Sky deal slap in the face to real GAA supporters

The GAA decision to give certain championship matches to Sky is a slap in the face to the real GAA supporter.

The real supporters are the people who travel and pay to attend regularly at their club and county games when at all possible.

They will not be like elected officials of county boards, provincial or other councils, who seldom have to put their hands in their pockets to attend. The same could be asked of the full-time paid officials of the GAA. How many games do they actually pay into? It is very easy to scoff at the cost this Sky deal will burden the real supporter with, if one attends these games free or with sponsored tickets.

While I agree with the efforts to generate a wider exposure to our games worldwide, I am not blind to how this also results in junkets for our paid officials.

When asked on the news programme on TV whether the topic should have been brought before the GAA annual congress for approval, the general secretary appeared to think those who made the decision were a higher authority.

Paid officials in my opinion sometimes lose the plot and act as if they were the employer rather than the employee, not requiring consent before taking certain courses of action.

I would have no great problem with the deal if another channel was allowed cover the game(s) on a free-to-view delayed showing.

Tony Fagan

Enniscorthy

Co Wexford