Ex-Cork star feels player unrest will grow with GAA generating so much money from games

Last November, the GAA struck a deal with the Gaelic Players Association that was generally considered a strong one for elite footballers and hurlers. It included 15% of Central Council’s gross commercial revenue.

However, Davis senses unrest will grow among players when the GAA is generating so many millions from the games. 

“There's going to come a point for the GAA when they're going to have to decide what’s commercial and what's voluntary and what's good for the overall balance of the whole thing,” said the O’Donovan Rossa man.

“I don’t think that debate has taken place yet. It's fine owning a product, but what's better for the organisation? What's better for everybody involved in the GAA?

“When that debate does take place, I can see the players jumping up and down saying, ‘Hey, we're doing this for nothing. Everyone is paying for this product and we’re the only ones really not getting money’. I can see it.

“The players are sacrificing their lives. The games come so quick that they have to put everything on hold. It’s supposed to be enjoyable. It’s not a profession.

“Take last Sunday, Con O’Callaghan ran up the Cusack Stand side for a ball and it looked like he pulled his hamstring. Like, that’s him gone, not a hope in hell for this weekend and he’s crucial for Dublin but he’s no time to recover. You twist an ankle now and your season is gone.” 

For the second time this summer, Cork footballers feature on GAA+ in this Saturday’s All-Ireland quarter-final against Mayo, their sixth SFC game. 

Their only championship game to be screened on live TV this year was the Munster final in Killarney.

Davis understands the logic of the GAA developing its own streaming arm but worries about how it is disenfranchising older members. 

“You can see where the GAA are going. They're trying to establish themselves as the main base for GAA and they own the product. It's commerce, really. How fair it is, or anything else is beside the point. They own the product.

“My parents, they don't have GAA+ and they're missing out and they'd watch every game. God, they were at thousands of games when we were small.

“It is wrong, and it’s a shame but you can see from a commercial point of view what they are doing. I just feel sorry for all the people that don't have GAA+.

“The whole technical side of things for older people is very, very difficult. They're used to the RTÉ1 and RTÉ2 and particularly country people. I just feel very sorry for the genuine GAA people like that.” 

As Cork miss out on terrestrial coverage again and Kerry feature on GAA+ for the fourth time in six championship games, Davis would like to see a quota or a limit of games per county on the streaming service. 

“Kerry in particular have been hard on by. Cork, have been hard on by.” 

Davis knows to be a Cork GAA person right now is not the worst complaint but highlights the expense of attending games. 

Last Sunday, a stand ticket for the Cork-Offaly All-Ireland SHC quarter-final in Thurles was €40. For the county’s last-eight game which forms part of a double-header with Kerry-Mayo this Saturday, admission is €45.

Stand admission for an adult to Saturday week’s All-Ireland semi-final against Galway is €60 and will be the same for the footballers on July 11 or 12 should they beat Mayo this weekend.

“It's an expensive year. Like, we were looking up hotels in Dublin there two weeks ago. We’re a bit like the Kerry crowd looking up the All-Ireland final date at Christmas. It’s bloody expensive.” 

Cork were applauded for forking out for a charted flight to Derry for the recent win over Donegal in Ballybofey and it reminded Davis of what they did in their time.

“When Frank Murphy was our selector, we flew everywhere for a couple of years. We flew to Derry, which was brilliant. It was better than arriving back in Patrick Street at 3am in a bus coming from Derry after a National League match in the middle of the winter and you have to be in work for 6.30am.

“Imagine the novelty aspect of it, creating a sense of togetherness, ‘isn’t it brilliant we're going up here by air?’ It was a great idea to do it.” 

Davis anticipates a strong Cork presence in Dublin this weekend for their All-Ireland SFC quarter-final meeting with And Moran's Mayo. 

“Cork have a hardcore group that go everywhere but there are two other elements and one of them will be going, the group that follows them when they’re going well. The rest will come when there’s an occasion but they deserve a lot of support now after that great result in Donegal.” 

He believes Mayo are “beatable” because they are a young team and agrees Kerry are the favourites to retain the Sam Maguire Cup but not untouchable. 

“Because like everybody else, they’re not professionals. It’s difficult to have the same energy and enthusiasm every week. It stretches everyone. That's the only vulnerability I see in them.”