GAA must consider its options: McCague

GAA PRESIDENT Sean McCague does not envisage a situation, at least for the foreseeable future, where the inter-county structures could be disbanded in favour of inter-club competition.

Changing population trends mean that the association areexamining new options for the championship but, in the short term, McCague said he was more concerned about the negative impact on current club activity given the enhanced inter-county programme and the resultant expansion of live television coverage.

County finances are being hit nationwide by dwindling championship gate receipts and also by the huge increase in the costs of training inter-county teams as a consequence of the extension of panels to 30.

"We do recognise that there are falling attendances at club games and we do recognise that the level of televising of games is something we need to review also,'' he admitted.

"We must always recognise that the club is the fundamental unit of the association and we must ensure at all times that anything we do does not affect the club structure or the club programme adversely. And, yes, there are concerns. and I have concerns about that. It's something we will have to address.''

Taking a longer-term view, specifically in relation to issues addressed in the report of the Strategic Review Committee, McCague has addressed the issue of demographic changes which project that up to 50% of the population will be living in one province (Leinster). The association he says continues to "keep examining" their structures and determine whether or not the inter-county structure is the best one for them. Yet again, he repeated that he could never imagine a situation where the smaller, less successful counties would amalgamate for the purpose of inter-county competition.

"All of the small counties, including my own, would always wish to have their own identity. The importance of community identity is something that's stressed in the SRC report. I am not suggesting for one minute we would do anything that would in any way weaken the community identity that's in existence.

"In fact, we should be always striving to enhance it. In doing that, people will see the club is the basic unit of community we operate in.

"In the context of what I am saying, at some future time we will have to examine what serves us best a club structure, an inter-county structure, a inter-provincial structure, or whatever. Everything should be constantly reviewed."

"I am looking at in the context of games promotion and the structures that will best maximise the playing numbers in every community and how best that might be achieved - nothing more than that. I am not advocating that we change from inter-county structures. I'm not advocating that we change into a club structure now. I'm saying that we must constantly examine what we are doing, and how we are doing it and whatever means we can do it better.''

Pointing out that the SRC report marks the first major review of the association in 30 years, McCague said it was conceivable they would need a further review in five years time.

"We can't be waiting for another 25 or 30 years and say that everything has changed utterly and we didn't notice.''

More pertinently, with a review of both qualifier systems to be carried out at the end of the 2003 championships, a decision will have to be made whether to retain the present structure or revert to the old one.

"I would say it's probable that we won't wish to revert to a knock-out championship as we knew it for so many years.

"I'm not sure what exact formula will be worked out, but I would be fairly confident that there will be some continuation of a qualifier-type competition,'' McCague added.