Tipperary Board still in the black despite huge expenditure

The Tipperary County GAA Board managed to stay in the black this year, despite spending almost €1.1m on team expenses as the Premier went all the way to All-Ireland senior and minor hurling glory and an historic senior football semi-final.

Accounts revealed at last night’s annual convention show team expenditure in Tipp was up by over €53,000 on last year, with the board shelling out €1,099,503 on its flagship squads.

That includes €78,000 for the players’ holiday fund as well as €15,734 on training camp expenses (down from €26,665 last year), over €275,000 on players’ travel expenses, almost €160,000 on team catering, €177,000 on sports gear and more than €121,000 on player medicals. Over €141,000 went on “team support expenses,” up from €124,783 in 2015.

Meanwhile, the amount owed by the Tipperary board in relation to a loan received from Croke Park for the purchase of county training grounds in Thurles has fallen from €188,738 to just over €103,000 following repayments made this year.

The overall nett surplus for the board, for the year up to October 31 last, was €85,957, about 33% less than the previous year.

“Income gains achieved in coaching and refund income were offset by reductions in gate receipts, fundraising and higher operating costs for the county board in 2016,” said the financial report prepared by treasurer Michael Power and the board’s auditors.

However, the board’s financial situation has come a long way in just four years, from a quarter- million deficit in 2012 when officials were told of the “worrying state” of its finances, to a surplus ever since.

What may be a detail of concern in the report is the fall in gate receipts within the county, down from €432,056 in 2015 to just under €392,000 this year.

However, commercial income was up by €27,000, to €729,633.

With interest in the county teams resurgent this year thanks to senior and minor hurling All-Ireland wins and an extended senior football run, the board’s share of “shop profits” from merchandise was up a whopping €30,000 from last year, to €105,000.

Interest among children in Gaelic games continues to rise, with income from Cúl Camps and Easter Camps up from €294,000 last year to over €322,000 in 2016.

Despite the remarkable success of Tipperary’s senior footballers this year, in a championship which saw them beat Cork, Derry and Galway before falling to Mayo at the penultimate stage, hurling remains the big draw for club followers in the county.

Gate receipts for senior hurling games during the year stand at €212,544, compared to €30,315 for their footballing equivalent; while intermediate hurling games saw €29,972 paid at the turnstiles and intermediate football matches earned €4,41 for the board.

All of the board’s outgoing officers were returned unopposed last night, with Michael Bourke staying on as chairman; Tim Floyd as secretary, Michael Power as treasurer, Joe Braken PRO and John Devane as vice-chairman. Matt Hassett remains the county board president.