Tom Parsons: GPA will tell managers to 'back off' players 

"We’ll be asking for management teams to respect what players are saying and let’s really put player welfare first."

GPA CEO Tom Parsons believes teams getting a chance to become accustomed to new Gaelic football rules behind closed doors is positive. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile

Gaelic Players Association (GPA) chairman Tom Parsons says they will be imploring inter-county managers to abide by the new pre-season start in December.

The official inter-county collective training start date will shift from the end of November to a later date after Central Council on Saturday decided to suspend the pre-season competitions next January.