Galway chairman says GPA opposition to pre-season competitions 'doesn’t stack up'

DOESN'T STACK UP: Galway GAA Chairman Paul Bellew has said GPA opposition to pre-season competitions “doesn’t stack up”. Pic Credit ©INPHO/Ben Brady

Galway chairman Paul Bellew has said GPA opposition to pre-season competitions “doesn’t stack up” as games will continue to be organised in January, be they as part of a competition or not.

The position of the players’ body has been that these competitions put unnecessary pressure on players when they are upping their training loads for a season which has shifted towards the first half of the year.

During a wide-ranging interview on Galway Bay FM, the Galway chairman said the void created by any removal of pre-season competitions will be filled by significantly increased activity on the challenge game circuit.

The updated report of the GAA’s fixtures calendar review task force, circulated in October 2020, recommended discontinuing pre-season tournaments to ensure “a more meaningful closed season” and “appropriate downtime” for inter-county players.

That recommendation, though, was never enacted and so pre-season competitions live on, despite GPA opposition.

“If the pre-season competitions aren’t there, we will be going to Cork to play challenges, we will be going to Dublin to play challenges. That will happen. There’s no point in us saying any different,” Bellew insisted.

“The fact is the games are going to be happening anyway. Do you want them in a structured fashion or not?

“This is why some of the GPA argument doesn’t stack up because games will be happening. So the player load to me will be more (if the competitions are not there).” Bellew did acknowledge that the inter-county half of the split season is “very condensed”. He would like to see a three-week lead-in to the All-Ireland senior hurling and football finals, as opposed to the current fortnight.

“I think the competition structures in inter-county could have less games because some of the league has lost a bit of meaning.

“I do believe a two-week gap to the All-Ireland final is not enough, from a profile point of view but also from a county preparing for one. We had it last year and by God were you to the pin of your collar. It is an opportunity for the county to bask in, and for the county board to raise money.

“I am a firm believer of the split season from the club player point of view. For the first time in the history of Galway hurling, we finished all adult competitions by October 29. That has never happened before.

“There is a lot to be said for the split season, so we shouldn’t conflate some issues in the split season with the attitude of scrap it all because it is a bit condensed. There is a way to work both, but to me, the most important thing would be three-week lead-in to the All-Ireland final and two weeks between the football and hurling final, as well.”

Galway GAA again took in over €1m in gate receipts from club fixtures in 2023, contributing to an end of year surplus in excess of €400k for the second year running.

Bellew predicted that their bottom line for 2024 will be even healthier again.

“I think we will surpass that next year. That is the confidence we have in terms of how we are doing and how we will be going forward.

“We still have challenges from the debtor side of things, but that is all planned out. When (debt repayments) go in a couple of years time, this county is going to accelerate even further forward”.

The chairman hailed the acquisition of All-Ireland winning Tipperary coach Eamon O’Shea by Galway hurling boss Henry Shefflin, and expressed similar delight at the appointment of former Irish rugby international Johnny O’Connor as Galway hurling’s new head of athletic development.

“Massive additions that we are absolutely thrilled with.” Bellew said floodlights will be installed at Pearse Stadium next year. Galway is one of the few leading counties whose main venue is without floodlights.