Director General calls on clubs to use their power to resolve plight of players

Tue, 10 Nov, 2015 - 22:33

GAA Director General Páraic Duffy has admitted that the Association needs to have a vigorous debate about how club matches are being scheduled.

This morning it emerged that the Gaelic Players Association had received the backing of 31 of the 32 senior inter-county panels for a Champions League-style format to the All Ireland Football Championship.

However, the scheduling of club matches in counties such as Dublin, Waterford and Laois has been roundly criticised and has raised fresh concerns about the plight of club players.

Ahead of this year's Congress, Duffy has

“You have these long gaps between (Championship) matches and therefore if a team is not playing for four weeks, then players don’t play with their clubs for four weeks,” he explained on Newstalk’s Off The Ball.

“If you bring the Championship back into a shorter timescale, those gaps will be shorter. But we still have to have the inter-county game and you still have to give inter-county managers the chance to prepare their teams properly.”

Duffy also reminded clubs that they have the power to make themselves heard:

“Clubs can make this decision themselves. We sent it (the discussion paper) to every county and ask them to send it to every single club. Clubs can come to the County Board and say we want to see these changes implemented.

“Clubs have the power; they need to start using it. They have the power and it has happened in counties where clubs have rebelled against non-availability of players. They have the power in their own counties.”