The death of GAA ?

In any sport, a professional player and professional teams will always perform much better that amateurs players and amateur teams. Whether or not a sport becomes professional depends on economics - is there enough cash to support professionals?

If the GAA were to become full time professional, I've no doubt that the product on the field would be a lot better.

The big problem the GAA has is that it is not having an informed debate about the future of the sport and whether or not professionalism is an option. A lot of administrators in the GAA seem to have a bad attitude towards professional sport - they act as if its a sin to be a professional athlete when in fact, most professional athletes across most sports are hard working dedicated individuals doing an honourable job. This bad attitude is holding them back and leading to the current situation where we have them coming up with crazy schemes to get around the professional element.

Though I am not a great fan of the players "strike". GAA players, no matter how talented and dedicated, are recreational athletes taking part in a recreational activity. They are not currently professional (though may be in the future) and so shouldnt be trying it on with demands for expenses. They are no different from the 100,000s of amateur athletes in other sports in Ireland who dont get a penny. Taxpayers money should not be diverted to them just because they are GAA. Of all sports in Ireland, GAA is the one that should need the lease financial support from taxpayers given the paid attendances, TV rights and sponsorship they have. In fact the amount they are taking from the tax payer for this scheme is less than the extra they get from renting Croke Park to IRFU & FAI. If they want to be professional, they should start a debate on the matter within their sport rather.

carpedeum said:

This is where the rot started. Myself and my brother were caned by a mad teacher and a fanatical headmaster at school (Dublin area, learly '70's) for choosing soccer over GAA! This was common practice in most schools. The RC Church also manipulated the GAA as part of their now dormant dictatorship.

One of my sons plays GAA through more positive marketing of the GAA in the local primary school. He also plays for a great club with world class facilities (paid for by us taxpayers admittedly) e.g. flloodlit all-weather pitch, carpet-like grass pitches, gym, changing rooms, skilled mentors etc. However, more children are still choosing soccer, even though facilities can be pretty basic e.g. changing in the open in public parks, no clubhouses for most schoolboy clubs, little or no funding from the FAI, minimal support for managers etc. Why is this? It is probably to do with the marketing to saturation point of the Premier League and Champions League and blanket TV coverage. Note: the kids don't support League of Ireland clubs.

My son and the other players go to GAA Hurling and GAA Football training togged out in Man. Utd., Liverpool, Arsenal, Celtic and Chelsea gear every week and often have a soccer match on the all-weather pitch until official training starts! My brother and myself laugh at photographs of the kids with hurley and helmet dressed in a Man. Utd. or Liverpool or Arsenal outfits!

Unfortunately, to preserve the sport and retain the interest of today's youngsters, the GAA have to embrace professionalism and modern marketing strategies.

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I think that your entire post just sums up how popular soccer is. It is the most popular sport in the world by a country mile, and I would say that it is far more popular in Ireland among fans than Gaelic games. Ok we may have a hardcore support for Gaelic games, and not a great support for the League of Ireland, but if you consider how many support English and Scottish football teams then they are well clear of Gaelic fans.

When I was growing up, very few people wanted to play Gaelic games. We were forced to. Soccer is king, and was even before SKy arrived.