Mulcahy:President facing huge challenge

FORMER Cork All-Ireland hurling winning captain Tomás Mulcahy says the GAA’s recently released discussion paper has opened ‘a huge can of worms’ for Liam O’Neill.

The Laois man, who will be inaugurated as the next president of the association at Congress in April, will be left to deal with the fall-out from the paper, according to Mulcahy. He also believes there is a lack of detail in the document with the absence of any figures recommending what inter-county managers should receive.

“How come all of a sudden it’s now being produced in public arena?” he said.

“Why has someone not got their hands on it if it has been in the pipeline over the last few years? You’d also have to look at it being released at the close of one presidency term and near the start of a new presidency term.

“I think the new GAA president is facing a big challenge after this huge can of worms has been opened.

“It’s impossible to police the payments to managers at inter-county level if that is going on. County boards all over the country are looking for ways to be successful and that’s not going to change. The GAA isrealistically a business now. The game has changed enormously in the last 20 years when you look at all the money coming in from sponsorship, gate receipts and TV rights.

“I also don’t believe that we’ve got the full brief of what’s in the document. It’s a discussion paper but surely you don’t put that much effort and time into that subject without thinking of recommendations as to what level of figures are involved if managers are the be paid. We’re not getting the full picture.”

Mulcahy has also called for the implementation of a system whereby if inter-county managers were paid, they would have responsibility for other areas of games development. He cited new Cork senior hurling boss Jimmy Barry-Murphy as an example as he could provide valuable assistance to address the county’s poor recent record at schools level.

“I would say that there are inter-county managers out there that are not in the best of positions financially, that are either unemployed or struggling for employment.

“What’s wrong with setting up a system whereby they would be given full-time employment and their role as well as being in charge of an inter-county team would also involve helping out at other levels? Managers who have full-time jobs could begiven the option of taking on such a role or staying in their job and combining that with training an inter-county team.

“Take Jimmy Barry-Murphy in Cork for example. He could be a huge help to Cork hurling at schools level in helping to improve the Dr Harty Cup record of Cork teams. Coaches are being paid to go into schools anyway so why not have them be inter-county managers?”

Mulcahy feels the idea of players becoming professional is not viable for financial reasons and that the prospect of payments to managers trickling down to become widespread at club level is also not possible due to the cash-strapped situation many clubs find themselves in. “We simply can’t afford players becoming professional in the GAA. I think the GPA’s views on the subject are accurate of how players feel.

“I don’t think it’s a runner at club level because clubs are struggling for cash. Like if someone in my own club suggested that we start paying the Glen Rovers senior manager, I reckon the bank manager would get a heart attack. The money isn’t there for clubs. Iunderstand that some clubs need to bring in an outside voice to help them but I think a lot of players are keen to give something back to their club and become a manager when they retire.”