Agreement on amateur status key to deal

A WILLINGNESS on the part of the GPA leadership from the outset to embrace the GAA’s amateur ethos was crucial to the success of negotiations which will see the official status of the players’ body incorporated into rule at next year’s Congress.

Yesterday, GAA Director-General Páraic Duffy emphasised the significance of this concession in terms of the three-month discussions between the parties

“It is very important to make the point that, from the very beginning of the talks, the GPA made it clear that they were willing to accept that,’’ he commented.