ULSTER GAA’s chief executive has claimed that the GPA let down players by failing to prevent widespread early returns to pre-season training.
Brian McAvoy, in his report to be delivered to Annual Convention next week, alleges that the December 7 date for a return to inter-county collective training “was flouted high and wide across the country.”
Pointing out that the Gaelic Players Association had pushed strongly for the removal of the pre-season competitions, including the Dr McKenna and Conor McGurk Cups, McAvoy argues that the players’ body had failed in its duty to its membership:
“As the body responsible for championing the welfare of their members, there is an onus on the GPA to ensure that their members adhere to the ‘return to train’ date. The date agreed by Central Council for the return to ‘collective training’ was 7th December for senior inter-county teams. Did this happen?
“The GPA issued a strong statement highlighting that November should be ‘a zero contact’ month. If even a fraction of the reports of inter-county collective training sessions taking place in November are true, then the December 7th date was flouted high and wide across the country.
“Did the GPA say or do anything 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.”
McAvoy stated that many knew that removing the pre-season competitions would not have the effect that the GPA desired:
“The Gaelic Players Association argued that player welfare was paramount and if there were no pre-season competitions, inter-county players would not have to return to train collectively in November.
“Others argued that the pre-season competitions were not the problem as counties were back in collective training even prior to the return-to-train protocols and that without pre-season competitions counties would organise challenge games, which would be equally competitive.”
The Ulster GAA Secretary expressed his annoyance at the September decision by the GAA’s Central Council/ Ard Comhairle to suspend pre-season competitions, going against the majority will on more than one occasion:
“This was a disappointing decision and one which was taken without any prior consultation with the Provincial Councils.
“A motion to reverse this decision at the October Central Council meeting fell just two votes short of securing the required 60% of voting members.
“A questionnaire issued by the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) to all counties on the future structure and format of the Football Championships, included a question on the pre-season competitions. The results showed that 61% of counties opted for pre-season competitions to be retained, 10% wished them to be abolished and 29% indicated that they would prefer a suspension of these competitions for a trial period.
“Based on this feedback which indicated that a clear majority of counties favoured the status quo, the CCCC recommended to Ard Comhairle that the pre-season competitions be retained.”
The GPA’s strong opposition meant that this did not happen, but McAvoy contends that players have suffered in more ways than one:
“There were no winners from the decision – only losers. County players seemingly still trained in November, supporters missed out on pre-season competitions, inter-county football teams missed out on an opportunity to trial the new rules in a semi-competitive environment, fringe county players missed out on the opportunity to represent their county, referees on a development pathway missed out on the opportunity to officiate at a higher level, Provincial Councils lost out on a significant revenue source and had the unenviable task of explaining to sponsors how competitions could be removed at a whim.
“Ultimately, clubs and young people lost out due to a reduction in both grants and programme delivery due to the associated revenue loss. One can but hope that the pre-season competitions will be restored to their rightful place in 2026.”
