GPA fund bailing out players in trouble

THE GPA have paid out sums of money ranging between €1,000 and €3000 to 19 current and former inter-county players who suffered financial problems due to the economic crisis, from the organisation’s benevolent fund over the past 18 months.

GPA spokesperson Sean Potts revealed on the Irish Examiner’s Sports Podcast the establishment last year of a past players’ advisory group is a key element in their aims to increase the size of the fund. Indeed they believe the number of current and former players seeking access to the fund will increase in the coming months.

“The benevolent fund is there to help people who might have mortgage problems or have young families and have lost a job,” he said.

“It’s there to support current and former players. We’ve set up a past players advisory group which is chaired by former Dublin player Tony Hanahoe.

“What we’re trying to do there is grow the network of past player members in the GPA who would help increase that fund. It in turn could be there to help players who have fallen on hard times, particularly older players. That’s a very important development over the past six months.

“It has been called upon for both current and former players. I wouldn’t put a figure on it because it is very much a confidential service that we’re running. But I think there’s been 19 supports in the last year and a half to people who have been in difficulty. Those payments are not huge payments but they range between €1,000 and €3,000 for people who need financial assistance immediately.”

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