Rank-and-file owed an explanation for loss of elite status

GOOD LUCK to anyone who was searching for an upbeat GAA person brimming with positivity in recent days. I’d imagine that species was particularly endangered by the bolt from the blue whereby the elite status which facilitated last year’s inter-county programme was somehow lost.

As I write, speculation is increasing that it may be restored over the coming days, but at what price to the sanity of players, officials and supporters?

If this does, indeed, come to pass, and it’s what we all desire, people will be entitled to wonder what the initial bombshell and subsequent upset was all about.

At a time when everyone is on edge, surely it could have been handled in a less sensationalist manner by the powers-that-be on both sides.

Let’s re-cap to December 19, and the completion of the All-Ireland series. I don’t recall it being uttered at any stage that the special exemption afforded to the GAA drew to a close with the final whistle that signalled Dublin’s sixth football title in succession.

And when one considers that Croke Park quickly issued a fixtures list for 2021, with a planned start date of February 27 for the Allianz Leagues, it’s safe to assume they weren’t aware that the arrangement had expired either.

That leads me to ask another obvious question. When those details were published, why didn’t anybody from the political side contact the GAA to inform them they had jumped the gun?

Given that the Taoiseach has a son playing in goal with the Cork footballers, it seems bizarre to me that the Government didn’t intervene when dates were set for games that we were told only recently couldn’t take place as originally outlined.

Of course, that February 27 start had been cast aside one way or another by that stage, but that’s not the point.

There was a long timespan in between the GAA announcing its fixture schedule for 2021, and news emerging that elite status was lost.

And the rank-and-file members want to know more than anything else, what went on behind the scenes during that void?

I also believe using the word ‘elite’ in a sporting context was an erroneous choice, and has only led to back-biting and an endless crossfire between the GAA, rugby and soccer communities.

Why couldn’t they have been more specific this time, and stated that only professional and semi-professional sport was granted an exemption? That would have ended a lot of the sniping, or at least made it crystal clear that GAA activity couldn’t go ahead.

Instead, we have this continuous use of ‘elite’ which, by definition, refers to ‘a select group that is superior in terms of ability or qualities to the rest of a group or society’.

Let’s look at a potential scenario, purely as an example. What if four collective training sessions were called for tonight, one by Wexford FC boss Brian O’Sullivan, and others by Davy Fitzgerald for our Senior hurlers, Senior camogie manager Kevin Tattan, and the coaching team at Enniscorthy RFC?

Under the current guidelines, only one such session is permitted, and good luck to O’Sullivan and his players who participated in their first pre-season friendly in Drogheda on Sunday.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but none of his squad are full-time professionals. To the best of my knowledge, his players either have jobs or are studying, and they’re paid expenses to line out in the League of Ireland so I guess that makes them semi-professional.

Their training involves travel undertaken by many from Dublin, Wicklow, Waterford and Kilkenny at a conservative estimate.

I want everyone to be free to play the games they enjoy, but I don’t understand how the Wexford FC situation differs in any way from a similar-type group finishing a day job and driving to Ferns to train with the hurlers or camogie team, or to Alcast Park for some AIL preparation with Enniscorthy.

What is the difference? If anyone can explain that to me I’d love to hear it.

If ‘elite’ status is restored to the GAA, it will take some of the heat out of this particular debate.

Many regard it as a completely unnecessary sideshow in the first place.