Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
PLAYERS GONNA PLAY
GPA fully on board with restart say Croke chiefs
THE GAA insists that the Gaelic Players’ Association is fully on board with its return-to-play roadmap.
The 15-page document published on Friday plans for a resumption of club action on July 31 followed by inter-county games on October 17 after a seven-month lapse.
Members of the GAA’s COVID-19 Advisory Group insist the environment created for players at training will be “as safe as you are going to the shop”, with no testing planned.
“We think that, for players, following this protocol there is very minimal risk of picking up the virus at training sessions or indeed of transmitting it and we think, in fact, with the protocols that we have in place, the GAA will be one of the safest places for a player to be,” said group member Dr Kevin Moran.
In the initial stages at least, players will not use dressing rooms at all before or after training and Dr Moran allayed fears that that could lead to them carrying the virus back to their household.
He added: “We have studied the best medical practice, not alone for the GAA but from international professional sporting bodies, and the guidance seems to be the very same for all the organisations – the safest way to proceed is to tog out at home, put on a strapping at home, travel alone, don’t enter the premises apart from the toilet if necessary.
“Follow all the instructions on the pitch and then afterwards, to travel home alone and shower at home.
“In the meantime, while at the pitch to wash hands on the way in.
If thought necessary, there will be a sanitiser at the pitch in the car park at the entrance to the pitch, at pitchside and to wash hands at any time that is thought necessary.
“We would not think that there is any increased risk of transmitting the virus by going home and showering at home.”
GPA chief executive Paul Flynn (below) is also a member of a group and in a circular to players in April he said: “I can assure you that we will not countenance a situation arising where players are asked to put themselves or their families and loved ones at undue risk.
“Your health and safety are non-negotiable.”
However, GAA director general
Tom Ryan said there has been full buy-in from the players’ body on the roadmap. He commented: “There has been intense contact with the GPA. Paul Flynn joined us on the advisory group, looking specifically at training, and contributed fully to the discussions.
“In an informal way as well, we’ve had extensive contact with the GPA over the last number of weeks, on every different dilemma. It’s fair to say the views of county players have been represented.” There is potential for the waters to be muddied for the GAA given the fact that it covers two different jurisdictions in Ireland, with the rate of reproduction of the virus – the R number – higher north of the border.
However, as with virtually everything, the GAA says it will be making decisions on public health advice. GAA president
John Horan said: “The R number has been provided to us by public health as a guideline, so we have an understanding.
“In relation to R numbers, I wouldn’t envisage the GAA making decisions on the basis of R numbers, those decisions will be made by public health.
“And should there be a cluster within a club, then the appropriate health authority in either jurisdiction will make the correct decision for everybody in that club and give advice with regard to the surrounding areas as well.
“These are areas that will be for public health to decide, not for the GAA.
“We are in the business of minimising risk and everybody acknowledges that until such time as there is a vaccine or an anti-viral, risk cannot be eliminated completely, but at this point in time, the public health guidelines we have is that the risk is minimal.”
Should there be a cluster within a club then the appropriate health authority in either jurisdiction will make the calls