GPA to push for Central Council seat after Kelly decision

THE Gaelic Players Association will intensify their bid to land a seat on Central Council after GAA president Sean Kelly abolished plans for a Croke Park-controlled players’ body.

The Carphone Warehouse GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell welcomed the announcement by Mr Kelly last night, adding that it marks a watershed in the relationship between his organisation and the GPA.

“We view the appointment of a players’ representative to Central Council as a complimentary aspect of this process and look forward to open and substantive dialogue to progress the matter accordingly.

“The concept of a Croke Park controlled players’ body is simply unrealistic in this or any future presidential term, and we applaud Sean Kelly’s pragmatism in relation to the matter.

“In his own words, common sense has prevailed and the GPA looks forward to continued success as the unique players’ representative body,” Mr Farrell said.

But the GPA boss remains hopeful that the players’ union will have some official recognition at Croke Park

“At our annual general meeting last month we decided to engage with Croke Park to consider if the seat on Central Council would be taken up by a players’ representative.

“Croke Park had mooted a ballot of all players to nominate a representative. And now that is something which will be looked at in time.”

Farrell also feels that the decision by the GAA president highlights just how powerful the GPA have become in it’s five year existence.

“We were trying to assert ourselves as the independent players body. The players have remained loyal to the GPA. Our efforts have paid off in safeguarding our strength and our independence and insuring to do what is best for players throughout the country.”

Farrell has added his support for the Kildare hurling panel’s proposed protest prior to their Leinster SHC clash with Westmeath.

Lilywhite hurlers are enraged over a decision by Kildare county board to impose club fixtures on a significant number of squad members, disrupting their inter-county preparations.

“Hot on the heels of the Hurling Development Committee’s success at congress, the situation the Kildare hurlers have faced in the run-up to their championship clash with Westmeath is indicative of the plight the weaker hurling counties still face on the ground,” said Farrell.

“For the county board to schedule club senior football fixtures with a blatant disregard for the Kildare hurlers’ championship preparations is lamentable at best.

“A squad that has been training for six months with a very firm focus deserves better, and the absence of a formal guarantee against a repetition of this treatment is a particularly damning indictment of Kildare officialdom,” Farrell said.

Meanwhile two GAA clubs in Kilkenny have been fined €3,000 each following what was described as a near riot in a recent intermediate hurling league game.

The game involved Mooncoin from South Kilkenny and John Lockes of Callan.

A Mooncoin player who was sent off during the game has been suspended for a month while a member of the John Lockes club has been suspended for four months.

Killkenny County Board met earlier this week to discuss the issue and warned that severe action had to be taken to prevent further outbreaks of violence.