Croke Park deal will not change players’ amateur status, insists Kelly

ALLOWING professional soccer and rugby players into Croke Park will not impact on the GAA’s amateur status, GAA President Sean Kelly insisted last night. Pay for play is simply not a realistic option, he repeated.

County boards are already stretched financially and the multi-million euro gain from renting out the stadium for the duration of the Lansdowne Road redevelopment will be short-term and minimal once it is disbursed at home and abroad.

When it was put to him that Croke Park could stay open for good, he stressed it was temporary at this stage and would be unfair to look down the line. However, he did not rule it out.