed the meeting that almost all the monies had been collected and that by the time of Convention the issue will most likely be resolved.

Peter Case said that this proposal should go through. Martin Coleman asked if there were any counter proposals and Carnew’s James Doran said that he thought that there should be a vote.

After some hullabaloo over counting votes and tellers and the likes the vote was taken and the levy proposal was voted in on a result of 50 to 14.

James Doran said he didn’t think Mick Hagan (the teller) hadn’t counted the votes correctly.

“I don’t think you counted them right. I’m Donald Trump, I’m not accepting that,” he said, to raucous laughter from around the room.

“Good man, Doran,” called someone from across the room.

And that concluded the discussion.