McCusker: GPA chiefs ‘losing touch’

AS the GPA begins balloting inter-county players for all-out strike of competitions in 2008, one founder member, former Derry All-Ireland winner Fergal McCusker, has accused its leaders of “losing touch” with the issues that led to its formation.

McCusker believes the players’ body has alienated itself from rank and file members by taking a hardline stance on the issue of players’ grants.

“They paint the picture of the GAA player as someone working down a salt mine in Siberia,” the former Derry defender said. “It’s not like that. The role of a GAA player is enjoyable. Yes, you do have to make all sorts of sacrifices, but there are loads of benefits.

“There is no doubt playing for the county helped me get my first job. The rewards far outweigh the drawbacks.”

He added: “As a founder member of the GPA, we were reacting to conditions which existed back then. Nowadays, free boots, free training gear and meals after training are taken as given. None of that really existed when the GPA started. Expenses were the main complaint. Players got 12p a mile, if they were lucky. Some players didn’t get paid at all. The mantra at the time was that players shouldn’t be out of pocket for playing for their county.”