The Club Players Association (CPA) has criticised the draft agenda for September’s special GAA congress, which has been convened to consider changes to the hurling championship. Also down for discussion are seven motions, designed to ease pressure on club fixtures and dealing with streamlining competitions and moving towards same-day resolutions in matches.
According to the CPA statement, the body has been given sight of these and says that they “fall far short of what is required”.
“There are seven motions in total. We had hoped for one motion. A bold, brave and definitive motion that would cut through the short term planning and provide for a national fixtures plan for club and county.”
Repeating the headline proposals of the CPA’s own fixtures plan the statement asks why these have not been debated.
“The CPA presented Croke Park with a national fixture plan some months back that showed how club and county can co-exist.
We pointed out that three critical elements are needed to achieve this harmony.
- April designated as a club only month
- Club All Irelands played in a calendar year
- December a month of downtime and rest for all players.
“Why aren’t these being discussed at Central Council or presented in a national strategy? These are issues that benefit the club player in a meaningful way and relate directly to the GAA’s core purpose.”
The association also called on the Croke Park’s Central Council to support the proposal on April being a ‘club only’ month and questioned the direction of the GAA
“We are deeply concerned at the direction we are taking as an association with a growing imbalance between the income-generating big business wing of the GAA, directed and managed by paid officials, and the volunteer club ethos at local community level. The CPA is firmly in the latter category.”
