Fans going overseas would be ‘PR disaster for GAA’

THE prospect of Irish supporters going abroad for home international soccer and rugby fixtures would constitute a PR disaster for the GAA, the chairman of the Munster Council Sean Fogarty said last night.

Mr Fogarty, speaking at the Council's annual convention at the Brehon Hotel in Killarney, said he would support the use of Croke Park on an "occasional basis" by other sports during the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road provided certain conditions were met.

Specifically, the GAA would have to be treated equally with regard to facilities in the Abbotstown complex planned by the Government.

"Then and only then would I believe the GAA should treat such a request favourably. The sight of 10,000 or more supporters of whatever code leaving the airports for what should be a home fixture would be unacceptable to the public at large. It would constitute a PR disaster for the GAA," he told delegates.

Pointing out the irony of neither the IRFU nor the FAI formally requesting the use of Croke Park, Mr Fogarty referred to "a major and so far understated" consideration in dealing with the issue. This related to the allocation of facilities at the proposed Abbotstown Sports Complex and initial indications were the GAA submission had been largely ignored.

"In contrast, the IRFU and the FAI have been invited to Abbotstown and given the opportunity of picking their sites for High Performance Centres and playing pitches, whilst the GAA have been asked to share basic field facilities with minority sports.

"The IRFU and the FAI have also been offered office accommodation and it is understood the FAI will be moving there permanently. These proposals are hardly conductive to enticing the GAA Congress delegates to vote for the redefining of Rule 42," he warned.

Mr Fogarty said certain commentators in the media had been "insulting and hurtful" in their portrayal of GAA administrators as antiquated people without vision or foresight.

"If the administrators of the other major sports organisations who benefited immensely from the financial share out of World Cup and international competitions income had the same vision, courage and financial management skills, they would not be in the sorry mess venue-wise that they are in today."

He also said he hoped if motions calling for a relaxation of the rule were defeated at Congress, the matter would be allowed to rest for a time.

"We are annually cutting a stick to beat ourselves while matters of great importance to our Association's well-being are deprived of proper analysis," he added.