Grants saga takes new twist as ladies closely monitor events

THERE has been a new twist in the ongoing GPA grants saga for inter-county players after the Ladies Football Association said that any funding exclusively for male GAA players would be discrimination against women.

Speaking at the Ladies Football All-Stars tour in Singapore yesterday, Ladies Football President Geraldine Giles said she believed that both men and women would have to be treated equally on the grants issue.

The subject of equality between the two genders throws yet another question into the debate over grants for footballers and hurlers. The GPA have called an Emergency General Meeting for April 1, where they will vote on what their next step will be. They have not ruled out the possibility of going on strike in their search for government and Irish Sports Council grants for GAA players.