GAA set to seal €23 million deal with GPA

The GAA’s Central Council are expected to endorse a finalised agreement with the GPA today.

Ahead of the GAA-GPA 2015-16 football All-Stars tour to Dubai on Wednesday, Ard Chomhairle are set to give the go-ahead to the three-year deal, which could be worth as much as €23 million to inter-county players up to the end of 2019.

Critics baulked at the figures mentioned in the framework agreement, which was released in August.

County footballers and hurlers will receive a minimum of €6.2m per annum in funding, which is sure to rise with improved media rights deals.

Players will see their mileage rates increase between 12.5 and 15 cent per mile from 50c per mile, €1.2 million per annum will be made available for a refundable and vouched nutrition programme, €200,000 per year is to be put towards the surgery requirements of former players and €800,000 every 12 months will be made available for player services.

Croke Park sources have expressed disappointment at how the agreement was perceived in the media.

Not all the monies, they point out, will go directly to the GPA. The official players body will be provided with a minimum of €2.5m per annum or 15% of the GAA’s yearly income from media rights.

The size of the deal has been questioned at club level and comes at a time when a Club Players Association has been established to give a voice to those footballers and hurlers discommoded by the county scene.The new media rights deal could also be known in the coming days with RTÉ Radio One anticipated to pick up more live championship games possibly at the expense of Newstalk.

The GAA are also expected Meanwhile, Clare chairman Joe Cooney said the new All-Ireland senior football championship should be trialled but is not yet certain it will benefit weaker counties.

“I’m not sure it will suit the weaker counties but you can see that Croke Park are trying to revamp the competition.

“We all know attendances have been going down and the same interest is not in it so it’s worth doing something. I don’t believe if it will benefit counties like our own but it’s worth giving it a trial and seeing how it goes.

“We did very well this year and reaching the quarter-finals was a great achievement for our county.

“We would have a good chance of doing the same next year, we have some very good players. Who’s to say we can’t achieve more no matter what the format is there.”