Good old rangers

Originally Posted by wee man

Can I ask a genuine question about the GAA again. No mud slinging please. I understand it is a totally amateur game and NO players get paid. I see huge crowds at Croker Park and very big crowds at county games. There is a fair bit of live tv coverage which the tv companies obviously have to pay for. Where does all the money go ?

50% to prince andrew, 50% to stephen gatelys estate

Originally Posted by no fun

50% to prince andrew, 50% to stephen gatelys estate

and the rest ?

Originally Posted by wee man

Can I ask a genuine question about the GAA again. No mud slinging please. I understand it is a totally amateur game and NO players get paid. I see huge crowds at Croker Park and very big crowds at county games. There is a fair bit of live tv coverage which the tv companies obviously have to pay for. Where does all the money go ?

It funds dissident republican paramilitaries. I think that's the answer you're looking for?

Originally Posted by Brock

It funds dissident republican paramilitaries. I think that's the answer you're looking for?

It's not chum. It was a genuine question. In football and rugby etc the revenue helps to fund ever increasing player salaries. I actually believe that the GAA is totally amateur on the playing side - ie no payments at all. You'll obviously be aware of the Amateur League over here - one lad who plays for the team I go down to see sometimes gets an average of £30 a week for playing for them - £20 guaranteed a week and £10 a goal. He's one of two in the team who get paid.

From what I understand that doesn't happen in GAA. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Originally Posted by Charlestown Rouge

That actually did make me chuckle a bit.

Originally Posted by wee man

Can I ask a genuine question about the GAA again. No mud slinging please. I understand it is a totally amateur game and NO players get paid. I see huge crowds at Croker Park and very big crowds at county games. There is a fair bit of live tv coverage which the tv companies obviously have to pay for. Where does all the money go ?

Re-Development of Croke Park

A lot of full time coaches, for instance for over here in England each county has a Games Development Officer, there on about £30,000 a year. Think there's about 8 of them in England and Scotland

Originally Posted by Firswood Red

Re-Development of Croke Park

A lot of full time coaches, for instance for over here in England each county has a Games Development Officer, there on about £30,000 a year. Think there's about 8 of them in England and Scotland

Does any of the money filter down to individual club sides or are they totally self sustainable through social clubs etc ? And if 2 counties get through to the Sam McGuire final do they get a share of the gate ?

Am genuinely trying to educate myself Firswood - please don't read anything into it - tbh it's to make myself look knowledgeable when discussing it with mates - who like me know nothing about it. For example a few months ago over a few pints we were discussing whether a team still got one point if the keeper tipped the ball over the bar. Please confirm they do.

Originally Posted by Brock

It funds dissident republican paramilitaries. I think that's the answer you're looking for?

no money if you stop for rain

Originally Posted by captain scarlet

I am aware of some of the more controversial aspects of their history Dinger but I am going to "stick" my neck out and say that their republicanism has always struck me as far more authentic than the version that has emanated from the provos in the past. I think they have been very genuine in their efforts to accomodate the protestant working class.

Good book out at the minute on them.

I would agree with you about their version of Republicanism but a common view on them is that they are gangsters, how a group can move from extortion on building sites to owning 3 or 4 of the best bars/clubs in the city centre plus all their other social clubs and the other companies they own is down to cut-throat gangsterism, and that isn't just the views of the man on the street I know of old time served sticks who have the same attitude about the organisation. I know the exact same could be said about all the paramilitary groups but some people see the officials as having ideals or beliefs that were ahead of there time, which was true when the split first happened, but the greed of a few soon took over.

I'll tell you a story about them accomodating the Protestant working class, when I was younger I had to go to Dundonald Hospital so me and my Ma & Da were driving through east Belfast when my Da shouts "£#%&! me theres big ******* and he's wearing his Celtic top!" I was 13 or 14 at the time but I knew who this guy was and what crowd he belonged to and I also knew were a Celtic top should and shouldn't be worn, but this guy was standing on the N'ards Rd with a Celtic top on almost at the corner of Gawn St with another punter up a ladder putting Workers Party posters up, they were standing talking to a crowd who were outside a bar and every thing was rosy, now if the sticks and the UDA were able to do that in the '80s what took the rest of them so long?

Whats the book?

Originally Posted by dinger

I would agree with you about their version of Republicanism but a common view on them is that they are gangsters, how a group can move from extortion on building sites to owning 3 or 4 of the best bars/clubs in the city centre plus all their other social clubs and the other companies they own is down to cut-throat gangsterism, and that isn't just the views of the man on the street I know of old time served sticks who have the same attitude about the organisation. I know the exact same could be said about all the paramilitary groups but some people see the officials as having ideals or beliefs that were ahead of there time, which was true when the split first happened, but the greed of a few soon took over.

I'll tell you a story about them accomodating the Protestant working class, when I was younger I had to go to Dundonald Hospital so me and my Ma & Da were driving through east Belfast when my Da shouts "£#%&! me theres big ******* and he's wearing his Celtic top!" I was 13 or 14 at the time but I knew who this guy was and what crowd he belonged to and I also knew were a Celtic top should and shouldn't be worn, but this guy was standing on the N'ards Rd with a Celtic top on almost at the corner of Gawn St with another punter up a ladder putting Workers Party posters up, they were standing talking to a crowd who were outside a bar and every thing was rosy, now if the sticks and the UDA were able to do that in the '80s what took the rest of them so long?

Whats the book?

Love that story mate-to think of that happening in the 80's at that location is bizarre but I have no doubt that it did-the sticks did have a credibility among Loyalists for being genuine in their socialism and genuinely trying to see the other fella's perspective despite their committment to a 32 county state. I have a couple of prod mates from Loyalist backgrounds who are now in the workers party.

I know I am viewed as part of the red hand gang on here but if anyone broke into my house they would probably think I was a nailed on stick given the amount of Republican literature about the house with personal inscriptions from the likes of Dessie O'Hagan etc.

The book Dinger is just out and is called "The lost revolution-the story of the Official IRA and the Workers party" by Brian Hanley and Scott Millar. Damn good read if a bit pricey at £20.00.

Originally Posted by captain scarlet

The book Dinger is just out and is called "The lost revolution-the story of the Official IRA and the Workers party" by Brian Hanley and Scott Millar. Damn good read if a bit pricey at £20.00.

will order it from the library

Originally Posted by no fun

will order it from the library

Sarky tramp.

You might actually like it mate as a man of solid left credentials. Their stance was revolutionary for the time although stained by what Dinger pointed out. It is a fascinating story though-how a hard left Republican political party connected with Loyalism at the height of the troubles and won many over by their impartiality.

Originally Posted by captain scarlet

Sarky tramp.

You might actually like it mate as a man of solid left credentials. Their stance was revolutionary for the time although stained by what Dinger pointed out. It is a fascinating story though-how a hard left Republican political party connected with Loyalism at the height of the troubles and won many over by their impartiality.

honestly not being sarcy - I will order it from the library as I do with all the books I read

Originally Posted by no fun

honestly not being sarcy - I will order it from the library as I do with all the books I read

Apologies mate. It's a damn good read and well worth a trip to the library.

Originally Posted by wee man

Can I ask a genuine question about the GAA again. No mud slinging please. I understand it is a totally amateur game and NO players get paid. I see huge crowds at Croker Park and very big crowds at county games. There is a fair bit of live tv coverage which the tv companies obviously have to pay for. Where does all the money go ?

The GAA is far and away the best run sporting organisation in the country.

I used be heavily involved in my local soccer club and, over the Christmas period, both the soccer club and the local hurling club had their AGMs.

I realised, as they were going through the budget for the hurling club, that they spent more on sliotars (the hurling ball) (~€4,000) than we had to run the whole soccer club for the year!

What it boiled down to was that they were allowing every kid at the club to go home with 2 or 3 of these sliotars (€10-15 a piece). They also subsidise the hurleys, helmets, travel, sponsor kids to go to summer camps and this goes on for the 7 or 8 teams the club runs at various ages and levels.

The local pitch is in perfect condition with an undersoil drainage system. There's stands and good dressing rooms as well.

They also run this odd thing called Scór over the winter months where clubs are represented in putting on amateur dramatics, singing, recitals, quizzes and dancing.

This is in a village with a total population of no more than 1,000 people.

At the higher level, the GAA has Croke Park (80k capacity), the Gaelic Grounds (Limerick) (49,500 capacity) and Semple Stadium (Thurles) (55k) which are all fully modernised and then, definitely UNmodernised, Pairc Ui Caoimh (Cork) (43,500 capacity), Fitzgerald Stadium (Killarney) (43,000 capacity). There's also another seven stadiums with a capacity of over 30k.

That's all made possible by the amateur ethos. Most work in the GAA is done on a voluntary basis and the fear is that if the players were paid, you'd get an erosion in that willingness of ordinary people to contribute their time and effort for free when players are getting thousands of euros a week. Many coaches are already being paid and there's some controversy about that.

Originally Posted by celtbion

The GAA is far and away the best run sporting organisation in the country.

I used be heavily involved in my local soccer club and, over the Christmas period, both the soccer club and the local hurling club had their AGMs.

I realised, as they were going through the budget for the hurling club, that they spent more on sliotars (the hurling ball) (~€4,000) than we had to run the whole soccer club for the year!

What it boiled down to was that they were allowing every kid at the club to go home with 2 or 3 of these sliotars (€10-15 a piece). They also subsidise the hurleys, helmets, travel, sponsor kids to go to summer camps and this goes on for the 7 or 8 teams the club runs at various ages and levels.

The local pitch is in perfect condition with an undersoil drainage system. There's stands and good dressing rooms as well.

They also run this odd thing called Scór over the winter months where clubs are represented in putting on amateur dramatics, singing, recitals, quizzes and dancing.

This is in a village with a total population of no more than 1,000 people.

At the higher level, the GAA has Croke Park (80k capacity), the Gaelic Grounds (Limerick) (49,500 capacity) and Semple Stadium (Thurles) (55k) which are all fully modernised and then, definitely UNmodernised, Pairc Ui Caoimh (Cork) (43,500 capacity), Fitzgerald Stadium (Killarney) (43,000 capacity). There's also another seven stadiums with a capacity of over 30k.

That's all made possible by the amateur ethos. Most work in the GAA is done on a voluntary basis and the fear is that if the players were paid, you'd get an erosion in that willingness of ordinary people to contribute their time and effort for free when players are getting thousands of euros a week. Many coaches are already being paid and there's some controversy about that.

Fair play. Is Casement Park the biggest ground in NI ? And would the lad Harte at Tyrone (?) be one of those paid coaches ?

Probably about 30 years ago the same would have been said of Rugby Union. I remember a huge outcry when JPR Williams the Welsh fullback published his autobiography in the mid/late 70s as to whether he should be allowed to keep the money. Strange to think now that he played for his club, country and went on tour with the British Lions and during the day was a Doctor. And now, a relatively short time later RU is a fully professional sport.

Do you think in time GAA will go that way. I suppose Rugby was a global sport - which is obviously different

Originally Posted by wee man

Fair play. Is Casement Park the biggest ground in NI ? And would the lad Harte at Tyrone (?) be one of those paid coaches ?

Probably about 30 years ago the same would have been said of Rugby Union. I remember a huge outcry when JPR Williams the Welsh fullback published his autobiography in the mid/late 70s as to whether he should be allowed to keep the money. Strange to think now that he played for his club, country and went on tour with the British Lions and during the day was a Doctor. And now, a relatively short time later RU is a fully professional sport.

Do you think in time GAA will go that way. I suppose Rugby was a global sport - which is obviously different

Yes and I'd say Harte is paid "expenses" alright.

I doubt GAA could go professional. Professional sport in Ireland is rugby and there you have only four professional teams on the island and they play in international competitions.

What the players are looking for is a slice of the cake to have a fund available to bail out players with serious injury problems, financial problems etc.

It's a little like football back in the day when Jimmy Hill was trying to get a fair wage for players who were getting £#%&!ed over by the football establishment.

The problem is what it leads to.

Ironically, the only people getting serious money out of the GAA are the likes of the Cork County board secretary Franky Murphy, a notorious traditionalist and opponent of the players union, who's on a reputed six figure salary.

I say reputed because the board he runs won't release details of what the @#%&! is on.

Amidst the revelations about his sexuality, the Cork goalkeeper Donal Og Cusack, talks about his very prominent role in the players strikes/union here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4hQh1VacXM

Originally Posted by captain scarlet

The book Dinger is just out and is called "The lost revolution-the story of the Official IRA and the Workers party" by Brian Hanley and Scott Millar. Damn good read if a bit pricey at £20.00.

It's already under £15 on Amazon i'll keep an eye on it.