Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
At such a critical time, our next director general must bring direction
AS I’ve long stated over the years, the League is the best and fairest GAA competition, yet its reboot is overshadowed by Paraic Duffy’s last annual report as director general.
Of course, such a wideranging document from the Association’s chief administrator should be given time and respect, yet I can’t help feeling Duffy has unfinished business as he signs off. But from reading or listening to his interviews this week, he comes across as a man who can’t wait to get out. He’s put his hand up though and said it’s time to move on and the next appointment will be the most important the GAA ever makes.
The direction that the Association takes from here is critical.
Business-wise, cash continues to roll in but that’s created plenty of problems in itself. Across the GAA there are factions, divides, cliques and conflicts of interest.
We have brilliant products on the field but levels of discontent are escalating to levels that are unsustainable and unhealthy.
The commercial giant that is Croke Park is squeezing the life out of the amateur ideals. For an amateur organisation, there’s an awful lot of people making huge sums of money out of it.
The crux of paying managers is not the only elephant in the room. That would be easily sorted by paying managers – and indeed players – proper above board expenses.
The GPA should be scrapped and the money used to fund these better expenses. What’s particularly disappointing is that the CPA doesn’t get official recognition, with the club scene in chaos, while millions of euro are handed to the GPA.
There is currently €25million a year spent on preparation of county teams with managers and coaches paid on top of that.
I’ve even heard of a selector getting €15,000 in one county and payments have permeated to the club scene.
There needs to be a clear path as to where the GAA is going and no president can do it – it must come from Duffy’s successor.
This summer will take on a rather different complexion with the introduction of the Super 8 concept.
I like it from a footballing point of view and believe it will be a commercial success but it only serves to push club players further to the back of the line.
I’ve seen some names bandied about for the next director general and they wouldn’t fill me with confidence. It needs a strong personality to pull the various divisions back together.
The negativity that surrounds the club game at present serves to damage it further.
It demoralises players and contributes to them not putting in as much effort as they might and even walking away altogether. The GAA is a runaway train at inter-county level as it moves closer to professionalism. I wrote a few years ago that managers would end up being paid and that players would go semi-pro. I was laughed at but those same people are not laughing now.