ROSCOMMON GAA ARE targeting the Irish abroad to sponsor their county football teams for 2014.

Last month the county’s Club Rossie initiative was unveiled as the new commercial and fundraising arm of Roscommon GAA.

After the county’s latest sponsorship deal was unveiled, as BNP Paribas Real Estate increased their commitment by becoming the main sponsors for the county minor team, representative David O’Connor explained:

“Every other year the county has fundraised with a county board draw, and through clubs and different individuals.

“But this year we’re targeting the Diaspora because there is already such a demand on people at home in relation to club membership, and clubs need to fundraise themselves. So we’re spreading our wings I suppose.”

Earlier this year BNP were revealed as associate sponsors for the county’s senior team. The company are one of the world’s largest Financial and Real Estate Institutions with a presence in 34 countries.

“What we’re trying to do is put long term plans in place so we don’t have to worry about finance. This year we’re more aggressive in seeking out sponsorship.”

As well as focusing on sponsorship and partnership deals, Club Rossie are also aiming to improve player welfare standards within the county.

“For our underage teams that have been successful, they’ve requested that certain amounts of funding be set aside for them.

“Part of the Club Rossie model is we brought on board people that maybe are not staunch GAA people. But there at the top end of the field as regards business. And they have a common interest in Roscommon GAA and maybe their roots and family are still in Roscommon.”

“So in negotiations with them we’re trying to bring forward maybe 20 businesses that would become kind of ‘friends of Roscommon football’. We have a large number of players in Connacht in university.

Paddy Brogan after Roscommon's 2012 Connacht U21 final win. Cathal Noonan Cathal Noonan

“When they come out a lot of these guys will be looking for employment or work experience following on from their degrees. So we hope we can negotiate an arrangement between these businesses.”

“We’re also looking to address issues surrounding burnout. There is a tendency that college students mightn’t be keeping an eye on their diets, or the facilities mightn’t be there. So we’re hoping that in Limerick, or Galway,or Dublin or wherever they are, that we can get something set up that they can go out and get a meal, and also that their transport issues are sorted.”

“With all the underage talent we have, it takes time to nurture it and bring it forward. The next five years is key in our potential to achieve. Club Rossie is going to be putting the structures in place and covering the financial side of things to ensure we don’t fall short in that regard.”

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