Out-of-work players struggling

THE Gaelic Players Association has warned the number of players seeking financial assistance through the body’s benevolent fund is continuing to increase dramatically with some members struggling to put food on the table.

However, such a bleak picture is tempered slightly by the latest unemployment figures among inter-county players which shows a 1% decrease on last year which equates to approximately 20 members finding work since January.

While welcome, such a minor break in the bad news cycle is hardly enough in itself to lift the gloom brought about by the downturn which has seen hundreds of players at club and county levels emigrate in search of employment.