County boards cutbacks essential

COUNTY boards have no choice but to tighten their financial belts following the alarming rise in the cost of running championship teams, GAA president Seán McCague said yesterday.

McCague was part of the Strategic Review Committee that recommended in 1997 that county boards work out their budget ahead of the upcoming season.

If that recommendation had been fully implemented, the problems which have caused 19 boards to be in debt would not have arisen McCague claimed.

He now believes county boards will have to discuss their cost-cutting measures with the players as a matter of urgency.

“If county committees had done what we asked them back then, this problem would not have arisen. Some of the counties still haven’t done what we asked them to.”

While McCague accepts certain decisions such as increasing the championship panels from 24 to 30, have accounted for the substantial rise, county boards still must take the brunt of the responsibility.

“Basically, county boards need to sit down with the players at the start of the season and say this is our budget, now we have to look at ways of working within that.

"That way they can put a cap on expenditure, and whether that means giving the team extra gear rather than giving them a full meal after training or whatever, solutions will have to be sought.”

The preparations’ cost, up by 25% from last year, came as no real surprise to the outgoing president, although he said some figures, such as Galway’s mammoth expenditure, were once-off.

“I wasn’t surprised. The cumulative cost was around €8 to €9 million. We always knew the level of expenditure was there. There was always great costs within the county and it is something that needs to be looked at by each county board.

“The current situation and rate of expenditure can’t continue; Galway won’t be €800,000 every year. And they will find it difficult to repeat that,” McCague said.

However, the president did note that those counties that have followed the SRC’s report to the letter, and have the budgetary proposals in place, have had no troubles.

“There is no problem with counties that have this system in place; it is important to note that Armagh who spent over half-a-million, feel they are the best looked-after players in the country. If players are told what the budget is at the start of the year, there shouldn’t be a problem.”

He does believe that players should have an active voice on how the budget is decided.

“Hard decisions will have to be reached and as long as players have the ownership of those decisions, I don’t think there will be any problems.

“If there is a cap, and players know what that cap is, there shouldn’t be a problem. We don’t want a situation like this arising every year, where 19 counties are in the red., and if it is ring-fenced properly for players by county boards, it shouldn’t arise.”

DJ Carey, also at the launch of Toyota’s new sponsorship deal, said nobody should be too surprised at the figures.

“Nobody should be too surprised; you have around 50 teams, in both codes, preparing for the championship every year and it takes a huge amount of money.

"The cost to any county board is enormous, we are fortunate in Kilkenny to have good sponsors.”