GPA suffer blow as top stars decide to go it alone

THE GPA suffered a blow yesterday when four high profile GAA stars endorsed a telecom product which will be in direct competition with a scheme supported by the players’ group.

The four, Colin Corkery, Padraig Joyce, Eoin Kelly and Steven McDonnell, promoted Cross-Sport, a telecoms business aimed at the sporting market less than two months after the GPA launched the Clubtel scheme.

Both products endeavour to produce cheaper telephone calls for the users.

However, this latest deal will benefit the players directly, and not the organisation. Cork star Corkery criticised the GPA for failing to communicate their plans to players and explained his reasons for backing the new product.

“There was nothing in it for the players in the GAA or the GPA deals.

“This was a deal in which there was a little chance for the players involved to make a little money,” the former Allstar said.

“We were approached ten months ago and there was nothing said about a possible GPA deal then. In fact, the only thing I knew about it was a week before it was launched when there was a letter sent out.

“By that stage, we had already made an agreement with Euphony and you have to honour a contract.”

Although the three players present at yesterday’s press conference - Steven McDonnell was absent - are not paid up members of the GPA, this is certain to cause conflict within the players’ group.

Tipperary star Eoin Kelly received a scholarship from the GPA, but that expired at the end of the college term. GPA Chief Executive Dessie Farrell was unavailable for comment yesterday.

Corkery has studied Euphony’s other deals with sporting clubs Blackburn Rovers and Sunderland in particular, and decided it was worth the effort.

The scheme will allow any sporting clubs, not exclusively confined to the GAA, the chance to make money while ensuring their members get reduced rate phone calls.

“The major difference here,” Corkery stated, “is that the GPA and GAA deals meant that players went out and made money for those organisations.

“We are endorsing this and making money for ourselves.

“That has to be understood”, he continued.

“Eoin Kelly’s image is his own, Steven McDonnell’s is his own and so is mine.”