No levies will be placed on clubs, insists Tracey Kennedy

Cork GAA chair Tracey Kennedy has insisted that clubs in the county will not be levied to help ease the financial debt hanging over the Board — but she said that everyone must chip in in some way.

She revealed that the executive is planning a club tickets scheme next year, but that was not a levy: “It is our intention not to impose levies on clubs but there is no denying the fact that pressure will come on us in terms of meeting our commitments, and we have to ask our clubs to help us with a club ticket model, which is planned for the stadium.

“Our clubs and all our supporters need to be part of our journey but I don’t see that by imposing levies. I see different ways of doing it.”

She added: “Clubs want reform, they want success — that’s the message we get. But there has to be an acknowledgement from all stake holders that that is not going to come cheap or easy. If we want those things, then we will all have to find ways to contribute to that. (The likes of) Cairde Chorcaí provides a vehicle for some people with their €50 product. There are many ways. Remember, the County Board is the clubs.” Cork GAA CEO Kevin O’Donovan said that fundraising models had to be “progressive not penal.

“The Cork Clubs’ draw has been a massive a success. (Former Treasurer) Pearse Murphy always said Cork don’t do levies, what we do is work in partnership with clubs with mutually beneficial fund-raising campaigns. For instance, we had clubs buying premium seats last night.

“The fact that we have the new Páirc Uí Chaoimh means we don’t have the old €10 million of reserves and the interest that generated. It was a great insurance policy for the Board and hard earned though they were, we don’t get to live off the fat of that.

“Plus, the old Páirc Uí Chaoimh generated funds — matches, concerts — while there is nothing coming out of the new stadium. We don’t want Cork to be generating funds to put into the stadium, but it’s on our books currently so it’s causing another financial issue.”