GPA chief executive Tom Parsons declines to speak to media at GAA-GPA Solgar partnership launch

DECLINED TO SPEAK: GPA chief Executive TOm Parsons delinced to speak to media at the launch of the GPA/GAA partnership with Solgar. Picture:©INPHO/Tom Maher

GPA chief executive Tom Parsons declined to speak to the media on Tuesday in the wake of strong criticism from provincial GAA officials in recent weeks.

Parsons also claimed at last month’s Central Council meeting that four or five counties breached the December 7 collective training start date.

However, journalists at the launch of the GAA-GPA partnership with Solgar in Croke Park were informed he was not available for interview.

In their annual reports and addresses, Ulster and Connacht secretaries Brian McAvoy and John Prenty as well as Leinster chairman Derek Kent took aim at the official inter-county players body.

Following the decision to disband the pre-season competitions, McAvoy questioned the GPA’s role in ensuring the start date they sought was adhered to. “If even a fraction of the reports of inter-county collective training sessions taking place in November are true, then the December 7 date was flouted high and wide across the country.

“[What] did the GPA say or do during this time to call this out? I’m not sure if they did or said anything. It seems as if they were true to their word and had ‘zero contact’ with their members on the issue during this time.

“It seems as if the argument of abandoning the pre-season competitions in order to save inter-county footballers from collective training in November was a fallacy.” 

Prenty said: "The GPA are not fans of the pre-season competitions and have called for their demise in the past. Unfortunately, they have got their way for 2025 when in tandem with Ard Chomhairle they have succeeded in having all pre-season competitions discontinued for one year.” 

He continued: “Maybe when next they conduct a survey with the players, they might find out how many times inter-county teams have trained pre the return-to-train date and particularly how many challenge games have been played in December.” 

As well as claiming the GPA’s silence on the training breaches was “deafening but also troubling”, Kent called for “an in-depth review” of their charity work in Africa.