No boycott but no end to GPA row

THERE will be no boycott of RTÉ by GPA players at this weekend’s championship games, but the Club Energise row has been far from resolved, according to GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell.

Both parties were due to meet this week to resolve the product placement row, which surfaced after Armagh star Ronan Clarke was seen slugging out of a bottle three times during a live interview following the Fermanagh game.

The row stems from the GAA’s agreement with Coca-Cola, whose products include Lucozade Sport and Powerade - competitors to Club Energise.

It had been suggested that GPA players might refuse to do interviews with RTÉ, but Farrell said that is unlikely, although he didn’t rule out that course of action in future if a solution isn’t reached.

“The problem we have is where does product placement begin and end? If a player is thrown a bottle during a game and drinks from it, is that product placement? It is something we are going to have sit down with RTÉ and discuss it.”