FORMER DONEGAL STAR Rory Kavanagh chewed the fat with Pat Spillane on RTÉ’s Allianz League Sunday show, as the pair digested the key decisions from the GAA’s Annual Congress.
Former Donegal All-Ireland winner Rory Kavanagh accused the GAA of “pulling the wool over people’s eyes” after the ‘super 8′ format was voted in, while Spillane was critical of the Gaelic Players Association for not voicing their opposition sooner.
By the time the GPA revealed that 70 per cent of their members were against the ‘super 8′ proposal, the vast majority of counties had already been mandated to vote in a particular way at Congress.
And Spillane said: “The GPA were very vocal but when did the GPA come out and issue their findings? The week of Congress.
“They knew this was in the pipeline for months upon months – they should have been out.”
Spillane also referenced the Club Players Association’s failure to gain speaking time at Congress.
“As regards the CPA, you can understand the frustrations of club players but if you want to sort out the issue with club players, let’s tackle the elephant in the room – county managers and boards out of control, who can dictate when championships can and can’t be played, and who’s available to play and train.”
Kavanagh reflected: “They (GPA) were very, very vocal (in) coming out against this proposal.
“I think their main gripe is they weren’t listened to. The GPA canvassed their members and the CPA wanted to speak at Congress – that was denied.
“This is pulling the wool over people’s eyes to an extent. The main issue is that players want to see a complete restructuring of the championship. The Ulster championship could be played in 5-6 weeks.”
But Spillane added that he’s in favour of the ‘super 8′ format, which will see a round-robin series of matches introduced at the All-Ireland SFC quarter-final stage, for three years, from 2018.
“As a GAA person, I welcome it. More high-profile games during the summer, more money that can be generated, that can be channeled down to games promotion and development in the lower counties, the replays done away with, good, county players will have a month less of county action.
“Have the qualifiers done a job? Over the 15 years of the qualifiers, 23 counties have appeared in the quarter-final stages.
As a rural person, and thinking about rural needs, a Dublin coming to Killarney, a Dublin going to Castlebar, a Kerry going to Salthill, it would be brilliant for the profile of the GAA and for the economy of the region.”
Kavanagh argued that it’s now difficult to envisage a repeat of Tipperary’s 2016 heroics, when the Premier County progressed through the qualifiers to contest an All-Ireland semi-final.
“Look at Tipp’s success last year – are you going to see surprises like that when they play three games at the quarter-final stage? I don’t think so.”
Spillane, commenting on how the ‘super 8′ system would have worked with the 2016 quarter-finalists, countered: “Donegal coming to Killarney, Mayo to Salthill, Tyrone to Clare, Kerry heading to Castlebar, that’s brilliant.
“The biggest issue that has to be addressed is the gap between the top and the weak.
I welcome this, it will increase the profile, more high-profile games, (but) I think we need to go further and have a B competition that goes side by side with that. The winners of the B can get into a quarter-final…unless the weaker teams get more meaningful matches, the gap is going to keep widening.”
Congress also voted through a proposal to bring the All-Ireland final dates back to August – and Spillane labelled this move “ridiculous and stupid.”
He added: “We’re taking our main product – inter-county football – out of the shop window for five months, which gives a clear run to the other rival sporting organisations, rugby and soccer.
At the moment, rugby is pretty much all year round. It’s sexy, it’s in, it’s hot, it’s what youngsters want to play.
“It’s drawing huge crowds. What drives the sport is top teams, top players, youngsters want to emulate them as role models. We’re cutting off our nose to spite our face.”
Spillane also signalled the potential “death knell” for small rural clubs, after motion 45, which would have allowed 17-year-olds to play in adult club competitions, was rejected.
It’s the death knell for small, rural clubs struggling to field 15 players at adult level.
“Clubs are not going to be able to field senior teams around the country in rural, peripheral regions because of this decision.”
What are your thoughts on the main issues arising from the GAA’s Annual Congress? Leave your feedback in the comments section below…
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
15 billion for 2 tournaments?
There are actually 3 tournaments (Confederations Cup). Still crazy though!!
Look at that ‘James Hunt’ of a copper on the bottom pic completely drenching the face of that poor woman with pepper spray.
Was that spray really necessary?
Could that poor woman look any more inoffensive or non-threatening?
I’m here in São Paulo (please correct spelling in article) it’s not just the $R3.20 transport cost 20 centavos increase that’s the problem. The problem is the corruption and the money grabbers and the ‘Brazilian way’ attitude that the country stereotypes it’s self on. The young people of this wonderful country have woken up and are trying to show that change is needed! About 3 months worth of brazilians salary is paid to the government, so essentially you work 3 months to pay the president and government!!! The amount of money spent on the world cup is shocking considering you see a lot of people living on the street and kids asking you for food nearly everyday, substandard health care and lack of Education facilities. The World Cup will be interesting to see in Brasil! I’m personally looking forward to it, despite the waste of money it is.
I stopped reading after your pedantic opening sentence
Well if you’ve studied for 4 years to be a journalist you can at least get a spelling right ? Knob
Irish people on the lower rate of Income Tax pay 20% a year, working out at two-and-a-half months per year, not much different to the Brazilian rate – and that’s before you include things like the Universal Social Charge and VAT. Yet we haven’t seen such large-scale processes here. Yet.
I think it comes down to the fact that countries with a Scandinavian society model are happy enough to pay high rates of tax because their public services work efficiently. Brazilians, and Irish people, on the other hand, get the short straw – they resent paying taxes, because many of the public services are simply shoddy. For example, private health insurance, for those who can afford it, in both countries, is a must have if you want to get decent health care.
When it comes to education in Brazil, there is a paradox where the best universities in the country are publicly-funded. But in order for their kids to enter them, parents have to fork out substantial tuition fees to private primary and secondary schools, as there is so little investment in the public education system. Meanwhile, poorer people who want to get better qualifications, end up working full time on leaving school, and studying in fee-paying private universities by night.
As you say Pádraig, the 20 cent price increase was just the tip of the iceberg. Where you at the protests yourself last night?
Can’t wait for the World Cup. South American held competitions never seem to fail to deliver. Come on Ireland!
In the unlikely event that we actually qualify :)
The youths who occupied the Congresso Nacional were more than a few hundred and according to the live News câmeras at the time when they decided to leave they left cleaning what ever mess was left behind with them. There are photos and vídeos all over the internet showing them to number more than 10,000 people.
Regarding the world cup stadiums:
In six years, since the country’s bid, the increase in public spending amounts to 200% – not counting inflation.
Only in the current renovations of the Maracanã, stadium R$ 1,2 billion have been invested, equivalent to 57% of what had been predicted in investment for the 12 stadiums in the initial BID to FIFA in 2007. In a report in April, the state court of public account (TCU) estimated that there had been a US$ 7.1 billion investment in the sector. In the budget presented for the Brazilian candidacy, R$ 2.1 billion was the estimated cost of the creation and renovation of stadiums in the country. This value, which was defended by the government at the time, would come entirely from the private sector. Today, the reality is the state accounts for over 97% of the funds invested in the arenas, and only three stadiums are funded in part by private investment. It is worth remembering that more than half of the money used to build stadiums (US$ 3.75 billion) comes from the BNDES (National Bank of development).
There will be more protests and they are a little misjointed with many demands and aims. They will be successful if the rest of the population joins them (Unions, Poor people, Army and Public servants). Then maybe there will be some change. Looking forward to the next protest as I will be there.
Its the mainstream media’s job to misinform.
From what I understand, when Brazil was awarded the hosting rights of the World Cup, FIFA and the Brazilian government promised that the stadiums themselves would be funded by private investors, while the dividend for the public was to be an increased investment into projects such as improved public transport.
A few years down the line, the private investors had to be bailed out with public money earmarked for public transport projects, as the stadium construction was falling behind schedule. As the construction had to be speeded up, it was then costing more money. There have been allegations of corruption in the tendering process too. So when public transport fares increaded recently without any improvement, this was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
This generation of Brazilians, despite an abysmal public education system at primary and secondary level, are very well informed, while they would have no memory of life under dictatorship. The risk with these protests, perhaps like in Turkey, is that their claims are too disparate and vague, their organisation too haphazard – a politician was complaining that when he offered to meet with the protest leaders to discuss their grievances in São Paulo he couldn’t find a spokesperson/leader.
An analogy could be drawn with Ireland: private investors investing in projects that were “too big to fail” messed up, leading to a government bailout and deteriorating, yet more expensive, public services.
Hah! Get out of this one Blatter and your blazers. Then try and get out if the Qatar one without playing the World Cup in January.