Time for GAA to realise amateurism was lost long ago
Every Monday morning I dander into Blaneys’ newsagents on the Ormeau Road.
Three of the seven Blaney brothers, John, Peter and Michael, work in the shop. Their brother Greg, a double All-Ireland medallist with Down in 1991 and 1994, was one of the finest centre half-forwards to have ever graced a pitch. Their late father, Seán, captained the Armagh minors to All-Ireland glory in 1949. Greg is now manager of St Brigid’s in Belfast, Eamonn is in charge of St John’s, and Kevin is with Kilclief. Paul is assistant secretary of the Down County Board. You get the picture. Apart from furnishing me with newspapers, the visit to Blaneys serves another important function. The Blaney brothers act as my barometer for all things GAA as they provide an insight into the concerns of rank-and-file members. They are also spectacularly well-informed. Given that they rise earlier than a Dublin footballer, they have all the newspapers devoured and digested by 7am. On more occasions than I can remember the burning issue that was discussed in Blaneys in the morning formed the topic of the following day’s column. This week is a typical example. Earlier this week Michael was on duty and we talked about the illegal payment of managers.
Páraic Duffy’s discussion document was finally presented to the Management Committee on Friday night and the GAA is finally poised to confront an illicit practice that has gone unpunished for more than 20 years. Before leaving, I wanted to ascertain how typical GAA members would react to the idea of legalising the payment of managers. I asked Michael. His reaction was just what I expected. At first he grimaced. Then, he actually squirmed on his stool. His gut reaction was ‘no, no, no’.
Once again, the Blaney brothers had reflected the general mood of the wider GAA community. This response is entirely predictable. Rooted in the GAA since birth, they have been raised on the values of amateurism. We all have. We feel warm and glow with pride when our leaders remind us of what a brilliant volunteer organisation we have built. Our leaders love doing that.
But therein lies the crux of the problem. When the President of a volunteer organisation is paid for his non-voluntary services then that organisation has got a serious identity crisis to resolve.
Let us also remember that our President is the norm rather than the exception. After all, he oversees a network of full-time county secretaries and provincial secretaries. He is based in Croke Park, which houses more than 80 employees. And the GAA payroll extends far beyond administrators. Throw a stone in Dublin and there’s a decent chance it will hit a full-time coaching officer.
When it comes to county teams, the man in charge is about the only person who isn’t being reimbursed for his services. Under the rules, video analysts, dieticians, strength and conditioning coaches, sports psychologists, doctors, physios, cooks, bus drivers, and the person who washes the jerseys can all receive cash without a rule being broken.
So what is the big problem with managers? Why do ordinary members instinctively recoil at the idea of them being paid? The answer is because, contrary to the overwhelming body of evidence, the grassroots like to think that the GAA is an amateur association. But that belief is no longer based in reality. While it retains an amateur ethos, and most of its players are amateurs, and most of its members are volunteers, the GAA is managed off and on the pitch by professionals.
Truth be told, it is how close the managers stand to the sideline that lies at the very heart of this longstanding problem.
Because he is just a few inches from the playing field, the GAA populace fears that if managers were paid, then the same short distance would separate the gap to the day when players will also join the list of payees.
But again recent history suggests that particular fear isn’t rooted in reality. Club and county managers have been receiving brown paper bags for more than 25 years. Yet during that time the dreaded spectre of pay-for-play was a bogeyman that was talked about, but it never surfaced as a problem.
In contrast, the illegal payment of managers is a real issue which the GAA must tackle. To cure the ‘cancer’, there are only two possible remedies.
(1) The GAA enforces the rule by dint of forbidding anyone from managing a team outside their native club or county. While this directive will not eradicate the problem, it’s the best option available, and it will promote a culture of self-help.
Or (2) The GAA accepts that managers can be paid. Like Michael, there are many GAA members who will find the second option deeply unpalatable. They will regard this move as a breach of GAA ideals, and an attack on the amateur ethos. But while such resistance is understandable, it’s time ordinary members realised that the GAA ceased being a proper amateur association a long, long time ago.
* p.heaney@examiner.ie
